James Brown Live At The Apollo

groovy

Ua just can't beat some good James Brown.

I have a live LO of his. And it rocks hard. But this was mid for me.

So much energy in the voice. Love hearing the crowd react to it. Great live sound.

James dans son element

65

Was fun

Domestic violence and rape allegations. I'm tired.

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.

I liked the Sam Cooke record better than this one. Seriously great musicianship here, but this just isn't for me.

Holy moly can James Brown get down

This was a fun listen. Kinda like lounge room jazz rock solo vocals.

First Listen; 4; Man, what an energetic album. I was expecting nothing less, and it really delivered. Not sure how else to describe this, except how it's been described a million times before: incredibly tight, soul infused R&B, delivered with showmanship and energy. Certainly music and a band that is to be heard live, and unlike some other live recordings, this is one that should certainly be on this list. Favorite Track: Lost Someone

Wow this really puts a pep in my step. I'm not usually into live albums but this crowd is infectious!

20 minutes of pure james brown

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

Love the cover of this album And I love James Brown. So cutting edge for the time and really was an eye opener as a live album.

Slap some funk on my plate! A calmer Brown than I've heard before, enjoyed much more than expected.

First James brown album, considering some of the stuff on here surprised he hasn't featured sooner. Great voice and hell of a showman and while it makes me want to hear it live I'm not sure I enjoy it as an album, which is usually the case for live albums. Would have preferred a studio album I think. Songs are very of the time, variations of love songs with easily memorable choruses. The singing carries them though, must have blown most other artists in the early 60s out the water. So enjoyed it but not enough for repeated listens, largely because it's alive album. 3.5.

I bet that was a cracking concert to attend, loved all the little cutaways, like the audience ladies screaming and the introducer. Pretty standard otherwise, his bigger hits were later than 1963.

Obligatory not sure that live albums should be on the list... Not a big James Brown fan anyway so that doesn't help. I bet it was fun to be there, but it's very dated now. Not sure he was a great role model either 2

Good live album, largely because of the energy the audience brought to it.

It's, as expected, a very funk tune and he's named the King of Soul for a reason! A good listen if you enjoy this type of music! (if you can ignore the girls screaming there heads off at the start of every one of his songs in this album)

Watching the performance in person would have been a magical experience as this is one of the iconic comparison of soul music venues and concerts.

The strangest thing about one of the most famously explosive live records ever made is how relaxed it sounds. The band is drilled to within an inch of its life. Stops land together, horn figures arrive like doors being slammed, the rhythm section can propel “Think” at express-train speed, and everybody seems to know where Brown is going even when Brown himself appears to be deciding that information in real time. Yet there is remarkably little audible strain. They sound loose. Comfortable, even. The enormous energy in Live at the Apollo is carried by musicians who never seem burdened by it. That distinction gradually becomes the record. “Tight” doesn’t quite describe this band, because tight bands can sound clenched. Here the rhythm section is so securely in the pocket that everything above it is allowed to move. Brown can hang behind the beat, rush towards the microphone, wander away from it, stop the band, restart it, plead with the audience or apparently abandon the structure altogether. Nothing underneath him becomes nervous. There were moments when the ease reminded me of Coltrane. The music can be moving ferociously quickly while the musicians themselves sound as though they have all the time in the world. “Think” lasts about as long as it takes to realise how astonishing the rhythm section is. It hurtles past, completely locked and somehow completely unhurried. Elsewhere the musical language is almost reassuringly familiar. “Try Me” is built from the grammar of late-fifties doo-wop, blues and gospel balladry. There is nothing exotic about the raw materials. What matters is how completely Brown and the band inhabit them. Its first instrumental bridge is gorgeous: a small example of an ensemble opening up around its singer and then falling straight back into place. Having seen Prince live, the ancestry suddenly felt less theoretical. The spectacular part is the command of the band. Brown’s other instrument is the Apollo itself. The audience is introduced before he is. The evening’s songs are announced and people scream at the titles. They already know the repertoire, so the drama isn’t based on discovery. Brown’s task is to make familiar material happen again with such immediacy that foreknowledge becomes irrelevant. “The Reverend James Brown” started as a joke in my notes and increasingly felt like the correct job description. His contact with the room is extraordinary: call and response, repetition, exhortation, pauses held until the audience fills them. He isn’t simply receiving crowd noise. He is arranging it. Even his fairly unruly microphone technique helps. The voice moves in and out of focus as Brown changes position, sometimes right in front of you, sometimes seemingly swallowed by the room. A modern engineer might want to stabilise it. Here the instability provides physical perspective. You can hear Brown moving through the performance. “Lost Someone” is crucial because the album needs its length. The opening stretch is so compressed that without somewhere to release the accumulated pressure the record could simply become exhausting. Brown stretches time instead, settling into the groove and allowing the relationship with the audience to become the event itself. The emotional temperature stays high, but suddenly there is room inside it. Then comes the “Please, Please, Please” medley, which is frankly ridiculous. It appears barely to have a structure at all. Songs and fragments surface and disappear. Brown pleads, stops, waits, starts again and seems to pull the performance around according to the mood of the room. Underneath that apparent chaos sits extraordinary procedural discipline. The band understands the grammar so completely that the route can become unstable without the performance becoming unstable. And when Brown finally gives them room to release everything they have been holding back, the effect is enormous. The whole ensemble simply explodes. That is where the apparent contradiction at the heart of the record resolves itself. The drilling is what permits the freedom. Rehearsal has gone so far beyond mere accuracy that it allows spontaneity, theatre and risk. Brown can make the evening feel permanently on the verge of escaping his control because the musicians underneath him possess almost absurd reserves of control. “Night Train” finally turns all of that into forward motion. The ensemble attack is phenomenal and the track simply refuses to stop moving. By the time it finishes, barely half an hour has passed. Live at the Apollo is breathless. The remarkable thing is that the people making it never sound out of breath.

My man James Brown had them ladies going UP. Musically this wasn't anything special - few live albums are. It's just impossible to capture the energy of the moment. Was still a fun listen. Highlights: I'll Go Crazy, Lost Someone

Good for its era, but one of the weaker soul albums I've listened to. 2.5 stars.

Incredibly good with great energy.

Not similar to the genres I listen to frequently, but still enjoyed a lot of it. However, I generally don't like the sound/quality of live albums

A fun live album. Always enjoy these.

Don’t like live albums… this one is fine, though. Audience cheers is a great pointer if a song was a banger 👍

дуже гарно

Turns out I am less emotionally invested in the legacy of James Brown than I thought. This is still great fun, and the horn section in particular is excellent. And Brown is of course a great frontman - very, very oft imitated. But this was just very good rather than mind-blowing for me; I generally dig live albums but this one leaves me a little cool for some reason. Maybe I'll change my mind at some point - at the very least it's worth another listen.

It flowed on, and was really entertaining. Great spin!

Second live album in a row and I generally don't give 5 stars to live albums but this is 2 in a row both 5 stars for me. Opposite ends of the spectrum with Deep Purple being followed by James Brown but both really show what their respective genres have to offer in a live environment.

I mean damn, my man! No one can ooze sex and rhythm quite like James. The beginning of live albums, the band, the energy, the band. This is something that doesn’t exist anymore. It never will again. But this was the era where popular music was born. All forms. A true big bang on tape.

The hardest working man in show business struts his stuff to an appreciative audience. Just great. I added the medley to my playlist.

It was james brown.

The audience sounded like they were on a roller coaster. I was too short to ride, so I had to stand by and watch. Cool to watch, but I’d rather be on the coaster.

This album needs either full attention or background level, medium wouldn't work bc either you're imagining yourself having been there or the albums putting you in a good mood by proxy, but there's not enough there to just listen and sing along.

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.

I respect the singing and the songwriting. It's just not for me. I prefer Funky James Brown.

Ouvir um album ao vivo dos anos 60 é realmente uma experiência de capsula do tempo. Um album classudo e bem gostoso de se ouvir.

A bit more energy than my normal morning commute. Enjoyed it but I don’t always love live albums. Still this is something I happily listened to. Especially after being banged over the head by Neil Young…James Brown can sing. Neil cannot.

Great album.

Sounds like he’s hurting

Soul Brother #1

5/10 This album has a few things going against it: I'm not a fan of live albums on this list (generally speaking, they are a completely different beast compared to studio albums, so I don't think they should be placed together); the genre is not my cup of tea; and I find James Brown's music hokey at the best of times. The music makes it even worse, honestly - there's just so little of substance lyrically here that I don't have anything to grab on to. In some ways, I feel like James Brown is more of a live performer rather than a musician, which makes it hard to judge the album when the whole time I'm wondering if his charisma just doesn't translate when you can't see him on stage. A mediocre album overall.

Fun live album. The crowd was into it. May need a few more listens to full appreciate.

I don't usually love live albums, but this has an undeniable fire which i feel is often absent.

Kinda wish it wasnt the live album.. But still a lot of fun, I love how engaged the crowd is throughout the performance and how James plays off of it. I've heard some of his songs previously, but man this guy has a set of pipes on him. Insane vocal range, I love the uncertainty he creates with his vocal patterns, I have no idea where he's gonna go on a given melody. Feels like the music is geniunely coming from his soul, no pun intended. He is a vessel of the capabilities of a human voice, and on this project it feels like he's just flexing it and having fun. Great band in the back too, without the crowd noise I would think it was studio recorded. Gonna check out some of his other work for sure

I imagine it was a big landmark at the time but I guess I like his later more famous work

Best live performance from James Brown. The way he controls the crowd with his energy is so impressive. Rating: 7.5/10

the best part of this album is by far and away Lost Someone. If that was the entire album it would be a 10/10. However, the rest of the album was still very good so 4/5 it is!

Love the soul R&B 60's vibe. Don't love live albums in general and this one had plenty of background noise throughout

In terms of a live album, its great, the crowd is engaged, and the energy is there. I just think its too short, and a bit repetitive

Excelente

Maybe just because I'm watching Mad Men s2 but I was enthralled and happy to see this one. I don't think it was the best but it's like 4.25 stars, still pretty cool, must have been insane in Harlem in 62

It's a shame this guy ended up being such a piece of shit, because he's inarguably a master of his craft. That said, giving this one 4 stars mostly because of the weird pacing. Felt like we were just racing through the first half with 2-minute songs separated by 13-second bridges, and then BAM! 11 minutes of the same thing followed by a 7 minute medley. The ending is also very unceremonious. An outro of some sort would've tied things up pretty nicely.

I don't really like live albums because the structure is off and this one was no exception. James Brown is incredibly talented and it was probably a lot of fun in the studio though

I love James Brown. This album is good, but… it has always sounded like the band are playing 15% too fast. It’s like the band are being paid by the song not the hour and they have a bar to get to. It doesn’t quite let the funk breathe.

The audience for this album was losing their mind! I just don't think I loved it, but I can tell James Brown was killer to see in person Favorite Songs: Think, I Don't Mind, Night Train

And this isn’t even The Godfather’s final form.

James Brown is simply a legend, but I can't get overly excited about a live album, even a live album by one of the greatest showmen in history. Listening to this made me realize James Brown is probably a good example for having parts that are better than the whole. Any James Brown song is fantastic on its own, but when seen together something's lost. Maybe I should've been born a few decades early and go see him live to really appreciate it all.

Given his performance style, this didn't really work that well for a live album. Not sure live albums really belong on this list

Great album but not his best.

Muy bueno, sobretodo para ser un album en vivo, aunque no me convencio del todo, pero no se si es porque es en vivo o porque las canciones no me convencen del todo. En conclusion, muy disfrutable.

It's 3.75

Early James Brown already showing is great performance but not his peak.

True legends never die. It’s impressive to see that this was recorded 60 years ago. One can make the case that almost every genre can trace back to James Brown - or Charlie Bird

Not my favourite James Brown album, but still a good one.

For such a famous and well regarded artist, this did very little for me

solid album

quien diría que me gustaría tanto el blues

Не особо мне понравилось после одного прослушивания. Все песни в альбоме одинаковые абсолютно, я даже не замечала, когда заканчивалась одна и начиналась другая. И звучали они довольно скучно, ни одна не запомнилась, ни одного интересного мотива не услышала. Еще заметила, что длинные песни к середине затихали как будто подходили к концу, а потом продолжались точно так же как и первая половина, так же скучно. Хотя обычно чтоб песни мне понравились, их надо послушать пару раз, поэтому может дело именно в этом. Думаю, я попробую послушать ещё разок как-нибудь и уже потом окончательно для себя решу понравилось мне или нет. Я в музыке не разбираюсь, поэтому это просто впечатления, а не критика.

"This man will make your liver quiver! This man will make your bladder splatter! This man will make your knees freeze! If you will let’s all welcome the worlds Godfather of Soul, Soul Brother #1, JAMES BROWN!!!" c

An interesting listen to a live version of The Godfather of Soul. Man those horns are blasting. My only disappointment here is it's before he gained POP super stardom and hadn't written any of his well known classic hits.

64 years later, Live At The Apollo was probably one of the most legendary performances in all soul music. Despite the shorter length, listening to this album felt like being transported back in time and witnessing a piece of musical history. There's no denying the influence James Brown would have on future musicians. Above all, Brown's performance is a centerpiece of the Black culture of Harlem and the music of the time. Really a beautiful album that showcases just how deep the roots of soul music go.

Прекрасный, одушевляющий соул

After yesterday's Smiths album, I was hoping for someone a bit less problematic than Morrissey today. Alas, here we are. At least he has a less annoying voice than Morrissey.

This woulda been a delight to see in 1963 for sure, woulda been dancing and giggling and vibing. I can’t say the same for 2026.

There's really nothing wrong with this album, but compared to its contemporaries in the same soul and funk field, it doesn't age as well. Like, there is nothing incredible on this album. I also really don't like the live part of this album; the audience is too loud and annoying compared to a lot of the other live albums on this list. It's a 1963 soul and funk album; I shouldn't be asking more of it, but yet I am.

Ja man kennt die songs aus werbungen, jetzt würde ich sie mir aber nicht mehr reinziehen…

Effortlessly cool, it’s fun listening to him at the beginning of the game when he’s exploding and not late James brown which is more of a punchline. Think is amazing, as is the overall instrumental. He kills and it’s no surprise he becomes a legend. -another Paris dispatch

too black

ow

Svetten nærmest piplet ut gjennom høytalerne.

Denne har i spilt mye. Lett å forstå hvor stor James Brown var i sin tid etter å høre det her. Soleklart Beste plata til James Brown å en av de beste live platene i har hørt.

For en showmann. Sikkert fett å være til stede.

Hardest working man in show business! I see why this is so iconic and I think this is without question a solid and necessary part of music history. I just don't know how often I'd actually listen to this. Part of me wants to hit this with 4 stars but I can't say I have a lot of relisten value here.

I am pretty surprised about this album and some of the reviews I read to be honest. Mostly I am not the biggest fan of live albums (even though I love Sam Cooke at Harlem Square Club 1963) because often its rather a tiring listening experience with all the extra noise and mediocre sound quality. This record is pretty short, clear and fun though. The crowd is noticeable but only loud when it contributes to the experience and doesnt ruin the great vocals of a still young James Brown. His breakthrough record and I understand why now! 4,4/5

Amazing that this is from 1962 (released in ‘63). It’s so visceral, the album jumps off the vinyl and between the audience callbacks and the sheer energy of the moment, you can almost feel like what it was like to be there. That alone is an incredible achievement.

This album is good in the best James Brown traditions. Listening to it felt soulful and a little crazy in the best way. The energy never drops. You can hear how completely locked in he is with the band and the crowd, and that live atmosphere makes everything hit harder. The performance is raw and full of fire. James sounds completely in control while still sounding wild and unpredictable. The band is tight and responds to every move he makes. It captures that classic James Brown show energy where the music, the vocals and the audience all feed off each other. The recording is straightforward and live, which works in its favor. Nothing feels polished or cleaned up too much. You get the real sound of the room and the intensity of the performance as it happened. It is one of the strongest live soul and R&B documents from that era and still sounds exciting today.

I like James Brown, but I prefer to listen to the music without a live crowd. The yelling and screaming of the crowd was too much of a distraction for me.

Great voice, but other than that it doesn't really do much for me.

The album that cemented Brown as a legend. You can feel the man's charisma oozing through the sound, and can practically feel all the shouting women actively becoming pregnant with every YYEEEAHHHHH and UNGH. One of the greatest to ever do it.

This is amazing from start to finish One of the best live albums I’ve ever listened too The very enthusiastic orgasmic screaming coming from the audience really adds to the atmosphere of a performance that just rocks

Wow. Amazing. It’s not just a music album; it’s basically performance art. The hype man in the beginning announcing all the songs the audience is about to hear, the crowd screaming, the musical interludes… all of that combined with some damn fine music, and you have one of the most electric live albums ever recorded.

Jb jb you mad bastard

Markante Stimme, aber irgendwie viel Geschrei und nicht so der Flow den ich toll finden würde :/

Kein Fan von Livealben, das hat sich auch nicht davon besonders abgehoben.

Legendär, aber live alben immer schwierig für mich

Now I know where a couple WTMD samples came from! I appreciate this hard working man, but this live record is just ok.

2/4

I thought it was a really fun album and the short length added to the high energy of the live performance

The best part of any live album is hearing how into the performance the audience is. There's also a raw-ness and energy to live performances that just don't come through in studio albums. That said, it's James Brown, it was always going to be a stellar album. I think the man was utterly incapable of not delivering top-notch performances. And his backing band are right there with him. What strikes me with this album in particular, is this was at the beginning of his career. He set the bar high for himself, and he succeeded.

3.4/5

Great stuff

solid 3.5.

Never really got JB until I listened to this album. The voice and the showmanship combined with a live audience made this a real treat.

This album is a red hot comet from space. Somehow the ridiculous energy and enthusiasm displayed by both the crowd, the band, and the MC in the opening moments of the recording, sustains for the whole album. It could have something to do with this being only just over 30 minutes long, but this album is lightening in a bottle.

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?

Maybe I should give live albums more of a chance, because some of them really can be fascinating little time capsules. With *Live at the Apollo*, you can imagine buying a ticket in 1962, during a turbulent moment in American history, walking into the theater, and completely losing yourself in the energy of James Brown and that wildly enthusiastic crowd. Meanwhile, nobody there could have fully known just how influential he was about to become in the years and decades ahead. Before listening, I had read that the album was especially known for its incredibly loud and excited audience, and yeah, they definitely make their presence known. The crowd feels like almost as much a part of the performance as James Brown himself. The album itself is pretty good. I wouldn’t say every song blew me away, but the performance is energetic, charismatic, and just plain fun. James Brown clearly knew how to command a room, and the crowd sounds ready to explode at practically any moment. The most interesting part for me was the ten-minute version of “Lost Someone.” On paper, a slower song stretched out that long might sound like a chore, but it actually becomes one of the most immersive moments on the album. It feels like you’re sitting inside the Apollo, with James Brown onstage and the audience becoming just as important to the recording. You can hear people completely losing themselves in the moment, escaping whatever was waiting for them outside, and I think there’s something beautiful about that. Sure, there aren’t a ton of songs here that I’d personally rank among James Brown’s most memorable, and the recording quality can be a little rough. But honestly, that almost adds to the experience. More than sixty years later, we still get to hear what it felt like to be in that room. Overall, it’s a decent album, but an even better time capsule.

A fun live album with great energy.

Iconic performance.

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

My rating 3.3

It was okay

Absolute classic. One of my favourite live albums ever!

3,5

King Records' release of James Brown's 1963 live LP The Apollo Theatre Presents -- In Person! The James Brown Show was an important moment in the history of live recordings. Rock and R&B had yet to have a really powerful live recording. This record, mostly known as Live at the Apollo, doesn't feature James Brown in his prime, his best songs, or even his best band. But the band is tight, the song selection spot on, and the recording crisp and clear. Probably the most important thing about the recording, as trivial as it may seem, is the way it accentuates the audience and Brown's interactions with them. This is most notable in "Lost Someone," which becomes an epic battle between Brown and the emotions of his audience members. Also, touches like the between-track instrumental bridges and the bustling Medley, which has Brown and his group shifting through some seven songs, give the listener a really good sense of what his amazing live show might actually look like. Clearly, Brown has a substantial back catalog that only gets stronger from this point on, but this is THE place to start for listeners new to Brown's discography.

Not really my cup of tea. I would give it a 2, but let me think about it till the reating.

Pretty old style

James Brown has always been a titan of influence in the soul/R&B world, and this live album just exemplifies why that is. James and his band are so meticulous and tight that, besides some ambient crowd noises, it doesn't feel like a live album. 30 minutes of good old-fashioned soul. Fav Songs I'll Go Crazy Lost Someone Think Is it Top 1001 Worthy (is it essential)? Yes. A short and sweet record of soul bangers made by one of the biggest, most influential artists of all time. A great album front to back

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

I am never happier than when I am on stage, and sometimes I wonder what that says about me. Maybe it's the rush of working with a like-minded group of talented musicians, feeling the spirit of music rushing through us to a common goal. Or maybe I'm just a show off. Either way, that's the place I feel most at home. ────────────────── Jesus Christ, this is a work of art. This is one of the greatest, if not the greatest live album of all time. James Brown and The Famous Flames and their backing band make a work of art that still stands to this day. The energy coming off of the crowd is something I am chasing every single time I step on stage. You can even count the crowd at the Harlem Apollo as an additional member of the band. There's a woman who screams on one of the tracks that is CRUCIAL to this track. This album will stand as a record of one of the greatest performances of all time.

What a powerful show and a great recording.

The energy in the audience is great, but it's not that great for a live album, especially for James Brown.

Great voice

100% essential.

Fav song: I Don’t Mind

A good album. I’m not a huge fan of early James Brown. I think it was a bunch of crying and pleading. The music is great but you either love James Brown’s voice or you don’t. I’m not a huge fan. The audience screams were a bit much. But I will say that it did capture an early James Brown show with the energy.

Given what an energetic performer James Brown is, I was kind of surprised by how boring this was. It's basically the same mid-tempo song over and over again, set against a background of belligerent audience heckling

Short sweet and punchy it’s fun

Review - A good live R&B/funk album. I know from this list though that many better live R&B albums exist so this loses points based on that. Still, James Brown had a phenomenal voice and the performances are great. Score - 7/10 Need to listen? YES

Meh

Fantastic. Classic. Muchas guut.

Can't complaint about these vibes but, and maybe it's the recording, came through very screechy, volume was all over the place.

It's great to hear James Brown at such a legendary venue, The Apollo. His energy is unreplicated, as is the tightness of his backing band. I bet anyone who was there remembers this concert as a significant moment in their life! My only criticism is time. This album features older songs and not any "classic" James Brown tunes, as they weren't made yet. Still, his amazing delivery and soul is undeniable, so I can't blame him for not being able to time travel!

Its age shows. Its recording technology is dated. Its repertoire belongs to an earlier phase of Brown’s career. None of those criticisms meaningfully diminish the experience. This isn’t merely a great concert preserved on tape. It’s the album that redefined what a live album could be, and more than sixty years later, it still sounds like the room might explode before the final applause.

Banger🔥

This was super short. Got a sense of the energy but I like the later recordings I’ve heard better.

I just had to do this same type of review for MC5. And everytime I get alittle more annoyed than I was the last time. In fact the first few live albums I gave RAVING reviews for because, again, like albums and studio album are not the same and should NOT be on the same list. How is it fair to compare an album by an artist trying to create new and interesting music in a nice neat package, to this (an album that’s basically a greatest hits album performed by one of the all time greats not just for his genre but in music as a whole. It just feels so wildly unfair to bands like Primus who dont have a single album on this list? It isn’t bad album, I think it’s a pretty solid album with ALOT of energy and good vibes. But I just can’t get behind giving a good review to this album cause it legitimately feels unfair. I’m even considering going through all the live albums I’ve reviewed and giving them all a score of like 2 or three just to be fair. But again they are not all on that level of quality so I have to yet again give a mixed review to an album that …wait for it…. Yep… still shouldn’t be here…

Decent

I’m not hugely familiar with James Brown’s artistic trajectory, but I suspect that this was before the livelier songs that have remained in the public consciousness. The tracks here are good well performed, but feel much slower and from an older form of Soul/R&B than evolves later in the 60s. And as is the way with live albums, we get some versions far longer than original, and others only briefly referenced in a medley. And the audience’s incessant hooting and hollering is pretty annoying too (par for the course with American audiences I guess).

A fantastic time capsule of early 60s soul/R&B, and of James Brown relatively early in his career, prior to pretty much all of the tracks which are his most famous today. Barely half an hour long, Brown's total control of the crowd, and their increasingly wild responses to his high-energy performance, elevates the material, evidenced most strongly on the ten-minute-long version of ‘Lost Someone’. Whilst there are no weak tracks here, my favourite is probably the medley of eight (!) songs, bookended by his hit ‘Please, Please, Please’. Both Brown and his band/vocalists sound fantastic. Strong 4 stars.

Wow! Fast fun set. Great listen

Hmm, nice, old school Blues but too old for me

Pretty uninteresting and I don’t like live albums

Classic live R&B from a Classic himself.

Early JB, lots of passion and soul brother, decent album

Sorry men 20 minuter är inte ett album

James brown has a fun audience

Quite a solid live performance by the Godfather of Soul! Best: Medley; Night Train; Think Worst: Lost Someone

Nice blues with lots of screaming women

While I don't think that simply listening to a James Brown live recording does his performances any justice, I still got everything I would've really wanted from an auditory perspective on the experience. Just such an energetic and lively set. Snappy, jagged horn-driven proto-funk songs like 'Think' showcase Brown's undeniable talent for nonsensical vocal riffing. His regular vocal chops also get a lot of time to shine on the slower ballads, and especially on the giant 'Lost Someone'; the emotive straining on his voice here is very much Prince-esque. And he really earns the label "Godfather of Soul" on this song - just in the way he stretches and contorts this ballad to his own liking. And there's a lot of tension building on this song that doesn't get fully released - that is, until that one snare hit near the end and the seamless transition into the next song as the crowd goes ballistic. This album's one of those rare instances where the recording is way too short as well; this could've gone on for another half an hour, and I would've been fine. Probably because the pacing, sequencing, and dynamics of the setlist were exceptionally well curated - just constantly being hit with that hot/cold slow-ballad soulful cut versus upbeat funk track throughout, especially with the memorable medley on here. Recording sounds incredible too. Just a really solid live performance by one of the undisputed greats.

On parempiakin Brownin levyjä. ⭐️⭐️

This doesn’t feel like a very good representation of James Brown if I’m being honest. Obviously he’s a classic artist who should have multiple representations on this list (this is the first I’ve encountered so far), and this recording doesn’t seem to capture his magic. He doesn’t do a ton of his “hits,” and a lot of the first half of the album is his band noodling around and him doing slower ballads. By the time he starts in on some higher-energy songs, the album is over halfway through. It’s an extremely short album. Barely 30 minutes long. He plows through medleys of some of his songs, and then it ends, just as it all seems to be crescendoing. You’re left disappointed, but not because of Brown, just because this album isn’t really that good. It’s a weird entry for such a titanic figure for music.

This album is not my style at all, i didn't like most of the songs, some of them were good, but in general, i didn't like it.

220726 12:06 3

Pretty cool James is a great vocalist

James Brown's Live at the Apollo is a fascinating, gritty paradox of brilliant showmanship and rough production. From the moment Fats Gonder delivers his hype introduction, the album establishes a vibrant dance vibe. While tracks like "I'll Go Crazy," "Think," and "Lost Someone" absolutely shine through stellar vocals, infectious energy, and fantastic crowd work, the listening experience is heavily weighed down by terrible recording quality, repetitive instrumental bridges, and distracting technical glitches—especially on "I Don't Mind," which suffers from a poor ending vocal performance and awkward audio issues. Ultimately, it delivers an authentic, sweat-soaked live atmosphere, but its glaring flaws keep it from being a smooth listen.

It was fun to listen to but didn't really stick with me. High energy and no regrets, but I'll probably move on just as quickly

Nice to hear the Godfather of Soul, the hardest-working man in show business, at the top of his game before an adoring crowd. Good energy.

C'était sympa mais ça va pas changer ma vie

Trop criard

4/5

Que viva el blues

Een live-album verdient het meest zijn plaats in deze lijst als het iets biedt wat een studioplaat niet kan. Laatst liet The Who horen wat ze op het podium konden als ze niet beperkt werden door de vier muren van de studio. Het publiek was daarbij nauwelijks te horen, kennelijk deed dat er niet toe. Maar James Brown bestáát voor het publiek! Meteen springt de vonk over tussen hem en de zaal, er ontspint zich een vraag-en-antwoordspelletje dat erg aanstekelijk werkt. Natuurlijk het is ook dikke vette soul, het lijkt wel alsof het in die tijd zó uit de kraan kwam. Op zijn 29e stond James Brown nog maar aan het begin van zijn carrière, de allergrootste hits moesten nog komen. Maar hier horen we al hoe hij fantastisch los kan gaan. Terwijl intussen de zaal met hem meeleeft. Zijn latere rolletje als dominee in The Blues Brothers was hem kortom op het lijf geschreven: ook hier gaat hij voor in de hoogmis van de soul. Mis ik de grote hits? Een beetje. Maar dit is godbetert de enige plaat van Brown in de lijst, net zoals Otis Redding en Sam Cooke het maar met één album moeten doen in dit veel te nuffig-blanke snobboek. Dus geven we James Brown alles wat we kunnen, omdat hij dat zelf ook altijd deed.

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.

James Brown is natuurlijk wel een naam die je zou verwachten in een lijstje als dit. Omdat hij groot was in een tijd waar het nog niet heel gewoon was om een album uit te brengen, maar meer singles, snap ik dat er gekozen wordt voor een live album. We zien het dit keer maar door de vingers. We krijgen vervolgens lekkere funky soul te horen met de typische stem van James Brown. Dus uiteraard met enige regelmaat de 'heeeyy!' of 'wwooooowww' of wat James Brown dan ook kreunkrijst. Op Lost Someone is hij helaas niet de enige die dat doet, best irritant met al die gillende keukenmeiden. Het duurt maar een half uurtje en dat is meer dan genoeg. Hij mag dan af en toe iets teveel met zijn stem goochelen, maar het is wel genieten van kwaliteit. Het zit ergens tussen de 3 en de 4 in. Het is de enige plaat van de beste man, kom laat ik niet al te moeilijk doen. Ik zal vast nog genoeg minpunten uitdelen omdat het de zoveelste plaat van ariest X is. We maken er een 4 van.

I want to like this more than I actually do. But the album is more atmospherics than singing. There’s so much shouting—both from the audience and Brown (“Ow!”). Heh. In some ways, the backup singers are the best part.

Pas assez soul

This was special, thanks for this share

Fun show!

Incredibly locked in band

Awesome background music, great positive vibe and high energy. loved it. It's a shame he was so preoccupied with domestic violence. On another matter - there should be more 20 minute albums on this list!

Short and sweet, doesn't overstay it's welcome, but I could skip all the screaming please and thank you.

The whole group performance is what makes this such an impressive album. James Brown is a great entertainer but the mixing highlights the Famous Flames in a way that critics often miss.

Upbeat and vibey. An enjoyable listen with plenty of bops

Given that my main exposure to James Brown has been his late 80s novelty act appearance in the shambles of Rocky IV, it’s hard to quite get the level of adulation and female screaming that occur throughout this live album. Was he once a sex symbol? Were his dance moves so overpoweringly awesome that the women in the audience could not control themselves? From my perspective, it doesn’t seem to be the songs that make this happen. They’re solid, tightly delivered and they rattle along nicely, but there’s not much sense of the audience engaging with the music rather than the man. Nothing wrong with this as an album overall, but it’s hard to tell why it is presented as an essential listen.

mg la música en vivo y mg este jazz o capaz soul no se la dif!!! así que gran combinación palo hater

savo haat gwn op live albums.. het gejuich is alleen op begin en einde van de track. i mean t is gwn soul. als ik dit live zou horen zou ik t echt leuk vinden maar ik zou dit niet voor mezelf aanzetten

het geschreeuw en gejuich op de achtergrond is ZO zo afleidend

A nice chill soul album. There was a song but not on this album that plays in the GTA SA casino and that made me smile.

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.

me gustoooo

There are a couple very brief interludes of interesting instrumentation - the vocals are horrific.

Was pretty nice, album full of energy I like that it's a live show, so the people's noise and the euphoria that transmits the album it's incredible

two stars for the song tears also come on a twenty minute song is way to much

Pretty much what I thought it was. I liked it but didn't find anything new about it.

Interesting James Brown album. Not what I usually hear.

Absolutely classic even 60+ years later!!

fire! didn't finish it yet, but so far loved the experience of it really feeling like a live performance.. you can hear everything like damn near fans fainting and the slang of that time etc... it was like a time capsule of that time.

Not my vibe

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

There are a lot of reasons I don’t like live albums. This one invoked all of them. Thank God James Brown just has a really good sound. Anything lesssr and this would’ve been a one.

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

Actually not that bad !!! Very 60s background movie

Unequivocally the best live album of all time. I had heard about this record for years before finally hearing it. It lived up to the hype. Can’t imagine what it must have been like to see this band live.

2 Wow, the crowd sure was happy to be there

This is one of those records that garnered lots of accolades, but it doesn't resonate with me. The band is tight, but the songs are lacking from this era.

(4/5) Was this the best James Brown available? Really? I love James Brown, and owe him so much because he was the pioneer of many things that I truly adore (e.g., funk, soul, rap, hip hop, etc..), but this album is barely an appetizer. Yeah, he's electric on stage and gets the crowd going. The band is SO tight and collected, plus the arrangements highlight some of his work of that time, but **THAT IS IT**?? That's all the James Brown Dimery thought to include? Jesus Christ. For a live album, it's fine for what it's worth. I'm not a big fan of live albums, but I'll take whatever SCRAPS this ridiculous list will throw to me concerning actual, important music. This guy is the grandfather (apologies... Godfather.. 😉 IYKYK) of whole GENRES of music, with a decades long discography filled with iconic and important songs, and all we get is an OK live album that's way too short? Bullshit again, Dimery. Bullshit.

I was pretty excited to see James Brown come up on the feed this morning, as I'd heard a lot of his hits but never sat down with a full album. Unfortunately, I don't think this was the best option to do that with. It's got some good material, and he'd definitely developed his signature swagger by this point, but as live albums go I felt the production was not up to the task, giving it a muffled and faraway sound that broke the illusion almost immediately. At only 30 minutes (after the 1:48 introcuction), nearly a third of the runtime was devoted to the crowd pandering ad libs of Lost Someone (fun, sure, but not really conducive to repeated listing). It's still a 3/5 that prompted me to have a look at his expansive discography and dive a little deeper into this legendary artist.

141. James Brown Live At The Apollo - James Brown (1963) 7.13.26 Variety: 2 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 3 Uniqueness: 2 Emotionality: 4 = 3.2 rounded down to a 3 "My rhymes are so potent/ That in this small segment/ I made all of the ladies in the area pregnant" James Brown was a generational talent, with scores of amazing songs, and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. He was a trailblazer as a writer, singer, arranger, and bandleader most would argue the progenitor of THE FUNK. I love a lot of his music, but I honestly could not name a favorite album. If pressed I might say his soundtrack for The Payback, but his best stuff was spread very thinly amongst the insane umber of albums he produced ( upwards of 70+!!!) making not a one of them I've heard ( and I have barely scratched the surface really) feel that essential. This is one I heard a LONG time ago, based on it being lauded as the "greatest live album ever" by a lot of reputable sources. I recall liking it fine enough, but I don't like most live albums to begin with, and the material on this one was not his best stuff. Still, it was a live James Brown album, so it was still worth listening to for the experience alone. I'm not sure my opinion will have changed too much, but let's find out. THE TRACKS "I'll Go Crazy" - After a great introduction from our master of ceremonies, we get some nasty ( in a good way) swinging 60s guitar work and a blaring horn section that leads us into the song proper, with Brown and company immediately filling the room with the boundless energy and professionalism he was known for. Aside from the crowd noise throughout, this sounds like it could have worked just fine as an album cut. That said, whenever possible I like to compare and contrast the single/ album cut to the live version. A bit slower than the live version, and cleanly produced, it loses a bit of the energy, but sounds bluesier. And we end in a bit of a draw. "Try Me" - What a hot fucking crowd. Brown is getting Beatles reactions form this group. I can imagine his security guys must have earned their keep at this show. The album cut is much slower, richer, and fuller and benefits from the echoey production and the strings, and is the clear winner here. But then who ( besides the ladies in this crowd) want to hear a slow ass doo wop from the Godfather? "Think" - This one really moves, chugging along at a clip that makes this nearly half the length of the album cut! Brown must have had a very important appointment after this show that he just could not miss. The horn section are the stars here. And the hand claps... love those hand claps. This is a case where the energy and drive of the live version actually improves on the album cut. So much so that the album cut feels almost lifeless in comparison. Also - no hand claps. Boo! "I Don't Mind" - We get a low and slow, much more soulful one here. Brown teases the crowd with his delivery and we get the exact proper response in all the right places. The funky guitar and the backing vocals provide just enough scaffolding, with an assist by an organ. This one is very comparable to the album cut in tempo, which is fine, but lacks some of the stank Brown throws onto the live version. While it's impossible for his stuff to feel antiseptic, this does feel a bit boring when put side by side. "Lost Someone" - I listened to the album cut of this one first, and did not care for it. I want Brown in down and dirty mode, and this was the sort of thing best left to the Percy Sledges of the world. The live version here is an improvement in every possible way, with his iconic audience tease at the beginning, and a slower, more emotional delivery. The 10:44 run time vs the 3:22 of the original does not feel overdone or exhausting either. All the corers of this are opened up and explored, and with about 1000x more soulfulness. I didn't even mind the rollercoaster screams form all the ladies in the audience. This was obviously meant as the centerpiece, and is a prime example of Brown's audience control and sex appeal. By the time it ends, and leads right into the medley, they are eating out of the palm of his hand and the rest is gravy. I need to go cool off now. *whew* "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" - A fine medley as these things go, with Brown and company pretty seamlessly weaving things together, but the overall affect is that all the pieces seem less impressive. And one can't shake the feeling that maybe Brown called an audible here to make use of the remaining time. Dude was known for having absolute control of the stage and the players using physical cues to change things up on the spot. "Night Train" - This was ok, but felt like a pretty weak finale considering what we know of his highly theatrical encores. The jazzy ending felt like the band playing off a talk show host and was kind of a wet fart of an ending. The single wins out here by far with it's much more swinging feel, and the much easier to hear horns. Also it's way more recognizable as the instrumental that Marvin Berry and the Starlighters plays the instrumental song "Night Train" at the 1955 Enchantment Under the Sea dance, so... HIGHLIGHTS - "I'll Go Crazy" - "Think" - "I Don't Mind" - "Lost Someone" MIDLIGHTS - "Try Me" - Medley LOWLIGHTS - "Night Train" FINAL THOUGHTS A great historical document that I didn't connect to very strongly as pure musical experience. There were great moments to be sure ( "Lost Someone" was a revelation compared to the weak and sappy original) but overall, none of these songs would make it onto a best of compilation, even if I limited it to 100 tracks. When I think of all the stuff I love from him, almost all of it exists in his funk period, and so much of this is draws from his '58-'62 period. The ultimate appeal here is Brown himself, let loose onto an unsuspecting crowd of who are ready to swoon and melt at his electric charisma. Definitely worth hearing, and maybe essential to understanding his appeal, but not essential to enjoying his music. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - "Lost Someone" can stick around, but otherwise I'm fine with a greatest hits comp from Mr. Brown FURTHER LISTENING - Live at the Apollo, Volume II by James Brown - Etta James Rocks the House by Etta James - In Person at the Whisky a Go Go by Otis Redding - Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 by Sam Cooke

“I don’t know karate, but I do know crazy!” James Brown is one of those names that pops out from music history. Few have had such stage presence, it almost borders on cartoonish. Maybe that’s just me, I first encountered James Brown for the extravagant circus that was Apollo Creed’s “Living In America” entrance in Rocky IV. There would be more encounters for me. James Brown has such a singular voice and delivery. It’s a shame this is his only entry on this list. But he is primarily a singles act to me. This live album is surprisingly short, at just over 30 minutes. It has a rushed feel through the first two thirds. But Brown is bringing the energy and commands his crowd with swagger. It’s a fun 30 minutes I’ll give it that. Not his most well-known material but still funky enough to hit. Probably closer to a three for me, but I’ll give it a good nostalgia and recognition for the larger body of work not on the list bump. “The Payback” , though not on this album, will always take me back to driving around in GTA: San Andreas

As is often the case with live albums, if you weren't there, it's hard to really enjoy them. James Brown is great, and his music is fantastic. He and the audience had a blast. I even enjoyed the intro. But as the album went on, that feeling got lost on me a bit—precisely because I wasn't there. I prefer listening to Brown's studio albums. 3/5

He is the godfather of soul for a reason. You can feel his energy through the speakers.

James Brown is always fun. So much energy, just knocking em dead.

217. nice

James Brown was electric and insanely charismatic. I love a live album, but this just doesn't capture the energy he and his band had. Unfortunately not up there with the best, it left me feeling fairly empty.

Good

James Motherfucking Brown will ALWAYS get five stars from me.

Liked the rhythms on this album. Live is not usually something I like but it suits this music

that was pretty fun

Very nice

This could be good, I like James Brown's music. But the live aspect of the album makes it unbearable to listen to. Can people shut the fuck up and enjoy the music?

I cant imagine how hard this hit in 1962. You can tell James Brown was a true front man and could command a crowd. Listening as someone disconnected from the album though, the music left a bit to be desired. Nothing even negative, more "yep sounded nice, moving on"

I love his energy and enthusiasm. Truly o w of the greatest entertainers of all time. It’s just not something I would ever choose to listen to.

Everybody say Ow! Ok, now that I’ve got that out of the way, time for my thoughts on the album. Going in, I thought that James Brown was a big funk performer, but after listening to the album, I know now that he is more of an R&B guy. Listening to the album, I noticed a couple things, some of which made it so the album didn’t really click with me. First and foremost, Brown’s performance here is second to none. He really was one of the great performers, and he has a stage presence on this album that is all his own. The way he’s able to play off the crowd is very impressive, and it there’s any reason to listen to this album, it’s to see James Brown in his natural habitat. Second, and my main problem with the album, the amount of slow ballads on the album. Most of the songs besides I’ll Go Crazy, Think, and Night Train, my three standout tracks, were all these R&B ballads, which would have been fine if there weren’t so many of them. Lost Someone, which was 10 minutes, was a bit of a chore to get through, as the song continues without any jam or anything to break up the monotony. The ballads also felt like they could blend together sometimes, and they would end up sounding the same to each other. Overall, not really my style of album, so giving it a three is more of a personal take, but definitely a high three, since it could have been a lot worse, and there are definitely redeeming elements to this album that would make it a good listen to someone who enjoys this style of music. Now I’m gonna hop on the night train and head off to the next one!

With some albums I feel like given the artists body of work and/or long term significance there has to be at least one album included in the list. I feel this is the situation here and this in the only James Brown album in the list so a live album makes sense. Could have done without the live bit. His greatest hits album is 2hrs 30 so perhaps that's a bit much. Didn't know any songs in this album but here I am rating on body of work and who he is.

this was a fun album and even though James Brown is a terrible person, I did enjoy it a lot.

im sorry but honestly if i payed to hear this live, after the first song i would genuinely ask for my money back. tiene algunos elementos btw, pero no me gusto

This MIGHT become a 5 someday for me

I'm sure this was an awesome show to see in person. As with most live recording, this does nothing for me.

The hardest working man in show business Great soul album before bootsy delivered the funk Suffers like most live albums but still great

Ahhhhhh

I'm sure it was great if you were there - but not sure this recording does it justice. Does James Brown not have any good studio albums?

James Brown needs a Best Of featured on this list. This isn't it and the live element doesn't work. You can back picture him wandering off into the crowd at one point, which doesn't work when you're just listening. Crowd doesn't add much to the album.

This album is absolutely beautiful. I don’t usually listen to live albums—the FOMO is too much but—I’m so glad I got to listen to this one. I only know the James Brown songs that everyone else knows. But some of his more soulful songs like “Lost Someone” are just… phenomenal. It makes me think of the desperation of some Jonathan Richman songs; raw and authentic.

There’s a connection between the audience and the performer that must’ve been thrilling at the time. There certainly was an excitement to it and it’s an influential album, but it bored me to death. The consistent hyperdrive of the music wears on me. I prefer more restraint. Also his screams don’t charm me as they do for other people.

The first JB album I ever bought, and it made me a fan.

Not hitting like you'd think

Like the songs, don't usually like live performances

I like one song

No es mi tipo de música, supongo que es algo de su epoca

Звучит старовато, но энергия просто бьёт ключом, понимаешь из-за чего сходили с ума на его концертах

The band is great, but this one has always felt weirdly flat to me, compared to its reputation. Partly the recording seems inconsistent—parts sink and emerge, in an irritating not a good way. The audience are too quiet, contrary to the idea that hearing JB play at a Black theatre was a spiritual experience. I’m sure it was, but this recording doesn’t capture it for me (to the point where I’m slightly wondering if something is wrong with my earbuds?!).

Tracks to go back to: • Lost Somebody • Night Train • Please Please Please • I’ll Go Crazy • Try Me 7/2/26

I'd be livid if someone was screaming like that next to me at a concert.

It's fine and probably deserves its place on the list, but I'm not really into this album. The sound is kind of muddy and the audience reactions didn't make me appreciate the live recording. This is an album I may have enjoyed more if it weren't for the technical aspects. Favorite track: "I'll Go Crazy"

It’s James Brown, of course it’s good. Funky, smooth, soulful. A great live album. 4/5

Otrolig sångare, ok låtar

Ett album där live-faktorn faktiskt tillför något, men fortfarande inte något som höjer det över bara bra för mig.

Livealbum är ju alltid ett minus, men i detta fall är det ändå hanterbart. Bra artist iaf.

Nej detta gillade jag inte alls.

Very nice

Expected: Funk Got: Blues Whatever 🤷

Another record that was way ahead of its time. You can hear that the funk was absolutely coming, even way back in 1962 (the time of recording). The Godfather of Soul is on the top of his game here, wailing and grooving, and the crowd is loving every second. It's a great selection of his early hits, and one of the best early live R&B albums around.

Tässä oli jotain kivaa, mut livelevy ni emmätiiä

Selkeesti naisilla kostuu pikkarit, mutta omat Danish Guyt pysyy vielä jalassa.

Ihajees.

Tää oli kova! Innostuin James Brownista aikanaan Blues Brothersin myötä, ja kyllähän tässä yhtä kovaa ajoa on kun leffassakin.

Grooovayyyyy

This was disappointing

P good

not excited about live albums, James is a classic but this album is not.

i feel like i already heard this?

Very fun. James Brown Rocks

Fantastic energy and musicianship. Good live shows are something else, and we are fortunate that Mr. Brown had the gumption to pay for this recording out of his own pocket. I'd only heard his hits, so all the slower, soulful songs he performed at the Apollo that night were a surprise and a treat. RIP James Brown.

I have to say that I was a little disappointed in this album. When I think of James Brown, I think of super high energy performances. This particular live album had a couple of high energy songs, but most of it was slower. I felt like I just didn't get the vibe of the performance from the album. Having said that, his band was amazing. It was ok, but didn't live up to my expectations.

YOOOO

walk in, tear the roof off, walk out. simple as. the recording quality is a bit rough, and some of the musicians sound a bit knackered, but the energy is palpable.

groovy

Groovy

Cocaines a hell of a drug

I find the screaming of the audience disturbing. Not a fan, the highs are hurting my brain

It was good, I enjoyed it, there was just a lot of screaming from the crowd. I’m just not huge on live albums.

Bluesy soulful live rock that influenced the future of music.

Are you ready for star time? I might've gone through a short James Brown phase in high school thanks to a friend of mine who was even more fired up by old school funky jams. I spent most of my time with greatest hits and anthology compilations, never did pick up James Brown Live At The Apollo. The man could write a bop and knew how to pick other songs to perform as his own. This is pre-godfather era Brown earning his hardest working moniker. The pace is a brisk 31:31 to move through 11 tracks — it's almost fast enough to forget about how he conducted himself off stage, but not quite.

lovely instrumentals

James Brown is another music icon that I am not familiar with (besides the video of his iconic entrance in that one concert). Curious! The intro makes me think it's gonna be a dancey album, second track changes my mind, third one changes it again. Okay so this is all over the place in the best way ever. Okay, a bunch of 2 minute songs followed by a 10 minute one. Why the hell not. He makes it work. The medley towards the end also works well, but doesn't hit the same way at first listen. Still great, the ending especially. It is impossible to not be energized by the closer though. I never have much to say when I like an album. This was great! Fun! Listen to it!

Terrific live album. There are bands like this where a studio album can’t capture the magic of a live set so concert recording makes sense. My issue with concert albums is I miss the visual experience more than I would if it was a studio album and it ends up feeling like it’s lacking. Still amazing.

Was really excited for the idea of this, thinking it would be a 4/5 but found it largely uninspiring in the end.

Had high hopes but was v disappointed:( Some nice moments but the soul did not touch my soul. And far too much screeching from both James and the audience which made for an unpleasant listening experience.

James Brown didn't need to mog to aura farm

Enjoyed but also sad James brown makes me sad

Don't know how to rate a good album when the person is an asshole

Iconic. Really interesting dispersal of songs, having a bunch of little bits at the start and then all the meat at the end. The crowd really got into it too, this sounds like such a fun and emotional night

Wow, this is real music. The instrumentation on all of these tracks are just out of this world, as is Brown's voice. In terms of audience immersion in the performance, this reminds me of Cash's Fulsome Prison album; both men just have their audience totally in awe of them. All of the tracks are great for the same reasons really; Brown "Think" stood out the most for me, with it's opening brass sections and clapping making for something that really spoke to me; it had incredible energy that I just found infectious. "Lost Someone" was, for all it's length and casual pace, also beautiful, Brown really sounding like the lyrics come straight from his heart. His engagement with the audience was also fantastic to hear and really added to the song. Overall, ther1e wasn't a single track I didn't like for one reason or another and it was probably one of the most heartfelt albums I've heard on this journey so far, which is ironic, considering who he was and how he conducted himself. Despite who he was (an abuser of his band and his lovers), he was one hell of a performer. That much cannot be denied.

Barnwell, South Carolina native James Brown was a bad person. He was, simultaneously, the greatest showman of the rock & roll era, and possibly the most influential recording artist of all time. James Brown gave the greatest concert I ever attended and I still measure all live music next to that performance thirty years later. James Brown stole his greatest musical rival Joe Tex’s girlfriend, dated her for a month or so, then wrote the man a letter saying “hey I’m done with your girl. You can have her back now.” When Joe Tex made fun of Brown at a concert, Brown went to the club Tex was partying at after the show dual-wielding shot guns and shot up the place, killing some hogs kept out back. His guys later passed out money to people to get them not to make a thing out of it. I had the great privilege of attending Mr. Brown’s funeral. Everyone there was completely despondent. We all knew that life would never be the same without him. I looked around and saw nothing but silent weeping and utter despair as they slowly lowered him into the ground. Just as the coffin was about to reach the bottom of the grave, damned if the lid didn’t burst open, funky horns blared, James Brown jumped 20 feet in the air to land next to the coffin, fresh as a daisy, and lived another 20 years. That’s showmanship!

One of the best live albums ever

fun album

Early James Brown. Would've liked later, crazy James Brown more.

fun funky fresh

31 minutes of pure unbridled charisma.

I liked this live album quite a lot as you could just close your eyes and imagine so easily that you are in that concert as one of the hundreds of screaming girls.

So people actually paid for and went to a 30-minute concert? We complain that ticket prices for live events have inflated, but this makes me think that the runtimes have, too. Nice. More to the point, this was a chill listen, but there's something about listening to live concert recordings that I don't quite enjoy.

Pretty good - james brown sounds great on this but the songs are fairly generic and slow. Enjoyed the medley near the end

James Brown, in general, is amazing, and this album is too, but it is very short. The jivy tunes are quite good, but didn’t get developed too good.

Never had i listened to a James Brown album (or even song appart from i feel good i guess), and yeah i can see where people are coming from when saying that he's one of the most influencial artist ever. Pretty boring tho. Got hyped during the first song when the brasses came on during the anouncement, but that's pretty much it. I know its a recording from the early 60s, but damn, all i heard was the bassist, and sometime JB's voice coming from the left. Not my shit, -1 for being an asshole, +1 for basically being the first musician ever

Not the usual stuff I’d listen to, but this was an amazing live album. Great performance, great energy, and a lot of fun to listen to.

Brilliant short live album from the Godfather of Soul with really tight backing band. This was a joy to listen to. 4 stars

I just have one thing to say, THAT voice.

Good stuff

eh pretty good but the people in the audience were overreacting

Nobne of the songs stood out, but there was a lot of urgency, riffing, grooving and much faster than I'd normally associate with James Brown. Preferred it to the later stuff because less huffing and puffing.

An interesting historical document but not the energy I was expecting and I don’t think I would listen again.

performance made this album better

Could have skipped this album easily Iconic voice, some great moments and parts but ultimately, it was a hard listen. Maybe it’s a night time listen. Middle Of the Road