Ray Stevens will be a busy man this spring, with four new albums set for release over the course of the next few months.
The 82-year-old recently returned to Curb Records and will begin digitally dropping the new material this month with the release of Great Country Ballads on February 26. Additional releases throughout the spring include Melancholy Fescue (High Class Bluegrass) on March 26, Slow Dance on April 23, and Nouveau Retro (What’s Old Is New Again) on May 21. Stevens and Curb are also planning to release all four new albums in a special edition box set, Iconic Songs of the 20th Century (The Soundtrack of Our Lives), available for purchase on June 18.
On Great Country Ballads, Stevens pays tribute to timeless songs of the genre in his own unique way. On Melancholy Fescue (High Class Bluegrass), he takes the idea he explored with “Misty” to new heights as he gives a bluegrass treatment to songs with symphonic strings and a choir. Slow Dance offers Stevens’ take on classic love songs of yesteryear, and on Nouveau Retro (What’s Old Is New Again), he takes familiar favorites and reinvents them.
“I’ve been working in my recording studio for the last few years recording songs that I’ve heard all through my life,” says Stevens. “These new recordings are the ‘soundtrack of my life,’ so to speak. I had a great time making these records and I hope others will enjoy them too.”
Track Listings:
Great Country Ballads
1. Please Help Me, I’m Falling (In Love With You)
2. Crazy
3. City Lights
4. I Can’t Stop Loving You
5. Bouquet of Roses
6. Room Full of Roses
7. Your Cheatin’ Heart
8. Crying Time
9. I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still in Love With You)
10. Making Believe
11. Sweet Dreams
12. ‘Til I Get It Right
Melancholy Fescue (High Class Bluegrass)
1. Ruby/Ruby Baby (medley)
2. Pretty Woman
3. In The Still of The Night / In The Still of The Night (medley)
4. At This Moment
5. Twilight Time
6. Unchained Melody
7. Spring Is Here
8. Sophisticated Lady
9. People
10. Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
11. Goin’ Out of My Head
12. MacArthur Park
Slow Dance
1. Only You (And You Alone)
2. Unforgettable
3. Make Believe / It’s Only Make Believe (medley)
4. The Great Pretender
5. I’ll See You In My Dreams
6. (Swaying To The Music) Slow Dancing
7. Answer Me
8. Stardust
9. As Usual
10. Dream
11. This Is All I Ask
12. What A Wonderful World
Nouveau Retro (What’s Old Is New Again)
1. April In Paris
2. Blue Moon
3. Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)
4. Lay Me Down (Roll Me Out To Sea)
5. Cry Me A River
6. Mountain of Love
7. Talk To Me
8. Young Love
9. Indian Love Call
10. No, Not Much
11. You Don’t Know Me
12. Always Chasing Rainbows / Over The Rainbow (medley)
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