Along came Ray
I’ve always liked Ray Stevens. He’s one of the reasons I haunt used record stores. When I was a kid, I enjoyed Gitarzan and Ahab the Arab on Dr. Demento. When I started picking up his albums, I discovered other songs, ranging from Would Jesus Wear a Rolex to Marion Michael Morrison. His humor ranges from musical slapstick to subtly in your face.
For a while, I thought I didn’t like his new stuff. But as they come up in rotation on iTunes, I find I like them more and more each time I listen. He’s a quietly enjoyable country artist and many of his less humorous songs grow with each listen.
I’ve recommended two collections below; I'm not a fan of collections. They almost always exclude lesser known gems, and this is definitely the case here. Among my favorite Stevens’ songs are The Minority, Would Jesus Wear a Rolex, Marion Michael Morrison, and I Saw Elvis in a UFO, which are not on either of these collections. But unless you want to haunt record stores too, collections are the only way to get some of the classics.
Some of the original albums are available on CD. You can still buy Crackin’ Up• and Mississippi Squirrel Revival•, which you should.
If you want to look for the original albums, here are some of my favorites:
| Ahab the Arab | Ahab the Arab | 1962 |
| The Minority | Even Stevens | 1968 |
| Gitarzan | Gitarzan | 1969 |
| The Streak | Boogity Boogity• | 1974 |
| Would Jesus Wear a Rolex | Crackin’ Up• | 1987 |
| Marion Michael Morrison | Beside Myself | 1989 |
| I Saw Elvis In A U.F.O. | Beside Myself | 1989 |
- The Mississippi Squirrel Revival: Ray Stevens at Ray Stevens Music
- What happens when a boy brings a squirrel to church? Redemption!
- Ray Stevens
- Look here for Ray’s new music and appearances.
- We the People: Ray Stevens at Ray Stevens Music
- “It’s gonna be a big heartbreaker… Grandma needs a new pacemaker.” Whatever happened to Joe the Plumber, anyway? (Hat tip to Smitty at The Other McCain)
classics
- Crackin’ Up•: Ray Stevens
- This is one of his best albums: Would Jesus Wear a Rolex, Three-Legged Man, the utterly strange Ballad of Cactus Pete and Lefty, and The Flies of Texas Are Upon You.
- Mississippi Squirrel Revival•: Ray Stevens
- I have this one on order; the video for the title cut convinced me.
- Nashville/Boogity Boogity•: Ray Stevens
- I don’t have Nashville, but Boogity Boogity has some fine stuff on it, including the classic “The Streak”.
Collections
- Ray Stevens All-Time Greatest Hits•: Ray Stevens
- Twenty three of some of the best of his older stuff. Includes the classics Ahab the Arab and Gitarzan.
- Ray Stevens Box Set•: Ray Stevens
- Three discs of Ray Stevens singing his classics and some songs never recorded before. Fifty-one songs. Best choice by a long shot, but they are re-recordings.
Latest
- Christmas•: Ray Stevens
- Ray Stevens has been threatening us with this album for a while now. This is an album of serious Christmas songs arranged and sung by Stevens. If you’ve heard his serious albums you’ll know you’re in for a treat.
- Christmas Through a Different Window•: Ray Stevens
- “The funniest Christmas album you have ever heard! This must-have album provides a hilarious look some traditional Christmas moments.” Such as that touching moment when you realized you were a stalker.
- One for the Road•: Ray Stevens
- “In many ways, this is a CD to enjoy as you cruise down the highway.”
People keep calling this healthcare reform. But it really appears to be taking our current heavily-flawed system and enshrining it at the federal level. That’s not reform, that’s retrenchment. Real reform would push power down to the individual, not move it even higher into the management rainclouds of DC.