40. James Brown - Live at the Apollo

1. Introduction to James Brown and the Famous Flames

2. I'll Go Crazy

3. Try Me

4. Think*

5. I Don't Mind*

6. Lost Someone*

7. Medley: Please, Please Please / You've Got the Power / I Found Someone / Why Do You Do Me / I Want You So Bad / I Love You, Yes I Do / Strange Things Happen / Bewildered / Please, Please, Please

8. Night Train

A+

So these days James Brown is mostly remembered for his funky numbers. And really, once you unleash a song like "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" on the world it's not surprising if it tends to eclipse your earlier achievements. But Live at the Apollo is interesting because it captures Brown at an earlier stage in his career, when he was still basically a 50s-style soul singer, producing gospel-tinged R&B numbers. The extraordinary precision of his band and the almost too perfect rhythms are all there, but they haven't yet coalesced into anything you could even remotely call funk.

Which is not to do this album a disservice. It's incredibly good. And really, the Book has done a great job of selecting live albums so far - I've enjoyed every one of them immensely. This album starts out merely pretty good, with a couple of very pretty soul numbers. Then suddenly "Think" erupts out of the stereo, with its sharp horn stabs and dizzying bassline. Following that is the lovely "I Don't Mind". But the real centrepiece of the album, and the moment when it goes from being "pretty good" to "fucking incredible", is the sprawling 11-minute "Lost Someone". It's one of my absolute favourite recordings, and to my mind maybe one of the best recordings ever made. True, the original song is pretty good, but here the whole thing is stretched out into a slow, gentle groove that's one of the prettiest and catchiest I've eve heard. Over the top, Brown wails and exhorts to the very peak of his ability. And then, hilariously, he claims to have screwed up and has to sing the song again. And through it all you have the women in the audience screaming in time to the music, making smartass comments, and honestly it's all very much dancing about architecture at this point. You really should just listen to the song. It's basically perfect.

So after such an amazing bit of music anything short of a cash prize would be a bit of a let down, and really following "Lost Someone" with a so-so medley wasn't the best idea, but then "Night Train" picks things up again with its astonishing rhythm. Then suddenly the album's over. 32 minutes. All killer, no filler.

Many people argue that this is the greatest live album ever recorded. I don't quite agree (I liked the Sam Cooke one more) but I can't really argue with the opinion. I mean, It's an incredible showcase for the talents of Brown, his back-up singers and his band, and a tremendously fun experience. And it really benefits from being so short. It leaves you wanting more. If I had a time machine and could go back and witness any performance, it'd probably be this one.

Oddly this is the last we'll see of Brown. I would have though The Payback or something would have made the list. I guess the compilers of the Book thought we needed room for two Supergrass albums instead.