Changes Two

Charles Mingus | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 17, 1993)
• Original Release Date: 1975
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Atlantic / Wea
• ASIN: B00000332E
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #150,532 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

UK reissue of 1974 album. WSM. 2005. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Crazy... crazy crazy crazy crazy..., May 12, 2002

By 

Sean Howard (Medford, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Changes Two (Audio CD)

The first time I heard this album, I was paralyzed. It was like my entire body shut off from the power of the music. I was new to jazz at the time, and knew the standard "Real Book" tunes and the Berklee College of Music style of playing them. In marched one my friends with this album, and my entire take on jazz was changed. I've always been intrigued by the natural fluctuation between chaos and order in the world, and this particular Mingus work puts that idea into sound. The songs start out fairly straight-forward, although the harmony and the progressions involved are still very complex (Duke Ellington's Sound of Love is surprisingly difficult to figure out). The improvisations start out fairly standard, but as they keep going, the music starts slowly spiraling into a frenzy of energy and chaos that completely envelops you. You can feel the raw power of the music running through you as it gets more and more out there. Eventually the climax of insanity subsides and the song wraps up in a way that always seems symmetrical to the beginning (not just musically, but emotionally), leaving you the refreshing feeling that comes only from the resolution of massive amounts of musical tension.
Orange Was the Color of Her Dress... what can be said? This is a masterpiece, and in my opinion, the best recording of the song is on this album. Pullen's piano work on here will stun you, ranging from complex chord scales to just... the total destruction of his piano by about half way through the song. Like I said before, I was paralyzed by it. The songs all seem to take a trip through the wild side this same way, but this particular one was probably the most intense.
This album will change the way you listen to music if you're ready to hear it. It's an album for people who need to feel their music more than they need to hear it.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mingus Thrills; Perhaps His Best Later Period Album!, January 27, 2003

By 

M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Changes Two (Audio CD)

This is an excellent work by the great jazz composer and bassist, dense, full of tone colors, and extremely well recorded. "Free Cell Block F, 'Tis Nazi U.S.A." is about as good as anything Mingus has ever done; and is definitely one of the best of his later compositions. The opening riff breaks into a deeply satisfying tenor solo by George Adams. Colors and tones fly everywhere, it's a near-perfect combination of straight-ahead and the avant-garde. It also features a beautiful piano solo by Don Pullen, and, of course, the incomparable Dannie Richmond mixing things up on drums. There's a lush, almost traditional sound to the piano, yet Mingus and the band always keeps things interesting and off-balance. The trips up and down the scales have an almost jokey feeling to them (as does some of the piano on Track 2), but the music comes at you with such force and density that the song maintains its power. For Mingus fans, this piece alone justifies the purchase of this album.

Another great Mingus title (literally) is "Orange was the Color of Her Dress, Then Silk Blue." This gets the Mingus film noire treatment, it's expressive and cinematic and hints at mystery. At two minutes it swings into full gear, with excellent interplay between Adams and Jack Walrath (trumpet). It's similar in conception to Track 1: A lush orchestral sound meeting twists and flourishes of the "3rd Wave." Pullen has a magnificently expressive, beautiful piano piece, and Mingus comps superbly. It's hard to decide whether this or `Free Cell Block' is the better composition. There's some jumbly piano poundings at the end--I think it's a bit overdone--but Mingus reigns it in, and the sax and densely arranged instrumentation brings it all back home. Mingus' bass is supremely rich and soulful, and he and George Adams really tear it up at the song's finale.

"Black Bats and Poles" is a full-bodied piece that's a little too amped for me-there's almost an electronic Miles Davis sound to Walrath's trumpet that, for me, didn't quite work. Periodically, Mingus and Pullen break free from a dull, repeated 3-note background riff to liven things up. George Adams has some excellent solos against the changing tempos.

Jackie Paris is the "guest vocalist" on "Duke Ellington's Sound of Love." I like Mingus' very personal lyrics, but I don't think Paris added much to the piece. At about two minutes, there's a very good (albeit too brief ) Ben Websterish solo by Adams, and here and there orchestral sounds that recall Ellington. I really didn't like the song much on first hearing, but am beginning to appreciate it more now (especially as I hear the lyrics). An instrumental version appears on "Changes One." Track 5 is another tribute, this time with a moody atmosphere and a blues-like bass riff. This is a powerful number with surging drums and bass, thoughtful and beautifully played sax, and Pullen's crisp yet soulful playing. The latter is simply outstanding. This time, Walrath gets a more pinched sound from the trumpet, again recalling Miles, but with a mute. Every solo on this composition is excellent, and the unifying theme and rhythm complete a solid melody. Overall, this is an excellent, joyous CD. I recommend it highly, especially for those who haven't heard much of the Mingus' later output. Clearly, his genius is with him.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Later Day Masterpiece, October 3, 2000

By 

"marleyscott" (Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Changes Two (Audio CD)

I will always cherish the memory of catching Charles Mingus live at "Two Saints" on St. Mark's Place, NYC in the summer of 1973. Little did we know how sick Mingus really was and how his days were numbered. I don't know for sure how long he continued to perform after that wonderful show, but I consider myself fortunate to have witnessed one of the giants of twentieth century jazz.

Changes One and Two were released jointly in the summer of 1975. Being a ceritifed Mingus fanatic, I immediately picked up on both and was blown away. All of the earlier elements of his 50's and 60's masterpieces were still intact. The extraordinary rhythemic changes, the innovative horn arrangements, the beautiful melodies all hallmarks of Mingus, the magician, the alchemist, the legend.

Dig the two versions of "Duke Ellington's Sound of Love", the longer instrumental version on Changes One and the sublime vocal version by Jackie Paris on Changes Two. There are numerous surprises throughout. All in all, I consider Changes One and Two the last truly great studio recordings by this immensely important and influential artist.