Send "James Brown " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Pitchfork |
 In the Watergate era and its aftermath, James Brown was like a heavyweight champion fighting blindfolded. When he hit, he hit hard enough to shatter bone: this volume in Hip-O's mail-order series includes three consecutive #1 R&B hits (the murderously heavy, slow funk grooves of "The Payback", "My Thang", and "Papa Don't Take No Mess"), and a few other spectacular jams. But when Brown missed, he flailed just as hard.Sometimes he realized it in time. Volume Nine begins with three scheduled-and-canceled singles, including several awkward duets with Lyn Collins (one of them a bizarre Latin version of "Let It Be Me"). "I Got a Good Thing (And I Ain't Gonna Let It Go)" is a pro forma jam with Brown double-tracked-- playing his own Bobby Byrd, effectively, since Byrd had left his revue. The canceled single was replaced by a new recording less than two weeks later: "Stoned to the Bone", more casual but distinctly superior, and a solid hit. This period also saw Brown developing a bizarre weakness for scattering his records with overdubbed sound effects and drop-ins. Adding bits of Jesse Jackson's "I am somebody" speech to the Fred Wesley & the J.B.'s single "Same Beat Pt. 1" was a great idea. Adding a disc jockey announcing "This is for Atlanta!" and "This record is too much!" all over "The Payback" was not-- the familiar mix, without Hank Spann's interjections, was actually a promotional version demanded by radio. Lyn Collins' smoking "Rock Me Again & Again & Again & Again & Again & Again" is not so much a duet with Brown as the boss staring over her shoulder and butting in on almost every line, then dumping in some extra sound effects and grafting the first minute of the track on again at the end. It's pretty amazing anyway. Brown was an aging, eccentric king, but he was still the king: "Funky President (People It's Bad)" was easily the hottest pop response to the American politics of the 1970s....full text |
| Hip-oselect |
| In 1973, James Brown, having renamed himself “Godfather of Soul,” was at a crossroads: younger acts, nurtured by his original funk, were on the rise. His hits were not coming so fast; his tours were suffering. He responded with some of the nastiest, longest-lasting funk he’d ever unleashed: “The Payback.” “Same Beat.” “Stoned To The Bone.” “My Thang.” “Funky President,” now a classic sampler’s staple. And much, much more. It’s all documented on The Singles Vol. 9: 1973-1975, the latest entry in the long-running James Brown series from Hip-oSelect.com. The Singles Vol. 9 includes 35 tracks from the prolific JB, featuring not only the hits mentioned above, but singles by tracks he produced and is prominently featured, by Lyn Collins and Fred Wesley & The J.B.’s. The 2-CD set also includes several singles scheduled for release that were not ultimately issued, such as “I Got A Good Thing,” an early prototype of “Stoned To The Bone.” Also on that list is “Let It Be Me,” a duet with Collins reflecting Brown’s fascination with Latin rhythms. As with the eight previous volumes, the collection includes a thick booklet stuffed with rare photos, reproductions of memorabilia, an essay by former James Brown staffer Alan Leeds, and detailed track annotations....full text |
| 123pricecheck |
| A classy collection of Classic material, some previously unreleased. This double-CD set captures JB at a very interesting juncture. His record sales had not yet slipped - in fact 1974 was one of his best years! - & he took on disco (didn't exactly win but just staying relevant is a positive). Another feature of these tracks is the heavier emphasis on the *music* - the one-chord marathons with Brown showcasing an assortment of non-verbal emanations, largely gave way to a softer, more melodic approach. Note titles like "Hustle (Dead On It):, "Deep In It", "Stone to the Bone" (why do they keep pressing it as "Stoned to the Bone"?), & many others. As always, a fantastic booklet & notes....full text |
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