Ray, the forthcoming biopic of Ray Charles, is said to be one of the movie highlights of the year. Even if it doesn't live up to the hype, however, this soundtrack is about as close as it gets to a must-buy for all soul aficionados. Thankfully, the record company haven't gone down the suicidal route of either commissioning re-recordings or assuming that just because Jamie Foxx is a dead ringer for Charles, he can sing like him too. Instead they got the man himself to choose the material before his death last year, resulting in a 17-track collection that spans his career from the early club scene of the early 50s to the arena tours of the mid-70s. Even though all the best-known songs are here ('Georgia on My Mind', 'Hit the Road Jack', etc.), it's not quite a definitive greatest hits - it's too short for that. It is, however, the perfect introduction for anyone who's aware of Charles's legendary reputation and would like to know what all the fuss is about. Sublime stuff.

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