::ALBUM REVIEW::

The Mighty Clouds of Joy, one of contemporary gospel’s stronger male groups, enjoyed a number of successful album releases on the Peacock music label during the 1960s and early 70s before crossing over to the ABC-Dunhill music label - with hopes to thrust their seasoned gospel sound into the forefront of secular consumers. With their new contract, Joe Ligon led the Clouds through a period of new discovery and newer contemporary innovations while keeping their soulful traditional harmonies. It was almost hard to separate their contributions from what the Temptations and the O’Jays were doing at the time. Most of that surrounds their production switch to include secular giants such as producer Dave Crawford and the actual usage of Philadelphia musicians from the renowned Sigma Studios on their crossover super hit “Mighty High.” These were the same guys responsible for all the hits on Gamble & Huff’s TSOP label and the Clouds decided to update their sound with the more popular soulful-meets-funky approach to R&B. After “riding high” with their legendary disco hit single in 1976 and afterwards releasing the GRAMMY-winning Live and Direct LP, the group signed on to Sony’s Epic Records and released Changing Times - a nine-track collection filled with stompin’ infectious soul music using similar production as their former ABC releases, but with a cleaner finish.

Produced by Frank Wilson, Changing Times once again features the same quality of musicianship from their ABC recordings and gathers a strong list of talent including longtime Motown bassist James Jamerson, Motown percussionist James Ashford, drummer James Gadson, keyboardist Greg Phillinganes, jazz guitarist legend Paul Jackson, Jr. and horn support from George Bohannon, Ray Pizzi and Gary Grant. And with Rev. James Cleveland on board as guest arranger and producer, the album is set in stone to be one of the Clouds’ auspicious achievements.

Opening the album is the dance-tinged “What About The Price” - a song flaring up with a rhythm and horn arrangement that compares to the Spinners’ uptempo gems. “In These Changing Times” is probably one of the Clouds’ most funkiest cuts - going beyond what “Mighty High” could do. And with Ligon’s preachy vocals mixing the grit of James Brown with the emotional delivery of Ron Isley, the inspiring song dealing with the world’s troubles ultimately rushes the saints to the dance floor. It didn’t seem like any artist during the zenith of disco could escape the all-powerful grasp of its addictive beats without being labeled a cash cow, but the Clouds succeed at merging both disco grooves and soulful gospel together to create a worthy musical experience, like the album’s title track. But not everything on Changing Times is built around big disco workouts and boisterous funk. Cleveland contributes one of the Clouds’ most recognized covers - “I’ve Been In The Storm Too Long”. Soaked in a mellow soul that bears the Jerry Butler-brand of cool, the song’s rich traditional base definitely satisfies longtime supporters of the quartet legacy. Cleveland’s “I Get A Blessing Everyday” follows in the same path with Cleveland leading the Clouds in familiar territory - but energized with Ligon’s convincing lead vocals. Archie Jordan’s “What A Difference You’ve Made In My Life”, with its soothing mid-tempo ballad frame is neatly pieced together with pop-friendly keys and the Clouds’ supportive background work. Don’t be confused over the idea that this same song first originated as a country hit for Ronnie Milsap in 1977. The Clouds reinvents the colorful love song, maintains the lyrical foundation and redirects all the praises back to God. “We’re Blessed”, penned by renowned songwriter Dr. Margaret Douroux, musically feels campy in places, but strangely became one of the album’s popular cuts. The group continues to incorporate the classic into their live repertoire and has since been re-recorded on several of the Clouds’ live albums; ultimately proving the song has survived the test of time.

It’s a blessing to know that the legendary Clouds, with numbers of albums under their belt, has received royal treatment from such industry veterans. And while the music presented here possess a fine grade of production polish and can be graciously compared to the works of their fellow contemporaries, Joe Ligon and the Mighty Clouds of Joy also destroyed the myth that switching producers didn’t necessarily summon one’s plummet. If anything, Changing Times proved that they still were the stars of the show - even with a very impressive all-star line-up of guest musicians.