The term legend is used all too loosely in this day and age, with music arguably the worst offender. But in Ray Charles, modern music has someone it can proudly label one of culture’s true geniuses. This LP set encompasses some of Ray Charles’ most popular, influential and seminal recordings. Despite the song order isn’t chronological, the range of material varied widely in familiarity – at the time, ‘I Can’t Stop Loving You’ and the album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music were burning up the charts, and it made sense to include numbers such as ‘I’m Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town’ and ‘I’ve Got News for You’ (both of which had been only modest pop hits but good performers on the R&B charts), alongside major singles such as ‘Hit the Road Jack’ and ‘One Mint Julep,’ in an effort to broaden his exposure. As it was, this record made it to number five, making it the second highest-charting album of his career up to that time, and also his first to chart in England (where a lot of aspiring rock &rollers and soul belters likely wore out its grooves). It still holds up nearly 50 years later, track for track, and can stand with any other hits compilation of its era, by any of Charles’ contemporaries.

Additional Details

Label:WaxTime In Color

Genre:R & B

Run Time:40 mins

Region:0

Release Date:06/22/21

UPC:8436559467940