In the half-century career of James Brown there are multiple highlights, of which this 1974 show in Zaire as part of the buildup for the Rumble in the Jungle is unquestionably among the top few. Rightly christening himself The Minister of the New Super Heavy Funk somewhere around the recording of 1973's The Payback or Hell the following year, JB had pushed his grooves to the outer reaches and his cultural relevance to the brink. Frankly, with an output as overwhelming as his was around this time, releasing 45s and double LPs of new material on a seemingly weekly basis, JB was arguably spreading himself pretty thin. Professionally recorded (though never officially released) and arguably superior to any of his live LPs aside from Live at the Apollo (1963), this concert captures it all at its frothy peak just as the wave was about to break and the Godfather's career began its slow decline. This was a man on a mission to bring it all back to the Motherland at the peak of the Black Power movement, and he did not disappoint. Despite tremendous sound quality, the widely bootlegged version that appears here contains a mildly annoying gap between tracks and a few questionable edits that break the overall flow of the show. Other than that, this is the document of the master of funk at the peak of his powers.
Showing posts with label James Brown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James Brown. Show all posts
Thursday
James Brown
Live In Zaire - 1974
In the half-century career of James Brown there are multiple highlights, of which this 1974 show in Zaire as part of the buildup for the Rumble in the Jungle is unquestionably among the top few. Rightly christening himself The Minister of the New Super Heavy Funk somewhere around the recording of 1973's The Payback or Hell the following year, JB had pushed his grooves to the outer reaches and his cultural relevance to the brink. Frankly, with an output as overwhelming as his was around this time, releasing 45s and double LPs of new material on a seemingly weekly basis, JB was arguably spreading himself pretty thin. Professionally recorded (though never officially released) and arguably superior to any of his live LPs aside from Live at the Apollo (1963), this concert captures it all at its frothy peak just as the wave was about to break and the Godfather's career began its slow decline. This was a man on a mission to bring it all back to the Motherland at the peak of the Black Power movement, and he did not disappoint. Despite tremendous sound quality, the widely bootlegged version that appears here contains a mildly annoying gap between tracks and a few questionable edits that break the overall flow of the show. Other than that, this is the document of the master of funk at the peak of his powers.
In the half-century career of James Brown there are multiple highlights, of which this 1974 show in Zaire as part of the buildup for the Rumble in the Jungle is unquestionably among the top few. Rightly christening himself The Minister of the New Super Heavy Funk somewhere around the recording of 1973's The Payback or Hell the following year, JB had pushed his grooves to the outer reaches and his cultural relevance to the brink. Frankly, with an output as overwhelming as his was around this time, releasing 45s and double LPs of new material on a seemingly weekly basis, JB was arguably spreading himself pretty thin. Professionally recorded (though never officially released) and arguably superior to any of his live LPs aside from Live at the Apollo (1963), this concert captures it all at its frothy peak just as the wave was about to break and the Godfather's career began its slow decline. This was a man on a mission to bring it all back to the Motherland at the peak of the Black Power movement, and he did not disappoint. Despite tremendous sound quality, the widely bootlegged version that appears here contains a mildly annoying gap between tracks and a few questionable edits that break the overall flow of the show. Other than that, this is the document of the master of funk at the peak of his powers.
Wednesday
James Brown
In the Jungle Groove - 1986
It's no surprise that the Godfather's late 60s/early 70s grooves were mined to form the backbeat of seemingly every hip-hop record of the 80s. And while he may have been heaped with mountains of long-overdue respect, JB wound up with the short end of the stick when it came to royalties. Thankfully, Polydor aimed to change this in 1986 with the release of In the Jungle Groove, a jaw-dropping collection of unreleased funk workouts and alternate mixes featuring some of his most famous drum breaks and samples in their original context. Featuring the first ever album-release of the sampled to death "Funky Drummer", the LP also included "It's a New Day", a snippet of unreleased title cut appended to the beginning of "I Got to Move" and the Bootsy Collins jam "Hot Pants (She Got To Use What She Got To Get What She Wants)". A well sequenced compilation that stands tall alongside any of the Godfather's studio or live LPs. The version here is the 2003 remaster, featuring much improved sound, a little extra chatter preceding some tracks and a bonus cut. Get into it!
It's no surprise that the Godfather's late 60s/early 70s grooves were mined to form the backbeat of seemingly every hip-hop record of the 80s. And while he may have been heaped with mountains of long-overdue respect, JB wound up with the short end of the stick when it came to royalties. Thankfully, Polydor aimed to change this in 1986 with the release of In the Jungle Groove, a jaw-dropping collection of unreleased funk workouts and alternate mixes featuring some of his most famous drum breaks and samples in their original context. Featuring the first ever album-release of the sampled to death "Funky Drummer", the LP also included "It's a New Day", a snippet of unreleased title cut appended to the beginning of "I Got to Move" and the Bootsy Collins jam "Hot Pants (She Got To Use What She Got To Get What She Wants)". A well sequenced compilation that stands tall alongside any of the Godfather's studio or live LPs. The version here is the 2003 remaster, featuring much improved sound, a little extra chatter preceding some tracks and a bonus cut. Get into it!
Friday
James Brown
Love, Power, Peace (Live) - 1971
While Sex Machine may be the more popular of the live records from this era, Love, Power, Peace is a better document of the band, and the Godfather, really tightening up and letting loose. Compressing "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", "I Got You (I Feel Good)" and "I Got The Feelin" into a 90 second medley, and stretching cuts like "Ain't It Funky Now" and "Sex Machine" into raw, sweat pouring funk workouts, JB was at the peak of his mighty funk power on this night. Originally planned as a triple album release in 1971, the LP was scrapped when JB left King for Polydor and several band members left to form Parliment soon after it was recorded. It wasn't officially released until 1992, and rivaling the great Live at the Apollo [1963] in its sheer intensity and crowd interaction, Love, Power, Peace is an essential document in the evolution of raw, heavy funk and an absolute necessity for all fans of the Godfather. Let The Brother Rap!
While Sex Machine may be the more popular of the live records from this era, Love, Power, Peace is a better document of the band, and the Godfather, really tightening up and letting loose. Compressing "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", "I Got You (I Feel Good)" and "I Got The Feelin" into a 90 second medley, and stretching cuts like "Ain't It Funky Now" and "Sex Machine" into raw, sweat pouring funk workouts, JB was at the peak of his mighty funk power on this night. Originally planned as a triple album release in 1971, the LP was scrapped when JB left King for Polydor and several band members left to form Parliment soon after it was recorded. It wasn't officially released until 1992, and rivaling the great Live at the Apollo [1963] in its sheer intensity and crowd interaction, Love, Power, Peace is an essential document in the evolution of raw, heavy funk and an absolute necessity for all fans of the Godfather. Let The Brother Rap!
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