SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BOBBY CHARLES – THE BOBBY CHARLES STORY

BOBBY CHARLES
THE BOBBY CHARLES STORY
THE LAST MUSIC CO.

The world lost Bobby Charles in 2010, and in some regards he may never have gotten the recognition he deserved. He is, perhaps, best known as a songwriter. His songs have been recorded by Ray Charles, Etta James, Fats Domino, and Tom Jones, to name just a few. He also recorded several stellar albums that, for some reason, always sailed under the radar. One thing is for sure; rock ‘n’ roll would not have been the same without Bobby Charles. This new compilation, The Bobby Charles Story, is a definitive collection of his music, and goes a long way in demonstrating his genius.

The Bobby Charles Story consists of eight CDs (a total of 122 songs) as well as a DVD biography of Charles. It is all here, from his early recordings on the Chess and Imperial labels, right up to his albums from the 1970s right to 2010. Seven of his albums are included intact. There is a lot to take in with this thorough box set, and there is a lot of brilliant music. I am not sure where one even starts with a box set this big. One thing that is clear is that you hear an artist develop over 50 years and hear his ability to adapt the music of the times into his own distinct style. Charles was born in Louisiana and he helped pioneer ‘Swamp Rock,’ which had a huge influence on artists like John Fogerty.

Charles’ own music was initially blues-infused R&B, as evident by songs from the 1950s (“Why Did You Leave?” is a standout). To his more pop-R&B sounds of the 1960s through to his folk infused blues music of the 1970s (some songs featuring members of The Band) to his return to more blues-R&B during the latter part of his career, one thing stands out, his voice. The songs are great, and he is a fantastic writer, but his vocals were so good that even Dylan made note of how great of a singer he was.

This is an extensive and sometimes exhaustive box set. Suffice to say, there are brilliant songs, and others that are not as good. But The Bobby Charles Story serves as an historical document of a talented songwriter who helped shape rock ‘n’ roll. It is a chance to catch up with the majority of his music, and most importantly remember the artist that he was. Charles could move between genres well but listening to this, he seems most at home with Cajun/R&B.  It is well put together, and the songs still hold up to repeated listening. There is a lot on The Bobby Charles Story and it is all well worth discovering.

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