Ray Billings MT

Ray

Soundtrack

Rhino Records, 2004

REVIEW BY: Jeff Clutterbuck

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 03/30/2005

Would you believe there's a music critic out there who knowspractically nothing about Ray Charles? Well, that was this critic,at least until a few weeks ago. The movie Ray captured my interest, and provoked me to purchase thesoundtrack. And giving it a few spins these past few days has mademe realize just exactly what I had been missing.

Seventeen original Ray Charles recordings are featured on thisdisc, 17 songs that are imbedded into the fabric of 20th centuryAmerica. However, despite this, it was the first time I hadactually listened to any of them. From the get-go, I was barragedwith sounds and styles, the likes of which I thought no artistcould capture so well. There's pop, R&B, gospel, country, jazz,and Charles handles each of them with the same level ofquality.

While every single song -- and that is not hyperbole -- is aclassic, there are some that immediately stood out to this novice'sears. "Mess Around," the lead-off track. features smoother vocalsthan what I expected, with Charles' normally gritty, soulful vocalstyle altered slightly to more of a Nat King Cole approach. Thebrassy "I've Got A Woman" superimposes rock lyrics over a gospelsound, which led to a controversy over the tune. The smash "WhatI'd Say" is four and a half minutes of bliss, beginning with thebrilliant opening keyboard riff, and closing with the sexuallycharged back and forth between Charles and the Raelettes.

Oh, but there's more. One of the few tracks I knew from previouslistening, "Hit The Road Jack," delivers one of Charles's mosteffective performances, as he begs, pleads, and finally accepts hisfate of being told to "hit the road." "Georgia On My Mind" was amajor surprise, a lush, orchestral, jazzy number, yet it tugs atthe heartstrings, and takes on a historical significance given thefact Charles was banned from playing in the state for years afterdefying segregation laws. In fact, this track makes a secondappearance on this soundtrack with a 1976 live version that is justas sublime. Interesting also is the fact that there are momentswhen Charles steps back and lets the spotlight shine on someoneelse. "Hit The Road Jack," and "(Night Time Is) the Right Time" areprime examples, especially with the latter's soulful exclamationsfrom the women backing the man himself.