Customer Reviews

Ray!: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Man, how Ray Charles could belt out a tune! He made it seem so easy; and the proof of that is on this CD. "Georgia On My Mind" is one of my favorite Ray Charles songs; this studio cut of Ray singing this is magnificent and very moving. No wonder it's Georgia's state song!

This CD starts out with the mischievous "Mess Around;" this song is so much fun you may replay it a few times before you even get to the rest of the CD! Hehehe! "I've Got A Woman" continues in this same way. There are some terrific live recordings here, too! Ray sings "Hallelujah I Love Her So," "What'd I Say," "You Don't Know Me," "Let The Good Times Roll," and "Georgia On My Mind" all live! I only wish I had been at one of these concerts; the electricity that so clearly is there in his performance would have blown my mind!

I especially liked the somewhat different arrangements on "You Don't Know Me" and "Let The Good Times Roll!" Very well done! The live recording of "Georgia On My Mind" is indeed very bluesy; a nice twist to a great song that is also here from a studio recording session Ray did.

Ray had a hand in the production of this film before he died; therefore this CD is also an excellent introduction or perhaps a single CD miniature compilation of some of his most famous songs. This is also a wonderful way for us all to remember the great Mr. Charles; since his performances here are dynamic, exciting, fresh and straight from the heart.

The CD comes with liner notes by Taylor Hackford. Hackford both directed and co-wrote the film "Ray."

In short, GET THIS CD! and help celebrate the life and art of the great Mr. Ray Charles! You won't regret this CD purchase! And while you're at it, why not see the movie, too? GRIN

If you saw the movie, you know by now that Ray recorded for two record companies: Atlantic and ABC Paramaount. Usually, when you buy any 'greatest hits' compilation of Ray, is either from the Atlantic sides or the ABC sides, never both. But for this CD, you get great sides from both companies. Everything here is classic. maybe too many live tracks, but as a one CD compilation to get to know Ray Charles, you can hardly find a better one. If you saw the movie, you'll remember the scenes were these tracks were played. Highly recommended if you dont have any of the Ray Charles classic recordings of the 50's & 60's.

The Ray Soundtrack was a disappointment in that the sound is not even close to the quality of the music on the DVD. Now to be sure, it is the same music. Allow me to explain; in the movie, each song has a dramatic "jump" to it that is absent in the soundtrack. It's like the editors pulled the original records, re-mastered them and laid the tracks down on this CD in the exact order as they appeared in the film. So what you get is Ray, but it is does not have the soul of the same music as in the movie. I'm not sure I can explain it correctly but it's as if the movie and Jamie Foxx stylized the same songs to have that "oomph" that's missing from this re-mastered collection of original tunes. To test my theory, I made a dub of "What'd I Say" from the DVD and played it back-to-back with this CD's version of the same song. The difference is unbelievable.
My conclusion; I love Ray Charles and his music but after hearing his music from the DVD in full Dolby 5.1, this CD is very disappointing. Put simply, it's like me taking my collection of Ray Charles Hi-Fidelity recordings and doing a straight transfer to CD. The music would be there but it would in no way sound like a modern day state of the art produced CD. And that's my problem; if the producers could make the film sound so good, they should have used the same music for the Soundtrack and used this collection of recordings labeled "The Originally Recorded Music" that inspired the movie Ray. That's my take for what it's worth.

Mike Way

Warner Music and Rhino Records presents "Ray", vintage Ray Charles from his story depicting seventeen songs that made us love this extraordinary human being ~ from the vaults of Atlantic and ABC-Paramount singles covering early '50s right up to the late '70s...classics from the git go, electrifying performances that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end.

Charles style is covered quite well with this collection of his long career...virtually every genre of music has its place on this compilation, he's so brilliant ~ every song here is a classic...there's nothing like listening to "MESS AROUND" [1953], from early on you knew his style would catch on..."I'VE GOT A WOMAN" [1954], "MARY ANN" [1956], "HARD TIMES (No One Knows Better Than I)" [1961], "HALLELUJAH I LOVE HER SO (Live)" [1965] and "WHAT'D I SAY (Live)" [1965], last five composed by the "Genius" himself, but you already knew that..."I CAN'T STOP LOVING YOU (Live)" [1976] and "BORN TO LOSE" [1962], are two of my favorite Country and Western tunes that Ray favored us with..."GEORGIA ON MY MIND", appears twice on the album, the 1960 studio recording and 1976 Live in Japan performance, both are truly legendary and a must have for your ever growing collection.

Was he a "Genius"...you be the judge and decide...he will be a tough act to follow encompassing an extremely broad recording career...some of the best music you'll ever hear...one of the most exceptional artists of the century ~ Ray Charles!

Total Time: 54:36 on 17 Tracks ~ Rhino Records 76540 ~ (10/19/2004)

What can you say about Ray Charles's music that hasn't been said many times over? This soundtrack to the biopic of a true musical genius is certainly a tribute to the continuing legacy of Ray Charles. As stated by Aretha Franklin, "he's the voice of a lifetime." And that voice will continue to live on through this excellent compilation - from his Grammy winning Hit the Road Jack and Georgia on My Mind to his rendition of Don Gibson's I Can't Stop Loving You - it's perfect. To say that Ray Charles was the "greatest pop singer" does him an extreme disservice. He was a master at gospel, blues, country, jazz and big band, and forged these disparate styles into something all his own. Charles once said, "I just want to make my mark, leave something musically good behind. If it's a big record, that's the frosting on the cake, but music's the main meal." If you aren't aware of Ray's music (and I humbly suggest you move out of that drum you've been living in), this CD should give you a wonderful taste of the stunning smorgasbord that is Ray Charles' music. To Charles' comment that "[he] was just born with music inside [him]," all I can say is I'll be forever grateful that he let it out. And boy, did he ever let it out!

Both the movie and the soundtrack just blew me away. I knew of Ray Charles and may had even heard a song of his or two (mainly "America" & "Georgia on My Mind"), but I didn't really know Ray, not truly. He simply IS "The Originator & Inovator of Soul Music", I'm a believer now. After seeing the movie I just had to go out and get the soundtrack, and has been playing it ever since. I feel so enlighten and blessed to had discovered his music, I just didn't know he made all of these incredible hits. Even though some of these songs are classics that I may of knew about before ("What'd I Say", "Hit the Road Jack", "Unchain My Heart", and especially "You Don't Know Me"), but in my shame I didn't know it was Ray who did them. And then there are those superjams (like "Bye Bye Love" and "Night Time is the Right Time"), that are so good that I can't hardly go a day without playing them at least once. I even went back to check out the 50th Anniversary "Genius & Soul Box Set" of Ray Charles music, just to see how many other jewels there are out there, and I haven't been disapointed yet. I'm a new Ray convert, the man is a genius, and I ain't going back...enjoy!

First, let me say, I love Ray Charles. I've only ever seen him perform live once in my life. It was in 1978 at the Latin Casino in Cherry Hill, NJ. My brother and I had actually gone there to see Dionne Warwicke. Dionne was magnificent. Between her and Mr.Charles, I was completely blown away. I'd always wondered about all the hype surrounding the name of Ray Charles and at that moment, I knew enough had not been said about this musical genius. Last weekend, I watched the DVD which I purchased as soon as it became available and knew this would be one I'd watch over & over after I've seen it a thousand times. Like one of the reviewers on this page, I immediately wanted the soundtrack. I bought it today and, although I love every song on the CD,(especially the live version of "What'd I Say", now realizing how it came to be born),I was a little disapointed when I discovered that the song "I Believe To My Soul" was not included in the soundtrack. I think this is one of the most excellent blues songs ever recorded, not to mention it brought back memories of hearing that song blasting from some of the houses and blues clubs I lived around in Chicago. I guess I'll just have to buy the Ray Charles songbook CD to get it. This is why I gave the CD only 4 stars instead of five. I just couldn't believe they played the song in the movie and left it off the Soundtrack CD. It's still a great CD except, it's only missing that one song from the movie.

"Ray" is a great soundtrack that consists largely of some very early recordings, dating back to 1953, with "Mess Around", through 1962, and then 3 cuts from a terrific 1964 concert at the Shrine Auditorium, and 3 more cuts from a 1976 concert in Japan.
The re-mastering of these tracks is very good, giving the CD an overall even sound quality for the 23 year span of recordings.
"(Night Time Is) The Right Time" has been a favorite since its release as a single in '58, and other standouts for me are the electric "What'd I Say" from the Shrine concert, and "Hard Times (No One Knows Better Than I)", which are two of the five songs included in this collection that Ray Charles wrote.

"Georgia on My Mind" (1960) was a big breakthrough recording for Ray, using the lush string arrangements of Ralph Burns, and a crossover into the pop music market, later to move into the country market with such songs as "Born to Lose" ('62).
These early recordings are thick with memories from my teen years, and the many LPs and 45s that were worn through with constant play. "Ray" may be the soundtrack of an Oscar Award winning 2004 film, but for many of us born during and soon after WWII, Ray's music was the soundtrack to some of the most important years of our lives.

"Ray" received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Director, Film Editing and Costume Design, and Oscars were given for Best Sound, and to Jamie Foxx for Best Actor. The booklet insert has complete recording info, interesting liner notes by director Taylor Hackford, lots of photos of Ray and Jamie, and on the back cover, a marvelous shot of them together. Total playing time is 54'36.

This is an excellent soundtrack to one of the best movies of the year. Ray Charles left behind a legacy of great music. Some of his biggest hits are included on this soundtrack. My favorite track is Georgia on My Mind. This is Ray Charles' signature song. It is also the state song of Georgia.

I Can't Stop Loving You is another classic Ray Charles tune. This is a very pretty song. Ray sounds great vocally and on the piano on this track. I Got A Woman is another highlight track for me. It is a beautiful song about appreciating all the things a good woman can do in your life. I really liked this song. Another track that stands out for me on this album is the song Hallelujah I Love Her So. This is a very lively, energetic song. It is part soul and part gospel and I really enjoyed it.

I've heard a few of these songs before, and I did not know that Ray Charles was credited for writing and singing them. Hit the Road Jack is a great song to sing at parties that I have heard for years. I was surprised to find out that Ray Charles sang this song when I bought this CD. Bye Bye Love is a song also performed by the Everly Brothers in a slow sweet pop sound in the late 50s. Ray Charles sings the same song, but he gives it a nice soulful sound here. I loved this track.


Ray is an excellent soundtrack of wonderful music This CD just put me in a good mood. I think the music of Ray Charles appeals to every fan, because his voice is so touching and emotionally powerful. I highly recommend this soundtrack.

This presents many of the songs he did over the years in his concerts. It is great as a one cd overview of some of his Atlantic and ABC stuff, with several of his Atlantic songs showing how he developed his own sound and style. Also recommended for the big band and ballads is "The Genius of Ray Charles", but this soundtrack gives you the rocking R 'n B which will get your party cooking and toes tapping. Ray Charles contributed greatly to American popular music, with blues, gospel, jazz, and country appeal. He wrote, played, sang, and arranged his music, making folks like Ashley Simpson look horrid in comparison.