RAY, is the the album of the music from the movie of the same name. Everyone who preformed lip sinked. There is one exception, the second time you hear Georgia on my mind, Jamie Foxx, plays the piano with Ray.
There are seventeen songs on here, three of which were recorded in 2003 especially for the film. The rest were recorded by Ray in the ‘50s, ‘60s, and one tune from the ‘70s.
Who is Ray? Ray Charles, and I'm sure you have hear of him.
There are seventeen songs on this CD. The score was witten by the composer Craig Armstong.
My Review
The score was written and co-ordinated by Craig Armstrong.
I adore the classic tracts like Georgia On My Mind, I've Got A Woman, Let The Good Times Roll and Hit The Road Jack. I remember dancing to these tunes.
Three of the tracts that are uses, You Don't Know Me, What'd I Say and Hallelujah I Love Her So, were recorded when he appeared at the Shrine Auditorium in L.A.
Other tracts are from other albums that were recorded in a studio. They include, The Genius Sings The Blues, (it has a modern C & W sound), Bye Bye Love, The Right Time, Mary Ann, Drowning In My Tears and Unchain My Heart.
What I Think
This disc shows how he played from 1953 to 2003.
Ray is a musical genius on piano and in voice. He was a man of uniquely American contradictions, a dichotomous blend of big-city savvy and back-country simplicity, of sincerity and guile, of shouts and whispers. He never liked labels or barriers of any kind, so his songs transcended genres, tapping into the whole wide range of American roots music and blurring the separations between Jazz, R&B, Country and Gospel to create something original, exuberant and moving. It was said that he could just as easily make you dance as break your heart, could evoke joy as deeply as desolation, and sometimes he did both in the same song. For Ray Charles, life itself was like that…full of pain, trouble and sorrows as well as exaltation, beauty and salvation.
He could sing the blues, country and western, jazz and the classics. There will never be anyone like him.
The only tract I didn't care for is What d'I say.
The audio quality of all the tracks are excellent. You feel you are in the room with him, watching him play.
I'm sorry he didn't live long enough to know what is happening with the movie. I know during the Oscars he'll be cheering, for Ray!
What I Thougth
Most of the songs have an orcastra in the background. In intertwines the old film clips with the dialog from film.
End Credits, has strings, keyboards, drums and a blues vocal.
He uses bulesy cords and Gospal Singers to to show how his score conntect to the music of Ray Charles.
On Dream Of Ray I & III he has drums, a choir that sing softly in the background.
The Tracts
Mess Around
I Got a Woman
Hallelujah I Love Her So
Drown in My Own Tears
Night Time is the Right Time
Marianne
Hard Times
What'd I Say
Georgia On My Mind, (was recorded in Japan)
Hit the Road Jack
Unchain My Heart
I Can't Stop Loving You
Born to Lose
Bye Bye Love
You Don't Know Me
Let the Good Times Roll
Genius Hits The Road, (was recorded in Japan)
Performing On This Disc
Ray Charles, Craig Armstrong, Simon Chamberlain play the piano. Metro Voices do the vocals.
Other Information
This record was produce by Warner Brothers Music Group.
Released in February 2005
Disc Number CCD22482
It takes almost 50 minutes to hear it.
I paid $20.00 CAD for this disc.
My Conclusion
I often wondered if Ray Charles, Chet Baker and Janis Joplin were so creative and extraordinary because they used drugs.
After seeing the movie Ray proved, to me that it didn't matter.
If you have any Ray Charles albums, this disc, might not be of interest to you. If you don't it's a great overview of his tallent.
I paid $25.00 CAD for this disc.
Highly recomend
I'll end with sending your a blog about him:
https://blogofdeath.com/archives/001021.html
Thanks for reading my review.
©LL2005
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