Customer Reviews

Message From the People (Ocrd)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Originally released in 1972, A Message from the People, was one of Charles' last albums for his own Tangerine imprint. The ten songs, arranged by Quincy Jones, Sid Feller and Mike Post, take stock of post-60s America, consolidating the progress of the civil rights movement, but not casting a blind eye to the continuing plight of a black man in America. The album opens with a rousing version of "Lift Every Voice and Sing." Based on a poem used to introduce Booker T. Washington at a celebration of Lincoln's birthday in 1900, the song version was adopted by the NAACP as the Negro National Anthem, and became a favorite at black churches. The celebratory mood fades with Charles' powerful cover of the Whisper's "Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong" and its contemplation of injustice and social invisibility.

Charles continues to alternate hope and concern as the gospel-soul "Heaven Help Us All" gives way to the questioning "There Will Be No Peace Without All Men as One." The album's second half finds Charles' stretching into pop material with covers of Melanie ("What Have They Done to My Song, Ma"), Dion ("Abraham, Martin and John"), and John Denver ("Take Me Home, Country Roads"). None are revelations, though Charles mines a deep vein of soulful sorrow with Dion's work. The album closes with a rendition of "America the Beautiful" that would eventually become one of Charles' signature performance pieces; at the time, however, it failed to attract much attention. This is a good album, but doesn't live up to the promise of its first three tracks. 3-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

Since 1980 I had, from my mother belongings, this album on vinyl and It's good to see that the quality of the CD version could keep up with the original Vinyl. About this masterpiece is suffice to say that this album is one of the best I've listened on my whole life and I've listened it through my whole life until now.

Explaining Ray Charles' greatness as a singer would be as ridiculous as it is universally known. I like everyone know Ray, but it was not until I recently saw the film Ray that I started to wonder: what is the Ray Charles beyond "What I say," beyond Atlantic, beyond the ABC hits and beyond around 1965, when Charles got clean and came back into a world increasingly influenced by rock?

Well, if Message To The People is part of that answer, I am more than impressed. This album came in 1972 and contains hits, just not any hits Charles is known for. "Abraham Martin and John." and "What Have They Done To My Song, Ma."

Don't think that my "not any hits Charles is known for," is a crack. It's not, and he should have been. Charles and longtime arranger Quincy Jones--read my reviews to find I think of Jones more as a deity--work these songs here into an amazing, lush, Memphis-sounding soul.


If you wish to compare it to Charles earlier work, this music has a fuller, richer, funkier sound. By 1972, Charles was working in a world of electric instruments, electric youth, electric everything, fully charged by rock and funk. You don't get that live sound you did on tube recorded early 1960s Atlantic albums.


But the trade off is better musicianship--I can't be sure but I think I hear the great Chuck Rainy on bass and given Jones is arranging here that makes sense-and more dynamics. This is some of the best, lesser known early 1970s soul I have heard in a long time, and if you know Charles' hits and are asking the same question I started with, you won't go wrong using this album to start answering it.

This concept album was a signature work in 1972. From the album cover - conceived by Charles himself, to the review of contemporary social commentaries, to the timeless rendition of America The Beautiful. This is a great album, not only in execution and Charles' incredible musicianship, but also makes a great statement to, and for, all of us. The "Message From The People" is still applicable today, and it's exhilarating to hear a Master Artist speak so well on our behalf.