Nature is constantly transmuting and changing form with its only stable situation the change itself.
Everything in nature, if it can not be changed, is doomed to die, and usually, in a slow and painful way… they putrefy.
In Rock music, the biggest psychological nightmare of any musician is to become boring to his audience.
On the other hand, changes are seldom successful and always come at a cost!
Usually, a portion of fans denies the slightest change in an artist.
But there is a musician whose change, music, and appearance, have not been able to disappoint any of his fans.
It is no coincidence, after all, that David Bowie got the nickname “Rock Chameleon”.
His music, but mainly his appearance changes, became the first news in the music (and not only), press.
Perhaps the most complete Rock musician.
From the beginning of his music career, he gave his mark and from an early age, he prepared his audience for what would follow.
His song, “Changes,” was more like a prophetic warning than a statement.
Changes
The fourth album “Hunky Dory” of 1971 opens with that song, in which he changes his musical style and becomes accessible to the general public.
But he also gets rid of the personality of Major Tom and adopts that of Ziggy Stardust.
“Changes” focuses on the forced nature of artistic reinvention.
The lyrics “Strange fascination, fascinating me / Changes are taking the pace I’m going through” are enlightening.
In general, the whole lyrical part is a kind of manifesto for his chameleon personality, but also for the frequent changes in the musical expression of the ’70s.
The album on which the song is located is also his debut in North America, although the single “The Man Who Sold the World” was released there two years ago.
The changes that were already taking place in the life of the artist, were the source of inspiration for the song.
Bowie wrote it when he was going through a very important change in his life.
His wife, Angela, was pregnant with the couple’s first child, Duncan.
He was happy with this fact, but also with the new role he had to take on.
According to its creator, the lyrics are related to the young audience and their need to change the world…
“Spitting” the status quo and without any willingness to negotiate.
Initially, the song started as a parody of music pieces played in a nightclub, something like a makeshift disposable track.
It is essentially his first attempt to play the piano.
This approach opened new horizons in his later compositions.
The piano used in the song is the famous 100-year-old Bechstein but played by Rick Wakeman, later a member of Yes.
The stutter “Ch-Ch-Changes” in the chorus is inspired by “My Generation” by The Who.
Elton John later used it in “Bennie And The Jets”.
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