James Brown (1)Reseñas

First edition

1 Go Power At Christmas Time
Written-By, Arranged By – Nat Jones
3:10
2 Let's Unite The Whole World At Christmas
Arranged By – Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis*
Written-By – James Brown, Nat Jones
2:42
3 Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto
Arranged By – Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis*
Written-By – Alfred Ellis, Hank Ballard, James Brown
3:00
4 Merry Christmas Baby
Arranged By – Nat Jones
Written-By – Johnny Moore (2), Lou Baxter
3:54
5 Let's Make Christmas Mean Something This Year, Parts 1 & 2
Backing Vocals – The Charmaines
Written-By – James Brown
Written-By, Arranged By – Nat Jones
6:28
6 Soulful Christmas
Arranged By – Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis*
Written-By – Alfred Ellis, Hank Ballard, James Brown
3:05
7 The Christmas Song - Version 1
Arranged By – Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis*
Written-By – Mel Torme*, Robert Wells (2)
2:40
8 Sweet Little Baby Boy, Parts 1 & 2
Written-By – James Brown
Written-By, Arranged By – Nat Jones
5:14
9 Christmas Is Love
Written-By, Arranged By – Nat Jones
5:59
10 Please Come Home For Christmas
Arranged By – Nat Jones
Written-By – Charles Brown, Gene Redd
3:20
11 Santa Claus Is Definitely Here To Stay
Written-By, Arranged By – Nat Jones
4:21
12 Tit For Tat (Ain't No Talking Back)
Arranged By – Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis*
Written-By – James Brown, Nat Jones
3:03
13 Santa Claus, Santa Claus
Arranged By – Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis*
Written-By – James Brown, Nat Jones
4:01
14 Merry Christmas, I Love You
Written-By – James Brown
Written-By, Arranged By – Nat Jones
2:30
15 Signs Of Christmas
Written-By – James Brown
Written-By, Arranged By – Nat Jones
4:35
16 Christmas In Heaven
Arranged By – Nat Jones
Written-By – Billy Ward (2)
2:54
17 Hey America
Written-By – Addie Williams Jones*
Written-By, Arranged By – Nat Jones
3:56

Lista de Títulos
1.-Please Please Please 2:45
2.-Think 2:46
3.-Night Train 3:32
4.-Out Of Sight 2:23
5.-Papa's Got A Brand New Bag Part 1 2:07
6.-I Got You (I Feel Good) 2:47
7.-It's A Man's Man's Man's World 2:48
8.-Cold Sweat 2:52
9.-Say It Loud, I'm Black And I'm Proud 2:47
10.-Hey America 3:38
11.-Make It Funky Part 1 3:16
12.-Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine 5:16
13.-I'm A Greedy Man Part 1 3:37
14.-Get On The Good Foot 3:35
15.-Get Up Offa That Thing 4:10
16.-It's Too Funky In Here 3:59
17.-Living In America 4:42
18.-I'm Real
19.-Hot Pants Part 1
20.-Soul Power (Live)

Brown performs with his band.

3/4 (Good).

He races through his songs like he has somewhere to be. It feels more like an ad for James Brown than a concert. On the other hand, all the mess surrounding it makes the center-piece, 10-minute "Lost Someone" all the more effective.½

CHECK SHELVES

Writing technique: C
Writing musicality: B
Performance technique: C
Performance musicality: B
Arrangements: B
Coherence/concept: B
Pacing/listenability: B
Recording/mastering: C
Cover art: C

Enjoyment: B

GPA: 2.6/4½

Brown’s third album, featuring several minor hits.

Writing technique: C
Writing musicality: B
Performance technique: C
Performance musicality: B
Arrangements: B
Coherence/concept: B
Pacing/listenability: B
Recording/mastering: C
Cover art: F

Enjoyment: B

GPA: 2.4/4½

Brown’s second album, collecting singles.

Sleepy.

Writing technique: C
Writing musicality: B
Performance technique: C
Performance musicality: B
Arrangements: B
Coherence/concept: B
Pacing/listenability: C
Recording/mastering: C
Cover art: B

Enjoyment: C+

GPA: 2.5/4

Brown's first album, collecting singles.

He hasn't found his sound yet, and this collection makes for a disjointed mess of an album. There's some great stuff on it, though.

Writing technique: C
Writing musicality: B
Performance technique: C
Performance musicality: A
Arrangements: B
Coherence/concept: D
Pacing/listenability: C
Recording/mastering: C
Cover art: C

Enjoyment: B

GPA: 2.4/4½

My old schoolmate Geoff MacCormack brought this around to my house one afternoon, breathless and overexcited. “You have never, in your life, heard anything like this,” he said. I made a trip to see Jane Greene that very afternoon. Two of the songs on this album, “Try Me” and “Lost Someone,” became loose inspirations for Ziggy’s “Rock & Roll Suicide.” Brown’s Apollo performance still stands for me as one of the most exciting live albums ever. Soul music now had an undisputed king.

Another autobiography by JB. This one is notable for the shameless namedropping (people that were close, personal friends of James: Little Willie John, Elvis Presley, Robert Blake, Little Richard, Ray Charles… you get the picture). One thing you won't find is any mention of his musicians, the artists whose responsibility for bringing JB's rhythmic vision into reality is as large as James Brown's—only Bobby Byrd is mentioned, in passing. I'm not sure how it's possible to write a book about James Brown and avoid mentioning Maceo Parker, but there you go.

The only redeeming qualities are James's thoughts on showmanship, his own and in general, which are sprinkled throughout the book, and his discussion of "The One," which is more confusing than enlightening, but entertaining nonetheless.