Customer Reviews

Ray Charles: The Complete Country & Western Recordings 1959-1986

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

The soul and spirit in this collection is far beyond description. The feelin' starts on track 1 of disc 1 and continues on to track 22 of disc 4, and stays with you long after that. Sure, Ray Charles is a household name. But I don't think many people realize how deep of a soul singer and songwriter he is.

If you have any inkling as to who Ray Charles is and what he's about--and it appeals to you--then you will *LOVE* this entire collection (FORGET about "country"/"R&B" classifications--it is SOUL music). Some box sets are overkill with the content, making it hard to truly enjoy everything from beginning to end. This is a major exception. The songs range from the 1950s to the 1980s, and, to my wonderful surprise, the 1980s tracks don't have that fake, overproduced sound that most records from the 1980s have. And the tracks from the 1950s and 60s, of course, have that wonderful "live" sound that only recordings from that time could have. It's all good!

I was hesitant to buy this entire collection, and it makes me so happy to know that I took the chance because I wouldn't know what I was missing if I had simply gotten the "Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music" album.

Ray Charles RULES!

With the exception of cd no:4 (which sounds too eighties for me) this is simply marvellous. I wouldn't call it soul, jazz or country - it's none of that, and all of it at the same time. "Take Me Home Country Roads" is way better than John Denvers version, "Ring Of Fire" sounds better than when Johnny Cash plays it. And the list goes on and on. "You Are My Sunshine" is another classic that Ray Charles breathes new life into.
This cd-box is quite expensive, but it's worth it. Three discs or four...

It seems as if Ray kept an ear on country music throughout his life, long after the success of 1962's Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. This fine package goes on for YEARS after that. And they are all very good beause of his delivery. He starts out with "Bye Bye Love" done up by both Webb Pierce and the Everly Brothers in the 50s AND "You Don't Know Me" co-written by Cindy Walker, a prolific songwriter, and its singer "Tennessee Plowboy" Eddy Arnold (although Eddy actually was sort of an early "Countrypolitan" singer with about 30 #1 hits.) The package continues on with songs by longtime writer/singer Floyd Tillman, Ted Deffan ("his "Born to Lose" and "Worried Mind" were on the 1962 album though he never made the big time himself), governor Jimmie Davis, Don Gibson, Hank Williams, Sr.,Buck Owens, Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell, The Browns, Chet Atkins, Willie Nelson; the list goes on and on. The only one I question is "What Am I Living For?", the last song of King of the Stroll Chuck Willis, a black blues shouter, before his early death. Whatever. I bet if Ray was still with us, he'd still have an ear out for country music. If you think country music is hokey--maybe sometimes it is--it isn't so when the Genius does it. Trust me.

I bought this CD last Christmas for my wife and have just about listened to it everyday since. Even though it is listed as a country recording there are many other styles of music which shows Ray Charles' wide range of talent. I'd highly recomend this CD.

Mike

After giving this set to my honey as a gift, we listened to all 4 CDs. We marveled at the incredible range of songs, from upbeat, almost jazzy ones, to tear-jerkers, to deep-down, heartfelt bluesy ones. Ray Charles has a magnificent style, and his treatment of the classics was unique. Excellent investment.

Few artists have had such a long and varied career that a collection of this sort could fill even a single disc, let alone 4. But Charles has proven himself time again to be more than just a pianist, more than just a soul singer, more than just a songwriter. He is an artist who fuses a variety of sources into something that is uniquely his own.

What's particularly interesting about this collection, drawn from a 28-year period, is the transition he makes. The early recordings take C&W songs and filter them through the jazz and soul stylings on which Charles made his name. The later recordings turn the formula inside-out, rearranging soul tunes with a C&W flair. Perhaps most impressive of all is that both work wonderfully.

Modern Sound in C&W is one of those albums that changed the course of popular music; nothing was the same ever since. The version in this box set is remastered and sounds so much better that the single CD. Just for that I am glad I traded my old CD for this. The rest of the stuff is not as great as the original album (like most every other album released ever since!), but it is all very very good. If you got even the slightest interest in country music or Ray CHarles, this is for you. Each CD is FULL with music, they really tried to put as many tracks as possible into 4 CD's, so even if you get 4 CD's, you are actually getting twice as much music as you would ususally find in 4 CDs. Liner notes are not too great, a detail session by session is missing, but this is definitely worth the price.

Holy Cow!!! This is what country music is and should be all about. Honest,heartfelt, raw emtion! Everyone needs to take a lesson.

This is the best Ray Charles box set by far.

I really like Ray charles and this is a great boxed set.It had everything I was looking for. I had good sound from what I could tell.And in my openion it was not just country it had other sounds mixed in which gives it a good mix.

Absolutely fantastic! Soul wrenching sounds that brought me to tears just to hear such gutteral feelings expressed in his voice. I always loved the country sounds by Ray and have owned the original lp since it first came out many years ago. Was searching for cd of it when I ran across this set. Had never heard many of the songs before, but after listening to the samples, I knew I had to own it. If you love country and Ray, you will not be disappointed in this set. Since purchasing it, I have spent many hours listening to the songs and reminissing about the old times they bring back to mind. A little expensive, but well worth the price to me. Definitely one of the best purchases I have ever made on here.