Customer Reviews

Miracles / Change of Heart

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What an opportunity to have this two albums for the price of one.
"Miracles" has been for the longest time one of my favorites. To
have it now in the CD format is a delight. James Robinson and Di-va Gray's vocals are sensational. At times sounds like listening
to Chic having Luther Vandross as a back up singer. "Paradise" is the most popular song of the album. Worth to mention "Hold tight", "On top" and "Miracles". Plus my favorite song "Your move". The lyrics are excellent and the rythm contagious. In the
other hand "Change of Heart" produced by Jam and Lewis has a to-
tal different sound. More similar to the S.O.S Band music. Voca-
lists Debra Cooper and Rick Brennan add a funk-jazz atmosphere to the production. "Say you love me again", "Change of heart" and
"Got my eyes on you" are my favorite. Althought this are produc-
tions from the 80's, they sound timeless and as fresh as the first time were released. Highly recommended.

Miracles used to be one of those vinyl albums I had to play every once and a while. So how to rate it? Let's put it this way: A rough twenty years later, I bought it at Amazon again as a CD - I hadn't played my album for years. Now my daugther of 7 years old knows it too, cause daddy has gone back to the eigthies again ... All she wonders now is, why does he play the same tunes EVERY evening? Hope she will discover these all time Miracles sooner or later, HA!

To me the "Change of Heart" album is a some sort of a bonus, really. A bit odd as the title song plus "You are my melody" are one of the best disco/funk songs ever made, aren't they?

As the guiding book explains: if you truly loved the first albums of Chic, you will experience alike moments with this CD!

Do get me right: you don't have to read that, to hear & feel it.

Just enjoy it all and all over again!

Two of Change's best albums on one CD. This is smooth, sleek and sophisticated 1980s soul at its finest. Change was one of the best R&B groups of the decade.

Because there's actually two albums here, I'm giving them two different ratings.

Miracles-5 Stars

Change Of Heart-3 1/2 Stars

"Miracles" is my favourite Change album, even though my favourite Change song is "A Lover's Holiday", which is on the first album "The Glow Of Love." "Miracles" is a gorgeous album all the way through. Wonderful melodies and tight production. "Paradise" is one of the quirkiest dance songs from the early 80's. That bass is something else, thanks to the very talented Davide Romani. "Hold Tight" "Heaven Of My Life" and "On Top" are my favorite tracks on the album.

Three years later, the "Change Of Heart" album was released.

By that time, neither Jacques Fred Petrus or Mauro Malavasi were producing. Instead, we had Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis and bassist Timmy Allen. The title track was a big hit on the R&B charts, but it wasn't unique by that time. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis had a very specific industrial and mechanical sound to their productions. "Change Of Heart" sounds a lot like several tracks that Jam & Lewis had produced for the S.O.S. Band during that period. It's not really Change anymore, but it's stil an interesting album.

This is an absolute must-have cd for any collector and fan of some of the hottest R&B and sophisticated dance music to come from the early 80's. The digital mastering is impeccable on this re-master(maintains much of the warmth,depth, and clarity that was found on the early LP versions, of which I also proudly own). This brings back memories of my childhood and early teen years of the style of music and musicianship that I wish I could go back to(well, I have, sorta, with this release).

What I remember as a kid about the group Change was that I used to get them confused with Chic, and vice-versa.Many critics have often compared the groups as sounding very similar.This was true;However, make NO mistake,Change was NOT a rip-off group of the 'Chic sound' with no originality and musical merit of their own.On the contrary,their sound paid a great homage and respectful tribute to Chic while maintaining their uniqueness and originality; A VERY rare feat for many groups who do or may sound similar to other bands or artists.In addition, Change's earlier albums did have the Euro-Italo disco vibe going on, BUT it was so seamlessly fused with American soul and R&B that it was something to truly behold; The best of both worlds!

The only shame, by this time of their Miracles and Change of Heart album releases, was that Luther Vandross was no longer a lead vocal contributor...and by the time "Change Of Heart" was released in 1984, he was long gone and into his very successful solo career.However(one of the major positives and highlights), the C.O.H. album's production was now under the massive producing and engineering talent and Midas touch of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. They were the mega producers/driving force who were on a hot streak producing for other artists with their rich, hook laden Minneapolis Sound in the early to late 80's(S.O.S. Band, Alexander O'Neal, Cherrelle,Patti Austin,Janet Jackson,Human League,New Edition, and many more) !

I cannot exclusively pick and choose or split hairs and say which album is my favorite or which tracks I prefer over the others; To me, there is not one single filler or 'toss out' tune on this collection. ALL are worthy of a listener's undivided attention.This was/is truly music for the mind,body, heart, and soul. All vocalists involved in the Change lineup over the years were some of the music industry's top notch talent. Change was the complete package.I could go on and on praising this band's catalog and output but in order to really feel the impact of their memorable offerings one has to listen to them.Again,I cannot stress enough that this is one highly recommended double album on one cd to obtain before it goes completely out of print!

This disc features several good songs, the most notable being, of course, "Change of Heart." They are offering this up at an attractive price. Check it out! Three stars!!