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Winds Of Change
Eric Burdon & The Animals
One Way Records, 1967
REVIEW BY: Eric E5S16
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 08/24/1998
The new world different from the old with new jewelsto be consumed, new frontiers to be won, and much more love to begiven. The recognition of existence of pain and ecstasy to knowthat they are both there in the pit of my stomach, and can beturned on or off easily as a stereo colour T.V. set. I love youall, and want you to gain something from these new sounds as I gainfrom listening to my saints in past years. If you feel alone andconfused and unhappy discontented, just know that I (and there aremany like me) love you, and maybe you'll know why I am happycontented and un-confused. The games I play are mostly games ofchildren (not all) happy games, games of love, games of mystery,games of wonder, please excuse my games of fear and jealousy, I'monly human after all and still a student of life. Maybe the nextproduction will be all games of love, but by then I could be inanother world...
from the album cover
As the album title states, there were changes being made for the60's British group, The Animals. By 1967, the original band hadfell apart. But Eric Burdon, the man behind the success of TheAnimals, and what would be their only #1 and signature song, "TheHouse Of The Rising Sun", reformed his former group, and called itEric Burdon & The (New) Animals. Burdon would become the onlyoriginal member. The first release with the new Animals lineup was Winds Of Change, an album that not only dealt with changefor the group, but it would also project the future of Eric Burdonas a solo artist.
The album starts out with the title track, and ends with "It'sAll Meat". Both songs are tributes to Burdon's musical influences,mostly the blues. Burdon sings "Robert Johnson sang the blues" in"Winds Of Change". Muddy Waters and Ray Charles are mentioned inthe latter song. The title track is truly psychedelic, as the restof this album signifies. "Poem By The Sea" is just as psychedelic.And "The Black Plague," is a spoken word tune, with church-choirbackground vocals similiar in sound and just as eerie as TheYardbirds' "Still I'm Sad."
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