A Message from the People

AMG Review of A Message from the People

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

Joe Adams claims in his liner notes for 1972's A Message from the People that the LP was a labor of love for Ray Charles begun some 20 years before its release and that he spent years ruminating over the idea, selecting the right songs, the right musicians, even the right cover art, all leading to the finished project. This may or may not be true, but it's awfully curious that an album so long in the making sounds so thoroughly tied to its year of release, thanks to its glitzy, mildly funky arrangements by Quincy Jones, Mike Post, and Sid Feller and its covers of hits by John Denver, Melanie, Dion, and Stevie Wonder -- and that's not even taking into consideration the cover art of a Mount Rushmore of Lincoln, JFK, RFK, and MLK staring down at Ray Charles sitting on a hill, surrounded by children of all creeds and colors. That cover art does give an accurate indication of the inspirational, Up with People vibe of the album, and although Ray prevents this album from sinking into sappiness through the sheer passion of his voice and keyboard, it's still an awfully kitschy exercise, a splashy Hollywood inspirational that feels mighty hollow.