Reviews (page 13 of 13)
This genre I'm supposed to like, but idk, it sounded meh.
Waaaaah!
I didn't care for this, but it was over quickly enough.
This is gay Score: 40 Art: 100 Fantastic album art
James Brown is one of the titans of American music, just immense. But this kinda ain't it. The sound quality kinda saps the energy, making this somehow sleepy. A touch too much screeching, both from JB and the crowd. Just a forgettable experience from one of music's most unforgettable acts.
2.5
A poor effort from James
Hmm not for me 2/5
I listened to living in America instead does that count? I like that. Actually I did try listening to this, but I'm not really a fan and the recording is dire. I'm happy to die not hearing it again.
Live albums are never as good as one made in a studio, are they?
I love JB and you can hear him working out what he will be here but it’s rushed.
I wanted to like this more :(
Quite short album and includes many slower songs, while I personally like his faster songs more
This is another record I'm not sure I think I'm able to fully appreciate, if you like James Brown and classic RnB then of course this is essential but personally I can only really get into his music when I can see him perform it directly. It doesn't help that the mixing on this is pretty terrible? AFAIK the master tapes were lost for a while so it took ages for this to get remastered beyond 60's vinyl quality, and it really shows in how empty and tinny the mix feels. But the man's a crazy good performer, and the moments you get where you can hear the audience going apeshit are fantastic (especially the 'say it a little louder' part on Lost Someone). Honestly I wish the album leaned into the crowd interaction more because it never failed to put a grin on my face. Its definitely worth the listen but its not one of my favorite live albums, nor something I'll likely come back to. Also I have to give a shout to that album art, absolutely fantastic atmosphere created by that painting. Highlights: Lost Someone, Medley: Please Please Please/You've Got The Power/I Found Someone
wasn't bad but live.. fuck off
Not bad, but not my cup of tea
Pretty good, although not my thing
Based on the success of the last live album, I gave this one a shot since it's Mr Brown, but this fell below expectations. This goes back into the live albums category. James was performing but it felt very repetitive, and even on the song I was looking forward to the most, Sex Machine, he kept repeating things over and over. I know people do that when they are live to get the crowd going, but that, to me, doesn't need to be an album on this list.
Unexpectedly boring.
Genres: R&B, soul Formed: mid to late 50’s Run time: 11 songs, 31 min, 33 sec James Brown a.k.a. "The Hardest-Working Man in Show Business", "Godfather of Soul", "Mr. Dynamite", and "Soul Brother No. 1". Spotify: Least popular song: 285k plays Most popular song: 730k plays. James Brown was an amazing, entertaining singer with boundless energy on stage. This album captures none of that. While there is a hint of what’s to come, there are none of his trademark hits. Listen Again?: No My Rating: **
An okay album that I would prefer to hear as a studio album compared to a live version. Like most songs or albums the live version takes away from some of the best sounding parts of the song and adds crowd noise that makes the album less enjoyable. This album is no different. I like James brown. I like these songs but I don’t enjoy the live album aspect. 4.6/10
Decent background music but nothing special 🤷♀️
Not as good as I expected.
I thought I liked James Brown, but thoroughly disliked this one.
James brown is good and worth a listen but this album is a pain to listen to as half of it is screaming fans. Enjoyed lost someone but it seems to be the only version of that song. He has 4 different songs called lost someone.
Clearly legendary and seminal, but in actual fact, it is pretty dull and samey and not really in the groove that made him a legend
Not my thing. Never was. Just don’t get the vibe or hype of JB
I enjoyed this, but reluctant to place a 30 minute live album, ten minutes of which was one song, among the greatest of all time. A fun listen.
Good singer, nice use of the instruments but the fact that it’s live detracts a bit from the score for me
Wanted more than it gave. One and done.
It's just kinda okay. I understand it's essential, but it doesn't really move me at all. It's a pretty good performance, his voice is great, the band is tight but it doesn't present much that really perks my interest. There's far more interesting stuff on this list when it comes to reviewing and discussing music. 2.5.
äh, inte så kul väl
So I could just say: I don’t mind. I listened to this a few hours ago, and I remember almost nothing. It made such little impact on me that I just don’t care and I don’t mind. I didn’t love it, I didn’t hate it. I was just indifferent. I know the big James Brown hits which I’m happy to sing along to and dance to. But I’m just as happy to live without them. I’m also very happy to live without this album. Mercifully it was short. It’s probably worth a 2.5 - but that ain’t an option so this is probably meaner than I intended.
The audience sounds like fun and I bet the energy was great at the Apollo on this night. But this just came across as flat for me. Might be that I'm returning to life post bout with COVID and my sense of taste is off but I'm not feeling the greatness that is James Brown on this one.
Mjeh.... Æji, leiðist hann pínu.
definitely a cool piece of history and im glad i listened to it, but it’s not really my cup of tea
Meh, nice drums
Really not a fan of live albums. I could see why this is a must listen to, but nothing really stuck out that made making it live any more important to it's musicality. Just a lot of screaming. My favorite song was the middle part of the medley for the fact that people would just let the man sing. Obviously he's having fun with the crowd, having them participate, but it's not that fun for the actual listener. Seems like I'd prefer an album by Brown that isn't live, huh?
2. Feels dated and flat for a live performance. No real standouts or reasons to recommend.
Pretty funny hearing James do a little "yeah" and letting the crowd scream it back. Otherwise, not something that really drew me in
fiilistelyä ja ajankuvaa, ihan kiva
Tämä levytys onnistuu luomaan illuusion loistavasta keikasta, vaikka äänitys kuulostaakin ohuelta ja soitto kiirehtivältä. Brownin äänen avautuminen konsertin aikana muodostaa myös oman narratiivisen sävynsä. Ja vaikken näkisi kuuntelevani samaa keikkaa kovinkaan usein, en myöskään tule täysin unohtamaan tämän levyn olemassaoloa.
Never a big JB fan. Too much screaming
A lot of the songs sound the same and there was too much shrill screaming for me to actually enjoy this album.
Sigh, two live albums in a row. The music is really pretty boring. Could very well be a 3 without the annoying live bla bla or if it were at least mixed much better, with clearer and less background instrumentation and less dominant crowd cheering.
Não funcionou para mim por não estar envolvido com o clima de show.
The audience are clearly along for this soul train ride but I just couldn't get on board I'm afraid.
Live albums zijn irritant
Brown nog voordat ie funky ging. Het is meer R&B en laat dat nou net niet in mijn straatje liggen. Sorry James!
Ik had verwacht dat dit me beter zou bevallen. Ik trek dat gekrijs niet.
Nice to hear some James Brown that aren't the same old overplayed cliche tunes. Still not very interesting however
i couldn't get excited about this. i think 1001 albums chooses exceptionally good live albums and i could see how this one made the cut. i'm not sure if it's because i know of the allegations of james brown or it's the fact i didn't really know the songs. typically when i do listen to live albums, i already know the artist and the songs well. i didn't have that connection with james brown's music this time around. the audience was so lively! and brown really got the crowd going. i didn't initially recognize "night train," but i do know that song from back to the future! i liked hearing brown's rendition and his own lyrics.
I am not usually big on live albums. I feel like a certain magic of the live performance tends to get lost in translation most of the time. Unfortunately, I felt like this album fell prey to that. I wasn't really able to FEEL the energy of the room and the performances. Not to mention, I'm already not really a fan of James Brown or his music, so I feel like this live album was probably an uphill battle.
Meh
Naja, hat schon bekannte eingängige Stücke, aber James Brown ist für meinen Geschmack zu schreiend und machomässig unterwegs. Ist nicht wirklich mein Geschmack.
Не любитель такого джаза
Just not a fan of live albums in the main unless they're of bands that i'm super familiar with. James Brown's back catalogue more familiar than some, but still lacked that connection to enjoy the live album
Lots of characteristic howling, and a big band sound. The audience were clearly loving it, but it didn't really float my boat. It was fine, but didn't grab me and seemed a bit samey. 2/5.
I feel sorry for the cleaner who had to mop the floor that night, must have been sticky from all the dripping vaginas. I also feel sorry for the artist whose album didn't make this list due to a reasonably unremarkable live album (band aside, who sounded very tight).
This probably deserves three stars, but I'm giving it two out of sheer spite for the ten minute song that didn't need to be that long. Gotta say, I'm pretty disappointed.
Not really my cup of tea.
Mid
I just finished listening and the whole time I felt like I should have enjoyed it more than I did. Live albums can be hit or miss, and unfortunately, despite his energy, the quality and the audience (plus my general feelings about the music itself), this wasn't great for me.
Never been a huge James Brown fan. Listened to one other live (at the Garden '67) which I hated. This one was much more enjoyable. Got the grit, the horns, the singers. All that said, it just is not my thing. Fav song: Lost Someone.
Not bad but also not great, a bit same same really thoughout the album.
I wanted to like this, but I didn't. The band were great, James Brown was alright, the audience screams were grating. Odd way to end a live album with a dead close, no applause, just ends.
it wasn't my style. probably wouldn't listen to it again.
This is the sixtees music I don't like. Slow, without much melody.
Is it controversial to say I am unmoved by James Brown? I am sure this album is an attempt to capture some of that live magic and I’m sure that was undoubtedly the case to see him live. But on wax, his voice is garbled and indistinct and - excellent musicianship from the band aside - the whole exercise sounds flat: which it surely can’t have been. Maybe you just had to be there…
Thought I was going to hear some funk, but this is pre-funk Brown. Good R&B, with some hints of the horn dominance to come, but not a single "hit me" to be found.
I like James Brown, but didn't especially love this particular album
nice blues, stupid bitches screaming in live performance ... james 5/5 audience 0/5
meh
This probably deserves three stars, but I'm giving it two out of sheer spite for the ten minute song that didn't need to be that long. Gotta say, I'm pretty disappointed.
Live album. While the interaction with the audience is to be remarked, I'm not a fan of the music on its own. For a live album, the album is surprisingly short, I would have expected more from such a high profile artist. Honestly I find it hard to rate objectively, this is not my style, and while I can clearly picture this as a great background for a lot of calm situations, this doesn't strike me as a great render for a live show. Were I in the audience, I would have found the show quite underwhelming overall, outside of some passage where the author ponders to its audience, causes some hysteria, and shows his vocals talent (which are not to be underestimated).
I get the feeling that Brown wrote the totally over the top intro himself, he always seemed to be his own biggest fan. I like the music he comes with, but his rambling on is really annoying.
James Brown has some good songs. This album does not have really that many good songs.
I wanted to like it, but it’s too old and tinny.
Bit meh actually. Was hoping for more.
Levyn alussa ollut esittely sai korvat hörölle, nyt saattaa olla kovaa meininkiä tulossa! Live-setti lähtikin vauhdikkaasti liikkeelle, mutta sitten meno äityikin liian siirappiseksi. Olisin toivonut enemmän revittelyä ja halunnut tykätä enemmän. Hyvinhän James esiintyi ja tulkitsi, mutta biisit eivät nyt oikein osuneet.
_Live at the Apollo_ Wow what a short album! James Brown competes with punk acts on short song length. I wasn’t expecting so many “slow” songs, but that is because the only experience with James Brown are all the songs of his which are used in movies. I appreciated the audience participation
I think that JB's most influential works came later in the sixties and early seventies. If you're in a bar/club or listening to an old school set you won't hear many of these 50s inspired songs, maybe with the exception of Night Train.
I know that I should liked it more than I liked, but this live album was....just ok, nothing special. it's not up to James Brown
I can only listen to so much Blues. It gets me down
It was ok
Classic
The band was probably a 4/5 and 50% of JB's singing was 3/5 but the other 50% was incoherent screaming that really didn't sit well with me. That coupled with the way too forward high pitched wailing of the girls was just all a total turn off. Close to a one for me but the band saved it.
Meh. I know Brown was a talented, high energy performer, but this album didn’t deliver.
boring lol and no guitar
Vähän kylmäksi jätti vaikka potentiaalia kyllä olisi. Toivottavasti listalle tulee jossain vaiheessa myös Brownin studiolevy.
Ja man kennt die songs aus werbungen, jetzt würde ich sie mir aber nicht mehr reinziehen…
too black
Meh
Nej detta gillade jag inte alls.
This was disappointing
Not the best from the God Father of soul. It was a miss mash of jumbled up noise. May have been awesome seeing it live but via a recording it was beyond messy. Just noise no distinctive sound. I thought it better when Cold Sweat came on then noticed that the album had finished and that was a random track.
Nyt on kyllä siis harvinaisen paskaa musiikkia 1/5. Vaikka onkin erittäin pajon vaikuttanut musiikkiin ja on legenda itsessään, on tämä silti tähän mennessä huonoin. Tää live häiritsee todella paljon. Siihen lisää vielä tällaisen musiikin mistä en muutenkaan tykkää. Tällän blues/jazz ei lähe mulla ei sette alkuunkaan. Ymmärrän että on legenda mutta ellet ole Michael vitun Jackson niin sun status ja maine ei riitä korvaamaan paskaa musiikkia. Ei jatkoon
It wasn't bad. He was a character.
Don’t want to listen to a live album
Domestic abuser
The screaming was just messed up. The songs were all the same, I have NO idea why this was on this list.
Not my cup of tea. But funky. 3/11 52.22%
I can't stand violent and abusive scumbags
Once again annoyed that a live album is on here. Why would I want to listen to an inferior compilation version of these songs? I am not at the concert so all that is added for my experience is annoying screams from the crowd and worse audio quality. James Brown is great but live albums suck. 1/10
I mean....................................................................................................................................
It’s James brown. Exactly what I expected. Don’t like it.
Just not my thing.
Canciones muy parecidas entre si, un poco corto quizas. no conocia a James Brown y me gusto su voz. Soul clasico.
It doesn't matter how important the guy is when the album on the list is this garbage.
- Oh yay, anther pedo, SAer, and person who assaults others. - I generally don't love live albums because of the quality, but this one isn't too bad that way. That said, this lacked the charm and charisma that warrants a live album on this list (e.g., like what Sam Cooke had). And I can't stress enough how annoying the screaming was. - His voice is nice enough in the lower registers, but I don't like the strained screaming of the higher notes, and there isn't much variety in his delivery. - The instrumentation would have been okay, but the band was so relegated to being jazzy backup, it was a whole lot of nothing. - The songs weren't engaging -- I don't remember any of them. - The 11 min "Lost Someone" song was unlistenable after the first couple minutes. If I have to hear that wobbling sax riff again... - I can usually separate the artist from the art when doing the ratings (though, not in whether I'd support them), but hearing people scream for this creep was gross. Listening to SAers sing about "love" is the worst. Because this was boring/annoying coupled with him being a POS, it's going to have to be a 1.
I gotta hand it to this album, the sound quality was great. Too bad it’s just another shitty live album.
Minus 2 for domestic abuse
sevmedim
1/10, че за хуйня вообще
60s production is always poor. As are live albums. A combination of the two is just so atrocious. Not as bad as the crowd though. The start of every song was (un)welcomed with this ear-splitting shriek from the crowd that wouldn't go amiss in a slasher film. The music itself is pretty poor too. I felt blueballed in most songs. "I Don't Mind" was going pleasantly along, I was getting excited for the chorus, then it just ended. Lost Someone was that but for 10 minutes. The couple of songs at the end were a bit better but nothing massively redeemable. James Brown has been done dirty here. He's got miles better stuff that could have been included instead.
I nearly didn't listen to this one, convinced as I was that this sweating waxwork of a singer would just screech and yelp his way through the whole thing and leave me wanting to kill people. But here we are. Who's first?
Inte för mig
So far, the best thing I can say ab this album is that it goes by quickly. V repetitive, drawn out. The crowd is v into it, which is cool I guess, but def feel like I could have died without hearing this one.
My right ear heard a little James Brown and a lot of screaming
The Apollo was (is?) a phenomenal venue and I am sure shows there were amazing. I watched some Apollo shows on TV as a kid but not James Brown. I did not care for this entry. Saved no tracks. ⭐ Just not my vibe at all
I don't typically like albums, and this is no exception. The screaming is so obnoxious. Ugh. Definitely did not need a track over 10 minutes *encouraging* the screams. Meh. Please Please Please make it stop. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): N/A My ratings are kind of based on general vibes and how many tracks I save to my Deezer profile -- ⭐: Hated it.
nah
Lost Someone is probably one of the 5 worst songs I've heard since I started this challenge (300+ albums ago). If I wanted someone to yell and scream in my ears, I would've made my wife angry. Easy - peasy as that!
did not listen
Live = Shit James Brown belongs on this list - this album does not.
I wanted to give this a shot as I had high hopes for James Brown. I dont really know a lot of James Brown, but I don’t think this is his best. And this is the worst kind of live album.
Live albums are mostly a waste. The sound is bad the songs arnt as good
Surprisingly dull for an artist like James Brown
Bad just like someone screaming , Piece of shit
Live album.
Eugh… no
That was very annoying to listen to. It came in relatively short at 31 minutes and I still found it too long! Screaming isn’t singing, wouldn’t know when to listen to that record. Too much noise, not enough substance 🤷🏻♂️
This was genuinely hard to get through. A 31 minute album that took me 3 days to get to the end of. Thank God this was my weekend album. I don’t even hate James Brown’s music generally, but for the love of God I can not in good faith enjoy this album in the slightest when it’s bogged down by 31 minutes of annoying fan cheering, and the most mid, boring instrumentation I’ve ever heard. I know this is blasphemy, but I don’t even enjoy his voice. “Soul” is listed as one of my favorite genres currently, but unfortunately this is going to tank that, probably for the rest of this challenge. “Instrumental Bridge #1” is my favorite song here, as it lasts for a little over 10 seconds. I don’t give 1’s very often, but this was offensively bad to my poor ears.
I can't knock James Brown, buy I'm not a fan of live music. If I want to listen to live music, I'll go to the venue. OK, I'll need a time machine, but I'm sure you get my meaning. Fraid its only 1 star, could have been more if it were a studio album.
R&B, na und?
Reminds me of when mom took me to an Elmo concert when I was 2 and I jumped on stage and started yelling curses at the crowd and they all joined in and Elmo tackled me and the crowd and we all yelled "OW!"
Ruined by the screeches of girls in the audience, as many 60s live recordings are. James Brown is talented but I don't need to hear the horny shrieks of women who are now in their late 70s at minimum
I thought the sound of screaming fans was obnoxious in the Era's Tour movie, but this is on a whole different level. I would never listen to this again unless there is a remastered version that removes the crowd sounds, and that's coming from someone who loves live albums.
Didn’t like it. Not my type of music
This mans wikipedia page is psychotic.
I think live albums shouldn't qualify for this list. They're largely pointless and a bit of a cop out to even fill space with them here. This was short and a waste of 20 minutes
I played the album twice. There are tons of repetition of the same “melody” but I can’t really remember any of them. I don’t like screaming either. I know the album is historically important and I fully respect that. But sorry I am the mistake, not the album. I’m just a basic person whose attention span has been fully polluted by all the TikTok videos in 2025. I know it’s bad but it’s happened, and still on going. Right. So, my very honest opinion: rubbish. One star.
Self indulgent making me listening to some old cunt get some girls to scream at him. I don't care
Livealbum
I thought this was bobbins, it's a 1 from me. Just not a fan of the slower ballad-y songs, disappointed it didn't go harder
James Brown is fine, I just dislike live albums. They're pointless.
Nah
The Godfather of soul has a lot of great hits throughout the years. A few of them are on this album. It is however live and an artist I don't listen to a lot. That made me appreciate it less. It was an ok listen but if I want to hear James Brown I wouldn't choose this album.
Not his best
I feel good in leaving a bad review. Forgettable live album.
I didn't much care for this album, but I'm not sure if it was because I actually didn't like the music (which is definitely part of it) or if my perception of him as a garbage person played a part (likely). Either way, it's over, and no more James Brown for me, thanks.
Ganz und gar nicht meins!
I typically don’t like live albums, and this album is a big indicator of why. The crowd noise is terrible. Hearing people scream over the songs just takes away all my enjoyment.
I know he's a legend, I know it's probably blasphemy, but I just didn't enjoy listening to this. Honestly was a bit bored. 8 tracks and one of those is an introduction to the album/band. None of his big big hits. Don't see what is so special about this really.
No
worst or second worst live album we've had so far, but mercifully short
Blödes Rumgekreische von der Bühne und aus dem Publikum.
Stop met fucking schreeuwen. Ik raak hier erg overprikkeld van
Wenig interessanter R&B.
Not the best album to start listening to James Brown too. Need to revisit after exploring his studio work.
James Brown had a great voice, my problem with this kind of music is it all sounds really similar, besides a few changes like speed.
Not my bag, baby
I would have really appreciated if they would have turned down the volume on the crowd. This was just awful. Just awful.
No me imagino lo mal que la pasaron las personas que estuvieron adelante de los parlantes escuchando por más de media hora los gritos de este flaco.
Feel dreadful with a cold. Needed something neutral. This was neutral, but shit in a nice way. So I'll just give it a 1.
一般般
Nah
Can a live album be better than the sum of the studio songs? Yes. This album is not. The crowd work is extensive-- voices are loudly heard instructing the crowd to shout and, worse, this is needed! Call and responses, or at least the capture thereof, are lack luster yet extensive crosstalk comes through everywhere else on the recording. Unprompted shouts don't seem to be related to particularly impressive or energetic moments in the song-- perhaps a visual of the stage would be needed to "feel" these moments along with the crowd. Listening to this album is simply an exercise in awkwardness. It comes off like he's a b-rate opener pleading with the crowd to pay attention.
Well, it's a live album, and you should know by now how I feel about live albums being on the list.
I get this was big at its time. It was a bit too tame for me. Crazy to hear those 1960s screams
Did not enjoy at all. Just don’t like this style
Good album, but 1 star for live albums.
Jeese stop screamin
Ew
Automatisk stryk for livealbum. Men wtf Opening Fanfare e jo introen til Radioresepsjonen på TV
Hate hate hate
instrumental > vocals nicht so ganz mein geschmack idk
I don't get it
Not my kind of music
Inte min kopp te i musikväg direkt.
Just never get the James Brown thing
I'm honestly just not sure what id apparently be missing in life if i didn’t hear this
Inte för å va rasist men det här var tyvärr jättetråkigt
Not my thing. Although James Brown was known as a great performer.
nope
Anyone with the surname brown is a cunt
I just realized that R&B music follows the Blues scheme. Huh. Anyways, not quite my case ^^
It's no good for me
Recorded live shows are meh. I'd rather be there live. Also, this isn't my type of music.
ok
1
Funny hearing the (almost all female) crowd go wild!