Ray Charles "Complete Country & Western Recordings" Box Set appreciation

Had this set for several years, but feel the need the need to occasionally give it a spin. My favorite RC song of all-time is "I'm A Fool To Care", and I could listen to it over and over. Too bad it's OOP, because this set is a must-have.

Anyway, I have a question regarding the sound quality of the ABC-Paramount sessions. The horn section intro on "Move It On Over" is somewhat "muted". Not sure if that's a good description, but I wondered the reason behind this. "I'm A Fool To Care" sounds very nice and bright, whereas "Move It on Over" sounds different, or at least the horns do. Were these done at a different studio? I assumed it was all done at RPM.

 

"Move It On Over" was recorded at Capitol, New York. I think it sounds great, at least on the DCC Greatest Country & Western Hits 180G LP.

 

Great set, I'm a sucker for a lot of those songs Ray did. Take These Chains From My Heart is one of the lesser-played ones I love - there's something unabashedly grand and pretty (and very "old fashioned") about the feel.

If I recall right, Ray started recording at RPM some time in 1965. Prior to that and perhaps on occasion after, a variety of studios were used.

 

This is easily one of my favorite box sets of all time. I jumped for joy when this came out.

Having the two Modern Sounds albums on one disc was great. I know they've been recently reissued on Concord, but at the time this box set came out (1998), the second Modern Sounds album had never been on CD.

It's fun to hear Ray's approach to C&W evolve through the 60's and 70's.

In addition to the two Modern Sounds album, there are some wonderful covers throughout the set - "Crying Time", "Together Again", "The Three Bells" and "Witchita Lineman" are particular favorites. I love it all, really.

 

Just checked Amazon. As this is OOP, you can buy new for $199.94 or used for $64.99. Glad I found a copy at my local used book and music store for $30.00, even though it was missing the box, all 4 cds and the book were there.

 

I love the first 2 CDs. As groundbreaking as any other music in the last century. I must admit I skip through a lot of songs from the rest of the box.

 

kind of what I do as well. Still there are many many amazing songs on this box and it's a keeper and a go find it fast item for sure...

 

I Had It All

I love this box set as well. I love the track "I Had It All" on disc four. Good stuff.

 

The prices paid on ebay have dropped since the first 2 volumes were reissued by Concord.
The prices at Amazon are a little out of whack since the reissues.

 

Remember: you can ask as much as you want.
The trick is finding someone to pay it.

 

hey you are right......thanks for pointing that one out. I have to spend more time with disc 4...

 

I just picked up this box today, $28.99, absolutely wonderful/mint condition. This is a great set! Music is fantastic of course, and sound quality great too - mastered by Doug Sax.

 

For me, Ray singing country with strings and a choir is as good as it gets.
"I Can't Stop Loving You" turned Nashville upside down!

 

CD1
1. Bye Bye Love
2. You Don't Know Me
3. Half as Much
4. I Love You So Much It Hurts
5. Just a Little Lovin' (Will Go a Long Way)
6. Born to Lose
7. Worried Mind
8. It Makes No Difference Now
9. You Win Again
10. Careless Love
11. I Can't Stop Loving You
12. Hey, Good Lookin'
13. You Are My Sunshine
14. No Letter Today
15. Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)
16. Don't Tell Me Your Troubles
17. Midnight
18. Oh, Lonesome Me
19. Take These Chains from My Heart
20. Your Cheatin' Heart
21. I'll Never Stand in Your Way
22. Making Believe
23. Teardrops in My Heart
24. Hang Your Head in Shame

CD2
1. I'm Movin' On
2. Busted
3. No One to Cry To
4. Move It on Over
5. Love's Gonna Live Here (Swingova)
6. I'm a Fool to Care
7. Crying Time
8. Together Again
9. I Don't Care
10. Blue Moon of Kentucky (Swingova)
11. Don't Let Her Know
12. Please Say You're Fooling
13. She's Lonesome Again
14. Born Loser
15. Girl I Used to Know
16. Here We Go Again
17. When I Stop Dreamin'
18. If You Were Mine
19. Your Love Is So Doggone Good
20. Don't Change on Me
21. Till I Can't Take It Anymore
22. You've Still Got a Place in My Heart
23. I Keep It Hid
24. Sweet Memories
25. Good Morning Dear

CD3
1. Ring of Fire
2. What Am I Living For?
3. Three Bells
4. All I Ever Need Is You
5. Wichita Lineman
6. Down in the Valley
7. Take Me Home, Country Roads
8. Never Ending Song of Love
9. Come Live With Me
10. Sunshine
11. We Had It All
12. (Turn Out the Light And) Love Me Tonight
13. I Wish You Were Here Tonight
14. Ain't Your Memory Got No Pride at All
15. Born to Love Me
16. I Don't Want No Stranger Sleepin' in My Bed
17. Let Your Love Flow
18. You Feel Good All Over
19. You've Got the Longest Leaving Act in Town
20. String Bean

CD4
1. 3/4 Time
2. Shakin' Your Head
3. I Had It All
4. Do I Ever Cross Your Mind
5. Woman (Sensuous Woman)
6. Then I'll Be over You
7. If I Were You
8. Workin' Man's Woman
9. Two Old Cats Like Us - Ray Charles, Hank Williams, Jr.
10. This Old Heart (Is Gonna Rise Again) - Ray Charles, The Oak Ridge Boys
11. We Didn't See a Thing - Chet Atkins, Ray Charles, George Jones
12. Who Cares - Ray Charles, Janie Fricke
13. Friendship - Ray Charles, Ricky Skaggs
14. It Ain't Gonna Worry My Mind - Ray Charles, Mickey Gilley
15. Little Hotel Room - Ray Charles, Merle Haggard
16. Crazy Old Soldier - Johnny Cash, Ray Charles
17. Seven Spanish Angels - Ray Charles, Willie Nelson
18. Pages of My Mind
19. Slip Away
20. Anybody With the Blues
21. Little Bit of Heaven
22. Dixie Moon


L.

 

Wow, I sold one in my store with the box still around it for only $35.00.
Wish I'd known they were going up! Someone got a deal off me!

 

The kind I like. You know I love this old Ray and pretty much anything about it interests me.

The booklet of the Rhino CD of Ingredients In a Recipe for Soul / Have a Smile With Me two-fer really confuses things though. The Rhino notes have it that Move It On Over, like most of Have a Smile With Me was recorded at the same long session for Ingredients In a Recipe for Soul (7-24-63 in the DCC, 7-13-63 according to Rhino).

In any case, the Capitol vs Bell mixes shenanigans seem to account for why Ingredients sounds conspicuously better than Smile. Was there a Capitol stereo mix of Have a Smile With Me and if so, do you happen to know if it (or at least Move It On Over) exists, or was it fed to the bottomless can? Not that there's much hope of a release if it did, I suppose, it's just I wonder about these things because I'm funnier that way.

btw for anyone interested if it's any help, the DCC gold is the way to go for Ingredients In a Recipe for Soul by a good margin; the Rhino is disappointingly inferior. Even so, Move It On Over does sound a bit less smothered on the Rhino two-fer then it does on the Complete C&W box set. Same mix of course.

 

Avast! Thanks for the (partly painful) facts Steve. Move It On Over and No One Cares do sound to me like they were from the same session as Hey Good Lookin' (given different mix) but it's good to have some confirmation. I hate to ask, but so everyone's clear, as far as you know, are the session tapes long gone? Given the sources for the mono singles box, I wonder if even the original monos are left. Bewildering... Any idea why the discrepancy on dates? Different dates on the mix tapes?

 

Thanks so much Steve. I'm the original poster, and I do still care. I'm actually glad to see this thread active again.

I appreciate your sharing your knowledge of the Ray Charles catalog, and I'm sure many others do likewise.

 

I see this set all the time for $30 or less. Well worth picking up (get a few in case one breaks).

I love it today as much as I did when I got it for Christmas 20 years ago.

 

I still love this set.

 

I may be a duffer, but what does the set actually look like?
My quick search offers me heaps of reissues, double albums etc.....
Not the 4 Cd set...?......