Once he signed to Warner Bros., Ray Charles adopted the '90s superstar schedule, releasing an album every three years. Strong Love Affair, the third of them (now on Quincy Jones's custom label, Qwest), is a self-production that finds Charles performing his usual mix of blues, R&B, and pop on a set of newly written songs. The material is serviceable, if generic, but what matters is Charles's typically expressive vocal performance. At 65, Charles may no longer be able to surprise us, but he doesn't seem ready to retire, and if new recordings from him risk redundancy and irrelevance, at their best they nevertheless can represent Charles as well as his earlier, revolutionary work. Strong Love Affair never tries to conform Charles to anything other than his eclectic self, and it never gets in his way. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
Some early-'90s Ray Charles material that ranges from enjoyable to entertaining to forgettable. His voice retains its drama, intensity, and flair, but he's extending himself less and less (at least on album) and not finding the kind of material that his talents merit. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide
Some late-'80s Charles light pop, countrypolitan, and other good to below-average material. Charles sings with the usual strong touches, but he can't salvage much of this stuff. It's designed for those who want everything he's ever done. Otherwise, it won't merit much mention in his extensive legacy. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide
A fine holiday album for those who enjoy that type of thing. Ray Charles puts his inimitable spin on hymns, carols, and seasonal material, and does it well. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide
Another light country and countrypolitan outing from Ray Charles. These mid-'80s albums were miles removed from the earthiness and intensity he brought to his revolutionary '60s country dates. They're pleasant and often entertaining, but hardly vital. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide
A fairly typical example of Charles' '80s period doing country music in Nashville, which is to say respectable performances that aren't a patch on his '60s country-crossover material. The title track was a minor country hit single and the album made the lower reaches of the country LP chart. But Charles remains an eclectic; some of the material fits better into the pop and R&B categories than it does country. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide