31. Ray Charles - Modern Sounds In Country and Western Music

Release Date: 1962
Label: ABC

20. Ray Charles- The Genius of Ray Charles

Release Date: 1959
Label: Atlantic

I confess to having a pamphlet sized knowledge of Ray Charles. I know he was blind, he was portrayed by Jamie Foxx in the 2004 biopic, and I know he wrote What'd I Say. Apart from that, I don't know much. According to this album though- and it's a very bold statement to make- the man is a genius. Now, I don't want to start and arguments here, but I think the word 'genius' is a tad too strong. Whilst Mr. Charles is certainly talented (if the evidence of this record is to go by), he is no genius. If Mr. Charles or his record company don't want to get sued for false advertising, perhaps the album should be titled 'The Appreciative Talents of Ray Charles' instead. This album started of well, but just couldn't keep it up and seemed to fall away at the end.

Overall: 5/10
Favourite Track: Let The Good Times Roll

Next Album: Miles Davis- A Kind of Blue