The James Brown Show: Live At The Apollo

Cam we just take a second to appreciate the beautiful cover art. I mean it's like something in a museum

James Brown works harder and puts in more in half an hour than most artists put into an hour plus long show

I'm sure this hits a lot harder when you're a teenage girl in the 60s

Great artist, terrific performer, subpar live album.

really fun to hear the crowd go crazy with Mr. James Brown

Ladies and gentlemen, it is Star Time... and make no mistake, James Brown is a goddamn star in every conceivable way. Throwing on Live at the Apollo is like catching lightning in a bottle, it’s an electric, sweaty snapshot of history where James Brown absolutely commands the stage with insane swagger. Backed by the Famous Flames, a band so tight it’s actually scary, the whole set hits you like a freight train. From the stomping groove of "Think" to the raw, vulnerable vibe of "Lost Someone" and the smooth soul of "Try Me", Brown handles both the band and the crowd like a total pro. It’s a lesson in pacing and grit, all before funk even really hit its stride.

That said, it’s not exactly a perfect listen. The early-60s production is pretty rough, the screaming fans can sometimes drown out the music, and it’s hard to ignore the reality of what kind of guy Brown was off-stage. At barely thirty minutes, it’s over way too fast, leaving you wishing they’d squeezed in a few more of his later hits. But it’s impossible to deny, it’s a wild, raucous 31 minutes of pure soul power that grabs you by the throat and shows exactly why he’s the legend he is.

Неплохой и очень энергичный концертный перформанс, который действительно хорошо показывает Джеймса Брауна как сценического артиста. Но лично для меня эта энергия не превращается в эмоциональный отклик.

groovy

I'm not usually a fan of live albums, but this captures the energy of the show well and sounds remarkably good. It's a fun record.

A bunch of classics made even more fun by the live aspect. Hearing how into it the crowd are really adds to the energy

I know this is more of his ballad-type stuff but I really dug this. The fella has got a set of pipes on 'im.

Legendär, aber live alben immer schwierig für mich

3.4/5

Was there a small baby boom in New York City about 9 months after this show because I’m pretty sure at least half the audience ended up pregnant before the end of this show?

There’s a lot of energy in this one but it’s not something I would come back to. 6/10

Eh maybe if I knew who James brown is I'd care more

James Brown is een naam, en niet voor niets. De man heeft een stem en brengt het juiste gevoel. Dat komt het eerste nummer ook gelijk naar voren. Maar we horen dat niet altijd terug op dit live-album. Het tweede nummer lijkt mij al een uitstekend moment om een drankje te gaan kopen. Eigenlijk gaat het album vrij ongemerkt voorbij en wordt mijn aandacht vooral getrokken door de instrumentale bruggen, die wel heel duidelijk de nummers scheiden. Dit zit dicht bij een vergeetbare 3. Door enkele nummers met meer energie kan ik er gelukkig nog net een half sterretje bij optellen.

This album is a half hour of preserved musical history. It’s really like going back to a very special moment in time. For my personal taste it’s a four star album, but the fact that it catches all the feels of the time earns it the full five.

Pre Listen:
The name sounds insanely familiar, but I can't quite remember if I know James Brown for sure. Based on the album cover saying "#1 R&B Star of 1962" it's made me realize I don't think I've heard any R&B pre 1980's. Going in to this with my interest piqued.

Notable Tracks:
Think - My favorite track, it's got a nice groove and awesome energy. The saxophone player really shines here.
Lost Somone - Least favorite track, the "Someone" James lost here was me. Just drags on, the audience is annoying as hell, and James starts making noises similar to the ones my elderly cat makes near the end.

Post Listen:
Yet another album that likely would've been higher if it wasn't a shitty live recording.

This definitely wasn't the R&B I've grown accustomed to, and it made me curious how what we consider R&B as a genre has evolved and changed over time. I'd consider this more Club Jazz than anything else, and it was ok for the most part. Instrumentation was well done, varied enough in sound from song to song.

The issue I have with it is the same as almost every other live album: the sound quality is worse because of it, and the audience noises actively subtract from the experience. This audience in particular was incredibly annoying, with individuals screaming seemingly at random at various points. I said it before and I'll say it again with live recordings, I'm sure the vibes were immaculate when it was happening, but they don't translate well at all upon playback.

I don't know where this project's obession with Live Albums comes from. 3/5

Jamais écouté avant.

Le témoignage sonore de l'incroyable puissance de la soul, et de l'immense talent scénique de l'un des plus grands showmen de tous les temps. Je craignais que l'omniprésence du public, placé très haut dans le mix, soit fatiguant à la longue, mais il ne sert qu'à nous immerger encore plus dans un moment musical d'anthologie où les hurlements, bavardages et applaudissements sont une partie intégrante du show. En seulement 30 minutes (quitte à réduire certains morceaux à la portion congrue au sein d'un medley finalement assez frustrant), James Brown, assisté par un formidable backing band, délivre une performance pour l'histoire, un shot d'énergie que j'ai reçu en plein face, même près de 65 ans après et à 6000 kilomètres de l'Apollo Theatre. C'est très très fort, et on en voudrait plus !

Top : I'll Go Crazy
Flop : Medley