I hate this time of the year, in the UK it’s cold, damp, dark and miserable but a beautiful debut album has arrived to make this period a whole lot more bearable. It may not be an album full of big summery vibes, but Bradley’s voice and the quality of the musicianship, with sparkling keyboards, slight guitar and prominent horns in recreating that classic Stax flavoured soul sound of the 60’s, warms your cockle’s right through.
Now who is this Charles Bradley you may ask, with his James Brown styled vocal, is he some young upstart trying to emulate one of his heroes? Well no at 62 years of age Bradley is old enough to have worked with them back in their heydays, indeed he saw Brown at The Apollo in 1962, when his sister took him and the energy of that night formed a lasting impression on him, but Bradley is he more than just some kind of James Brown karaoke, impersonator. Yes, this is a man, whose voice has evolved from a lifetime of paying dues, having nomadically laboured for decades at various day jobs from Maine to Alaska singing and performing in his spare time. Yes, this is a voice that with its distinctively rough-hewn timbre has that unmistakable sound of experience in each note that makes you feel every step of his gruff, and sometimes rocky, personal path.
Despite all this talk of classics from times gone by some of the lyrics are very relevant and up to date such as the gospel soaked blues of philosophical opener “The World (Is Going Up In Flames)”, an obvious take on the troubles in the world today, the up-tempo “Golden Rule”, that rule being the one of love for your fellow man and “Why So Hard”, which is most definitely a personal tale of trying to make it in America and with a voice like his it does make you wonder why it has taken so long for somebody to finally give this man a break!
As with all soul albums there are plenty of stories of love and heartache and Bradley can certainly make you feel those highs and lows as he wrings out all the emotions.
As I said at the beginning the musicianship is great and when I tell you that the music is supplied by guitarist/producer Thomas "Tommy TNT" Brenneck’s musical ensemble the Menahan Street Band, which features musicians from Antibalas, El Michels Affair, the Dap-Kings and the Budos Band, then you’ll know why.
This is an incredibly atmospheric album with a real nostalgic sound and for me is great and powerful way to start the New Year.
“No Time For Dreaming” is available via Dunham Records from January 25th 2011
TRACKLISTING
01. The World (Is Going Up In Flames)
02. The Telephone Song
03. Golden Rule (love for one another)
04. I Believe In Your Love
05. Trouble In The Land (inst break)
06. Loving You, Baby
07. No Time For Dreaming
08. How Long
09. In You (I Found A Love)
10. Why Is It So Hard?
11. Since Our Last Goodbye
12. Heartaches And Pain
Now who is this Charles Bradley you may ask, with his James Brown styled vocal, is he some young upstart trying to emulate one of his heroes? Well no at 62 years of age Bradley is old enough to have worked with them back in their heydays, indeed he saw Brown at The Apollo in 1962, when his sister took him and the energy of that night formed a lasting impression on him, but Bradley is he more than just some kind of James Brown karaoke, impersonator. Yes, this is a man, whose voice has evolved from a lifetime of paying dues, having nomadically laboured for decades at various day jobs from Maine to Alaska singing and performing in his spare time. Yes, this is a voice that with its distinctively rough-hewn timbre has that unmistakable sound of experience in each note that makes you feel every step of his gruff, and sometimes rocky, personal path.
Despite all this talk of classics from times gone by some of the lyrics are very relevant and up to date such as the gospel soaked blues of philosophical opener “The World (Is Going Up In Flames)”, an obvious take on the troubles in the world today, the up-tempo “Golden Rule”, that rule being the one of love for your fellow man and “Why So Hard”, which is most definitely a personal tale of trying to make it in America and with a voice like his it does make you wonder why it has taken so long for somebody to finally give this man a break!
As with all soul albums there are plenty of stories of love and heartache and Bradley can certainly make you feel those highs and lows as he wrings out all the emotions.
As I said at the beginning the musicianship is great and when I tell you that the music is supplied by guitarist/producer Thomas "Tommy TNT" Brenneck’s musical ensemble the Menahan Street Band, which features musicians from Antibalas, El Michels Affair, the Dap-Kings and the Budos Band, then you’ll know why.
This is an incredibly atmospheric album with a real nostalgic sound and for me is great and powerful way to start the New Year.
“No Time For Dreaming” is available via Dunham Records from January 25th 2011
TRACKLISTING
01. The World (Is Going Up In Flames)
02. The Telephone Song
03. Golden Rule (love for one another)
04. I Believe In Your Love
05. Trouble In The Land (inst break)
06. Loving You, Baby
07. No Time For Dreaming
08. How Long
09. In You (I Found A Love)
10. Why Is It So Hard?
11. Since Our Last Goodbye
12. Heartaches And Pain
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