Charlie Rich Album: “Complete Charlie Rich on Hi Records”

I HAVE OWNED CHARLIE RICH'S 1967 ORIGINAL ALBUM OF HANK WILLIAM'S TUNES FOR MANY YEARS BUT HAD NEVER "REALLY" GIVEN IT MY FULL ATTENTION. WHEN THIS CD CAME OUT WITH THE "R&B TRACKS" WHICH I DID APPRECIATE, I CAME TO REALIZE HOW GREAT CHARLIE'S SINGING OF THE WILLIAM'S TUNES REALLY IS. PROBABLY "MY HEART WOULD KNOW" IS THE MOST BEAUTIFULLY DONE SONG BUT CHARLIE RICH RARELY DOES ANYTHING POORLY. I NOW RECOMMEND THIS CD TO ANYONE WHO APPRECIATES FINE SINGING AND ESPECIALLY TO "RICH" FANS WHO HAVE IGNORED THESE SONGS. THE ADDED TRACKS OF "ANYTIME," "DON'T COME KNOCKING ON MY DOOR," AND THE UNDUBBED "ONLY ME" ARE WELCOME ADDITIONS TO THE RARE RELEASE OF NEW MATERIAL BY CHARLIE. CHARLIE RICH WAS ONE OF AMERICA'S FINEST AND MOST "SOULFUL" SINGERS WHOSE "BEST" SONGS ARE LARGELY UNKNOWN BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC. IF YOU CAN FIND "THE COMPLETE SMASH SESSIONS" CD, BUY IT FOR "THE BEST YEARS" TRACK ALONE ALTHOUGH THIS ALBUM CONTAINS MATERIAL CHARLIE CONSIDERED SOME OF HIS BEST EFFORTS.

WHY CHARLIE RICH IS NOT IN BOTH THE "ROCK AND ROLL" AND "COUNTRY MUSIC" HALLS OF FAME IS BEYOND MY COMPREHENSION AND A TRAVESTY. PERHAPS THIS CD WILL HELP CONVINCE THE "POWERS THAT BE" OF HIS INCREDIBLE ABILITIES AS A SINGER, SONGWRITER AND PIANIST THAT SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED BY THESE INSTITUTIONS.

Between his Smash sessions and his countrypolitan works with Billy Sherril, Charlie Rich recorded for Hi Records, which I'm assuming was an R&B label. In this CD is even more proof that, to say the least, Charlie was one of the most musically diverse artists of all time. The CD opens up with When Something Is Wrong With My Baby, also included on Feel Like Going Home: The Essential Charlie Rich. Don't Tear Me Down, Love Is After Me, and Any Time (along with Half As Much, a Hank Williams tune I think Charlie did a lot better) are all on Youtube. The latter, I believe, was an Eddy Arnold hit (though I don't care a lot for him as a singer). Pass On By was recorded at least three times; the original is on here. Who Will The Next Fool Be was a rerecording (not the only one, period), and there are two versions of Only Me on here, including an undubbed one. The last twelve tracks were available on vinyl. Hey Good Lookin' can also be spotted on Youtube. That was a Hank Williams song, along with most of the other last twelve that Charlie, like I said, did way better. I agree with Ronald here, mainly. He DEFINITELY should've been in the CMHOF by now. I guess the media just doesn't want to promote Charlie Rich. After all, he did burn the envelope at the 1975 CMA Award Show (more about it on another review), but I don't blame him. Also, is this truly complete? I have to know! He was the first person they signed up to have had two Top 40s (even if just two), just for extra info. Anyway, highly recommended!

Charlie Rich remains a woefully underrated singer. And that's puzzling because he was quite prolific, recording dozens of fine albums and even enjoying a period in the early 70s when he was on top of the country charts with "Behind Closed Doors" and other hits. These tracks, recorded for the Hi Label (more famous for Al Green and R&B singers such as Ann Peebles), show that Charlie Rich indeed had a wealth of strong songs. His great voice and the great arrangements make for a most satisfying listening experience. Charlie Rich was one of those talented singers who could effortlessly cross genre boundaries, skipping from country to pop ballads, some jazz inflected tunes, and some that could almost be soul. Great, great singer. And this compilation would make a fine introduction for those just discovering his music. It doesn't have his more famous 70s hits, but it's still chockful of great tunes.

Recorded in the mid-60s before his success on the country charts, The Hi Records show Rich in a transition period. He cuts some great country soul on this disc on such cuts as "Don't Tear Me Down" and "Pass on By." The disc is made up of these more soul-inflected cuts and an album Rich made of Hank Williams Sr. songs.

The second part of the disc doesn't reinvent the wheel, but Rich sings these country chestnuts well, and these songs point toward his sound on Epic records where he would become a bona fide star. Rich's wonderful voice, and the songwriting by him and his wife Margaret Ann are, as usual, the best thing about this disc. But if you're like me, it's always good to hear his great voice.