Saturday, September 5, 2009

Ray Charles - "Modern Sounds In Country and Western Music" (1962)



This seminal album in American music history blended soul with country & western music at a time when racial tension was swelling. Studio execs thought it was a mistake when Ray Charles decided to cover country and folk standards for his upcoming album, but it became a critical and commercial success that some consider his finest studio outing. Just as he seamlessly combined Gospel and R&B to create Soul, he again shows here how interwoven American music is. Almost five decades later, the strings and backing vocals may sound a bit syrupy, but Brother Ray's voice is always there to save the day. It all combines to sit you down on a wrap around porch with lemonade and a rocking chair on a Southern summer afternoon. As lovelorn as the songs may be (these are country standards after all), I hope I'm dancing with my wife to this record when we're 80. -- Chris Baginski

1. "Bye Bye Love" 2:12
2. "You Don't Know Me" 3:16
3. "Half as Much" 3:28
4. "I Love You So Much It Hurts" 3:35
5. "Just a Little Lovin' (Will Go a Long Way)" 3:29
6. "Born to Lose" 3:18
7. "Worried Mind" 2:57
8. "It Makes No Difference Now" 3:36
9. "You Win Again" 3:31
10. "Careless Love" 4:01
11. "I Can't Stop Loving You" 4:14
12. "Hey, Good Lookin'" 2:14
13. "You Are My Sunshine" 3:01
14. "Here We Go Again" 3:18
15. "That Lucky Old Sun" 4:21

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