Changes

Heh!

Some years back, I heard a recording of Henry Rollins discussing how inappropriate and insufficient it was that the folks in charge of weather media had bestowed the unseemly name of "El Nino" on particular weather patterns occurring in the South Pacific. Rollins was appalled; citing the Spanish translation of the phrase ("little boy"), and noting that while a small child is certainly capable of some measure of destruction around a household, it wasn't even close to describing the violent weather being caused. Rollins felt the name didn't measure up to the result and also didn't make sense to the public. So, Rollins suggested an alternative. How about referring to this weather with a name that is more fitting? Something that evokes the inherent noise, fear and annihilation left in its wake. How about naming it "The First 3 Black Sabbath Albums"? The headlines would certainly make a lot more sense. "Santa Monica Pier demolished by The First 3 Black Sabbath Albums!!" Great idea, Henry, but it didn't fly.

Black Sabbath: Mark I, in the early 70's.

I recall that my first listen to Black Sabbath was their first album, with its hair-raising title track and seriously spooky cover photo. Like many great Rock albums, there was absolutely nothing else that sounded like it, either before or since. Those fabled first 3 albums from Sabbath had a unique and consistent sound. But by the time of their 4th album, things were shifting. The band had toured quite a bit by then, and the both-ends-burning challenges of the 'write, record, tour' cycle were starting to take a toll on the band members' health and creativity, which was compounded by expensive and dangerous recreational choices; some of which are now the stuff of Rock legend.

"I'm going through... mountains of cocaine!"

All four band members have since been quite candid about their heavy use of cocaine during the making of "Vol. 4". The song "Snowblind" is perhaps the band's most blatant ode to the drug. "Snowblind" was also the album's working title, but record company executives were reluctant to release an album with such an obvious drug reference for a title. As bassist Geezer Butler told Guitar World magazine in 2001, "Yeah, the cocaine had set in. We went out to L.A. and got into a totally different lifestyle. Half the budget went on the coke and the other half went to seeing how long we could stay in the studio. We rented a house in Bel-Air and the debauchery up there was just unbelievable." In the same interview, drummer Bill Ward said, "Vol. 4 is a great album, but listening to it now, I can see it was a turning point for me; where the alcohol and drugs stopped being fun."

The only track from the album to receive any significant FM Rock radio airplay is the one that provides the longest leap from the tried and true Sabbath formula. "Changes" was composed by guitarist Tony Iommi, as an experiment, and was written on a piano that happened to be at their rented Bel-Air house. "Changes" is a ballad inspired mainly by Bill Ward's ongoing breakup with his first wife. The lyrics were composed by bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne has referred to the song as "heartbreaking". The song was quite different from Black Sabbath's previous efforts, yet is one that is still very well received at Ozzy's live shows.

Here's Black Sabbath with "Changes" from "Vol. 4".

One thing that was made clear by the positive response to the recent Super Bowl halftime performance by Bruno Mars, is that people are craving "real" again. They've had about enough of musical junk food like sampling and autotuned vocals. Mars and his crackshot band not only brought it 100% live, but Mars also mixed in a few respectful nods to the pioneers of R&B, like Jackie Wilson, The Isleys and James Brown. Those who scoffed and said Mars was just copying those legends missed the point. Everything musical descends from what has come before, and to acknowledge that is not only properly respectful, but can serve to educate those who would listen.

Charles Bradley, leaving it ALL on the stage.

Which brings us to Mr. Charles Bradley. Most artists appreciate their audiences, and some are profoundly grateful for them. But few artists love their fans as much, and as sincerely, as Charles Bradley. By now, Bradley’s remarkable, against-all-odds rise has been well-documented; how he transcended a bleak life on the streets and struggled through a series of ill-fitting jobs, most famously as a James Brown impersonator at Brooklyn clubs, before finally being discovered by Gabe Roth of New York's Daptone Records. Daptone, known for their authentically gritty R&B/Soul sound, is currently working on taking Charles into the kind of Psychedelic Soul territory that Motown producer Norman Whitfield explored with The Temptations in the early '70s. "People are not going to expect this. There's a lot of psychedelic influences on this record, and a lot of fuzz guitar." notes Thomas Brenneck of Menahan Street Band, Bradley's producer, bandleader and co-writer. It's due out in April and I can't wait to hear it!

Tell me this isn't the BADDEST gig poster, ever!

Of course, the concert stage is the best way to experience any performer, especially one who specializes in high wattage, old school Soul, and a Charles Bradley performance is a must. I've not seen him perform yet, and I certainly will at the first opportunity, but one good friend of this blog has. Paul Bertolino, a musician who lives in New York, has seen Bradley perform, and has also met him on several occasions. Paul very graciously sent me the following vivid description of Bradley's electric performances.

Regarding Bradley's triumphant appearance at the famed Apollo Theater, Paul told me, "I've seen him many times and he always gives 100%, but he was pushing especially hard that night. It was a huge dream-come-true show for him, as he’d first had the notion to perform when he saw James Brown there as a kid. Now, after years of slogging around as a James Brown tribute act, he was at last headlining the Apollo as himself; as Charles Bradley. It was a big, BIG night for him; struttin’ across the stage, dropping to his knees, and screaming like the eagle that he is."

Today's contributing guest writer, Paul Bertolino!

"As great as the Apollo show was, my favorite Bradley shows have been at smaller venues like 'Pianos' on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and the now defunct 'Southpaw' in Brooklyn. It's at shows like this, where you are directly in the line of fire for a splatter of sweat straight from Bradley's brow, that his heart and soul really comes across. The passion, pain and love in his eyes. That feeling of being in the presence of a God-like figure, that we haven’t gotten from a performer since the classic days of Charles' own generation, combined with a Brian Wilson-ish childlike innocence. Once offstage, he’s utterly spent and probably just wants to go home and go to bed, but he's always extremely warm, personable and appreciative when you speak with him, even in that state." This last statement of Paul's is clearly describing a man who is abundantly grateful for those who appreciate his music, and knows well where he came from. Those are qualities that make a man well deserving of his hard fought success, and worthy of fan support.

As a special release for Record Store Day last November, Daptone subsidiary label Dunham Records released a double A-side 45 of Charles Bradley, backed by the mighty Budos Band, performing a mercilessly soulful version of Black Sabbath's ballad "Changes". (The other A-side features Dirt Rifle and The Bullets and their smokin' original track, "Ain't It A Shame".) The groove is adjusted quite a bit and feels a lot better, but beware; when those horns kick in for the chorus... well, that's what real deal Soul feels like. I'm sure The Sabs are plenty happy with this rendition.



Kool Kovers offers profound appreciation to Mr. Paul Bertolino for his excellent contribution to this week's feature. Paul has written and performed some amazing music of his own that you can listen to and purchase at Bandcamp. We will highly recommend Paul's most recent album, "Where The Buildings Hit The Sky". This brilliant album is a tastefully written and beautifully produced paean to the city, featuring truly original music that not only wears its Classic Pop influences proudly, but is unafraid to push the boundaries of where those sounds can go. This is ear candy for your headphones. Just go buy it, you'll love it. You can also find Paul's very Kool Kover of Firefall's hit, "Just Remember I Love You" on the fantastic tribute album, "Drink A Toast To Innocence: A Tribute To Lite Rock".

The powerful Soul music of Charles Bradley can be found at Amazon, his official website, and from most any independent purveyor of recorded musical excellence. There's also a documentary film about him entitled "Soul Of America", that you will want to run out and get after watching this smokin' hot trailer. If that doesn't give you a good enough picture of this man's abundant soulfulness, I don't know what will.

And lest we forget, the denture-loosening, heavy metal thunder of Black Sabbath has been remastered as well as possible for enjoyment by you and your neighbors. If you enjoy classic Metal, then those first 3 albums are inarguably essential. You could easily include the next 3, which are "Vol. 4", "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", and "Sabotage", and call that a collection. Things fell off quite a bit after that. If an anthology will do, then you want this one, but be advised that it's out of print and the price is rising. It's much cheaper to get the individual albums.