Customer Reviews
Soul began here - By: Richard, 13 Apr 2008 
The first hit singlein the U K by Ray Charles was Georgia on my midin 1960 & this disc made No 24.Charles was on a new label by then & the Atlantic sides while issued here meant nothing until the Age of Merseybeat.
Hit the road Jack went top 5 & it was nothing but up from then with the Modern Sounds of Country & Western spawning a number of hit singles.
Ray's earlier work on Swingtime began apperaing on a label called Society.
This CD is a pretty comprehensive overview of the most essential recordings which include his Beatles covers & ends with his version of Imagine.
Theres never been any shortage of albums by Ray Charles & I think the first was What'd I say-which was probably too far away from general tastes at the time because America was so farin front.
inspiring - By: Mr. Jr Green, 16 Feb 2008 
My whole career as a sound engineer started from the inspiring music from Ray Charles. Pure talent & passion. What better way to celebrate it than to have this superb CD.
A True Legend - By: Charlie Douglas, 11 Jul 2007 Ray Charles is a true legend & this album is a perfect example of what he was capable of. If you are new to his music then this is a great intorduction & if you are a seasoned fan like me then this has the best of what you want to hear.
Sometimes these kind of albums are put together with a number of 'filler' tracks on them but not this one. Every track is a great tune & it is something you will want to listen to time & time again.
Definitive - By: Spider Monkey, 24 Feb 2007 This truly is the definitive Ray Charles. You get a wide selection of his output from his early recordings to his eighties duets with the likes of Chaka Khan as featured on Quincy Jones' 'Back on the Block' album. Ray Charles' songwriting is superb, with the early stuff very clearly influenced by Gospel & church music of the time, but with his own twist. If you've seen the film 'Ray' you will know just what to expect & this doesn't disappoint. If you haven't seen the film, buy this anyway as it has some great blues & soul on here & should bein anyone's collection. I also recommend the film for those who like this album, as it provides a good insight into Ray & his music. This truly is the definitive collection & is a joy to listen to.
Genius at Work! - By: robojam, 31 Dec 2004 It seems that if anyone passes away these days, they are proclaimed a genius for the weeks following their death. With Ray Charles though, his sad loss was not what prompted the genius tag, but the real & tangible genius that he possessed.
I did not own any Ray Charles CD's before his untimely death, but always loved his music. I bought this, & gave myself the proverbial kick up the backside for not buying some of his work earlier. This is a great collection of all his best work, from his first hits up to some of his last material recorded. It doesn't cover his very early material, but then how can you produce a complete collection when someone has recorded so many great songs?
The early hits are very interestingin that they are so unlike the material that we have come to know him for, but as you listen to song after song on this CD, you can hear a man developing his style from the early trio of piano, bass & drums to the more complex arrangements that we all know so well. The earlier material then gets a country feel to it, butin his lifetime he rarely got any recognition from the snobbish Country & Western fansin the US. His rendition of songs like 'I Can't Stop Loving You' just blow away the original.
As he started getting wide recognition, the songs just grewin stature, & it seemed like there was no style of music that he couldn't utilise. Brilliant versions of other people's songs such as 'Rainy Nightin Georgia' just make you marvel at his arranging skills.
I for one will be buying more Ray Charles, but this CD is the perfect place to start.
