Album Mini-review: Charles Bradley — Changes
File next to: James Brown, Sharon Jones & the Dap-kings, Eli Paperboy Reed
On Charles Bradley‘s third full length, the “screaming eagle of soul” shows himself to be a fascinating interpreter of diverse material, as evidenced in his soulful reading of Black Sabbath‘s “Changes.” Bradley mines a sense of pathos that Ozzy’s vocal merely hinted at; he truly makes the song his own. A rare misstep is the disc opener: doubtless Bradley is sincere with his reading of “God Bless America,” but it comes off a bit maudlin. Throughout Changes, he’s ably backed by a Memphis-styled brass section; they dip into the Seals & Crofts playbook for “Nobody But You,” and the band chugs along sounding very much like the Jimi Hendrix Experience (plus horns) on the fiery “Ain’t it a Sin.” Changes shows that Fitzgerald was wrong about American lives; there actually can be second acts.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4500-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he taught a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.