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Get ready for very very serious music as Universal Music release a brilliant four CD set from one of black music's most famous sons Mr James Brown himself. There simply couldn't be a better collection on the market than this new release with each of the discs showcasing a different era in Brown's recording career from the early sixties to the current day. James Brown has often been labelled as the 'hardest working man in showbusiness' 'Mr Dynamite' 'Soul Brother No. 1' and 'The Godfather Of Soul' all of which have quite deservedly been assigned to THE man of black music whose contribution to popular black music far surpasses that of some of the other giants on the scene all put together.
Music fans will have their own fond memories of James' music whether they be from disc one which features nearly all of his early recordings from the 1960's including the superb and much sampled 'Night Train' and the pleading 'Please Please Please' and brass laden dancer 'Outa Sight'. Whilst much of Brown's work during the following decade was aimed fair and square at the dancefloor, he was much more talented than that delivering some stunning ballads and standards including the recent TV advertised 'It's A Mans Mans World' from 1965 a great passionate vocal delivery about his belief that this IS a mans world. You may be interested to note that disc one features an alternative version entitled 'It's A Mans World' and is clearly noticeable to that of the issued version which can be found on disc 2. In the same vein you will find an alternative and much faster version of 'I Got You (I Feel Good) entitled 'I Got You'
Perhaps his greatest performance as far a UK fans are concerned is parts 1 & 2 of 'Papa's Got A Brand New Bag' stretching for almost seven minutes issued here in the UK on London Records in 1965 and featured here in its full uninterrupted glory. Many of Browns fans will be the first to tell you that he is a competent organist and even delivers a complete organ led instrumental version of 'Papa' dropped down to a stone dead slow version of this great song. Other known goodies featured on disc one include 'Think' and excellent 'Prisoner Of Love'.
There can't be a music fan world-wide who cannot offer some respect for brother James and club goer's of the 1970's who will not have danced to 'Sex Machine' or 'Body Heat' and even 'Get Up Offa That Thang' where he laid down the definitive groove where everyone else tried to follow but there was something about his groove that was hypnotic and irresistible and very very tight where the horns were concerned. Discs 3 & 4 are as funky as you can be with all his big tunes featured here including the much sampled 'Funky Drummer' 'Soul Power' and Brown's emphatic plea to all brothers to kick their drug habit via his 'King Heroin' 45 which surfaced in 1974. Instrumentalists with thrill at the obvious inclusion of the 1973 groove 'Doing It To Death' which was a parts 1 & 2 epic on Polydor Records at the beginning of the decade. Fred Wesley's horn work on this tune will have you hooked in no time at all.
Disc 2 contains my personal all-time favourite tune in the live version of 'There Was A Time' (taken from the Apollo 1967 set) and which was issued as a 'B' side here in the UK initially to 'I Can't Stand Myself' before being re-released as an 'A' side in it's own right three months later. 'Bring It Up' and 'Cold Sweat' are featured here and were songs that you will find on the 'Apollo 67' LP and the much publicised 'I Got You (I feel good) which has found new fame and fortune after being used on the UK KFC advert.
The tracklisting is endless and there is sure to be quite a few tracks on 'Showtime' that are missing from collections around the country and this box set sure is one very important milestone in the history of black music, and in particular the funk of the late sixties into the 1970's. Whether you enjoy Brown at his coolest, or just to dance to, then this collection is an absolute must. Particular attention should be paid to this release from new James Brown fans who will find this release an 'instant' collection of all of his most important sides, extended mixes, and his instant grooves which set the standards for the disco era of the mid to late seventies.
Rating 10/10.
Tracklisting;
Disc 1
1.
Please Please Please
2.
Why Do You Do Me
3.
Try Me
4.
Tell Me What I Did Wrong
5.
Bewlidered
6.
Good Good Lovin'
7.
I'll Go Crazy
8.
I Know It's True
9.
Mashed Potatoes
10.
Think
11.
Baby, Your Right
12.
Lost Someone
13.
Night Train
14.
I've Got Money
15.
I Don't Mind (live)
16.
Prisoner Of Love
17.
Devil's Den
18.
Out Of The Blue
19.
Out Of Sight
20.
Girls
21.
Maybe The Last Time
22.
It's Man's World
23.
I Got You
24.
Papa's Got A Brand New Bag - Parts 1,2 & 3
Disc 2
1.
Papa's Got A Brand New Bag Pt 1
2.
I Got You (I feel good)
3.
Ain't That A Groove
4.
It's A Man's Man's Man's World
5.
Money Won't Change You
6.
Don't Be A Dropout
7.
Bring It Up (Hipster's Avenue)
8.
Let Yourself Go
9.
Cold Sweat
10.
Get It Together
11.
I Can't Stand Myself (when you touch me)
12.
I Got The Feelin'
13.
Licking Stick Licking Stick
14.
Say It Loud, I'm Black And Im Proud
15.
There Was A Time (live)
16.
Give It Up Or Turn It Loose
17.
I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing
Disc 3
1.
Mother Popcorn
2.
Funky Drummer
3.
Sex Machine
4.
Super Bad - Parts 1 & 2
5.
Talkin' Loud, Sayin' Nothin
6.
Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved
7.
Soul Power - Parts 1 & 2
8.
Brother Rapp/Ain't It Funky Now (live)
9.
Hot Pants - Part 1
10.
I'm A Greedy Man - Part 1
11.
Make It Funky - Part 1
12.
It's A New Day (live)
13.
I Got Ants In My Pants - Part 1
14.
King Heroin
Disc 4
1.
There It Is - Part 1
2.
Public Enemy #1 - Part 1
3.
Get On The Good Foot
4.
I Got A Bag Of My Own
5.
Doing It To Death (The JB's)
6.
The Payback
7.
Papa Don't Take No Mess - Part 1
8.
Stoned To The Bone - Part 1
9.
My Thang
10.
Funky President
11.
Hot (I need to be loved)
12.
Get Up Offa That Thang
13.
Body Heat - Part 1
14.
It's Too Funky In Here
15.
Rapp Payback
16.
Unity - Part 1 (with Afrika Bambaataa)