Old Atlantic 3 CD Box set: Ray Charles "The Birth Of Soul", you should grab this one

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Steve Hoffman, Dec 14, 2011.

  1. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    I've talked about this box before but I want to bring it up again in case some of you Ray Fans don't have it yet. Please don't bring back old threads where I've talked about Ray's stuff because it gets confusing (like the Bruce Springsteen threads going on today where I'm talking about two different old masterings of the same album). This box only had one mastering and it's good mastering, basically just faithfully reproducing the sound of the original recordings without wrecking the sound or trying to make it "modern" by adding a bunch of dip***t compression and bad treble boost.

    Been playing this today. It's a 3 disk set that was released a while back, maybe 1991 or so. It's 82310.

    It came in a rectangle shaped box with a nice long booklet. The important thing is that the music is great and out of all the songs they did, I think there are only two goofs and they aren't serious, just reverb that wasn't originally there. All the rest is just right.

    A quibble is of course that the last 13 songs on disk 3 are in true stereo including "The Right Time", "What'd I Say", etc. and I believe these songs should also have been on the disk in their original mono "hit" mixes as well. The stereo songs were mixed from the Atlantic 1958-59 8-tracks by Tom Dowd in 1964. They are neat but the mono mixes from back in the day are also valid, a few are essential. Fortunately you can get the mono "The Right Time" on a MoFi digital reissue which I have not heard but I'm sure it's good.

    At any rate, there are many, many good songs on this box and if you don't have it, grab it while it's still out there.

    This box is on the ROLLING STONE TOP 500 ALBUMS OF ALL TIME list. I think it's #50 or something..

    Compilation producers: Yves Beauvais, Kimberly Cooke and Bob Porter.


    Disc 1
    1."The Sun's Gonna Shine Again" (Charles) - 2:36
    2."Roll With My Baby" (Charles) - 2:35
    3."The Midnight Hour " (Sweet) - 2:59
    4."Jumpin' in the Mornin'" (Charles) - 2:44
    5."It Should Have Been Me" (Curtis) - 2:42
    6."Losing Hand" (Calhoun) - 3:11
    7."Heartbreaker" (Nugetre aka Ertegün) - 2:51
    8."Sinner's Prayer" (Fulson, Glenn) - 3:21
    9."Mess Around" (Nugrete aka Ertegün, Stone) - 2:38
    10."Funny (But I Still Love You)" (Charles) - 3:12
    11."Feelin' Sad" (Jones) - 2:47
    12."I Wonder Who" (Charles) - 2:47
    13."Don't You Know" (Charles) - 2:55
    14."Nobody Cares" (Charles) - 2:37
    15."Ray's Blues" (Charles) - 2:52
    16."Mr. Charles' Blues" (Charles) - 2:45
    17."Blackjack" (Charles) - 2:18

    Disc 2
    1."I Got a Woman" (Charles, Richard) - 2:50
    2."Greenbacks" (Charles, Richard) - 2:48
    3."Come Back Baby" (Charles) - 3:04
    4."A Fool for You" (Charles) - 3:00
    5."This Little Girl of Mine" (Charles) - 2:30
    6."Hard Times (No One Knows Better Than I)" (Charles) - 2:53
    7."A Bit of Soul" (Charles) - 2:17
    8."Mary Ann" (Charles) - 2:45
    9."Drown in My Own Tears" (Glover) - 3:19
    10."Hallelujah, I Love Her So" (Charles) - 2:34
    11."What Would I Do Without You?" (Charles) - 2:34
    12."Lonely Avenue" (Pomus) - 2:33
    13."I Want to Know" (Charles) - 2:09
    14."Leave My Woman Alone" (Charles) - 2:38
    15."It's Alright" (Charles) - 2:15
    16."Ain't That Love" (Charles) - 2:51
    17."Get on the Right Track Baby" (Turner) - 2:17
    18."Rock House (Parts 1 & 2)" (Charles) - 3:51

    Disc 3
    1."Swanee River Rock (Talkin' 'Bout That River)" (Charles) - 2:18
    2."That's Enough" (Charles) - 2:43
    3."Talkin' 'Bout You" (Charles) - 2:49
    4."What Kind of Man Are You" (Charles) - 2:47
    5."I Want a Little Girl" (Mencher, Moll) - 2:53

    STEREOPHONIC:

    6."Yes, Indeed!" (Oliver) - 2:14
    7."I Had a Dream" (Charles, Harper) - 2:52
    8."You Be My Baby" (Charles, Pomus, Shuman) - 2:28
    9."Tell All the World About You" (Charles) - 2:01
    10."My Bonnie" (Traditional) - 2:44
    11."Early in the Morning" (Bartley, Hickman, Jordan) - 2:43
    12."Night Time Is the Right Time" (Cadena, Herman) - 3:26
    13."Carryin' the Load" (Pomus, Shuman) - 2:22
    14."Tell Me How Do You Feel" (Charles, Mayfield) - 2:42
    15."What'd I Say (Parts 1 & 2)" (Charles) - 6:26
    16."Tell the Truth" (Pauling) - 3:03
    17."I'm Movin' On" (Snow) - 2:20
    18."I Believe to My Soul" (Charles) - 2:59

    http://www.amazon.com/Birth-Soul-Complete-Recordings-1952-1959/dp/B000002IRW
     
  2. Steve, thanks. I got this box quite a long time ago based on a previous recommendation. I do like it and I have compared some songs to some other versions/compilations, and the box sounded better in most if not all cases. Don't know if it is still in print, but it is probably not very expensive on the used market.
     
  3. bubba-ho-tep

    bubba-ho-tep Resident Ne'er-Do-Well

    Location:
    San Tan Valley, AZ
  4. mike65!

    mike65! Forum Resident

    Location:
    Connecticut
    I picked this up shortly after it came out. A wonderful sounding set, for sure.
     
  5. therockman

    therockman Senior Member In Memoriam

    Thanks for the recommendation.
     
  6. CraigVC

    CraigVC Senior Member

    Location:
    Portland, OR
    This is one of the great "standard format" box sets from the early years of the format. I miss those days when all the box sets were shaped like really thick "longboxes," or double-wide so they were the same shape as LP box sets. Of course they weren't perfect; may of the booklets were bound in impractical ways, so that they would split apart when the glue got brittle or you tried to open it too much...

    Seems like back then, the focus was on creating an extensive booklet with real value-added contents like essays, photographs, and other ephemera. Less effort was putting into the size of the box, compared to nowadays when many box sets seem compelled to introduce a completely new size, and/or have extra plastic or cardboard doo-hickey's hanging off the box, etc. - anything to make the physical box unique and therefore theoretically more desirable.

    But enough about the physical packaging; I'm just going on a nostalgia trip as a collector... :)

    The music contained on the three discs in this Ray Charles box set is, of course, outstanding. And I agree that the mastering is very pleasing to listen to. Shouldn't be too hard to find used, for a reasonable price, I would think...?

    Craig.
     
  7. MikeP5877

    MikeP5877 V/VIII/MCMLXXVII

    Location:
    OH
    Great set. Even now that I have the Pure Genius complete Atlantic set I wouldn't part with Birth of Soul.
     
  8. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Seconded! An excellent set.
     
  9. Gary Freed

    Gary Freed Forum Resident

    Love the 50's Atlantic Sound on that boxset.

    A fantastic overview of early Ray Charles.:agree:
     
  10. PROG U.K.

    PROG U.K. Audiophile-Anglophile

    Location:
    New England
    ARod likes this.
  11. DaveN

    DaveN Music Glutton

    Location:
    Apex, NC
    I've had this since it was released. It is a fantastic set that gives you an insight into the early Atlantic Records sound.
     
  12. bigmikerocks

    bigmikerocks Forum Resident

    uh-oh, our host has succumbed to mono-mania!!!! :shh: :)
     
  13. Elton

    Elton I Hope Being Helpful, Will Make Me Look Cool

    Location:
    Carson Ca.
  14. sunhede

    sunhede Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    A lovely box set indeed, with our dear host's Uh Huh: His Greatest Hits acting as the perfect compliment!
     
    ARod likes this.
  15. Sneaky Pete

    Sneaky Pete Flat the 5 and That’s No Jive

    Location:
    NYC USA
    My brother was kind enough to give me this set when it first came out. Since I got it it has never been far from the CD player. I bet I play something from it at least once a week.

    It sounds great and it is not one of those many box sets that stay in the box on the shelf.
     
  16. Steve Litos

    Steve Litos Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago IL
    The stereo mix of "I Believe to My Soul" is interesting but should have been left mono only.

    Good set though. You can hear the guy whispering lyrics to brother Ray on a few of the songs.
     
  17. TopForty

    TopForty Active Member

    Location:
    USA
    I bought this a long time back, and now I can't find it. I hate it when that happens!
     
    ARod likes this.
  18. Larry Mc

    Larry Mc Forum Dude

    I have the 3 individual cds, never had a box to put them in.
     
  19. Dan C

    Dan C Forum Fotographer

    Location:
    The West
    It's SO good! Luckily I got this cheap through the BMG Music Club years back, otherwise I probably wouldn't be able to afford it back then.

    I really need to dig out my CDs from storage. Have not heard this in a while.

    dan c
     
  20. uphoria6

    uphoria6 Senior Member

    Location:
    Ont. Canada
    I have found that a lot of the older Atlantic CD releases sound fantastically natural especially in the vocals. I love that Ray Charles recommend. I also adore the Otis Redding Story 3 disc set and Aretha's 30 Greatest Hits. I had it on the other evening and was in heaven. 'retha's voice was right there in the room. Glorious
     
  21. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Most older Atlantic/Atco CDs were mastered by Barry, Zal, etc., good, good people.
     
    George P and WhatDoIKnow like this.
  22. charlie W

    charlie W EMA Level 10

    Location:
    Area Code 254
    I got the box set when first released now a permanent fixture on my iPod & iPhone.
     
  23. sonnyrock

    sonnyrock Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland
    Bought this box set in Florence in May 1992 iirc. It's great!
     
  24. Roninblues

    Roninblues 猿も木から落ちる。

  25. Mal

    Mal Phorum Physicist

    Tracks I've marked * are in mono on the Pure Genius box set (Rhino R2 74731) ("What'd I Say" and "Carryin' That Load" are presented in both mono and stereo).

    Alternative mono CD sources to a handful of these tracks:

    Yes Indeed! CD re-issue (Atlantic/WSM 8122765842) - title track.

    Ray Charles Sings The Blues CD re-issue (Atlantic/WSM 8122-73524-2) - "Early In The Morning", "I'm Movin' On" and "I Believe To My Soul"

    That leaves just the mono mixes for "Tell Me How Do You Feel" and "Tell The Truth" as unaccounted for as far as the Birth Of Soul tracklist goes. Are these available anywhere else on CD?
     

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