This is the gift the late Ray Charles left behind: an old-fashioned love song to the generations of musicians he inspired. Charles’s voice — rich and smoky —never seemed to age. But on Genius Loves Company (EMI), his final recording, he sounds old and tired. On this collection, it’s his collaborators who shine.
The biggest fuss of all has been made of Norah Jones. The opening track, Here We Go Again, hails from his 1967 album Listen and is classic country. For its perfection, it won the Grammy Award for recording of the year and vocal collaboration of the year.
Creed: Greatest Hits (Sony)
Nobody growls Creed’s macho-melodic rock like Scott Stapp does, as our own Heinz Winckler should have known before he tried out for Idols. Here are the 13 big ones from the past eight years all together, along with a nifty DVD collection of videos and live performances. Too bad the boys didn’t spice up the album with a new or unreleased track, which seems to be very much in fashion these days. — Riaan Wolmarans
Jak de Priester: Strate van My Hart (Bowline)
Another promising young Afrikaans singer-songwriter from the Bowline stable, and he fares well with songs commenting on the bleaker side of the cityscapes of Pretoria and Cape Town, all about the locals, street children, beggars and backpackers. His cover of the old Afrikaans hit Sarah de Jager is lots of fun, but Happy Sindane se Song — about the hapless South African youngster — is too wistful and nostalgic when it could have been sharp social comment. And on AMEN Brother, he doesn’t put enough soul into a song that’s all about soul. Still, the album’s a better listen than those of the Theuns Jordaans of our world. — RW
Tina Turner: All the Best (EMI)
Even if one has heard The Best too many times, or sniggered at the now rather cheesy drums in We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome), one cannot fault Tina Turner for her staying power in the music industry over several decades. Here, on two CDs, 30 of her hits jostle for space, along with three new songs. Some have not dated all that well, but others remain classics, such as Nutbush City Limits (with Ike) and River Deep Mountain High, so it’s overall a good collection to own for even on-and-off Turner fans. — RW
Here We Go Again is the highlight of Genius Loves Company, there’s no doubt about it. From there, the album wavers, becoming a well-intended but “so what” tribute to this veteran of many styles: country, old-fashioned R&B and soul.
This is probably not the popular opinion given that Genius Loves Company won so many Grammys last week: album of the year, best recording, best collaboration with Jones, best gospel collaboration (Gladys Knight), best pop vocals, best engineered album and best surround sound.
Obviously, the experts have noted something remarkable about Genius Loves Company over and above the warm feelings people may have had for the granddaddy of black pop. So while Genius Loves Company may be more than just a tribute album, you still have to want to listen to not-so-exciting artists such as James Taylor and Elton John.
Greater moments come from Willie Nelson trying to live up to Frank Sinatra on It Was a Very Good Year and Van Morisson on Crazy Love. Natalie Cole’s Fever is pedestrian and numbing, and Johnny Mathis’s Somewhere Over the Rainbow is seriously twee.