FLASHBACK
RAY CHARLES
David Styburski
Issue date: 4/23/04 Section: The Edge
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Volume Two (1962)
Over his long career‚ Ray Charles has been deemed a jazz singer‚ a soul legend and a rock 'n' roll pioneer. But his art is the kind that should not be discussed simply in terms of genres. Long after Brother Ray passes‚ people who hear his creative output will remember him simply as a gifted musician.
Consider‚ for example‚ Charles' work on 1962's "Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music Volume Two." Although the album's title automatically suggests a mere collection of cowboy tunes‚ Charles offers so much more. His voice‚ still clear and full of feeling underneath the scratches and clicks of an antique 42-year-old vinyl record‚ wraps around producer Sid Fuller's creative arrangements and temporarily makes songs written by other artists Charles' own.
Charles' interpretations of classic hits might shock some country fans‚ but only crotchety purists will be disappointed with them. Charles and his band rework songs to fit their style‚ but the singer never sacrifices attitude for flashy instrumentation. Whether covering the jolly "You Are My Sunshine" or the melancholy "Take These Chains From My Heart‚" Charles not only channels the appropriate feelings into the songs‚ but he also finds the appropriate intensity level of each emotion.
"No Letter Today" and "Someday" both address the sources of broken hearts‚ but Charles doesn't sing the two ballads the same way. He delivers the former number about loneliness in a sign‚ as if to convey the manner in which extended sadness can lead to physical exhaustion. The latter‚ more resilient-minded composition receives a heavier vocal treatment that suggests a new-found strength in the narrator.
Even if they disregard Charles' voice‚ listeners can still enjoy the second volume of "Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music" on many levels.
The female backup singers on "You Are My Sunshine" accelerate the formation of a swinging groove. The jittery horns on Don Gibson's "Don't Tell Me Your Troubles" and "Oh‚ Lonesome Me" keep the album's spirits high in spite of the lonely lyrics.
Of course‚ who would ever want to set Charles and his vocal skills aside? This is a man‚ after all‚ who took a stab at the "Sesame Street" standard "It Ain't Easy Being Green" and managed to bring more than his fair share of tears to people's eyes. Fans don't care if he wants to sing like a soul man‚ a cowboy or Kermit the Frog‚ just as long as he keeps on singing.
Over his long career‚ Ray Charles has been deemed a jazz singer‚ a soul legend and a rock 'n' roll pioneer. But his art is the kind that should not be discussed simply in terms of genres. Long after Brother Ray passes‚ people who hear his creative output will remember him simply as a gifted musician.
Consider‚ for example‚ Charles' work on 1962's "Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music Volume Two." Although the album's title automatically suggests a mere collection of cowboy tunes‚ Charles offers so much more. His voice‚ still clear and full of feeling underneath the scratches and clicks of an antique 42-year-old vinyl record‚ wraps around producer Sid Fuller's creative arrangements and temporarily makes songs written by other artists Charles' own.
Charles' interpretations of classic hits might shock some country fans‚ but only crotchety purists will be disappointed with them. Charles and his band rework songs to fit their style‚ but the singer never sacrifices attitude for flashy instrumentation. Whether covering the jolly "You Are My Sunshine" or the melancholy "Take These Chains From My Heart‚" Charles not only channels the appropriate feelings into the songs‚ but he also finds the appropriate intensity level of each emotion.
"No Letter Today" and "Someday" both address the sources of broken hearts‚ but Charles doesn't sing the two ballads the same way. He delivers the former number about loneliness in a sign‚ as if to convey the manner in which extended sadness can lead to physical exhaustion. The latter‚ more resilient-minded composition receives a heavier vocal treatment that suggests a new-found strength in the narrator.
Even if they disregard Charles' voice‚ listeners can still enjoy the second volume of "Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music" on many levels.
The female backup singers on "You Are My Sunshine" accelerate the formation of a swinging groove. The jittery horns on Don Gibson's "Don't Tell Me Your Troubles" and "Oh‚ Lonesome Me" keep the album's spirits high in spite of the lonely lyrics.
Of course‚ who would ever want to set Charles and his vocal skills aside? This is a man‚ after all‚ who took a stab at the "Sesame Street" standard "It Ain't Easy Being Green" and managed to bring more than his fair share of tears to people's eyes. Fans don't care if he wants to sing like a soul man‚ a cowboy or Kermit the Frog‚ just as long as he keeps on singing.
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BALDWINEXTERMINATOR9
BALDWINEXTERMINATOR9
posted 4/23/04 @ 12:56 PM CST
Thanks David.
Such a tender tribute to a great musician & scholar of the human condition.
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