Would You Believe? (Ray Charles album)
| Would You Believe? | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1990 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | Ray Charles, Jimmy Lewis | |||
| Ray Charles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Would You Believe? is an album by the American musician Ray Charles, released in 1990.[1][2] He supported the album by touring with B.B. King.[3] Would You Believe? was Charles's first album for Warner Bros. Records.[4] The first single was "I'll Take Care of You".[5]
Production
[edit]The album was produced by Jimmy Lewis, who also wrote some of the songs.[6] It is evenly divided between songs describing the joys of love and songs about the sorrows of love.[7] Charles employed drum machines and synthesizers for the first time on an album.[8] He provided the backing vocals on many of the tracks.[9] "Your Love Keeps Me Satisfied" is a cover of the Billy Preston song.[10] "Living Without You" was written by Johnny Mandel.[11] "Let's Get Back Where We Left Off" is a duet with Peggy Scott.[12]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [13] |
| Chicago Tribune | [14] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B−[10] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [15] |
| The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul | [16] |
| Windsor Star | B+[9] |
The Chicago Tribune determined that "Charles matches his gritty vocals against a backing of synthesizers and drum machines and—amazingly—triumphs over technology."[14] Entertainment Weekly wrote that "Living Without You" "lightens up a touching, jazzy lament with a flittering sound that crosses clarinet and viola."[10] The Kingston Whig-Standard stated that "because Mr. Charles is still a marvelous singer and the songs are carefully chosen, this album is a delight."[6] The Star Tribune deemed the album "a frustrating mix of substandard songs and amateurish production guaranteed to disappoint even the most ardent fan."[17] LA Weekly concluded that Charles's "voice is still harsh/pretty, carrying an edge of ache and melancholy even in the light moments."[18]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I'll Take Care of You" | |
| 2. | "Your Love Keeps Me Satisfied" | |
| 3. | "Ellie, My Love" | |
| 4. | "I Can't Get Enough" | |
| 5. | "Let's Get Back Where We Left Off" | |
| 6. | "Child Support, Alimony" | |
| 7. | "Fresh Out of Tears" | |
| 8. | "Living Without You" | |
| 9. | "Where's the Stairs?" | |
| 10. | "Leave Him!" |
References
[edit]- ^ Mitchell, Rick (1 June 1990). "Feel His Soul". Houston. Houston Chronicle. p. 1.
- ^ Snider, Eric (12 Feb 1991). "Dr. Ray Charles goes to class". St. Petersburg Times. p. 1D.
- ^ Jones IV, James T. (25 Sep 1990). "Charles In Charge". USA Today. p. 1D.
- ^ Schinder, Scott; Schwartz, Andy (2007). Icons of Rock: An Encyclopedia of the Legends Who Changed Music Forever. ABC-CLIO. p. 47.
- ^ Blackwell, Mary Alice (7 Sep 1990). "Ray Charles set to put his genius to work". The Daily Progress. p. 35.
- ^ a b Burliuk, Greg (26 Jan 1991). "Music to Believe In". Magazine. The Kingston Whig-Standard. p. 1.
- ^ Hawn, John (14 Dec 1990). "Records". The Indianapolis Star. p. D9.
- ^ Thompson, Clifford (2020). Contemporary World Musicians. Taylor & Francis.
- ^ a b Jones, Owen (16 Mar 1991). "Record Review". Windsor Star. p. C2.
- ^ a b c Robbins, Ira (October 19, 1990). "Would You Believe?". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ Glackin, William (15 Mar 1992). "Soul Searcher". Encore. The Sacramento Bee. p. 18.
- ^ Lydon, Michael (2004). Ray Charles: Man and Music, Updated Commemorative Edition. Taylor & Francis. p. 376.
- ^ "Would You Believe? Review by Ron Wynn". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
- ^ a b Kening, Dan (15 Nov 1990). "Recordings". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 9.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 124, 127.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul. Virgin. p. 60.
- ^ Deggans, Eric (15 Feb 1991). "Charles' 'Believe' Disappoints". Star Tribune. p. 3E.
- ^ Pitts Jr., Leonard (6 Dec 1990). "Music Reviews". LA Weekly. p. 89.
| Studio albums | |
|---|---|
| Posthumous studio creations | |
| Live albums | |
| Notable compilations | |
| Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles | |
| Other Billboard Charts #1 singles | |
| Grammy Awarded Works (not included above) | |
| See also | |
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