Search - Ray Charles :: Just Between Us

Pretty Good

J. McAndrew | USA | 03/02/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Best tracks are: "Stranger in My Hometown, " "Over the Top" and "I'd Walk a Little More for You." This is not as strong as many of his later works, but we see in this group of songs some of the inner angst that was part of this complex man, some of the troubles that made his music unique.



God rest your soul Ray.

"

Worth having if you can find it

Bob Roman | NY, NY | 12/11/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

""Just Between Us" is an album that will grow on Ray Charles fans with repeated listenings. AllMusic.com suggests it is only worth having for Ray completists, but the album is actually much better than that. It is admittedly not essential Ray, but a fan of Ray will find plenty to appreciate.



This was Ray's first album after his mid-80s experiment with traditional country arrangements and producers. Those albums are perhaps more interesting for their novelty value, but in some ways "Just Between Us" is stronger than any of those.



"Just Between Us" was followed by latter-day attempts at updating Ray's sound -- "Would You Believe?" (1989), "My World" (1993), "Strong Love Affair" (1996), and "Thanks for Bringing Love Around Again" (2002). "My World" has two gems that are arguably better than anything on "Just Between Us," but "Just Between Us" is much stronger overall. And the less said about the 1996 and 2002 albums, the better.



This album is out of print, but for a fan it's worth having if you can find it."