Ray Charles - Genius Loves Company
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Free Music Notes for Genius Loves Company
Free Music Review: Lost & Found
Hit: 5 Stars
I used to own this CD even before it won 8 awards including the Album of the Year in 2005 Grammys. Unfortunately lost it in a rental car from a trip, which is not uncommon I guess. Now I am thrilled to have it back again in my car. Free Music Review: super genius!
Hit: 4 Stars
great disc, different style than ray usually churns out. interesting combos - ray and willie nelson on "a very good year"; ray and johnny mathis on "somewhere over the rainbow". you can tell a good time was had by all making this cd, it shows through the sounds created!Free Music Review: pure genius
Hit: 5 Stars
What can I say about this? I had a copy of this and it became damaged. I had to replace it because I loved it so much. Ray Charles was one of the greatest of all times, and these duets are priceless. Love it!!Free Music Review: GENIUS LOVES COMPANY ! (and we love you, Ray)
Hit: 5 Stars
Genius Loves Company (2004) was Ray Charles' last album, a collaborative affair with various musicians and singers handpicked by Ray himself. Liver cancer would end Ray's life before the album was released to great commercial success and won eight Grammy Awards. The album's Grammy Awards were in part sentimental wins, and I must admit that my five star rating is, too. Sentimentality is what Genius Loves Company is really all about. It's by no means Ray Charles at his peak as a performer. In fact, he's not in good health, way past his best days, and just doing the best he can to keep up with everyone else. And that's just fine with me. The singers here all feel incredibly honored to be chosen by Ray to participate in this special project, and each one knows that in his prime Ray Charles could outperform all of them put together. The atmosphere is almost like a celebration or a party to honor the beloved legend. It's schmaltzy and sentimental, and everyone is celebrating and complimenting (in quotes in the liner notes) the great Ray Charles.
I really went into Genius Loves Company determined that I was going to like it, no matter what. And even though Ray's worn and tired vocal performance produced a few shakey moments, by the time I got to the end of the album, I did like it. I also had a tear in my eye, and a new level of love and respect for who Ray Charles actually was, the legend that he is, and how he overcame the odds like he did.
Here We Go Again (w/Norah Jones) opens the album and sounds wonderful (it won a Grammy for Record Of The Year). It's followed by the fun of Sweet Potato Pie (w/James Taylor) and the uneasy blues of You Don't Know Me (w/Diana Krall). The haunting Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word (w/Elton John) is a favorite of mine here, and the orchestrated arrangement highlights the song perfectly. The funky and jazzy Fever (w/Natalie Cole) and the country meets jazz Do I Ever Cross Your Mind (w/Bonnie Raitt) are both winners, and Ray's soulful, but subdued singing is still a joy to listen to as the old spark returns here and there. Ray's old and close friend Willie Nelson joins him on the heavily orchestrated It Was A Very Good Year. The song is perfect here and is sort of a turning point for the album. Knowing what good friends these two were for so many years makes it even more special. Of course, Willie didn't come to the party empty handed. He brought Trigger (his trademark and beat up old guitar) with him and you can hear it in the arrangement. B.B. King brought Lucille (his famous guitar) with him, too, and joins Ray for what's probably the best song on the album, Sinner's Prayer. With Billy Preston providing the organ and B.B. playing his guitar, Ray and B.B. belt out the blues, and Ray sounds better and more comfortable in this setting than he does anywhere on the album. Heaven Help Us All (w/Gladys Knight) is a gospel flavored highlight and quite an emotional and beautiful piece of music. Hey Girl (w/Michael McDonald) and Somewhere Over The Rainbow (w/Johnny Mathis) both work well and fit comfortably with the album's reflective spirit. There's also a good live version of Crazy Love (w/Van Morrison) from the night Ray inducted Van (by Van's request) into The Songwriters Hall Of Fame.
Genius Loves Company will pain some who don't want to be bothered with hearing a legend way past his prime sing his songs anymore, but I quite enjoy this hearing this man giving it another shot, holding his own with some of the world's greatest singers. Ray Charles deserved this album, he more than earned it, I'm glad I own it, and it makes me proud to listen to it. Thank you, Ray Charles.
Free Music Review: For Fans
Hit: 3 Stars
If you just want to get everything Ray ever did, add this to your collection. If you're looking for something, don't look here. What happened to the time when performers brought their best when thay had a chance to sing with a legend. Like Aretha an Ray, or, Gladys and Ray. Even Billy Joel and Ray, Baby Grand was an exquisite song.