Would You Believe? (Ray Charles album)

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Would You Believe?
Would You Believe%3F (Ray Charles album).jpg
Studio album by
Ray Charles
Released1990
Label Warner Bros.
Producer Ray Charles, Jimmy Lewis
Ray Charles chronology
Seven Spanish Angels and Other Hits
(1989)		Would You Believe?
(1990)		The Classic Years
(1991)

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]

Contents

Production

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

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Entertainment Weekly B− [10]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [15]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [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

No.TitleLength
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

  1. ↑ Mitchell, Rick (June 1, 1990). "Feel His Soul". Houston. Houston Chronicle. p. 1.
  2. ↑ Snider, Eric (February 12, 1991). "Dr. Ray Charles goes to class". St. Petersburg Times. p. 1D.
  3. ↑ Jones IV, James T. (September 25, 1990). "Charles In Charge". USA Today. p. 1D.
  4. ↑ Schinder, Scott; Schwartz, Andy (2007). Icons of Rock: An Encyclopedia of the Legends Who Changed Music Forever. ABC-CLIO. p. 47.
  5. ↑ Blackwell, Mary Alice (September 7, 1990). "Ray Charles set to put his genius to work". The Daily Progress. p. 35.
  6. 1 2 Burliuk, Greg (January 26, 1991). "Music to Believe In". Magazine. The Kingston Whig-Standard. p. 1.
  7. ↑ Hawn, John (December 14, 1990). "Records". The Indianapolis Star. p. D9.
  8. ↑ Thompson, Clifford (2020). Contemporary World Musicians. Taylor & Francis.
  9. 1 2 Jones, Owen (March 16, 1991). "Record Review". Windsor Star. p. C2.
  10. 1 2 3 Robbins, Ira (October 19, 1990). "Would You Believe?". Entertainment Weekly.
  11. ↑ Glackin, William (March 15, 1992). "Soul Searcher". Encore. The Sacramento Bee. p. 18.
  12. ↑ Lydon, Michael (2004). Ray Charles: Man and Music, Updated Commemorative Edition. Taylor & Francis. p. 376.
  13. ↑ "Would You Believe? Review by Ron Wynn". AllMusic. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  14. 1 2 Kening, Dan (November 15, 1990). "Recordings". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 9.
  15. ↑ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 124, 127.
  16. ↑ Larkin, Colin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul. Virgin. p. 60.
  17. ↑ Deggans, Eric (February 15, 1991). "Charles' 'Believe' Disappoints". Star Tribune. p. 3E.
  18. ↑ Pitts Jr., Leonard (December 6, 1990). "Music Reviews". LA Weekly. p. 89.
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