Search - Ray Stevens :: Ray Stevens Collector's Series

The RCA years: 1980-1982

Jerry McDaniel | 01/25/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First of all, i want to set the record straight: Ray Stevens is outstanding. I continue to be amazed at how people shrug off Ray's songs on a constant basis. This collection originally came out in 1985 on vinyl and in 1987 on cassette and in 1992 on CD. This CD incarnation is a re-issue of the 1987 cassette.



The 1985 vinyl contained "One More Last Chance" but was replaced on the later versions by "Put It In Your Ear".



COLLECTOR'S SERIES contains eight rare RCA songs {i really mean RARE...unless you have the vinyl albums like i do, you younger fans, this CD is the ONLY place to get his RCA songs!}.



RCA randomly selected eight songs pulled from the following albums: 1980's SHRINERS CONVENTION; 1981's ONE MORE LAST CHANCE; and 1982's DON'T LAUGH NOW. What we have is a great collection of M-O-R (middle of the road) ballads and up-tempo sing-a-longs. The version of "Shriner's Convention" on this CD is the shorter version, not the longer version that was recorded late in 1979 (that version is on MCA's "Greatest Hits" from 1987 and CURB's "His All-Time Greatest Comic Hits" from 1990).



The stand-out tracks are "The Dooright Family", "You're Never Goin' To Tampa With Me"; "Where The Sun Don't Shine"; and "Put It In Your Ear". What i don't understand is why RCA limited the selection to eight songs? I wish it gave some spotlight on Ray's hilarious version of "Hey There" from 1980. 1981's hit single, "Night Games", isn't included either. Another hit that was left off is his 1982 single, "Written Down In My Heart".



Still, these eight songs on COLLECTOR'S SERIES serve as a teaser for everyone to run out and locate his vinyl RCA albums and hear what ISN'T on this CD!"