Music spotlight: James Brown 1933-2006

January 29, 2007

Soul Brother #1. The Godfather of Soul. The Hardest Working Man in Show Business. Mr. Dynamite. These appellations only begin to describe James Brown, who died last December. His career spanned over forty years, and his impact on music is immeasurable as he all but invented funk, and whose music is the basis for disco and hip hop.

We have three CDs by James Brown.

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1. Twenty All Time Greatest Hits

From Grove Press Guide to Blues on CD
Twenty of the funk and rhythm dynamo's points of light hark back to his upbringing in the poor, deep rural South for their poignant emotional framework. "Night Train," in particular, belongs in sound and feeling to postwar jump grooves, its explosive sexuality every bit equal to that of Jimmy Forrest's 1952 classic... - Frank John Hadley

2. Sex Machine

Amazon.com essential recording
After the legendary Live at the Apollo and the even better Love Power Peace: Live at the Olympia, James Brown could be forgiven if this 1970 live set disappoints. But this is Brother James, so skip the forgiveness. Sex Machine is the bomb, capturing a thrilling moment in Brown's funky revolution. The disc features 12 hot and sweaty, and sometimes slinky, live cuts recorded with the James Brown Band in 1969, plus three more studio jams (including a 10-minute title track) with his next band, the great JB's. "Can I get into it?" James shouts at the top. Oh man--does he even have to ask? - David Cantwell

3. Soul on Top

From Pop Matters
James Brown fans: you're in for a real treat with Soul on Top. It's been unavailable on compact disc since its original vinyl release, and the reissue sounds fantastic. Put it on the stereo, crank it up, and you'll be grinning like Brown himself on the album's cover: basking in an auditory afterglow, relaxing in cool blades of dewy grass, sweat-stained jacket removed to ensure a complete recovery from bringin' it up and turnin' it loose. - Zeth Lundy.

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