Charles Bradley Featuring The Sounds Of Menahan Street Band - No Time For Dreaming

Year Released: 2011
Genre: Soul / Funk / Deep Soul

Description:

No Time for Dreaming marks the extraordinary debut album from Charles Bradley, released in 2011 on Dunham Records, a subsidiary of Daptone Records. Recorded with the Menahan Street Band, the album introduced Bradley to the world as one of modern soul’s most powerful voices — a man whose life experience and emotional intensity were poured unfiltered into every note.

The record opens with “The World (Is Going Up in Flames),” a searing statement of struggle and resilience that instantly positioned Bradley alongside the greats of the genre. Tracks like “Heartaches and Pain” and “Lovin’ You, Baby” showcase his raw, gospel-infused delivery, while “Golden Rule” and “No Time for Dreaming” fuse socially conscious lyrics with tight, deep-funk grooves.

Producer Thomas Brenneck captures the timeless Daptone aesthetic — warm analog tones, live instrumentation, and arrangements that breathe with vintage soul authenticity. Yet the emotional honesty of Bradley’s voice transcends imitation, evoking comparisons to Otis Redding and James Brown while remaining uniquely his own.

The album’s title serves as both declaration and philosophy: for Bradley, who released his first LP at age 62 after decades of hardship, there truly was no time for dreaming. Instead, the record stands as a testament to perseverance, passion, and the enduring spirit of soul music reborn for a new generation.

Track Listing:
01. The World (Is Going Up in Flames)
02. The Telephone Song
03. Golden Rule
04. I Believe in Your Love
05. Trouble in the Land
06. Lovin’ You, Baby
07. No Time for Dreaming
08. How Long
09. In You (I Found a Love)
10. Why Is It so Hard?
11. Since Our Last Goodbye
12. Heartaches and Pain