James Brown in general

James Brown was still-born until he was, according to sleeve notes on my 40th anniversary compilation "whacked into life". Of all the things you can say about the Godfather of Soul, coke-fiend, gun-lover, paranoiac, perpetrator of some of the most outrageous 'dancing' anywhere in the world, owner of popular music's most ridiculous hair ever, the one thing that just doesn't fit with JB is inertia. Maybe being stillborn, Brown felt he had something to prove. He doesn't record that much these days (and given some of the stuff he's come out with since his heyday, that's probably a good thing), and despite a career that began in ...  Read the complete review

The man is stunning. Last Summer I was contacted by a friend in Brighton & told that Mr. Brown would be playing the Essential festivals Roots day. I thought 'Hes a living Legend, Leadbelly, you should go..'. So I did. THe man was in-blinking-credable. The music of Mr. Brown is known by us all - every student night has a dance floor full of men failing to impress the ladies to the strains of 'Pappa's got a brand new bag', and we all sing along to the sound track of 'Lock Stock' when Mr. Brown tells us he's 'a bad muther'. Rap and dance hits are full of his music, the better the band the better the chance of a ...  Read the complete review