Starting the second week of the New Year off with another fabulous "Music Spectrum" exclusive! "Changes" is the first and only album released by the too-short-lived British trio, PRIDE 'N POLITIX. It didn't quite make the cut for my planned "Seven Days Of Christmas" series of fulfilling older music requests that had commenced exactly three weeks ago, but it's right on time for the mini-jazz/soul music series I've decided to throw together. Jazz.....yep, there's that word again. I say it a lot in my music posts and even more so in real-life conversations. I would bet my money that, even though I blog about practically every music genre there is—pop, rock, r&b, disco, country, blues or whatever else you can name, I've mentioned jazz more times than anything else. And it's easily gonna get mentioned at least half a dozen times again for just this post by itself because the trumpet and the saxophone are very prominent figures on this album—two instruments from the brass family that always produce the loveliest jazz sounds. That's the first thing that struck me about this album—all of the instrumental arrangements, the beats, the bass and the nice grooves. I can't help it; it's in my blood to take notice of these things before the vocals actually start.....and while the singing is still going on as the song progresses. Which brings me to the other prominent figure on this album—the dynamic, soulful voice of lead singer Nikki Romillie (the guy pictured on the far left in the cover artwork pictured above), which is similar to that of fellow British singer Terence Trent D'Arby (and I'm sure many of you well know how great that guy can sing). Can't figure out why, then, that Nikki and his bandmates never took off. Their best-known hit has always been the opening tune, "Hold On" which, coincidentally, is also their only known single to date; it's one of those nice grooves you wish could play on for an eternity. Same goes for Track #3's "Nights", yet they didn't release any extended versions of it like they did with "Hold On".....at least none that I know of. Best thing you can do is play it again right after it ends and enjoy your own extended mix. But the songs to die for come a little bit later on the album: "Your Love Is The Answer", the piano acapella cover of Bobby Caldwell's "What You Won't Do For Love" (this one had to appear on this album, and the vocal harmony is so impressive) and, my #1 favorite, "Back Together Again" (the 'Bonus Mix' on Track #12 is a slowed-down quiet storm version, but I prefer the upbeat dance version on Track #7 with the deep bass line). So not much has 'changed' since this New Year has started; I'm still busting out with terrific music:
1. Hold On
2. Love Comes Down
3. Nights
4. Crying Over Nothing
5. Your Love Is The Answer
6. Felt Your Love
7. Back Together Again (Original Version)
8. What You Won't Do For Love
9. Changes
10. One Of Those Things
11. No Stopping Us
12. Back Together Again (Bonus Mix)
*****BONUS TRACKS*****
13. Hold On (Extended Remix)
14. Hold On (Bonus Mix)
15. Hold On (LP Version)
0 comments:
Post a Comment