Ray Charles – Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Volumes 1 & 2 – with string arr. by Party Paich & big band arr. by Gerald Wilson & Gil Fuller – [TrackList below] Concord Records CRE-31337 *****:
What a kick! To have newly-remastered versions of these classic Charles sides of 1962 all on a packed single CD – plus this is the first time the second LP volume has been made available on CD at all! Ray always liked country and western and did some of the finest versions of these two dozen songs ever recorded. The original albums on ABC Paramount made lots of new country music converts. I ain’t one of ‘em, but I love listening to what Charles does to these tunes anyway. Perhaps part of it are the terrific arrangements by Paich, Wilson and Fuller – quite different from his usual backing – though Charles own traveling band played most of the arrangements.
Charles’ directness and emotional power make these songs something special. He often sounds like he’s confiding a touching personal story to you directly, rather than just singing someone else’s lyrics. The first dozen tracks alternate the string arrangements with big band, tracks 13 thru 18 use the Ray Charles Big Band conducted by Gerald Wilson plus even the Raeletts on some tracks, and the concluding tracks 19 thru 24 add the Jack Halloran Singers to the swinging string arrangements.
TrackList:
Bye Bye Love, You Don’t Know Me, Half As Much, I Love You So Much It Hurts, Just a Little Lovin’, Born to Lose, Worried Mind, It Makes No Difference Now, You Win Again, Careless Love, I Can’t Stop Loving You, Hey Good Lookin’, You Are My Sunshine, No Letter Today, Someday, Don’t Tell Me Your Troubles, Midnight, Oh Lonesome Me, Take These Chains from My Heart, Your Cheating Heart, I’ll Never Stand in Your Way, Making Believe, Teardrops in My Heart, Hang Your Head in Shame.
– John Henry
