![]() ![]() There’s even a spot of ‘name that tune’, like at the end of Nobody But You when the horns break into the sax riff from Seals and Crofts 1972 hit Summer Breeze or the piano jam at the beginning of You Think I Don’t Know (But I Know) which is gotta be fingered from Freddie Scott’s long forgotten single (You) Got What I Need. Here and there you get smatterings of hip-hop drums and a bit of Vernon Reid from guitarist Thomas Brenneck. Still it’s a satisfying outcome all round. That’s not surprising, given it’s the label’s house sound. ‘The Screaming Eagle Of Soul’ now takes full control and ownership of his musicians – the Daptone session musicians the Menahan Street Band (replaced on tour by The Extraordinaries) – and in turn they respond to the leadership creating some of that magic BB King and others of his generation mustered up during the best albums of the 70’s Soul era. If you line them up Changes is his most straight forward album but it definitely documents the growing dynamics between himself and the band. That’s pretty obvious by the short gospel tinged speech in the opener God Bess America, which references the recent sentiments many Americans have towards their country and the current state of economic and political affairs. He’s still as endearing and grateful as he ever was. But it’s his underdog narrative that has never changed. That was two albums ago and now on his third effort you get the feeling the 67-year-old soul singer’s is ready to move on, if only just a little bit. And about he found escapism in the character of the Godfather of Soul as a very good JB impersonator. ![]() We talked a lot about his backstory and how James Brown saved him. A few years ago I got to meet Charles Bradley, as part of the promotion of his appearance at the International Arts Festival in Wellington. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |