Definitive

Import exclusive compilation featuring 46 tracks, 'Mess Around', 'It Should've Been Me', 'I've Got A Woman', 'This Little Girl Of Mine', 'A Fool For You', 'Drown In My Own Tears', 'Leave My Woman Alone', 'Hallelujah I Love Her So', 'Lonely Avenue', 'Night Time Is The Right Time', 'What I Say (Parts 1 & 2)', 'I Believe To My Soul', 'I'm Movin' On', 'Come Rain Or Come Shine', 'Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying', 'Sticks & Stones', 'Georgia On My Mind', 'Ruby', 'One Mint Julep', 'I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town', 'Hit The Road Jack', 'Unchain My Heart', 'Baby It's Cold Outside', 'At The Curb', 'I Can't Stop Loving You', 'Born To Lose', 'You Don't Know Me', 'You Are My Sunshine', 'Your Cheatin' Heart', 'Take These Chains From My Heart', 'Busted', 'That Lucky Old Sun', 'Crying Time', 'Cincinnati Kid', 'Let's Go Get Stoned', 'I Don't Need No Doctor', 'In The Heat Of The Night', 'Yesterday', 'Eleanor Rigby', 'I Can Make It Thru' The Days', 'Rainy Night In Georgia', 'Jealous Kind', 'Shake Your Tailfeather' feat. The Blues Brothers, 'Seven Spanish Girls', 'I'll Be Good To You' & 'Imagine'. Rhino/Warner.

All Ray Charles fans will want to check out The Definitive Ray Charles, because it's the first time a compiler has been able to combine the chart-topping hits from his Atlantic and ABC-Paramount years into one package. This means that we get the Genius's hits from 1953's "Mess Around" right through his golden R&B Atlantic era ("I've Got a Woman," "Drown in My Own Tears," "Hallelujah I Love Her So," "I Believe To My Soul," "What'd I Say" and so on) alongside tracks that were not only massive worldwide hits but helped redefine popular music. "Georgia on My Mind," "Hit the Road Jack," "Unchain My Heart," "I Can't Stop Loving You," and "You Don't Know Me" not only combined superior standards and country songs with Charles's patented soul-gospel vocal style, but they were couched in an orchestral or big band setting that had simply never been utilized in this way prior to Charles's arrival. Those who know of his thorough musical background will not be surprised by this development, one that kept him high in the charts until the mid-'60s. This compilation thins out after the classic "In the Heat of the Night", as well it should, his latter-day duets with the Blues Brothers and Willie Nelson tidying things up nicely. Genius plus compilation good taste: an unbeatable combination. --Keith Shadwick