28/01/2005

New Ray Charles recordings

This column has never been slow to praise Ray Charles, one of the giants of 20thC music. But, it must be said, there has been some disappointing recent Charles product.

Last summer's album release, Genius Loves Company, was less than essential (see below). And Ray, the new biopic, has had mixed reviews, despite an acclaimed performance by Jamie Foxx in the title role.

That said, the release of the film virtually guarantees plenty of new, high quality Charles product worth celebrating. First up is the film soundtrack, mixing studio and live tracks: it's an outstanding compilation, and well worth seeking out. Then there's the new DVD, O-Genio, capturing Charles in a live performance from 1963: he was at his peak from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, so this is also recommended. Even better, a second soundtrack album is rumoured, and the label are talking about re-releasing all the Ray Charles Atlantic albums, as a new box set.

While the new Ray Charles products will be welcomed here, they will struggle to oust as the one essential purchase The Definitive Ray Charles, a double CD from 2002, with 46 tracks from Atlantic, and, most important, the best of the country songs recorded on ABC; it's widely available at about £8 - a steal.

Gerry Smith

From the Music for Grown-Ups Archive:

Regular readers will know that this column reveres the music of Ray Charles. Well, most of it. Proof? See the Brother Ray obit and the rave review for TV bio, Ray Charles: What'd I Say, recently shown on BBC2, in this web site's Archive.

But, as I saw on the 1996 UK arena tour, Ray Charles had a weak spot. He was prone to show biz schlock. It's the mainstream show biz side of Brother Ray which will prevent me buying the new duets album, Ray Charles - Genius Loves Company, due next Monday, 30 August.

The album's sole attraction lies in Charles's duet with Van the Man on his Crazy Love, taken from the Ulsterman's appearance at the Songwriters' Hall Of Fame ceremony last year. But I already have that, on the home VHS recording of the recent TV bio.

As for the rest of the album? Elton John… Natalie Cole… Norah Jones… Gladys Knight… Bonnie Raitt… James Taylor… .

No sirreee: really not my kind of musicians.

Gerry Smith

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