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- Artist: Ray Charles
- Rating:





- Release Date: 1991
- Total Time: 148:48
- Type: Compilation (best of), Box set
- Genre: Rhythm & Blues
Review
The title isn't just hype -- this absolutely essential three-disc box is where soul music first took shape and soared, courtesy of Ray Charles' church-soaked pipes and bedrock piano work. Brother Ray's formula for inventing the genre was disarmingly simple: he brought gospel intensity to the R&B world with his seminal "I Got a Woman," "Hallelujah I Love Her So," "Leave My Woman Alone," "You Be My Baby," and the primal 1959 call-and-response classic "What'd I Say." There's plenty of brilliant blues content within these 53 historic sides: Charles' mournful "Losing Hand," "Feelin' Sad," "Hard Times," and "Blackjack" ooze after-hours desperation. No blues collection should be without this boxed set, which comes with well-researched notes by Robert Palmer, a nicely illustrated accompanying booklet, and discographical info aplenty. ~ Bill Dahl, All Music GuideTracks
CD 1
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| The Sun's Gonna Shine Again | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (2:36) |
| Roll with My Baby | Ray Charles | (2:35) | |
| The Midnight Hour | Ray Charles | (2:59) | |
| Jumpin' in the Mornin' | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (2:44) |
| It Should've Been Me | Ray Charles | (2:42) | |
| Losing Hand | Ray Charles | (3:11) | |
| Heartbreaker | Ray Charles | (2:51) | |
| Sinner's Prayer | Lowell Fulson, Lloyd Glenn | Ray Charles | (3:21) |
| Mess Around | Ahmet Ertegun, Jesse Stone | Ray Charles | (2:38) |
| Funny (But I Still Love You) | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (3:12) |
| Feelin' Sad | Eddie Jones | Ray Charles | (2:47) |
| I Wonder Who | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (2:47) |
| Don't You Know | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (2:55) |
| Nobody Cares | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (2:37) |
| Ray's Blues | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (2:52) |
| Mr. Charles' Blues | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (2:45) |
| Blackjack | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (2:18) |
CD 2
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| I Got a Woman | Ray Charles, |
Ray Charles | (2:50) |
| Greenbacks | Ray Charles, |
Ray Charles | (2:48) |
| Come Back Baby | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (3:04) |
| A Fool for You | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (3:00) |
| This Little Girl of Mine | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (2:30) |
| Hard Times (No One Knows Better Than I) | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (2:53) |
| A Bit of Soul | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (2:17) |
| Mary Ann | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (2:45) |
| Drown in My Own Tears | Henry Glover | Ray Charles | (3:19) |
| Hallelujah, I Love Her So | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (2:34) |
| What Would I Do Without You? | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (2:34) |
| Lonely Avenue | Doc Pomus | Ray Charles | (2:33) |
| I Want to Know | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (2:09) |
| Leave My Woman Alone | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (2:38) |
| It's Alright | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (2:15) |
| Ain't That Love | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (2:51) |
| Get on the Right Track Baby | Titus Turner | Ray Charles | (2:17) |
| Rock House, Pts. 1-2 | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (3:51) |
CD 3
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| Swanee River Rock (Talkin' 'Bout That River) | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (2:18) |
| That's Enough | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (2:43) |
| Talkin' 'Bout You | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (2:49) |
| What Kind of Man Are You | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (2:47) |
| I Want a Little Girl | Ray Charles | (2:53) | |
| Yes, Indeed! | Sy Oliver | Ray Charles | (2:14) |
| I Had a Dream | Ray Charles, |
Ray Charles | (2:52) |
| You Be My Baby | Ray Charles, Mort Shuman, Doc Pomus | Ray Charles | (2:28) |
| Tell All the World About You | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (2:01) |
| My Bonnie | Traditional | Ray Charles | (2:44) |
| Early in the Morning | Louis Jordan, |
Ray Charles | (2:43) |
| Night Time Is the Right Time | Ozzie Cadena, |
Ray Charles | (3:26) |
| Carryin' the Load | Mort Shuman, Doc Pomus | Ray Charles | (2:22) |
| Tell Me How Do You Feel | Percy Mayfield, Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (2:42) |
| What'd I Say, Pts. 1 & 2 | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (6:26) |
| Tell the Truth | Lowman Pauling | Ray Charles | (3:03) |
| I'm Movin' On | Hank Snow | Ray Charles | (2:20) |
| I Believe to My Soul | Ray Charles | Ray Charles | (2:59) |


