Best of Ray Charles

R&B / Soul · 2000 · 12 tracks

Best of Ray Charles

March 14, 2000 · Direct Source Special Products Inc.

This collection captures the literal 'Big Bang' of soul music.

It is the sound of the sacred meeting the profane, where the ecstatic energy of a Sunday morning church service is transplanted into the smoky atmosphere of a Saturday night jazz club.

Ray Charles's voice is the central anchor: a weathered, gravelly baritone that can shift from a vulnerable whisper to a triumphant shout in a single measure. The music feels physically present, driven by his percussive piano playing and a brass section that feels like it's breathing right next to you.

Tracklist · 12 Tracks

04

You Are My Sunshine

3:01

06

In the Heat of the Night

2:37

07

Let’s Go Get Stoned

3:02

08

Busted

2:12

09

Don’t Set Me Free

2:39

10

Hide nor Hair

3:13

11

That Lucky Old Sun

4:23

12

At the Club

3:03

13

Makin’ Whoopee, Part 1

6:20

15

Crying Time

2:58

16

Here We Go Again

3:19

17

Ellie My Love

4:13

Moments Worth Listening For

the iconic call-and-response sequence between ray and the raelettes during the climax of what'd i say

the moment the strings dissolve into a lonely piano melody on georgia on my mind

the raw grit in his voice when he hits the high notes in the final chorus of i can't stop loving you

the percussive piano triplets that drive the frantic energy of mess around

Where This Album Departs

How does Best of Ray Charles sound next to the rest of Ray Charles's catalogue?

This album stays in step with the catalogue across the board — no axis departs enough to be worth its own note. Hover the dots to see where each one sits.

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