While George Jones and Merle Haggard have found a whole new fan base among contemporary generations, Ray Price, a similarly monumental and influential country artist, has worked in recent years on a much more low-key level that, deliberately or not, has avoided the spotlight.
But he’s not been quiet. In fact, as shown on his new album Time, Price is laying down some of the finest music he’s made in decades. This is far more than just a nice record from an old-timer trying to please a few faithful fans; it’s a finely crafted and genuinely enjoyable piece of work that stands on its own merits, the legendary status of its singer aside.
From song to song, Price proves a stately presence, his voice smooth, vibrant and as full of expression as ever. The songs are an excellent mix of old gems and moody new compositions, and the arrangements (produced by Fred Foster and engineered by Billy Sherrill) are, for the most part, surprisingly restrained, even sparse. Read the credits and you’ll also find names such as Buddy Emmons, Harold Bradley and Pete Wade, surviving members of Nashville’s famed “A” team.
During the 1950s and ’60s, classic Price recordings like as “Crazy Arms” and “Invitation To The Blues” mixed honky-tonk fiddles and steel guitar with a steady, pronounced rhythm borrowed from western swing. By the time of the cool and moody “Night Life”, however, he’d shifted in a tastefully uptown direction. His later career did, for a time, become dominated by overproduced and orchestrated country-pop recordings. Still, his influence on modern country music was undeniable. The Country Music Hall of Fame agreed, adding his name to that illustrious roster in 1996.
Time shows Price borrowing from and blending the various styles he’s toyed with all his life. Cindy Walker’s “Fort Worth, Texas” is a good-natured uptempo swinger, while “You Don’t Love Me Anymore” kicks off with a classic twin-fiddle attack, and the steel-infused “No One But You” exhibits an even-keeled “Ray Price shuffle.” On the other hand is the lush and soft “I’m Not Leaving (I’m Just Getting Out Of Your Way)”, the arrangement tipping toward Price’s countrypolitan days.
Neither the honky-tonk nor the countrypolitan influences dominate, however, and the whole thing winds up feeling singular in voice. “It’s All the Same Time To You”, for instance, employs both fiddle and a background chorus, yet they’re both mixed with a subtle touch, adding color but never overwhelming the gently rolling melody.
This Texan may be seventysomething, but he can still move his listeners — be it to tears, or out onto the dance floor.
