"Um... I don't own this, but I was looking at buying it. Looking at the reviews, I see two people complained that disc 8 won't play in their CD players. Disc 8 is listed as a DVD, so it won't play in a regular CD player (try your computer). I have to assume there it nothing wrong with the product, but rather, the user. Just thought I should point that out to anyone thinking of buying this. I am giving it 5 stars just to offset the bad (mistaken) ratings"
Great Music, reasonable price, stupid people!!
Robert Hildebrand | Salt Lake City, UT, USA | 04/10/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This set is great as far as it goes. All of the material is typical RC: wonderful. I was surprised that there weren't more out takes, however. If you have any of the other Atlantic sets there's a fair bit of overlap. (added June 5, 2006: I've since learned that pretty near all the older Atlantic material, including alternate takes, was destroyed by a fire where the material was being stored, which explains the lack of out takes and alternate material.) This set, along with the Rhino Ray Charles country music set makes a pretty darn good overview of Ray's spectacular career.
I was really shocked that so many people don't bother to read the label on the eighth disc, which clearly is marked DVD | Video. Naturally, it won't play on CD players."
Tight and Right
mistersnappy | Tx | 12/08/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Wow. All of Ray's work on Atlantic collected in one place. I was wondering why there was little of this music available last year during the hoopla over the movie "RAY" and I think they were depriving the public of some great music by saving it for a boxed set that is very expensive. But, that is a complaint about Rhino/Atlantic, not Ray Charles or the music contained herein. That said, this music ranks with the Charlie Parker sides from '45-48, late 30's Basie, classic Ellington, Aretha on Atlantic, etc. There is no doubt that it deserves all of the accolades and AT LEAST five stars. I won't analyze all of it but, rather, point out some favorite moments.
Most important is the addition of a DVD of the 1960 Newport Jazz Festival appearance by the Ray Charles Orchestra and Raelettes. For some of us, this is the Holy Grail. You see, any additional music from that particular period and group of musicians is invaluable, especially footage. In this band you have David "Fathead" Newman, one of the finest exponents of the Texas Tenor, and Hank Crawford on alto crying the blues, both at the beginning of long solo careers at Atlantic. In fact, if you like the way this band sounds, find Crawford's first four solo records as they have this band minus Ray but with incredible stripped-down moaning blues and standards arrangements. In addition, on this DVD there is the foghorn baritone sax of Leroy "Hog" Cooper, the surprisingly bluesy John Hunt on trumpet sounding like a combination of Clark Terry and Lee Morgan and the supremely lyrical Phil Guilbeau on flugelhorn. This is THE classic Ray Charles group. Many times I wished I could hear more and see them. Finally. Ray, of course, is Ray: confident, relaxed and at his most soulful. This is an important period because they have not yet left the chitlin circuit for world tours, a big band and Vegas. They may have headed for a honky tonk right after this gig, who knows?
They are tasting real success for the first time and are still hungry. They are tight and right. Analogies? A championship-caliber baseball or basketball team on the rise, taking on all comers, knowing they've got a shot at the Ring.
Other high points in this boxed set include Ray's dirty alto solo during How Long Blues with Milt Jackson, the proto-Rap of It Should Have Been Me, the extremely drawn-out, moaning version of Drown In My Own Tears from the Atlanta concert in '59, Rockhouse Parts 1 & 2, the Quincy Jones and Ernie Wilkins-voiced arrangements from "The Great Ray Charles" album, etc. So many. Long Live Ray and the Orchestra.
"
"Drown in His Own Soul"
Morgan Broman | Alexandria, VA United States | 10/21/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This is the foundation of soul music: all of Ray Charles' finished masters from his 7 years at Atlantic Records. Listening to the sessions in order really gives you a sense of how Ray Charles grew as an artist and set the stage for Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder, Wilson Pickett, etc. Ray starts as a great boogie piano artist - "Mess Around" is his finest early moment, but then, on track 18 of Disc 1, he explodes with "I've Got A Woman," the blueprint for his style and the "feel" of much of Atlantic's soul and R&B artists. It's a driving track that sounds as vibrant today as it did back then.
Ray Charles was a master of both jumping R&B ("What'd I Say") and soulful ballads ("Lonely Avenue,""Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying") and nearly every cut is a polished jewel. Since this is a "Complete" release of Ray's Atlantic sides, it includes his jazz outings with David Newman and Milt Jackson. They are fine, but interrupt the flow of the soulful vocals.
His live work is well represented with a live set from 1958 and on the DVD with a rocking set at the 1960 Newport Jazz Festival.
Disc 7 is an unreleased "rehearsal Session" with Ahmet Ertegun and shows what an amazing pianist Ray Charles was. I hope there is more of this "acoustic" Ray material in the vault that will get official release. It's like being a fly on the wall at a recording session and I compulsively played the session 3 times in a row when I first got to it. The sound quality is first-rate across all 8 discs - the brilliant Raylettes, Ray's backup singers, never sounded so good.
I've docked the set one star because of the lack of any finished unreleased material from the Atlantic years. There have to be numerous unreleased numbers, instrumentals, and outtakes in the Atlantic vaults and the many Ray Charles fans anxiously await the next box set: "The Complete Unreleased Atlantic Recordings.""
The Title Says It All....
Scott Middendorf | Cincinnati, OH | 10/09/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Ray Charles was ahead of his time in a number of ways...this is most evident in this wonderful collection of his best works...Why some may argue that his early ABC-Dunhill recordings showed his versatility....these Atlantic recordings showcase an artist who was not afraid to experiment with what he was feeling inside...Though Ray's vocals are strong and vibrant, these Atlantic recordings also showcase that Ray was first and foremost a musician...the fact that he could utilize his vocals as an instrument only strengthens his title of genius..This is a must own collection...regardless of the price!!!"
