But unlike so many geniuses who couldn’t survive their drug habits, charles would climb out of his hell . He spent a year in rehab in 1965 and came back with Crying Time and Ray’s Moods, two damm fine albums but nothing that he hasn’t done before and better. Even most Charles loyalists believe that Ray never made the same quality of music after he quit smack. Contrary to my fans impulse, I would say that there is a great deal of truth to that. But Ray had enough moments to remind you that for him, greatness is a relative term. By then there were no more genre’s to conquer besides those that he already invented. Although his late 60’s records lack the hooks and imagination of his prime work, they tower over the prime records over someone like Lou Rawls, the dean of overrated soul singers.
Many critics point to his mid 70’s records as a renaissance in his career and their half right, as Charles expanded his sound to 70’s soul with sometimes brilliant sometimes haphazard, but always listenable results. His 80’s country records, while all decent, pale in comparison to his 60’s fusion prime. Strong love Affair and Thanks For Bringing Around Love Again, his last 2 records, are horrible productions saved by Charles’ voice which, while aged and raw, still could move the listener.
So what are we to make of this great man? The answer’s in the revolution he brought forth. Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding, with their own wealth of knowledge of the ritual and ceremony of the black church, kicked in the musical doors that Ray opened wide. Nina Simone, Curtis Mayfield, Donny Hathaway and Marvin Gaye gave his sound layers of sophisticated abstraction. Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder, George Clinton and Prince took his fundamentals and added mind bending funk grooves to make the entire world their own personal revival meeting. You can also hear Charles in the rhythmic dynamic of later Beatles records( they did employ Billy Preston, his old organist), Van Morrison’s aurally stunning use of gospel and R&B sonics and especially the badass eclecticism of Joni Mitchell . And you can still hear his influence in Andre 3000’s genre bending experiments, Jack White embracing the blues and country, Timbaland and Missy Elliot’s everlasting search throughout the world for the perfect beat and Joan Osborne, Annie Lennox and Shelby Lynne being the only people, black, white, male or female, in the past 20 years to use Marvin Gaye as an influence without embarrassing themselves.
Article comments
1 - Sean
Excellent commentary. Too many people I have talked to think that Ray's genius overcame his country material. I have always thought it was the perfect marriage: great songs interpreted by a master of music.