[.ca] 1971-1975 Make It Funky/Big

Amazon.com essential recording:
Polygram tells the JB story better than anyone yet with their series of two-CD James Brown reissues, which began with Soul Pride: The Instrumentals (1960-69), continued into the mid-1960s and onward with Foundations of Funk and this set, and then ventured into the 1980s with Dead On: The Heavy Funk. This triumphant, perfectly programmed two-disc package dredges 26 neglected gems and beloved jewels from the prolific predisco years, a time when Brown's powers were in sharp form. Waist-deep in fat freaky funk, pugilistic horn arrangements, looping modal grooves, and tuff blaxploitational kitsch--primo monster funk from the source. Fans of Parliament's nonstop party jam absolutely need this to know from whence their hardcore jollies came. --John Corbett

Solid collection of JB's funkiest work:
Two disks chock-full of the funkiest grooves the Godfather has ever produced. You won't be disappointed!

HIT ME! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!:
If you just associate the name "James Brown" with the popular single "I Feel Good", then you've got to listen to this CD to save your soul. It will open your mind! James Brown is amazing... essence of funk... unbelievable groove. If you love a mean groove, love rhythm, there's just nothing else like this.

Funk, Nothing but Pure Funk:
This is not some off brand, $3.00, hard to hear, CD. This is true FUNK! This is James Brown at his finest. Not the b.s. he is doing today, but truly from his "hey-day". The benchmark for all other funk doctors to follow (including you George)! The only recordings that are better are his three "Live at The Apollo" CD's and, unless you are a cheap skate, the box set, "StarTime". If you want to jam, buy this music. If you want to start a party, get this music. Take me to the bridge, Maceo, Fred, Pee-Wee, Jimmy Nolen, Sweet Charles, Jabo, Clyde, BOOTSY COLLINS! CATFISH COLLINS!! Come on with your come on and buy this music. You got me fired up now!!!! I going to play it and party right now!!!! Where's my "air bass"?

Funk Monster ll:
This double CD captures a couple of Soul Bro. #1's funkiest jams including My Thang, Ants in My pants and the life-altering masterpiece Escape-ism. The entire band is spectacular and Brown fills in the blanks of Jabo Starks' powerful drumsticks. Fans of hiphop and any other funkdafied music should dig this special set.

Bigger and Badder With Time:
For my money, Polygram can release nothing but these James Brown hits-rarities packages - well, they could also give us complete, unedited, released and *unreleased* concerts in a series, but we adherents of real/funky/Soul take what we can get. Once in a we get a honey of a package like "The Big Payback". The highlights are any of the (first-time) full-length versions listed above - particularly, "Papa Don't Take No Mess", with a first class piano passage not heard on the original release. The prev. unrel. "Mind Power" with its powerful polyrythym is anutha mutha. On the negatory side, "I Got Ants In My Pants" is strictly "Part One" only stuff on such a collection and as far as "I Got A Bag Of My Own", I still don't understand the fascination with this cut. Sure, the arrangement and instrumentation are outstanding in JB's career, but the nearly out of control vocal is too far forward and eclipses the music. Here are two spots for more of what we get as the set closer - an incredible prev. unrel. *actually live at the Apollo!* "Hot Pants" from the steamy summer of '71. Although not as sassy vocally as the originally issued version, the mix is light years ahead. (Perhaps this track was not used on "Revolution of the Mind" because the audience is mostly inaudible and that album captured the crowd perfectly on every song). It's been written that "Revolution...Apollo, Vol. 3" was produced by assembling tracks from *eight* live shows in 07-71. Although not his most creative tune on this collection it does overshadow several excellent compositions which still warrant serious attention by radio station programmers and "Rockumentary" producers. \oBy the way, "Stoned To The Bone" is *aka* "Stone To The Bone". Fellas, next time will ya press it as "Stone..."?\c.

• Escape-ism
• Hot Pants, Pts. 1 & 2
• I'm a Greedy Man
• Make It Funky, Pts. 1-4
• King Heroin
• I Got Ants in My Pants (And I Want to Dance)
• There It Is
• Get on the Good Foot
• Don't Tell It \oComplete Version\c\o#\c
• I Got a Bag of My Own
• Down and Out in New York City \oVersion with Spoken Intro\c\o#\c
• Think
• Make It Good to Yourself (Interlude) \o#\c
• Payback
• Stoned to the Bone
• Mind Power \oAlternate Version\c\o#\c
• World of Soul \o#\c
• Papa Don't Take No Mess
• Coldblooded \oUndubbed Version\c\o#\c
• I Can't Stand It "76"
• My Thang
• Funky President (People It's Bad) \oOriginal Speed Master\c\o#\c
• I Got You (I Feel Good)
• Problems
• Turn on the Heat and Build Some Fire
• Hot Pants \oLive\c\o#\c