Search - Ray Stevens :: All-Time Hits

This is vintage Ray Stevens!

05/06/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Like Weird Al, Ray Stevens was in the 60s & 70s the musical commentator on various cultural oddities-- his parody "Butch Barbarian" was a hilarious take-off on a popular beer ad campaign. And he achieves several hilarious take-offs on teen angst songs. You just have to be sure you are up-to-date on some of the cultural references. Ray Stevens did for entertainment what Spike Jones and others did before him-- and if that type of humor is your particular cup of tea, this is some of the best. In later years, Ray Stevens achieved even greater comedic heights with The Streak-- but don't EVER forget that this artist has a whole stack of wonderful SERIOUS music, including a gospel album that is the best anywhere. But laugh along with him on the selections contained in this CD. Love ya Ray!"

Classic ray stevens

Jerry McDaniel | 06/28/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"although Ray released an album in 1993 called 'Classic Ray Stevens', that title only was a reference to the classical CD cover. on this 1996 CD called 'All-Time Hits', we hear actual classic songs by Ray Stevens. These are not the famed remakes he did for Monument or Barnaby in the late '60s and early '70s. The songs on 'All-Time Hits' are original versions. Eight of the eleven songs were recorded for Mercury during 1961-1963 and three others are from 1980, 1981, and 1983.Ray Stevens was NOT a country singer and he wasn't a novelty artist in the beginning. He was a pop/R&B singer who sung in a voice/cadence closely associated with numerous R&B singers of the late '50s. What many might not know is that Ray was a piano player and a trumpet player on MANY sessions coming out of Nashville. Ray played trumpet on several Elvis sessions in the mid '60s. But, this CD contains songs chosen at random from Mercury and RCA. "Ahab the Arab" is presented in it's full length. A third verse had been edited out of the 45 RPM commercial version in 1962 and hadn't been in print in some time but the original is on this CD. "Funny Man" and "Furthermore" are the two serious hits from the early '60s. On "Funny Man" he delivers the lines in a Roy Orbison or Frankie Valli style. Ray's first hit, 1961's "Jeremiah Peabody", is also on here. "My Dad", a beautiful ballad from 1983, is track number 6 and words can't describe what it does to me. That arrangement, i guess? I love that arrangement and that must explain why i LOVE the songs of Barry Manilow!Ray's career has been a cycle of artistic changes. At first he was a pop/R&B singer in the late '50s; then he became known for novelty songs; then he hopped onto the protest-era of the late '60s with topical songs before releasing a few gospel songs in the early '70s; then he started recording a mix of pop and country; then he started to record with multiple vocal over-dubs and adopt a MOR sound like Barry Manilow; then he became known as a country artist in the late '70s; latched onto the Urban Cowboy image in the early '80s with a bluesy-country sound, and since the mid '80s he's been known as a country comedian.This CD represents eight of his early '60s Mercury material. There are other low-budget CD's on the Polygram label that also spotlight the early '60s era of his career but this is the only one i can find that's still in-print. In addition to 1983's "My Dad", the two other songs from that era on this CD are 1980's "Shriner's Convention" and 1981's "One More Last Chance". I think it's a shame and disgrace that Warner Brothers or RCA are so stingy with Ray's songs. There have been MANY compilations of Ray's songs through the years but for some reason, RCA and Warner Brothers are stingy and don't have his music in print. i don't know why? The reason i bring this up is because "One More Last Chance" is a rare find these days. If the 1985 RCA album 'Collectors Series' is still available, that's the ONLY place except this CD that you'll find his 1981 hit. Unless you have the vinyl album from 1981 like i do, "One More Last Chance" just isn't put on compilations. It has something to do with RCA, and Warner Brothers isn't any better when it comes to keeping Ray's material in print.Anyway, for those of you who've never heard the early Ray Stevens and only know of him for his home videos or his all-comedy image, get this CD and discover all the sides to Ray Stevens."

Ray Stevens is a Genious musician

Guille Garcia Huidobro | Santiago, Region Metropolitana Chile | 04/18/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A great piano player, a music composer, a wonderful singer, an extraordinary funny comedian, what else are you demanding? Be careful: it is easy to become a Steven adict"