Neal Francis – Changes (Teal Francis Vinyl)
LP
ABOUT THE LP
“I just wanted to be honest about everything, from my musical
influences to my story,” muses Neal Francis. After years of dishonest
living—consumed by drugs, alcohol, and addiction—such sincerity is
jarring from the 30-year-old Chicago-based musician. Liberated from a
self-destructive past and born anew in sobriety, Francis has captured
an inspired collection of songs steeped in New Orleans rhythms,
Chicago blues, and early 70s rock n’ roll. There is a deep connection
between Francis’s childhood—his obsession with boogie woogie
piano, his father’s gift of a dusty Dr. John LP—and the songs he’s
created. The result is an astonishing collection of material without
parallel in the contemporary funk and soul scene. The influences are
unmistakable: the vocal stylings of Allen Toussaint and Leon Russell;
the second line rhythms of The Meters and Dr. John; the barroom rock
‘n’ roll of The Rolling Stones; the gospel soul of Billy Preston; the roots
music of The Band. Francis pays tribute to the masters but has his
own story to tell: “It’s the life I’ve lived so far.”
FOR FANS OF...
Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, The Faces, Joe Cocker, Leon Russell,
Buddy Miles, The Meters, Father John Misty
TRACKS
1. This Time
2. She’s A Winner
3. How Have I Lived
4. These Are The Days
5. Changes, Pts. 1 & 2
6. Lauren
7. Can’t Live Without Your Love
8. Put It In His Hands
“I just wanted to be honest about everything, from my musical
influences to my story,” muses Neal Francis. After years of dishonest
living—consumed by drugs, alcohol, and addiction—such sincerity is
jarring from the 30-year-old Chicago-based musician. Liberated from a
self-destructive past and born anew in sobriety, Francis has captured
an inspired collection of songs steeped in New Orleans rhythms,
Chicago blues, and early 70s rock n’ roll. There is a deep connection
between Francis’s childhood—his obsession with boogie woogie
piano, his father’s gift of a dusty Dr. John LP—and the songs he’s
created. The result is an astonishing collection of material without
parallel in the contemporary funk and soul scene. The influences are
unmistakable: the vocal stylings of Allen Toussaint and Leon Russell;
the second line rhythms of The Meters and Dr. John; the barroom rock
‘n’ roll of The Rolling Stones; the gospel soul of Billy Preston; the roots
music of The Band. Francis pays tribute to the masters but has his
own story to tell: “It’s the life I’ve lived so far.”
FOR FANS OF...
Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, The Faces, Joe Cocker, Leon Russell,
Buddy Miles, The Meters, Father John Misty
TRACKS
1. This Time
2. She’s A Winner
3. How Have I Lived
4. These Are The Days
5. Changes, Pts. 1 & 2
6. Lauren
7. Can’t Live Without Your Love
8. Put It In His Hands