Search - Ray Charles :: Definitive Soul: Atlantic Years

Not definitive, but absolutely essential

Gary Thomas | Clearwater, FL | 10/19/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The title of this set is a bit misleading, you really can't call this a "definitive" collection as it's only from one period of Ray's career, there are a ton classic Ray Charles songs missing from this set. Still, this is absolutely essential music for any music lover, especially if you like Soul, Blues, R&B, and early Rock & Roll.



If you already have Ray's "The Birth Of Soul" box set, you pretty much have everything on this 2-CD set (only two tracks are here that aren't there by my count, "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin'" and "Just For A Thrill"). If you have that set, you probably won't want to buy this one, but if you have neither, then this is a very affordable alternative. That said, you can't go wrong with either (or both). If you prefer to buy just one of them, I'd recommend the larger box set over this one (the more Ray Charles music, the better).



For what it is, this is a great sounding collection of outstanding music. You can't go wrong with this purchase."