The Very Best of Ray Charles

Ray Charles

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 14, 2000)
• Original Release Date: March 14, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rhino / Wea
• ASIN: B00004R5ZP
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #17,543 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #35 in	Music > Blues > Piano
  #76 in	Music > R&B > Classic R&B

Track Listings

1. I Got a Woman

2. Fool for You

3. Drown in My Own Tears

4. Hallelujah, I Love Her So

5. Night Time Is the Right Time

6. What'd I Say, Pts. 1 & 2

7. Sticks and Stones

8. Georgia on My Mind

9. One Mint Julep

10. Hit the Road Jack

11. Unchain My Heart

12. I Can't Stop Loving You

13. You Are My Sunshine

14. Busted

15. Let's Go Get Stoned

16. Seven Spanish Angels - Ray Charles, Willie Nelson

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Hard as it is to go wrong when shopping for a Brother Ray package, some career-spanning compilations bundle the decades better than others. Count this one, true to its title, among the very best. The track sequencing is straight-up chronological, opening with 1954's groundbreaking blues and gospel mingling "I've Got a Woman." From there it charges through the late-'50s Atlantic era, rounding up classic singles like "Hallelujah (I Love Her So)," "(Night Time Is) The Right Time," and "What'd I Say." By the time the disc lands us in the '60s, the Genius has saddled up to explore his country side, turning in such popular-music-altering hits as "Georgia on My Mind" and "I Can't Stop Loving You." A final cut jumps into the '80s for the Willie Nelson duet "Seven Spanish Angels," leaving the listener with a solid--and deeply satisfying--sense of Charles' bold artistic wanderings. All that's missing is his soul-dunked rendition of "America the Beautiful." -Tammy La Gorce

Product Description

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: CHARLES,RAY
Title: VERY BEST OF RAY CHARLES
Street Release Date: 03/14/2000
Domestic
Genre: BLUES

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Of Brother Ray, November 18, 2004

By	Alan Caylow (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I have always admired Ray Charles. What a towering, soulful voice the man had, not to mention his brilliant keyboard playing. And, of course, all those great hit songs. But it wasn't until I saw the movie about Charles' life, simply called "Ray," that it dawned on me what a true innovator Charles was also. He really did lay down the blueprint for many soul acts to follow, doing things with the musical form that no one else had done before. This CD, "The Very Best Of Ray Charles," is a brilliant overview of Ray's most beloved work. These are fabulous songs, all of them, including classics like "I Got A Woman," "Hallelujah I Love Her So," "(Night Time Is) The Right Time" (a winning blues-popper featuring Margie Hendricks on co-lead vocals), "Hit The Road Jack," and the full-length version of the call-and-response smash "What I'd Say," with a brilliant performance from Charles on vocals and on his newly-acquired Wurlitzer keyboard. But it doesn't stop there---there's also the lovely ballads "Georgia On My Mind" and "I Can't Stop Loving You," an amazing soul re-working of the standard "You Are My Sunshine," the sultry "Unchain My Heart," the lyrically-daring "Let's Go Get Stoned," and a hot instrumental showcase for Charles, "One Mint Julep," with a scorching performance on organ. If you're new to Ray Charles' music, "The Very Best Of Ray Charles" is the perfect CD to start your collection with. God bless you, Brother Ray.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's The Very Best Indeed!, June 15, 2000

By	Ralph Quirino (Keswick, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Hats off to Rhino for another winning single disc anthology that more than lives up to its title. There was a time I had about ten Ray Charles CDs and felt that, while all were worthy, it sure would have been great to have all the best key cuts from the length of his career on one convenient disc. And...here it is! Thankfully, Rhino opted to include the full-length version of "What'd I Say". The cool part about this set is the way you go from "I've Got A Woman" to "Georgia On My Mind" to "Hit The Road Jack" to "Unchain My Heart" in one sitting! Solid notes, decent remastering, all the key hits. What more could anyone ask for? The first and best place to get into Brother Ray's genius...

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great album, October 31, 2001

By	G. Sawaged (Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Ray Charles is one of those artists who are a little bit of everything. Equally at home with jazz, pop, r&b and soul, a terrific pianist, vocalist and composer he is the ultimate artist. This album touches on 16 of his best songs, from the years 1954 to 1984. But of course, this is just a small amount of his greatest, but as much as one album can do. The 16 page booklet is great, with a 6 page essay about Ray and these songs which is very informative. Plus, a few photos and song track notes. A must have for all fans of Ray Charles.