Expanded and remastered reissue of the 1962 classic album and its successful follow-up. Packaged together for the very first time, volume 2 has never-before been available on CD! For Ray Charles, this music represented the culmination of a lifelong love affair he shared for Country & Western music. It vastly expanded his pop demographic and made countless new country converts by giving these 24 songs a soul-steeped urban dimension.

2009-06-20 -- 5/5:: The genius of soul re-imagines the Nashville songbook
Originally released on ABC-Paramount in 1962, Modern Sounds in Country and Western, was a revelation, both for fans of country music and for fans of Ray Charles. The former had never heard their favorites orchestrated with the depth of soul brought to the table by Ray Charles, and fans of the genius singer had never before heard him indulging his love of country songwriting so deeply. Nashville had adapted to brass and strings in an attempt to create crossover hits, but their charts and players never swung with the sort of big band finesse and bravado of these arrangements, and their vocalists rarely found the grooves mined by Charles. The second volume, issued the same year, follows the same template, with Nashville standards rearranged and conducted by Gerald Wilson and Marty Paich, and recording split between New York and Hollywood.

Having been a country music fan since his youth, Charles evidently didn't hear any line that would separate him from the Nashville songbook. His recording supervisor, Sid Feller, was tasked with gathering songs, and ABC, thinking the whole ideas was a lark, left the pair alone to follow Charles' muse. The album spun off four hit singles, including a chart-topping remake of Don Gibson's "I Can't Stop Loving You" and a heartbreaking cover of Cindy Walker's "You Don't Know Me" that fell just one rung shy of the top. Marty Paich's strings brilliantly underline and shadow Charles' vocals, adding atmosphere without ever intruding or overwhelming the singer or the song. Track after track, Charles, his arrangers and his band find wholly new ways through these songs, turning "Half as Much" into mid-tempo jazz, layering string flourishes into "Born to Lose," laying the blues on "It Makes No Difference Now" and punching up "Bye Bye Love" and "Hey Good Lookin'" with big band sizzle.

Volume two may not have been as much of a surprise, but neither was it a second helping. Gerald Wilson's soul vision of "You Are My Sunshine," expertly rendered by Charles and a swinging horn section, leaves few traces of the song's mid-20th century origin. Charles, spurred by backing vocals from the Raeletts, sounds like he's reeling off a personal tale of devotion rather than singing someone else's lyric. The Raeletts provide an edge to side one's New York sessions, with the Jack Halloran Singers sitting in on side two's Hollywood takes. Both album sides yielded hit singles, including a pained reading of "Take These Chains From My Heart," and a slow, mournful take on "You're Cheating Heart." As with the first volume, Charles finds a directness in country songwriting that matches the expression he developed with the blues.

Country music and Charles' career each received a boost from these albums. Nashville expanded its audience outside its core region, Nashville songwriters found new ears for their songs, and Charles gained an influx of fans who might otherwise have never bought R&B records. These were all lasting marks, as Charles' fame continued to expand, and country music gained new flavors for its crossover dreams. Concord's reissue includes the two volumes' original twenty-four tracks, full-panel cover art (front and back!), original liner notes for each, and new liners by Bill Dahl. Volume one previously appeared as a standalone CD in the 1980s, but the complete volume two only appeared on the (out-of-print) box set The Complete Country & Western Recordings 1959-1986. This single disc is the perfect way to get Charles' 1962 country sessions in one sweet package. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

2009-06-11 -- 4/5:: Convenient on one CD
The editorial is not exactly true when is states that MSICWM Volume 2 has never appeared on CD before. All but 3 tracks were released in 1992 by Castle Communications (Australia) stating that the tracks were digitally remixed by Ray Charles and Steve Hoffman from the original 1962-1965 ABC-Paramount session masters. I can only assume that this same CD was made available in other countries, as they would hardly go to all that trouble for a country with a total population of 20 million, not all of which would buy the disc.

MSICWM Volume 1 issued by Rhino in 1988 also included a track from Volume 2, "You are my sunshine".

This may all sound like nit-picking, but Concord must have known all this when they wrote their press release.

While it is great to have both albums conveniently on one CD, the sound quality of this new remaster isn't all that different from the Rhino release of 21 years ago, so this disc's greatest asset is the complete Volume 1 & 2 being available on the one disc.

As for the content, what can you say ? The man was a genius and these are classic recordings that will remain in the catalogue forever. I'm just disappointed that there wasn't a significant improvement in the sound quality. I know Concord can do it, as they lovingly restored Ray Sings Basie Swings and mastered it in DSD and 24 bit/96 kHZ, which sounds fantastic. Maybe they will consider releasing a high resolution version of this disc, to satisfy those who want audiophile standard releases.

Either way, the recordings are masterpieces.

Remastering : B
Packaging : B
Content : A+

2009-06-03 -- 5/5:: Ray infuses these songs with extra power, heart and soul--BRAVO, RAY CHARLES !!!
Talk about a CD that showcases Ray Charles' incredible talent! He could sing, play piano, arrange music, write and more. These country and western songs shine bright when Ray Charles performs them with so much genuine emotion. I really love to hear Ray sing; he could do a lot with that voice of his. This also marks the first time that the songs from volume two are on CD; and this is great for Ray Charles fans and anyone who enjoys high quality control country and western timeless ballads.

"Bye Bye Love" is dynamic and Ray bats this straight out of the ballpark with a flawless musical arrangement. This is one awesome starting number for this CD! Other numbers that shine bright would have to include "You Don't Know Me" with that incredible arrangement while Ray sings this to perfection--and beyond; "Half As Much" with that incredibly sophisticated sound; the energetic "Just A Little Lovin'" with its fine drums and percussion; "Born To Lose" which was one of Ray's best known hits; "It Makes No Difference Now" showcasing Ray's incredible sense of timing; "You Win Again" with those fantastic strings and that chorus backing up Ray; the poignant "Careless Love;" "I Can't Stop Loving You" which is another of Ray's best known hits; "You Are My Sunshine" with a very creative arrangement that Ray aces as effortlessly as if it were mere breathing; "Don't Tell Me Your Troubles" with Ray handling complex tempo and key changes like the pro he was and always will be; "Take These Chains From My Heart" which features Ray squarely front and center as he sings this beautifully; "Your Cheating Heart" with Ray's excellent diction bolstering his performance and "Hang Your Head In Shame" which ends the CD leaving me wanting more.

It's no secret that Ray Charles was a giant amongst giants; he will never be forgotten. I'll treasure this album for years to come; it's a great Ray Charles album and it's a fine CD to add to your collection.