Johnnie Ray CD Reviews

	"High Drama: The Real Johnnie Ray" Reviewed December 1997 by Steven Mirkin of EW Magazine. Click the CD or title link for the review.
	"'Til Morning/A Sinner Am I" reviewed by Ed Romero: As a lover of standards this is one of my all time favorites.The double-album CD allows us to hear Johnnie in two very different settings:The intimate quartet on Till Morning (who knows why they billed it as a trio) and a superb band with some great vibrant arrangements on A Sinner Am I. Although Johnnie recorded a few standards on his early days (All of Me, Don't Take Your Love From Me) and a few others on his Live at the Sands album, he never devoted a complete recording to them. For anybody who loves Johnnie and also loves this kind of music, this CD is a "must buy". The intimate Johnnie of Till Morning is a typical saloon singer who knows how to strip a song to it's bare essence and, leaving all "performing tricks" aside, simply tells us the story and makes us feel the song without forcing it into our senses. We listen and, what is even better, we believe it. The enthusiastic vibrant band singer of A Sinner Am I allows us to hear songs made famous by other singers and makes us believe that they should have been written for him. Two examples that come to mind are two famous "Sinatra Songs": Don't Worry About Me and All The Way. Johnnie sings them with gusto and if he could have gotten the same air play than Sinatra did, today we might be thinking of them as "Johnnie Songs". One of his all time favorite songs: It's All In The Game is embellished by one of the best arrangements ever written for this piece and the combination of brass and voice is simply exhilarating. I could write more about this CD but it would take you hours to read it. Better run and buy it...and spend your time listening.
	"High Drama: The Real Johnnie Ray" Billboard Magazine review November 29th, 1997. Click the CD or title link for the review. NOTE: As of March, 2001, Billboard has removed this review from their site.
	"Johnnie Ray/Frankie Lane Greatest Hits Back To Back" Billboard Magazine review April 16th, 1983. Click the CD or title link for the review. NOTE: as of April, 2001, Billboard has removed this review from their site.
	Here are the results from our questionnaire poll taken November & December 2000 for "High Drama: The Real JOHNNIE RAY":

1	Is good to have something other than a greatest hits CD from Johnnie Ray.
2	A wonderful mix of songs, the sound is excellent. Sounds better with each listening.
3	Until both box sets came along, Hi Drama is perhaps the only CD that contained many songs never found on CD. Very refreshing and booklet was excellent.
4	This is an excellent introductory collection to Johnnie Ray's music. I highly recommend it, and hope for more like it.
5	Very representative of the real career of Johnnie Ray. A little bit of all aspects.
6	Representative of Johnnie Ray. Should have included more work with strings and standards repertoire.
7	The Johnnie Ray CD release of "High Drama" is one of those rare instances where a record company is able to release a very fresh perspective on an artist that may be all but forgotten, yet has many elements that still sound very vital and contemporary. "High Drama" succeeds at this. And it makes a great companion piece to the more standard greatest hits issues that are out there. The sound is fresh and bold, and the selections are creative and many sided. It should defiantly be the 1st or second Johnnie Ray CD that anyone buys.
8	This is the best CD I have heard of Johnnie in his later years
9	Tracks on this unique CD must have been compiled by a true Johnnie Ray fan.
10	True Johnnie Ray sounds takes me back some but thats ok with me
11	If you are looking for "Cry" or "Little White Cloud" there are plenty of other collections out there that represent Johnnie's big hits. But if you are looking for a collection that shows how much intensity Johnnie had in his music, this is the one you should purchase. The energy level here is incredible. It makes one wonder how he could be so forgotten. Johnnie brings an enthusiasm to these recordings that up to this point in history had been unmatched by a white artist. I cannot recommend this any higher. This CD cooks!!

Definite two thumbs up!
One Thumb up
About the same as other JR CD's
One Thumb down, somewhat worse
Definite two thumbs down, much worse!
Is an over-all good CD

Affectionate/loving
Amused
Angry
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Depressed
Drained
Embarrassed
Emotionally moved (positive)
Frustrated
Full of awe
Happy
Irritated
Like I learned something
Like I'd wasted money
Motivated/Energized
Old
Perplexed
Refreshed
Scared
Warm
Young

Listen again today
Listen every now and then
Buy it again if you lost your copy
Listen to it somewhere other than at home
Never listen to it again

Everybody
Children ages 12 years and under
Teenagers
Kids 18-26
Friends
Mom/Dad
Grandparents
No one

Female			15%
Male			85%

Under 18 years			0%
18 - 20 years			0%
21 - 25 years			0%
26 - 35 years			0%
36 - 65 years			85%
66 - 75 years			15%
76 years or over			0%