Ray Charles - Genius Hits the Road
List Price:
Our Price: $7.06
You Save: $4.92 (41%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $6.99 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more new music releases
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Music CD Cover
Artist: Ray CharlesEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
Format: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2009-09-22
Music Label: Concord Records
Soundtracks:
- Alabamy Bound
- Georgia On My Mind
- Basin Street Blues
- Mississippi Mud
- Moonlight in Vermont
- New York's My Home
- California, Here I Come
- Moon Over Miami
- Deep in the Heart of Texas
- Carry Me Back to Old Virginny [featuring the Raeletts]
- Blue Hawaii
- Chattanooga Choo-Choo
- Hit The Road Jack
- Sentimental Journey
- Blue Moon of Kentucky [Swingova]
- Rainy Night in Georgia
- The Long and Winding Road
- I Was on Georgia Time
- Take Me Home, Country Roads
Free Music Notes for Genius Hits the Road
Free Music Review: The Genius Makes His Mark
Hit: 5 Stars
It's more than just possible that the legacy of Ray Charles music on ABC-Paramount in the early 60's is entirely misunderstood. So much has been said about his using this period of career to corner the "pop market",i.e white people,etc. Well what most people at this point might not realize was how shrewd Ray was in regard to his musical choices. This was a guy who was in love with the music of Hank Williams and Nat King Cole in his youth so the joining of jazz,gospel,country and blues with pop that made up soul music beginnings was by now second nature to him. The elements had always been there and all he really did with his music of this era is bump up the orchestral elements a little bit. At any rate this is a spectacular album from a spectacular musician: not only does it emphasize more then the always mixed passions of that voice of his but his way around his own musical flavors AND (yes) his great blues/jazz piano style. Also here is "Georgia On My Mind" and....well I cannot say anymore about that song that hasn't already been said. During a period when concepts albums were rare,especially in the relatively new R&B world of the time. Ray offers one up here and a really good one for a hard touring performer such as himself: life on the road. The range of song range from standards to traditional (there is a difference,by the way) songs done up as only Ray can do them. "Alabamy Bound","Basin Street Blues","Mississippi Mud", "California,Here I Come" and "Moon Over Miami" all make the best use of that great big band soul/jazz sound that Ray had made the base of his well rounded and distinctive sound. One of the things that make treatments of...say the old spiritual "Carry Me Back To Old Virginny" is The Raeletts in that case but the orchestra AND choirs,produced by Ralph Burns turn what very easily could've ended up corny,dated arrangements into darkley hued and quite beautiful gospel/soul emotionalism. Again with The Raelettes on "New York's My Home" and more humorously on "Deep In The Heart Of Texas" Ray engages in some pointed call and response and excersises his ability with clever vocal interpretations. Another of the most extrodinary features of this are the bonus cuts,all excellent and presented from different periods of his career,extending conceptually to the travelling theme of the orginal album. "Hit The Road Jack"....a great cut we all know is here and will add familiarity for those buying this album with little experience with Ray's music.Even more fascinating is the bluesy,slurred rendition of "Sentimental Journey" and the 80's style...."countrypolitan" c&w/R&B mixture of "I Was On Georgia Time". Ray was not known for his contributions to music during the 70' but "Rainy Night In Georgia"...Brook Benton not withstanding this version has some great funky,minor chorded fender rhodes work and a lot of gospel type reverb on that and his singing. Even though people may not have been listening much by then it shows Ray was aware of the newer funkier music around him. "The Long And Winding Road",as with the Beatles version has a lot of orchestration but in this case not only is it used to better affect but the arrangement is tweaked just enough to give the some more of a downbeat flavor. John Denver's "Take Me Home,Country Roads",from the now in print album A Message from the People puts a very early 70's interpretation of old timey gospel to the folksy original and comes up.....smelling like roses. Time changes,music changes and there are some things that just work. And this album,bonus tracks and all is a great example of a sound very much a mirror of it's age that,as my own father once pointed out has a certain timelessness as well.
Genius Hits the Road Poster
The famed 1960 Genius concept album, featuring a dozen songs devoted to various parts of the U.S. with brassy big band arrangements and material from the likes of Al Jolson and Hoagy Carmichael. This newly remastered version features 7 bonues tracks!"What'd I Say" may have given Ray Charles his first top 10 single, but it was this 1960 album that really solidified his commercial standing. It hit the top 10 on the strength of the massive sales of "Georgia on My Mind"; while nothing else here comes close to topping that particular song, there are a number of other fine performances, including "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny," "Basin Street Blues," and "New York's My Home." Charles takes a smooth, supper-club approach to most of the material, but only "Deep in the Heart of Texas" is really too hokey for its own good. Rhino's CD reissue adds several other geographically themed cuts from Charles's career, including "Rainy Night in Georgia," "Swanee River Rock," and a marvelously swingin' take on "Blue Moon of Kentucky." --Dan Epstein
Blues Music CDs
Music Genres
Top music charts in Blues Music CDs
Southern String BandsRelease date: 1997-05-07; Music CD
Price in other shops:
Lightnin Hopkins - Texas BluesRelease date: 1993-11-30; Music CD
Price in other shops:
15 Regional Mexican Music ClassicsRelease date: 1997-02-25; Music CD
Best price: $2.99
Price in other shops:
Etta James - Love's Been Rough on MeRelease date: 1997-04-29; Music CD
Best price: $8.97
Price in other shops:
Etta James - Mystery LadyRelease date: 1994-03-15; Music CD
Best price: $14.02
Taj Mahal - Dancing the BluesRelease date: 1993-09-28; Music CD
Best price: $9.72
Price in other shops:
![Moments to Remember [VHS] Image](/images/Moments-to-Remember-VHS-6304199058-X.jpg){kind=small}
Bill Gaither & Gloria - Moments to Remember [VHS]Chordant; Release date: 1996-09-03; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $3.55
Price in other shops:
![Sing Your Blues Away [VHS] Image](/images/Sing-Your-Blues-Away-VHS-630419904X-X.jpg){kind=small}
Sing Your Blues Away [VHS]Chordant Distribution; Release date: 1996-09-03; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $6.18
Price in other shops:
![Rhythm Country & Blues [VHS] Image](/images/Rhythm-Country-Blues-VHS-630303831X-X.jpg){kind=small}
Rhythm Country & Blues [VHS]Mca; Release date: 1994-03-01; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops:
Robert Cray - Smoking GunPublished: 1988; Music CD
Top Rated Albums
Ray Charles - Dedicated to You/ Genius Sings the BluesRelease date: 2010-12-28; Music CD
Best price: $8.24
Price in other shops:
Ray Charles - Genius Loves CompanyRelease date: 2004-08-31; Music CD
Best price: $4.20
Price in other shops:
Ray Charles - Pure Genius: Complete Atlantic Recordings 52-59Release date: 2005-09-20; Music CD
Best price: $45.99
Price in other shops:
Ray Charles - Genius Sings the BluesGenius; Release date: 2003-12-02; Music CD
Best price: $4.49
Price in other shops:
Ray Charles - The Genius of Ray CharlesRelease date: 1990-01-24; Music CD
Best price: $1.79
Price in other shops:
![Genius + Soul = Jazz [Expanded Edition] Image](/images/Genius-Soul-Jazz-Expanded-Edition-B002MHTHQ2-X.jpg)
Ray Charles - Genius + Soul = Jazz [Expanded Edition]Release date: 2010-04-06; Music CD
Best price: $9.88
Price in other shops:
Ray Charles - Message From the People (Ocrd)Release date: 2009-05-05; Music CD
Best price: $7.14
Price in other shops:
Count Basie, Ray Charles - Ray Sings, Basie SwingsRelease date: 2006-10-03; Music CD
Best price: $3.30
Price in other shops:
Ray Charles - Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music 1 & 2Release date: 2009-06-02; Music CD
Best price: $8.00
Price in other shops:
Ray Charles - Genius: The Ultimate CollectionRelease date: 2009-04-07; Music CD
Best price: $8.05
Price in other shops: