![]() ![]() In doing so, he deviated from a sound sternly reverent to the ‘60s soul aesthetic. At 67, the former James Brown impersonator, known for his high energy performances and astounding vocals, solidified his individual voice and sang from a profoundly personal perspective. By far his most cohesive album, this one is personal to Bradley. ![]() His voice is what earned him the nickname “The Screaming Eagle of Soul.” This was his third record with Daptone, and while his characteristically roaring voice has always held fast, Changes stands apart. When he starts to get going, it’s like sitting in a motorboat while someone revs the engine, rough and hearty, and then gliding away on the water. The album is Soul at its core, but the sound is distinctly Bradley.Ĭentral to every song is Bradley’s voice. Each track pays homage to ‘60s soul in its instrumentation without simply recreating the ‘60s Stax/Atlantic sound or relying on nostalgia. Changes is laced with organ trills, horn jabs, an almost psychedelic bass, and on several tracks, you can hear people partying along with Bradley in the background. ![]() Most of the songs feature musicians from The Menahan Street Band, a few are backed by the Budos Band, and The Gospel Queens are featured on two songs. Daptone’s Thomas Brenneck produced the album in a minimalist fashion, with very few special effects, but he spared nothing when it came to backing musicians. Changes didn’t merely draw upon the ‘60s sound, it seamlessly brought the genre – and all of the traditions that go along with it – into 2016. Not neo-soul, not retro-soul, but capital S Soul. Immediately remarkable about the album is its footing as pure, unadulterated soul. It is just as relevant and necessary as ever. If we think of the months leading up to the 2016 election as the beginning of the current moment, then now we are at the next inflection point, and over the past few violent and difficult months, I have been returning to Bradley’s Changes. As the political and social landscape became increasingly turbulent, the album provided me with some sort of a grounding force. Watch the trailer below.When Charles Bradley’s final album, Changes, was released in April of 2016, I had it on repeat for months and months. The singer’s remarkable life story and extraordinary journey was captured in the documentary Charles Bradley: Soul of America, directed by Poull Brien in 2012. I open their hearts up and they feel the love of my heart and when I go out there and really respond to ’em and talk to ’em, they tell me some things.” But I know that from doing shows for the public, the love when I go out into the audience and hug ’em and the things that they say to me personally … Wow. He went on to release three albums for the label, including 2013’s Victim of Love, and 2016’s Changes, named for his popular cover of the Black Sabbath track.īradley told Rolling Stone last year, “Right now, I don’t see a stopping point ’cause I don’t see no place where I can stop at and rest in peace. Like his labelmate Sharon Jones who also passed away last year from cancer, Bradley found late life success, after signing to Daptone Records and releasing his debut album No Time for Dreaming in 2011 at the age of 62. ![]()
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