MUSIC OR DIE #21: Ray Charles, "The Genius of Ray Charles" (1959)

The font though? Less genius.

Part 21 of my 1000+ part series.

(For info on that, clickety-click-click)

In which I really do admire the genius of Ray Charles.

TL;DR

More after The Cut >>>



1.) Let the Good Times Roll -

Certainly knows how to make an entrance - that BLAST of trumpets as it opens is incredible and bombastic. "Hey y'all tell everybody - Ray Charles is in town!"  

Yes, he has indeed arrived. Amazing opening.

2.) It Had to Be You - So we're going from an 11 to about a 5 right now energy-wise. I'm not angry at it. This song has been covered by everyone from, yes, my dearly beloved Sinatra to more recently Harry Connick, Jr. I love Ray's ad-libs, and that high note at the end? Mhmm. 

3.) Alexander's Ragtime Band - Hope you got enough rest in the last song, since we're back at an 11! A Berlin classic that's also been sung by everyone and their mother, Ray puts his own stamp on it. I would gladly listen to Alexander's Ragtime Band.

Still almost ten years too early for that kind of man, gents

4.) Two Years of Torture - And at a 5! I sense a trend. And gosh darn it all, his woman has been stolen from him, by syndicators (is she in organized crime?), thus subjecting him to the aforementioned torture - two full years of it! Life is tough sometimes, but luckily we have a great tenor sax solo to help us through it. I'd like to think that she just up and did her own thing. 

The skux life chose me.

5.) When Your Lover Has Gone - Down to a 4 now in energy, and Ray's voice has gotten softer and smoother. Matches the more melancholic mood - what lonely hours the evening shadows bring when your lover has gone! 

6.) 'Deed I Do - Do I want you?

Any questions? If so, refer to the last epic 15 seconds of the song.

-THUS PASSES SIDE ONE-

7.) Just for a Thrill - Now down to a 2.5 - you just used me as a plaything? Love the piano call and response with his vocals. Compare to the original version from the 1930s:

The original, apart from being very much of its time, is much more uptempo and could be mistaken for a happier song. Ray trades out the brass and woodwinds for soft, jazzy piano. Great song.

8.) You Won't Let Me Go - If you love it, don't set it free, I guess. This is like the scene in every romcom ever where one of the main characters is about to dramatically storm out the door, but not-so-secretly is waiting for the love interest to yell, "STOP WAIT I LOVE YOU I SWEAR I DIDN'T KEY YOUR CAR," or whatever passes for romance these days.

9.) Tell Me You'll Wait for Me - Beeeeautiful song. For some reason, the narrator and his love have to be kept apart, so he implores: "Just send me a smile / Once in a lonely while / Tell me you'll wait for me." If that's not heartbreaking, I don't know what is.

10.) Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin' - This, along with the first song on the album, was one of two singles released for this album. Apparently the two songs were intended to be tributes to Louis Jordan, the swing age's "King of the Jukebox."

Both versions are excellent, with Ray's being a bit more solemn, Louis's being a bit more big band (though still mellow). Side note, I didn't know that the word "salty" had been around for so long, apart from being used to refer to sailors or something. #themoreyouknow

11.) Am I Blue? - OK, we are going there - dramatically sweeping violins open up the song, with a flute then kicking in. I genuinely got shivers when Ray's vocals kicked in. He genuinely sounds like he's constantly on the verge of either breaking down and crying or of just throwing in the towel. 

I'd be remiss if I didn't put this here, because Cher:

12.) Come Rain or Come Shine - What a lovely closer for this album. "Come rain or come shine / We'll be happy together, unhappy together / Now won't that be just fine." You said it.

FINAL THOUGHTS
What a journey! The album itself is fairly short (under 40 minutes total), but the difference between sides one and two are stark. Whereas side one is largely high energy, side two is much more introspective, forlorn, and subdued. Ray Charles' voice and piano sound incredible on this album, as do the arrangements - fun fact! done in part by Quincy Jones, most famous for being the ex-boyfriend of Ivanka Trump (cough). (As a note - I have read that many people believe that a lot of the recording and mixing of the album isn't that great, and it is true that you can hear some overmodulation and gaps in sound quality. Didn't hamper my enjoyment of it though!)

Even if you're not a Ray Charles fan, I'd recommend this album wholeheartedly - even though it came out almost exactly 60 years ago, it still sounds fresh.

Personal standout tracks:
The whole album! On the flipside, my least favorite of them is probably "Two Years of Torture," though the album as a whole is so strong.