by
Ray Charles
- Record Label: Concord
- Release Date: Feb 22, 2019
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Feb 25, 2019There will never be another Ray Charles. He sounds just as amazing now as he did 55-56 years ago. This is music one can’t revisit too often.
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Feb 25, 2019The main difference between the two albums is that the first volume retains a sense of discovery, whereas the second is made with the confidence that this particular formula works. In either case, the two albums -- whether heard individually or as a pair, as they so often are -- aren't so much complements but of a piece, music that changed the course of popular music and remains a testament to the genius of Ray Charles.
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Feb 25, 2019It’ll take some adjusting to deal with Charles’ slick, ultra-commercial versions of these old-school country/western and countrypolitan gems. But understanding how drastic a career move this was for the era, it makes more sense. Even with faults, these two volumes of Modern Sounds in Country and Western remain required listening for Americana fans and their reappearance is worth celebrating.
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Feb 25, 2019In the end, Charles didn’t just fit in; he revolutionized the genre by sparking a rush of Nashville/pop crossover acts. This music remains a tribute to and rejoinder of the futile divisions we so often take for granted.