James Brown | ||
| Allmusic Biography : "Soul Brother Number One," "the Godfather of Soul," "the Hardest Working Man in Show Business," "Mr. Dynamite" -- those are mighty titles, but no one can question that James Brown earned them more than any other performer. Other singers were more popular, others were equally skilled, but few other African-American musicians were so influential over the course of popular music. And no other musician, pop or otherwise, put on a more exciting, exhilarating stage show: Browns performances were marvels of athletic stamina and split-second timing. Through the gospel-impassioned fury of his vocals and the complex polyrhythms of his beats, Brown was a crucial midwife in not just one, but two revolutions in black American music. He was one of the figures most responsible for turning R&B; into soul and he was, most would agree, the figure most responsible for turning soul music into the funk of the late 60s and early 70s. After the mid-70s, he did little more than tread water artistically; his financial and drug problems eventually got him a controversial prison sentence. Yet in a sense, his music is now more influential than ever, as his voice and rhythms have been sampled on innumerable hip-hop recordings, and critics have belatedly hailed his innovations as among the most important in all of rock or soul. Browns rags-to-riches-to-rags story has heroic and tragic dimensions of mythic resonance. Born into poverty in the South, he ran afoul of the law by the late 40s on an armed robbery conviction. With the help of singer Bobby Byrds family, Brown gained parole and started a gospel group with Byrd, changing their focus to R&B; as the rock revolution gained steam. The Flames, as the Georgian group was known in the mid-50s, signed to Federal/King and had a huge R&B; hit right off the bat with the wrenching, churchy ballad "Please, Please, Please." By that point, the Flames had become James Brown & the Famous Flames; the charisma, energy, and talent of Brown made him the natural star attraction. All of Browns singles over the next two years flopped, as he sought to establish his own style, recording material that was obviously derivative of heroes like Roy Brown, Hank Ballard, Little Richard, and Ray Charles. In retrospect, it can be seen that Brown was in the same position as dozens of other R&B; one-shot: talented singers in need of better songs, or not fully on the road to a truly original sound. What made Brown succeed where hundreds of others failed was his superhuman determination, working the chitlin circuit to death, sharpening his band, and keeping an eye on new trends. He was on the verge of being dropped from King in late 1958 when his perseverance finally paid off, as "Try Me" became a number one R&B; (and small pop) hit, and several follow-ups established him as a regular visitor to the R&B; charts. Browns style of R&B; got harder as the 60s began; he added more complex, Latin- and jazz-influenced rhythms on hits like "Good Good Lovin," "Ill Go Crazy," "Think," and "Night Train," alternating these with torturous ballads that featured some of the most frayed screaming to be heard outside of the church. Black audiences already knew that Brown had the most exciting live act around, but he truly started to become a phenomenon with the release of Live at the Apollo in 1963. Capturing a James Brown concert in all its whirling-dervish energy and calculated spontaneity, the album reached number two on the album charts, an unprecedented feat for a hardcore R&B; LP. Live at the Apollo was recorded and released against the wishes of the King label. It was this kind of artistic standoff that led Brown to seek better opportunities elsewhere. In 1964, he ignored his King contract to record "Out of Sight" for Smash, igniting a lengthy legal battle that prevented him from issuing vocal recordings for about a year. When he finally resumed recording for King in 1965, he had a new contract that granted him far more artistic control over his releases. Browns new era had truly begun, however, with "Out of Sight," which topped the R&B; charts and made the pop Top 40. For some time, Brown had been moving toward more elemental lyrics that threw in as many chants and screams as they did words, and more intricate beats and horn charts that took some of their cues from the ensemble work of jazz outfits. "Out of Sight" wasnt called funk when it came out, but it had most of the essential ingredients. These were amplified and perfected on 1965s "Papas Got a Brand New Bag," a monster that finally broke Brown to the white audience, reaching the Top Ten. The even more adventurous follow-up, "I Got You (I Feel Good)," did even better, making number three. These hits kicked off Browns period of greatest commercial success and public visibility. From 1965 to the end of the decade, he was rarely off the R&B; charts, often on the pop listings, and all over the concert circuit and national television, even meeting with Vice President Hubert Humphrey and other important politicians as a representative of the black community. His music became even bolder and funkier, as melody was dispensed with almost altogether in favor of chunky rhythms and magnetic interplay between his vocals, horns, drums, and scratching electric guitar (heard to best advantage on hits like "Cold Sweat," "I Got the Feelin," and "There Was a Time"). The lyrics were not so much words as chanted, stream-of-consciousness slogans, often aligning themselves with black pride as well as good old-fashioned (or new-fashioned) sex. Much of the credit for the sound he devised belonged to (and has now been belatedly attributed to) his top-notch supporting musicians such as saxophonists Maceo Parker, St. Clair Pinckney, and Pee Wee Ellis; guitarist Jimmy Nolen; backup singer and longtime loyal associate Bobby Byrd; and drummer Clyde Stubblefield. Brown was both a brilliant bandleader and a stern taskmaster, the latter leading his band to walk out on him in late 1969. Amazingly, he turned the crisis to his advantage by recruiting a young Cincinnati outfit called the Pacemakers featuring guitarist Catfish Collins and bassist Bootsy Collins. Although they only stayed with him for about a year, they were crucial to Browns evolution into even harder funk, emphasizing the rhythm and the bottom even more. The Collins brothers, for their part, put their apprenticeship to good use, helping define 70s funk as members of the Parliament-Funkadelic axis. In the early 70s, many of the most important members of Browns late-60s band returned to the fold, to be billed as the J.B.s (they also made records on their own). Brown continued to score heavily on the R&B; charts throughout the first half of the 70s, the music becoming more and more elemental and beat-driven. At the same time, he was retreating from the white audience he had cultivated during the mid- to late 60s; records like "Make It Funky," "Hot Pants," "Get on the Good Foot," and "The Payback" were huge soul sellers, but only modest pop ones. Critics charged, with some justification, that the Godfather was starting to repeat and recycle himself too many times. It must be remembered, though, that these songs were made for the singles radio jukebox market and not meant to be played one after the other on CD compilations (as they are today). By the mid-70s, Brown was beginning to burn out artistically. He seemed shorn of new ideas, was being out-gunned on the charts by disco, and was running into problems with the IRS and his financial empire. There were sporadic hits, and he could always count on enthusiastic live audiences, but by the 80s, he didnt have a label. With the explosion of rap, however, which frequently sampled vintage J.B.s records, Brown became hipper than ever. He collaborated with Afrika Bambaataa on the critical smash single "Unity" and reentered the Top Ten in 1986 with "Living in America." Rock critics, who had always ranked Brown considerably below Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin in the soul canon, began to reevaluate his output, particularly the material from his funk years, sometimes anointing him not just "Soul Brother Number One," but the most important black musician of the rock era. In 1988, Browns personal life came crashing down in a well-publicized incident in which he was accused by his wife of assault and battery. After a year skirting hazy legal and personal troubles, he led the police on an interstate car chase after allegedly threatening people with a handgun. The episode ended in a six-year prison sentence that many felt was excessive; he was paroled after serving two years. Throughout the 90s Brown continued to perform and release new material like Love Over-Due (1991), Universal James (1992), and Im Back (1998). While none of these recordings could be considered as important as his earlier work and did little to increase his popularity, his classic catalog became more popular in the American mainstream during this time than it had been since the 70s, and not just among young rappers and samplers. One of the main reasons for this was a proper presentation of his recorded legacy. For a long time, his cumbersome, byzantine discography was mostly out of print, with pieces available only on skimpy greatest-hits collections. A series of exceptionally well-packaged reissues on PolyGram changed that situation; the Star Time box set is the best overview, with other superb compilations devoted to specific phases of his lengthy career, from 50s R&B; to 70s funk. In 2004, Brown was diagnosed with prostate cancer but successfully fought the disease. By 2006, it was in remission and Brown, then 73, began a global tour dubbed the Seven Decades of Funk World Tour. Late in the year while at a routine dentist appointment, the singer was diagnosed with pneumonia. He was admitted to the hospital for treatment but died of heart failure a few days later, in the early morning hours of Christmas Day. A public viewing was held at Apollo Theater in Harlem, followed by a private ceremony in his hometown of Augusta, GA. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 43 Title: Prisoner of Love Released: 1963-09 Tracks: 11 Duration: 33:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Prisoner of Love (02:23) 2 Waiting in Vain (02:47) 3 Again (02:35) 4 Lost Someone (03:25) 5 Bewildered (02:28) 6 So Long (02:48) 7 Signed, Sealed and Delivered (02:44) 8 Try Me (02:32) 9 (Can You) Feel It, Part 1 (02:57) 10 How Long Darling (02:54) 11 The Thing in "G" (06:07) |
| Prisoner of Love : Allmusic album Review : In the wake of James Browns first substantial pop hit, "Prisoner of Love," King rushed out this LP, as usual drawing upon old singles ("Try Me," "Lost Someone," "Bewildered"), B-sides ("Waiting in Vain," the organ instrumental "[Can You] Feel It [Part 1]"), and Browns then-current single, "Signed, Sealed, and Delivered" (not the Stevie Wonder song). The idea seemed to be to put together a collection in the medium-tempo, string-filled, lovelorn style of the hit, so there was a lot of pleading on this record. Brown would always be more interested in the dancefloor than the bedroom, but he was a convincing romantic beggar, so the albums loose concept held together. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 43 Title: Grits & Soul Released: 1964 Tracks: 10 Duration: 04:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Grits (04:04) 2 Tempted (?) 3 There (?) 4 After Youre Through (?) 5 Devils Hideaway (?) 6 Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf (?) 7 Infatuation (?) 8 Wee Wee (?) 9 Mister Hip (?) 10 Headache (?) |
| Grits & Soul : Allmusic album Review : Grits and Soul finds James Brown in serious Ray Charles mode, drawing inspiration from Charles big band and organ playing. The results are pure James Brown, of course; his personality has always been too strong to allow any one influence to achieve top billing. Like Brother Ray, the band is razor sharp, no doubt from the endless one-nighters, and the strong hand of their leader. The jazz backgrounds of most of the players are in evidence here, especially on their steady if unspectacular take of Lee Morgans "Sidewinder." Where they really shine is on "Grits," a slow, throbbing, burbling blues that continually threatens to boil over before simmering down. Guitarist Les Buies tasteful solo acts as a counterpoint to the wild organ solo by Alvin "Fats" Gonder. James Brown also plays organ on Grits and Soul, but this solo seems almost refined when compared to Browns individualistic take on the instrument. This is a strong representation of the band, including many of the players soon to be name-checked during the "Soul Brother Number One" career phase who are present here, including Bernard Odum, Maceo Parker, and his brother Melvin. "Grits & Soul" was also a slick way for Brown to sidestep his contractual obligations with King Records, as there are no vocals on this release. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 43 Title: Showtime Released: 1964-04 Tracks: 12 Duration: 31:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Intro (00:15) 2 Caldonia (02:46) 3 Dont Cry Baby (03:00) 4 Sweet Lorraine (02:30) 5 Out of the Blue (02:18) 6 Somebody Done Changed the Lock on My Door (03:39) 7 Evil (02:54) 8 Blues for My Baby (03:02) 9 For You My Love (02:24) 10 Aint Nobody Here but Us Chickens (02:57) 11 The Things That I Used to Do (02:48) 12 Youre Nobody til Somebody Loves You (02:53) |
| Showtime : Allmusic album Review : A transition album. James Browns contract with King Records had a few more legs, and the Godfather of Soul was handicapped in what he could wax for Smash Records, his new label. Hence, an album of remakes enhanced -- or marred -- by overdubbed applause. Some apparently dont have a problem with overdubbed applause, judging from the lofty prices record collectors ask and get for a copy. Brown does his best retooling on Louis Jordans "Caledonia," "Aint Nobody Here But Us Chickens," and "Somebody Changed the Lock on My Door," but the canned applause causes flashbacks to 60s sitcoms. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 43 Title: James Brown Plays James Brown: Yesterday and Today Released: 1965-11 Tracks: 11 Duration: 46:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Papas Got a Brand New Bag, Pt. 1 (03:54) 2 Papas Got a Brand New Bag, Pt. 2 (04:27) 3 Oh Baby Don’t You Weep (06:47) 4 Try Me (03:09) 5 Sidewinder (06:56) 6 Out of Sight (02:38) 7 Maybe the Last Time (05:15) 8 Every Beat of My Heart (05:03) 9 Hold It (04:38) 10 A Song for My Father, Pt. 1 (02:18) 11 A Song for My Father, Pt. 2 (01:48) |
 | Album: 5 of 43 Title: Mighty Instrumentals Released: 1966 Tracks: 12 Duration: 29:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Papas Got a Brand New Bag (01:46) 2 (Can You) Feel It, Part 1 (02:57) 3 Hold It (01:55) 4 Sticky (02:51) 5 The Scratch (01:47) 6 James Brown House Party (02:14) 7 Night Train (02:21) 8 Every Beat of My Heart (03:40) 9 Cross Firing (02:29) 10 Suds (02:22) 11 Doin the Limbo (02:36) 12 Choo-Choo (Locomotion) (02:54) |
 | Album: 6 of 43 Title: I Got You (I Feel Good) Released: 1966 Tracks: 12 Duration: 31:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Got You (I Feel Good) (02:47) 2 Lost Someone (03:32) 3 Night Train (03:37) 4 Youve Got the Power (02:20) 5 Love Dont Love Nobody (02:02) 6 Think (02:44) 7 Good, Good Loving (02:16) 8 I Cant Help It (I Just Do-Do-Do) (02:36) 9 Ive Got Money (02:29) 10 Three Hearts in a Tangle (02:55) 11 Suds (02:18) 12 Danicin Little Thing (02:15) |
| I Got You (I Feel Good) : Allmusic album Review : At the start of 1966, James Brown was at his peak as a crossover star, having hit the pop Top Ten twice in a row in the last six months, first with "Papas Got a Brand New Bag," and then with his biggest-ever pop success, "I Got You (I Feel Good)." But Brown was a singles artist almost exclusively; for him, LPs simply constituted a different configuration in which to re-sell his singles. So, his 60s LPs consisted of his current hit plus previously released singles tracks. The I Got You (I Feel Good) LP was no exception: Leading off with the title track, it included songs that dated back to 1959s "Good, Good Loving." Of course, some of these tracks, such as "Lost Someone," "Night Train," and "Think," were among Browns classics, so the collection on the whole is appealing, even if arbitrary. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 43 Title: Papas Got a Brand New Bag Released: 1966 Tracks: 12 Duration: 29:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Papas Got a Brand New Bag, Part 1 (01:55) 2 Papas Got a Brand New Bag, Part 2 (02:12) 3 Mashed Potatoes U.S.A. (02:52) 4 Cross Firing (02:18) 5 Love Dont Love Nobody (02:02) 6 I Stay in the Chapel Every Night (02:40) 7 And I Do Just What I Want (02:25) 8 This Old Heart (02:08) 9 Baby, You’re Right (03:05) 10 Have Mercy Baby (02:14) 11 You Dont Have to Go (02:42) 12 Doin the Limbo (02:28) |
| Papa's Got a Brand New Bag : Allmusic album Review : Papa may have had a brand new bag, but when King Records wanted an LP to go with James Browns first pop Top Ten hit, he didnt have a brand-new set of songs to go with it. So this record leads off with both sides of the single, "Part 1" and "Part 2," and then fills up the remaining 25 minutes with previously released tracks, many with a dance theme in keeping with the hit, such as "Mashed Potatoes, U.S.A." and "Doin the Limbo." The result is a miscellaneous compilation, much of which is set at quick tempos. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 43 Title: Handful Of Soul Released: 1966 Tracks: 10 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Lets Go Get Stoned (?) 2 Hold On, Im Comin (?) 3 Our Day Will Come (?) 4 Message To Michael (?) 5 The King (?) 6 634 - 5789 (?) 7 When A Man Loves A Woman (?) 8 Hot Mix (?) 9 Oh! Henry (?) 10 Get Loose (?) |
 | Album: 9 of 43 Title: It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World Released: 1966-07 Tracks: 12 Duration: 31:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Scratch (instrumental) (01:42) 2 It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World (02:47) 3 Bewildered (02:21) 4 Is It Yes or Is It No? (02:57) 5 Ain’t That a Groove, Part 1 (03:33) 6 The Bells (03:00) 7 Ain’t That a Groove, Part 2 (01:46) 8 Come Over Here (02:42) 9 In the Wee Wee Hours (of the Night) (02:48) 10 I Don’t Mind (02:19) 11 Just You and Me, Darling (02:42) 12 I Love You, Yes I Do (02:44) |
| It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World : Allmusic album Review : To truly experience the magic and soul of James Brown, one must do so in a live setting. Running constantly on all cylinders, the Godfather of Souls infectious grooves and potent performances are elevated to a whole other level few others can dream of reaching. Its a Mans Mans Mans World captures one of those impassioned performances from the later stages of Browns career, and finds him still in fine form. All of the classics are represented in this session, including an over the top version of the albums title track. While the performances are stellar and the quality of the record palatable, this is by no means an essential release except for die-hard Brown collectors and fans. Casual listeners should turn their attention to the groundbreaking Live at the Apollo series for a full-on orientation to the man and his magic bag of soul. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 43 Title: James Brown Plays the Real Thing Released: 1967-06 Tracks: 8 Duration: 42:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Jimmy Jack (05:26) 2 What Do You Like (07:24) 3 Peewee’s Groove in "D" (05:10) 4 Bernadette (03:05) 5 Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (05:01) 6 I Never Loved a Man the Way I Loved You (04:35) 7 Funky Broadway (05:43) 8 "D" Thing (05:40) |
 | Album: 11 of 43 Title: Thinking About Little Willie John and a Few Nice Things Released: 1968 Tracks: 12 Duration: 37:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Talk to Me, Talk to Me (03:29) 2 Suffering with the Blues (03:06) 3 Cottage for Sale (03:29) 4 Billy Bailey (02:44) 5 Home at Least (04:49) 6 Heart Break (Its Hurtin’ Me) (03:05) 7 What Kind of Man (02:07) 8 A Note or Two, Pt. 1 (03:09) 9 Ill Lose My Mind (03:12) 10 Fat Eddie (02:37) 11 You Gave My Heart a Song to Sing (02:48) 12 A Note or Two, Pt. 2 (03:01) |
| Thinking About Little Willie John and a Few Nice Things : Allmusic album Review : Little Willie John was a powerful and influential figure in rhythm & blues whose impact on other artists often outstripped his public recognition -- Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, and Al Green are just a few of the artists whove acknowledged how much they learned from Johns passionate vocal style. However, bad luck and bad choices marked Johns life in and out of the spotlight, and in 1968, he died in prison at the age of 30. James Brown was one of many fans who was devastated by Little Willie Johns passing -- Brown and John were labelmates as well as mutual admirers -- and within a few months of Johns death, Brown released a tribute album, Thinking About Little Willie John and a Few Nice Things. Though at that time Browns music was evolving into the lean, wildly percussive funk that would be his trademark through the late 60s and 70s, Thinking About Little Willie John found him easing back into a subdued, jazzy groove that had more to do with his early work for Federal and King than "Mother Popcorn." This set showed that Brown was a master of slow, easy grooves just as much as those driven by hard funk, and anyone who regards Brown as a shouter more than a singer ought to hear these sides, which show where Brown learned a few of his tricks about pushing the upper register. If Browns vocal style was always rough, on numbers like "Talk to Me, Talk to Me" and "Cottage for Sale" he reveals a shrewd, emotionally effective gift for subtle phrasing that shows he could work with a much broader emotional palette than many have been willing to acknowledge. Browns organ work isnt quite up to the same level as his singing here, but he sure knows how to make this band groove, and the instrumental tracks are nearly as rewarding as the vocals. A moving tribute to a friend and influential colleague, Thinking About Little Willie John and a Few Nice Things is an atypical James Brown album of the period, but its a moving bit of late-night groove that allows Brown the space to show off a side of himself he didnt often acknowledge. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 43 Title: A Soulful Christmas Released: 1968 Tracks: 12 Duration: 34:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto (03:02) 2 Santa Claus, Santa Claus (04:04) 3 Believers Shall Enjoy (Nonbelievers Shall Suffer) (instrumental) (02:16) 4 Soulful Christmas (03:08) 5 Tit for Tat Aint No Taking Back (03:06) 6 Christmas Is Coming (02:39) 7 Say It Loud - Im Black and Im Proud, Part 1 (02:23) 8 Say It Loud - Im Black and Im Proud, Part 2 (02:23) 9 In the Middle (02:44) 10 Let’s Unite the Whole World This Christmas (02:44) 11 You Know It (02:22) 12 Santa Claus Gave Me a Brand New Start (03:50) |
 | Album: 13 of 43 Title: Its a Mother Released: 1969 Tracks: 12 Duration: 37:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples AlbumCover | 1 Mother Popcorn, Part 1 (03:16) 2 Mother Popcorn, Part 2 (03:01) 3 Mashed Potato Popcorn, Part 1 (02:59) 4 Mashed Potato Popcorn, Part 2 (03:18) 5 Im a Shook (02:50) 6 Popcorn With a Feeling (02:56) 7 The Little Groove Maker Me, Part 1 (02:59) 8 The Little Groove Maker Me, Part 2 (02:18) 9 Any Day Now (03:32) 10 If I Ruled the World (04:01) 11 Youre Still Out of Sight (03:12) 12 Top of the Stack (02:48) |
 | Album: 14 of 43 Title: Say It Loud: Im Black and Im Proud Released: 1969 Tracks: 10 Duration: 37:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Say It Loud: Im Black and Im Proud, Parts 1 & 2 (04:46) 2 I Guess Ill Have to Cry, Cry, Cry (03:37) 3 Goodbye My Love, Parts 1 & 2 (05:31) 4 Shades of Brown (02:47) 5 Licking Stick (02:55) 6 I Love You (03:36) 7 Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye (03:54) 8 Let Them Talk (04:04) 9 Maybe Ill Understand (03:20) 10 Ill Lose My Mind (02:44) |
| Say It Loud: I'm Black and I'm Proud : Allmusic album Review : Although historical evaluations of James Browns work during the last half of the 60s tend to focus on the innovative funk of his biggest hit singles, his repertoire -- both live and on record -- in fact remained pretty versatile. Like his other 60s studio albums, Say It Loud - Im Black and Im Proud is more R&B;/pop-conscious than a lot of listeners would expect, mixing the funky monsters "Say It Loud (Im Black and Im Proud)" and "Licking Stick" with soul ballads. Its a notch above similar albums from earlier in the decade, however, in that the slow numbers are usually gritty slow-burns that eschew syrupy orchestration. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 43 Title: Gettin Down to It Released: 1969-05 Tracks: 12 Duration: 48:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sunny (03:17) 2 Thats Life (04:29) 3 Strangers in the Night (03:26) 4 Willow Weep for Me (04:39) 5 Cold Sweat (05:02) 6 There Was a Time (02:59) 7 Chicago (02:51) 8 (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons (07:51) 9 Time After Time (04:50) 10 All the Way (03:43) 11 It Had to Be You (02:43) 12 Uncle (02:35) |
| Gettin' Down to It : Allmusic album Review : James Brown recorded the pet project Gettin Down to It in Cincinnati, OH, at King Studios, between December 1968 and March 1969. Although you cant tell by the albums title, it reflects Soul Brother Number One momentarily stepping back from the fiery racial and political atmosphere of the times. Following the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr., the riots sparked by that event, and his calming effect on it, Mr. Dynamite replaced "Say It Loud (Im Black and Im Proud)" with his love of standards utilizing the melancholy phrasing of his favorite male vocalist, Frank Sinatra. Aided by the acoustic piano trio led by Dee Felice, Brown tackles such romantic chestnuts as "Strangers in the Night," "Thats Life," "It Had to Be You," "Willow Weep for Me," and "All the Way." Although laid-back could be applied to the albums overall tone, these 12 tracks are by no means "mellow." After all, this is James Brown! For instance, "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons," clocking in at 7:40, combines pianist Frank Vincents percussive vamping with James testifying as if he had this tune confused with "Aint It Funky Now." While the disc is made up of mainly standards, that doesnt stop Brown from including two of his compositions, "Cold Sweat" and an instrumental take of "There Was a Time," reworked to fit the albums easygoing mood with jazzy elements intact. Even though there arent any bonus tracks, this Verve reissue does include the original packaging and liner notes with Marc Eliots insightful addendum tacked on. A curious entry in the James Brown catalog, Gettin Down to It is a savory listen. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 43 Title: The Popcorn Released: 1969-08 Tracks: 10 Duration: 32:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Popcorn (02:51) 2 Why Am I Treated So Bad (05:49) 3 In the Middle, Part 1 (03:05) 4 In the Middle, Part 2 (03:27) 5 Soul Pride, Part 1 (02:11) 6 Soul Pride, Part 2 (02:13) 7 A New Shift (03:36) 8 Sudsy (04:39) 9 The Chicken (04:00) 10 The Chase (00:29) |
 | Album: 17 of 43 Title: Aint It Funky Released: 1970 Tracks: 7 Duration: 37:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Aint It Funky Now, Parts 1 & 2 (09:26) 2 Fat Wood, Parts 1 & 2 (09:15) 3 Cold Sweat (05:17) 4 Give It Up Turn It Loose (03:45) 5 Nose Job (02:30) 6 Use Your Mother (03:25) 7 After You Done It (03:28) |
 | Album: 18 of 43 Title: Soul on Top Released: 1970-04 Tracks: 12 Duration: 51:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Thats My Desire (04:10) 2 Your Cheatin Heart (02:58) 3 What Kind of Fool Am I? (03:06) 4 Its a Mans, Mans, Mans World (06:40) 5 The Man in the Glass (05:56) 6 Its Magic (03:14) 7 September Song (05:02) 8 For Once in My Life (04:43) 9 Every Day I Have the Blues (04:28) 10 I Need Your Key (to Turn Me On) (03:46) 11 Papas Got a Brand New Bag (04:41) 12 There Was a Time (03:04) |
| Soul on Top : Allmusic album Review : If Count Basie had hired James Brown to replace Joe Williams as his featured male vocalist, what would the results have sounded like? Brown offers some suggestions on Soul on Top, which finds the Godfather of Soul making an intriguing detour into jazz-minded big-band territory. Recorded in 1969, Soul on Top unites Brown with the Basie-influenced orchestra of jazz drummer Louie Bellson, and stylistically, the results are somewhere between soul-funk and the funkier side of big-band jazz. This Brown/Bellson collaboration isnt straight-ahead jazz, nor is it typical of Browns late-60s output. But if recording a big-band project with Bellson was a surprising and unexpected thing for the Godfather of Soul to do in 1969, it was hardly illogical or bizarre -- Brown, after all, grew up listening to jazz (as well as blues and gospel) and was well aware of the legacies of Basie, Lionel Hampton, Duke Ellington, and others. While some jazz snobs would have listeners believe that jazz and R&B; have little, if anything, in common, the fact is that theyre close relatives that get much of their energy and feeling from the blues. So it makes perfect sense for Brown to combine soul, funk, and jazz on this album, which finds him revisiting some major hits (including "Papas Got a Brand New Bag" and "Its a Mans Mans Mans World") in addition to embracing "September Song," "Thats My Desire," and other standards typically associated with jazz and traditional pop. Although not among the Godfathers better-known efforts, this fine album is happily recommended to anyone who holds R&B; and jazz in equally high regard. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 43 Title: Its a New Day -- So Let a Man Come In Released: 1970-06 Tracks: 9 Duration: 39:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Its a New Day, Pts. 1-2 (05:54) 2 Let a Man Come in and Do the Popcorn (07:10) 3 World, Pts. 1-2 (06:08) 4 George on My Mind (04:18) 5 Its a Mans, Mans, Mans World (02:55) 6 Give It Up or Turnit a Loose (02:48) 7 If I Ruled the World (04:04) 8 Man in the Glass, Pt. 1 (02:51) 9 Im Not Demanding, Pt. 1 (02:58) |
 | Album: 20 of 43 Title: Sex Machine Released: 1970-09 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:04:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine (10:48) 2 Brother Rapp, Parts 1 & 2 (05:09) 3 Bewildered (06:09) 4 I Got the Feelin (01:07) 5 Give It Up or Turnit a Loose (06:26) 6 I Dont Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing (Open Up the Door Ill Get It Myself) (04:31) 7 Licking Stick - Licking Stick (01:19) 8 Lowdown Popcorn (03:25) 9 Spinning Wheel (04:01) 10 If I Ruled the World (04:03) 11 There Was a Time (04:04) 12 Its a Mans Mans Mans World (03:42) 13 Please, Please, Please (02:26) 14 I Cant Stand Myself (When You Touch Me) (01:28) 15 Mother Popcorn (05:51) |
| Sex Machine : Allmusic album Review : This live outing from Browns seminal 1970 J.B.s lineup features Bootsy Collins, Clyde Stubblefield, Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Bobby Byrd, and many more. While its a cut below Love Power Peace in documenting this lineup live, Brown and his band still smoke, tearing into extended versions of funk classics like "Sex Machine" (nearly 11 minutes), "Brother Rapp," "Give It Up or Turnit a Loose," and "Mother Popcorn," plus a healthy quotient of earlier soul material sprinkled in between. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 43 Title: Super Bad Released: 1971 Tracks: 6 Duration: 33:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Super Bad, Parts 1, 2 and 3 (09:55) 2 Let It Be Me (03:20) 3 Sometime (03:25) 4 A Man Has to Go Back to the Crossroads Before He Finds Himself (02:57) 5 Giving Out of Juice (10:39) 6 By the Time I Get to Phoenix (03:00) |
 | Album: 22 of 43 Title: Hot Pants Released: 1971 Tracks: 6 Duration: 50:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Blues & Pants (09:42) 2 Cant Stand It (04:42) 3 Escape-ism, Part 1 (03:24) 4 Escape-ism, Part 2 (04:15) 5 Hot Pants (She Got to Use What She Got to Get What She Wants) (08:49) 6 Escape-ism (complete take) (19:09) |
| Hot Pants : Allmusic album Review : Brown left the King label after 12 successful, if not always peaceful, years. Hot Pants marks his first effort for Polydor, a bigger outfit that was able to give him a larger budget, better presentation, and, most importantly, artistic freedom. The original set of the J.B.s with Bootsy Collins had dissolved, and Brown and his newer band had only been together for a few months. Although the original J.B.s were more rock-based and fiery, Hot Pants proves that the re-formed band was more easily shaped. It was at this point that trombonist Fred Wesley became the bandleader and the band became even more efficient than the earlier group. The leisurely "Blues and Pants" has a great bass pattern from Fred Thomas and Wesleys sly horn charts. "Cant Stand It" is a busier take on the 1968 hit "I Cant Stand Myself." The most recognizable track is the title song, though the version heard here is less potent than the complete take released later. While that might be cause for alarm for some, it is truly instructive. This album features four tracks and is basically Brown getting acquainted with his new band, but the camaraderie makes it worth listening to. | ||
 | Album: 23 of 43 Title: Sho Is Funky Down Here Released: 1971 Tracks: 6 Duration: 30:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sho Is Funky Down Here (08:50) 2 Dont Mind (03:35) 3 Bob Scoward (03:27) 4 Just Enough Room for Storage (06:08) 5 You Mother (03:36) 6 Can Mind (05:01) |
| Sho Is Funky Down Here : Allmusic album Review : Given the prodigious number of titles in the James Brown catalog, and the dizzying stylistic madness within the mind of its creator, it is no surprise that there are a number of unexplainable releases. Even within that narrow subsection, Sho Is Funky Down Here stands out: an almost completely unsoulful album -- at least as close as James Brown will ever come, even in his later years -- full of fuzzed-out guitars, poorly recorded drums, and not much else. Browns highly individual style at the electric piano is the only evidence of his presence on this record at all. That said, after the initial disappointment, and how could it be anything but a disappointment after its title, Sho Is Funky Down Here does provide a few musical highlights, especially the inexplicably titled "Bob Scoward." It is doubtful that any James Brown fan was anything but disappointed after purchasing this album, but it is worth holding onto both for its oddball nature and for the clues into the crazy world of James Brown. | ||
 | Album: 24 of 43 Title: There It Is Released: 1972 Tracks: 8 Duration: 38:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 There It Is, Parts 1 & 2 (05:52) 2 King Heroin (03:57) 3 Im a Greedy Man, Parts 1 & 2 (07:06) 4 Who Am I (04:30) 5 Talkin Loud and Sayin Nothing (05:41) 6 Public Enemy #1, Parts 1 & 2 (05:05) 7 I Need Help (I Cant Do It Alone) (02:56) 8 Never Can Say Goodbye (03:03) |
| There It Is : Allmusic album Review : Browns Polydor debut, Hot Pants, was nothing more than an inferior remake of the title track baited with a batch of half-baked vamps. There It Is, his second Polydor studio album, was a marked improvement. Not that he put much into it, either. This 1972 effort collected five of his best early-70s tracks and mixed in minimal filler. "Talkin Loud and Sayin Nothing" and "There It Is (Pts. 1 & 2)," with its bebop-style horns, were both innovative and hard driving to a fault. The hilarious "Im a Greedy Man," with its hypnotic bass and help from Bobby Byrd, has Brown firing off such witticisms as "Im a greedy man/yes I are" and "Taking care of my business/now run tell that." Brown wasnt all fun and games on this one. "King Heroin," an eerie, laid-back jazz offering, has him reciting chilling poetry about the ills of the drug. "Public Enemy #1 (Pt. 1)" attempts to re-create the same message. By "Public Enemy #2 (Pt. 2)" he is doing nothing but connecting the same dots and screaming himself hoarse to little effect. Although by this point Brown was best known for his dance tracks, he still had a way with a ballad. "Who Am I," a song that had been kicking around his oeuvre for aeons, gets a strong arrangement and has Brown giving an impassioned performance. Its well worth picking up. | ||
 | Album: 25 of 43 Title: Get on the Good Foot Released: 1972 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:06:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Get on the Good Foot (05:44) 2 The Whole World Needs Liberation (03:52) 3 Your Love Was Good to Me (03:20) 4 Cold Sweat (02:56) 5 Recitation by Hank Ballard (05:54) 6 I Got a Bag of My Own (03:46) 7 Nothing Beats a Try but Fail (03:15) 8 Lost Someone (03:59) 1 Funky Side of Town (07:50) 2 Please, Please (12:15) 3 Aint It a Groove (02:10) 4 My Part / Make It Funky, Parts 3 & 4 (05:24) 5 Dirty Harri (06:12) |
| Get on the Good Foot : Allmusic album Review : In an era when Brown went on to make three studio doubles, Get on the Good Foot was the first. This 1972 album finds Brown having great chemistry with both his newer J.B.s and the New York session players. The title track is particularly stunning. "Get on the Good Foot" was so off-the-cuff and nonpareil, he couldnt have replicated the formula even if he wanted to. "I Got a Bag of My Own," on the other hand, sounds forced and synthetic. Although Brown was known for his new product, this album has him recycling some of his King singles. Doing so-so remakes of "Cold Sweat" and "Aint It a Groove" could be taken as an attempt to ease some of his old catalog into his new label. Not surprisingly, Get on the Good Foot does have its share of throwaway cuts. "Recitation by Hank Ballard" is a spoken-word effort with Ballard extolling his buddys virtues, as well as giving unsolicited advice about the perils of show biz. "Dirty Harri," a lukewarm instrumental, goes nowhere fast for all of its six-plus minutes. Although Get on the Good Foot only managed to yield two hits, the album is one of his more varied and fun efforts. | ||
 | Album: 26 of 43 Title: The Payback Released: 1973-12 Tracks: 8 Duration: 1:13:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Payback (07:36) 2 Doing the Best I Can (07:42) 3 Take Some... Leave Some (08:33) 4 Shoot Your Shot (08:09) 5 Forever Suffering (05:52) 6 Time Is Running Out Fast (12:47) 7 Stone to the Bone (10:14) 8 Mind Power (12:05) |
| The Payback : Allmusic album Review : Originally released in 1973 as a sprawling two-LP set, The Payback was one of James Browns most ambitious albums of the 1970s, and also one of his best, with Brown and his band (which in 1974 still included Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, St. Clair Pinckney, Jimmy Nolen, and Jabo Starks) relentlessly exploring the outer possibilities of the James Brown groove. Stretching eight cuts out over the space of nearly 73 minutes, The Payback is long on extended rhythmic jamming, and by this time Brown and his band had become such a potent and nearly telepathic combination that the musicians were able pull out lengthy solos while still maintaining some of the most hypnotic funk to be found anywhere, and on the albums best songs -- the jazzy "Time Is Running Out Fast," the relentless "Shoot Your Shot," the tight-wound "Mind Power," and the bitter revenge fantasy of the title cut -- the tough, sinuous rhythms and the precise interplay between the players is nothing short of a wonder to behold. And even the albums lower-key cuts (such as the lovelorn "Doing the Best That I Can" and "Forever Suffering") sink their hooks into the listener and pull you in; quite simply, this is remarkable stuff, and even Browns attempts at lyrical relevance (which were frankly getting a bit shaky at this point in his career) are firmly rooted enough to sound convincing. The Payback turned out to be one of James Browns last inarguably great albums before he hit a long fallow streak in the mid- to late 70s, but no one listening to this set would ever imagine that this was the work of an artist (or a band) about to run out of gas. | ||
 | Album: 27 of 43 Title: Reality Released: 1974 Tracks: 9 Duration: 41:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Reality (04:41) 2 Funky President (People Its Bad) (04:28) 3 Further on Up the Road (04:14) 4 Check Your Body (04:31) 5 Dont Fence Me In (03:57) 6 All for One (06:38) 7 Im Broken Hearted (04:28) 8 Twist (04:08) 9 Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me) (04:05) |
| Reality : Allmusic album Review : By this point Browns insane schedule was catching up to him. He seemingly had singles or albums coming out on a weekly basis, and Reality finds him at an artistic impasse. Released in late 1974, Reality was one of the few of his 70s albums recorded entirely in N.Y., with and without the J.B.s. The title track has him complaining about something or another with the background singers goading him on with, "The Godfather, sing it James Brown." The best thing about the song is David Sanborns sax solo near the fade. "Funky President is one of Browns most underrated songs and manages to hit the lyrical messages. "All for One" misses by a mile. In retrospect it was foolish to except a "fun" album from Brown during this time. He seemed to view America as a doomed nation, and considered the gas shortage, Watergate, and unemployment lines as signs of the coming apocalypse. A hint of sadness and ennui cloaks over the album. "The Twist" (his own song, not Chubby Checkers), is a lightweight funk offering and a red flag that he was hitting a serious writers block. Other signs of desperation were apparent as well, like his cutesy cover of the always hideous "Dont Fence Me In" or "Who Can I Turn To," with Browns final whines on the song akin to fingernails screeching a chalkboard. Including some sped-up dance tracks and his worst ballads on record, Reality was proof that Brown could indeed turn in an album that was a real downer. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 43 Title: Hell Released: 1974 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:09:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Coldblooded (04:46) 2 Hell (05:07) 3 My Thang (04:19) 4 Sayin and Doin It (03:08) 5 Please, Please, Please (04:18) 6 When the Saints Go Marching In (02:41) 7 These Foolish Things Remind Me of You (03:15) 8 Stormy Monday (03:17) 9 A Man Has to Go Back to the Crossroads Before He Finds Himself (02:57) 10 Sometime (04:23) 11 I Cant Stand It "76" (08:08) 12 Lost Someone (03:41) 13 Dont Tell a Lie About Me and I Wont Tell the Truth About You (05:12) 14 Papa Dont Take No Mess (13:51) |
| Hell : Allmusic album Review : Browns early-70s run of classic singles and good-to-great albums is still impressive. Hell was the double album released a year after the gold selling The Payback. To some, the title might put this effort in the realm of kitsch, but in many ways Hell was one of Browns strongest albums. The album was the pinnacle of his work as the Minister of the Super New New Heavy Funk. From the tough and nimble Latin rhythms of "Coldblooded," and "Sayin It and Doin It" to the title track, all are prime pre-disco Brown. "My Thang" is probably as hard and unrelenting as he got without spontaneously combusting. The biggest surprise of Hell is that no matter how odd the song choices seemed, practically everything worked, excluding a few key songs of course. Both "When the Saints Go Marching In" and "Stormy Monday" dont belong in James Browns catalogue, let alone the same album. Ballad-wise, Brown fares better. "These Foolish Things Remind Me of You" has him getting all warm and fuzzy as he inexplicably throws in an "Im hurt, Im hurt" for good measure. That song, as well as the weepers "A Man Has to Go to the Cross Road Before He Finds Himself" and "Sometime," were produced by David Matthews who could always get good ragged yet poised vocals from Brown. Although Brown did roll snake eyes on all of side three, he did leave Hell on a good note. "Papa Dont Take No Mess" is laid-back, funky jazz thats worth each of its 13-plus minutes. Despite a few detours, Hell is worth listening to. | ||
 | Album: 29 of 43 Title: Everybodys Doin the Hustle & Dead on the Double Bump Released: 1975 Tracks: 7 Duration: 40:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples AlbumCover | 1 Hustle!!! (Dead on It) (05:01) 2 Papas Got a Brand New Bag (05:13) 3 Your Love (04:09) 4 Turn on the Heat and Build Some Fire (06:08) 5 Superbad, Superslick (06:48) 6 Calm & Cool (05:32) 7 Kansas City (07:28) |
 | Album: 30 of 43 Title: Sex Machine Today Released: 1975-05 Tracks: 6 Duration: 42:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine, Parts 1 & 2 (11:55) 2 I Feel Good (03:05) 3 Problems (02:49) 4 Dead on It (13:08) 5 Get Up Off of Me (03:56) 6 Deep in It (07:31) |
| Sex Machine Today : Allmusic album Review : The most innovative R&B artist of the late 60s and early 70s, James Brown had fallen well behind the curve by 1975 when he tried to retread an old hit with Sex Machine Today. "I admit we wasnt as funky as we used to be, but we was tryin harder," he muttered at the top of side two, and it was a painfully accurate admission. Brown was at a peak of self-mythologizing; his name appeared on the LP label four times, accompanied by the sobriquets "the Godfather of Soul" and "minister of new new super heavy funk." But his legendary band had fragmented and he seemed to have run out of ideas. It wasnt enough to call your music "disco soul," let out a howl, and shout, "Sex machine!" every few minutes. Once, Brown had led funk music in new directions, but now he seemed to be doing the best he could just to borrow others styles and invoke old glories. | ||
 | Album: 31 of 43 Title: Hot Released: 1976 Tracks: 9 Duration: 42:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hot (I Need to Be Loved, Loved, Loved, Loved) (05:58) 2 So Long (03:20) 3 (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons (03:50) 4 Try Me (05:41) 5 Future Shock of the World (04:04) 6 Woman (03:45) 7 Most of All (04:00) 8 Goodnight My Love (05:08) 9 Please, Please, Please (06:54) |
 | Album: 32 of 43 Title: Get Up Offa That Thing Released: 1976-07 Tracks: 6 Duration: 42:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples AlbumCover | 1 Get Up Offa That Thing (09:16) 2 You Took My Heart (03:20) 3 I Refuse to Lose (07:32) 4 Cant Take It With You (09:04) 5 Home Again (04:34) 6 This Feeling (08:23) |
 | Album: 33 of 43 Title: Bodyheat Released: 1976-12 Tracks: 7 Duration: 36:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Body Heat (09:03) 2 Woman (05:55) 3 Kiss in 77 (04:50) 4 Im Satisfied (04:50) 5 What the World Needs Now Is Love (04:13) 6 Wake Up and Give Yourself a Chance to Live (03:44) 7 Dont Tell It (03:57) |
| Bodyheat : Allmusic album Review : Bodyheat is a low-key effort filled with ballads and female backup vocals. "Woman," set to the tune of "Its a Mans Mans Mans World," recasts that songs message. "Got a new kiss," Brown says in the seductive "Kiss in 77," and he also covers "What the World Needs Now Is Love," extending the romantic tone. "James Brown -- A New Sound," reads the album jacket, and in his liner notes, Brown signs himself, "With the feeling of a new beginning...a new sound." The heat, clearly, is supposed to generate a Phoenix-like rebirth for Brown, which it didnt quite succeed in doing, perhaps because the "new sound" turned out to be suspiciously close to that of Earth, Wind & Fire. | ||
 | Album: 34 of 43 Title: Muthas Nature Released: 1977 Tracks: 8 Duration: 35:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples AlbumCover | 1 Give Me Some Skin (03:56) 2 People Who Criticize (04:20) 3 Have a Happy Day (04:08) 4 Bessie (03:16) 5 If You Dont Give a Doggone About It (06:23) 6 Summertime (05:22) 7 People Wake Up and Live (03:25) 8 Take Me Higher and Groove Me (04:58) |
 | Album: 35 of 43 Title: Jam 1980s Released: 1978-03 Tracks: 5 Duration: 38:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Jam (11:47) 2 The Spank (06:45) 3 Nature (10:17) 4 Eyesight (05:30) 5 I Never Never Never Will Forget (03:59) |
| Jam 1980's : Allmusic album Review : The mid- to late 70s were commercially difficult for Brown. Key members of his band the JBs left, most going to Parliament/Funkadelic. By the mid-70s, Brown began to slide down to the lowest regions of the charts. The whole disco era took Brown by surprise, and in response he often came to the party testy, often making music that was too fast and one-dimensional to dance to. 1978s Jam/1980s was a welcome change and a chance for him to steal back horn riffs from the Brecker Brothers and the Average White Band. This was his first album in years where Brown was in good spirits (all the way through, that is). Through much trial and error (Browns albums from 1975-1977), he finally attained a sense of nonchalance and actually revamped the way he thought about rhythm. On most of the cuts, the bass is elastic and the drums are an afterthought. "Jam," while good, is the type of showbizzy funk he did in the 80s and beyond. The album does get better. "The Spank," with its wry horn chart and bass heavy mix, is the heart of this effort. The rest of the cuts adhere to the not great song but great groove mentality. No ones ever going to know what Browns intention on "Eyesight" was about, but the easy off-time shuffle of "Nature" will still pack a dancefloor. The dance or bust mentality of Jam/1980s may be a little monotonous. In fact, Browns heartfelt tribute to Elvis Presley, "Love Me Tender," the single B-side to "The Spank," should have been included here. This effort is proof that Browns good work didnt stop with The Payback. | ||
 | Album: 36 of 43 Title: Take a Look at Those Cakes Released: 1978-12 Tracks: 5 Duration: 41:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 For Goodness Sakes Look at Those Cakes (11:04) 2 A Man Understands (08:30) 3 Someone to Talk To (07:02) 4 Spring (06:32) 5 As Long as I Love You (07:59) |
| Take a Look at Those Cakes : Allmusic album Review : James Brown helpfully offers his own review of this album on the back of the LP jacket: "Take a Look at Those Cakes is my greatest since The Payback," he writes. Never trust an artist to rate his or her own work. The (near) title track, "For Goodness Sakes, Look at Those Cakes," is Browns 11-minute tribute to the female derriere, but it doesnt match such classics of the somewhat limited genre as "Shake Your Booty." It does have a percolating rhythm track, however, indicating that Brown is at least keeping up with dance music trends. Still, whatever the never-humble Brown may have thought, this album did not represent a comeback. | ||
 | Album: 37 of 43 Title: The Original Disco Man Released: 1979 Tracks: 7 Duration: 43:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Its Too Funky in Here (06:30) 2 Let the Boogie Do the Rest (07:24) 3 Still (06:06) 4 Star Generation (08:07) 5 Women Are Something Else (06:01) 6 The Original Disco Man (07:00) 7 Love Me Tender! (02:47) |
| The Original Disco Man : Allmusic album Review : This effort finds Brown staking claim to a genre that he was indisputably partially responsible for. But by the late 70s, Brown as an innovator of rhythm was having a difficult time getting hits. As singles like "The Spank" and "Take a Look at Those Cakes" failed to set the charts ablaze, Brown -- and probably his label -- felt some changes should be made. The Original Disco Man pairs him with Muscle Shoals producer Brad Shapiro and is one of those rare efforts that gets better with each play. Shapiro was one of the more in-demand producers with Jackie Moore, Millie Jackson, and Joe Simon among the most famous of his credits. But it took Brown to take his sound to another level. For this effort, Shapiro has complete control and had a hand in all of the albums five original tracks. If Brown felt remorse that he didnt offer nary a song or lyric, he didnt let on. In fact The Original Disco Man finds Brown animated and invigorated, due in part to the band. Featuring such luminaries as bassist David Hood and Roger Hawkins on drums, the players here are better than any latter-day JBs Brown could piece together. "Its Too Funky in Here" is chock full of Browns growls, grunts, and non sequiturs. Musically, like the rest of the album, its more of Shapiros mix of soul/disco rather than of a replication of Browns production style. Brown sounds right at home on this effort. "Star Generation," a track filled with dancy bass patterns and country guitar fills, has him making magic from lyrics as simple as "watch him rock." Although the masterful title track is a little self-congratulatory, Brown certainly was due. As the backup girls sing the suitably flattering chorus, Brown screams, "You tell em you tell em." That song in particular proves that Shapiro was one of the best producers Brown had worked with. As a Southern disco effort and a Brown album, The Original Disco Man more than gets the job done. | ||
 | Album: 38 of 43 Title: Soul Syndrome Released: 1980 Tracks: 8 Duration: 40:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Rapp Payback (Where iz Moses?) (13:58) 2 Mashed Potatoes (05:18) 3 Funky Men (07:29) 4 Smokin’ & Drinkin’ (04:35) 5 Stay With Me (04:08) 6 Honky Tonk (04:50) 7 Rapp Payback (Where Iz Moses?) (12" single version) (?) 8 Rapp Payback (Where Iz Moses?), Part II (12" single version) (?) |
| Soul Syndrome : Allmusic album Review : By 1980 James Brown was slightly adrift. His 1979 album, The Original Disco Man, failed to light a commercial fire, and its follow-up, People, seemed to fly into the cut-out bins. Brown cut his losses and left Polydor -- his home for over a decade -- for one album for Henry Stones T.K. While this doesnt have Brown bubbling over with innovation, he still provided a more substantial alternative to disco. The first track, "Rapp Payback (Where Iz Moses?)," at first is a clumsy attempt at trying to get praise from the burgeoning rap scene as he sings, "I know you heard of Master Gee / But you didnt hear nothing / About J.B." It then merges into a sped-up version of "The Payback," which would be blasphemous if it didnt rock like nobodys business. The off-the-cuff remake of "Mashed Potatoes" has Brown reuniting with Bobby Byrd as he calls out "taters." Shortly afterward they both go through a travelogue of cities and states like its "Night Train" all over again. Soul Syndrome has Brown at least a little more chipper, but he was still bereft of ideas. The inane "Funky Men" would be garbage if it werent for a reggae/funk guitar riff and a Latin horn arrangement. The cautionary "Smokin and Drinkin" only perks up when Brown begins to cough for close to a minute on the fade. The last track, like most of Soul Syndrome, wasnt overly concerned with the future as he closes with an instrumental of "Honky Tonk." Although this isnt essential, Soul Syndrome finds Brown engaged and that always makes for a potent product. | ||
 | Album: 39 of 43 Title: People Released: 1980-03 Tracks: 7 Duration: 35:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Regrets (06:28) 2 Dont Stop the Funk (06:04) 3 Thats Sweet Music (04:07) 4 Let the Funk Flow (06:34) 5 Stone Cold Drag (04:14) 6 Are We Really Dancing (04:19) 7 Sometimes Thats All There Is (03:26) |
| People : Allmusic album Review : In early 1980, James Brown had an R&B; singles-chart entry with the ballad "Regrets," which served as the leadoff track and only respectable tune on this mediocre album of disco retreads. The low point was "Thats Sweet Music," which found Brown paying tribute to all forms of pop music, from Loretta Lynn to "new wave rock." You could blame songwriter, arranger, and producer Brad Shapiro instead of Brown this time, but whoever was responsible, Browns music continued to deteriorate. | ||
 | Album: 40 of 43 Title: Nonstop! Released: 1981-04 Tracks: 7 Duration: 38:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Popcorn 80s (03:43) 2 Give That Bass Player Some (06:29) 3 Youre My Only Love (04:59) 4 World Cycle Inc. (03:03) 5 Super Bull/Super Bad (06:55) 6 Love 80s (09:58) 7 I Go Crazy (03:35) |
 | Album: 41 of 43 Title: Bring It On! Released: 1983 Tracks: 6 Duration: 28:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Bring It On (04:04) 2 Today (05:05) 3 You Cant Keep a Good Man Down (04:50) 4 Tennessee Waltz (03:26) 5 The Right Time (05:40) 6 For Your Precious Love (05:40) |
 | Album: 42 of 43 Title: Gravity Released: 1986 Tracks: 15 Duration: 39:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Gravity (05:59) 2 Lets Get Personal (04:29) 3 How Do You Stop (04:50) 4 Turn Me Loose, Im Dr. Feelgood (03:09) 5 Living in America (05:57) 6 Goliath (06:16) 7 Repeat the Beat (Faith) (04:20) 8 Return to Me (04:39) 9 Living in America (12" version) (?) 10 Gravity (12" version) (?) 11 How Do You Stop (12" version) (?) 12 Goliath (12" version) (?) 13 Living in America (single version) (?) 14 Gravity (single version) (?) 15 Living in America (instrumental) (?) |
| Gravity : Allmusic album Review : Some moderately interesting late 80s James Brown sessions. The title track featured an above average Brown vocal and some up-to-date production. But the album had the sound and feel of Brown trying to catch up with contemporary trends, a sad thing since so many hip-hoppers borrowed from Browns work in the first place. | ||
 | Album: 43 of 43 Title: Im Real Released: 1988-06 Tracks: 11 Duration: 45:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Tribute (00:24) 2 I’m Real (05:34) 3 Static (04:50) 4 Time to Get Busy (05:16) 5 You and Me (04:40) 6 Interview (00:42) 7 She Looks All Types a Good (05:23) 8 Keep Keepin (05:27) 9 Cant Get Enuf (04:45) 10 Its Your Money $ (05:38) 11 Godfather Runnin the Joint (02:32) |