Changes

great service

Keni Burke's "Changes" has to be one of the very best 80's album - ever! - and genius only begins to describe this artist!Changes is an absolutely excellent album, and when one considers it was released in the early 80's must acknowledge the genius and talent of Kenny Burke. His music has made rich pickings for several groups with the bassline on "Rising to the top" finding its way into many an artist's work throughout the 80's and 90's and possibly even the 2000's.But is the rave about this album really justified? The simple and truthful answer is yes! And it should come as no surprise that when the album first appeared on CD, it was fetching anything up to about $100 on some fixed price and auction websites! And still it sold!Let's delve into the detail. "One minute more" is the epitome of near perfect soul. It is truly timeless and a work of genius. "Who do you love" has to be one of my favourite slow tracks of all time and whilst the reviewer may not be of any particular repute personally, must add that this accolade is no mean fete. Rising to the top is one of those indisputable "anthems" of the 80's."Hang tight" is another one of those truly timeless classics that bring the "repeat" function of one's CD player into very serious consideration - at times successfull.Keni has not only done the full range of tempos but has gone the extra mile in paying nothing less that meticulous attention to detail in the arrangement and execution of instruments; topping it all off with delivery of smooth southful vocals - and well penned lyrics where it matters I might add - that blend seamlessly with the music.Pros: Truly excellent 80's album with several gems to pick from. "Who do you love", "One minute more" and "Hang tight" are highly recommended listening and deserve their place in the all time greatest soul/funk tracks in their respective tempos.Cons: Some tracks like Shakin' might find it a little difficult to impress now that it is over 20 years later but would stand up to a critique based on artistic merit and creativity!Verdict: This album is a must have and deserves no less than 5 stars!

That Keni Burke has finally got the recognition for his talent that he richly deserves, makes this particular reviewer very happy. This said, 'Changes' was NOT the massive success story that everyone likes to portray it to have been at the time (1982) and, while there IS a good smattering of classic tracks here, there are a fair few mediocre songs to. Best track is of course the BONA-FIDE classic, 'Risin' To The Top' with its effortlessly soulful groove and great vocals. It must surely be one of the most sampled records of all time but failed to chart when issued (and re-issued) back in the day. In fact, the track has only ever made no 70 (for 1 week) in the U.K and that was in 1992! Still, great soul always was 'too good for the charts' back in the early 80's! 'Hang Tight' is in the same mould as 'Risin' and is another delight as are 'Who Do You Love' and 'One Minute More'. Realistically though, the remaining tracks, though excellently played (there's some killer funky bass on 'Shakin') and produced are pretty ordinary. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing on this album that is awful or bad, but equally 'Can't Get Enough' and 'Shakin' in particular are not the tracks that legacy's are made of and 'Changes' and 'All Night' are just average. That all four of these songs are uptempo, serves to highlight that Burke's true GENIUS was in producing great mid-tempo/slow grooves and the harsh truth is, that without 'Risin' the world may have missed out on Keni Burke's genius all together. Seven out of 10.

GOOD MUSIC/CD👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

The CD delivered a little faster than promised and in perfect wrapping. I've had some trouble finding this CD. However, it eventually succeeded. It's also one of the most expensive CDs I've bought. This sometimes happens when they are hard to get home to their music library

Keni Burke proved with his third solo release how talented and gifted he is. His creativity as a song writer, musicianship, and unique voice shine brilliantly on each track. On "Changes" Keni's producing and arranging are excellent. Still, I wonder why this multitalented artist didn't achieve more recognition. One true test of good music is that it continues to sound good, no matter what decade it was originally recorded. "Changes" easily passes the test with timeless music that still sounds as fresh today as it did decades ago. Good music remains that way.

Great for my era

I don't write many reviews, but one of the previous reviews pushed my decision to purchase this album which at the time of writing was $27 because it is an import. It WAS NOT worth it. I am a big fan of "Rising to the Top", and I still believe it is a timeless classic. However, the album on the whole is a typical 80's R&B album. Same ballads, same melodies with the same sythesized instruments. There's nothing revolutionary or breakthrough about this album. I only recommend buying this album if you're a die hard Keni Burke fan or there's a song on here you can't find anywhere else. You can find "Rising to the Top" on other (cheaper) compilation cd's.....