With WINDS OF CHANGE Eric Burdon began to reach maturity as a song stylist. A concept album, revolving around the themes of changing morals and changing identities, WINDS OF CHANGE's main thrust is the role of contemporary music therein. Burdon explores the history of rock & roll in the title track and pays homage to its stars with a cover of "Paint it, Black" and "Yes I Am Experienced," a knowing nod to Jimi Hendrix. The highlights here, however, are unmistakably "Poem By the Sea," a musing on the limitations of human existence, and "San Franciscan Nights," a loving letter of introduction to that city. Though tracks such as "The Black Plague" and "Hotel Hell" concern sinister matters, WINDS OF CHANGE is mainly Burdon's celebration of the diversity and complexity of late '60s life. Musically, the album is a successful incorporation of instruments as varying as guitar, sitar, and vibes, and an integration of styles as varying as blues rock, psychedelia, medieval dirge, and Beat poetry.

• Genre: Rock
• Format: Vinyl
• Internal ID: JITRE
• Released: 02/24/2015