James Brown Live At The Apollo

Great! One of those albums that just feels classic, the 10 minute one got a bit dull though

Very cool. Like funk before funk was a thing (because it's surprisingly un-funky). Still interesting and great vocal/instrumental performance.

Where are the hits, wicked band Think

James Brown! James Brown! He still is the godfather of soul y'all Also I don't get the people who say crowd noise distracts on live albums. I love it, it adds energy to the recordings

I like jazz enough but its one of those things that lose so much of its appeal once recorded. live jazz is always a 5/5, but this one gets a 3

Didn't love it, didn't hate it - jazz isn't really my thing but it was nice to give it another try.

He's pretty cool

Great album and a classic for sure but not my favorite James Brow. No Maceo Parker or Clyde Stubblefield.

This album is not bad exactly, but it isn't interesting either.

James Brown makes his first appearance on the list with this live album recorded in 1962. The internet has an interesting story explaining why the album wasn’t released on CD until 1990, as the master tape was hading in “the vault”. It seems this album had great historical significance, but for me it was just ok.

This is another nice album cover. I'd put it on my wall! However, I can't believe it's another live album. Horrible. This is an extra weird album choice because I do know a few James Brown songs from the Rolling Stone top songs list, yet none of them are here! Also, why are all the live albums on here so old? Were there simply more live albums back in the day (because the sound quality was just bad regardless, so why not)? The songs are at least short. Well, except that 11 minute one. The horns/drums are good. Although this is considered "R&B", it seems more like oldies to me. The instrumental bridges are my favorite part. No hooks. But nothing particularly unlikable either. According to Wiki, James Brown had 9–13 children. (I myself only have 0-4 children.)

Low 3

Fine

#76/1001 🇺🇸 What a thrill it must have been to see JB in his prime. This is a perfect snapshot of one of his live shows, his band sound amazing and the crowd is justifiably wild for him. I like this as much for the players in the band as his voice. Some of the instrumental breaks between tracks are brilliant. Best Tracks: Lost Someone, Think, Instrumentals...

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

4 out of 5 The Godfather of soul. Very fun and short live album. Great tracks.

Such beautiful songs performed so tightly. The band performing with Brown is very precise. I don’t usually love live albums but I think maybe the energy of the crowd is necessary to understanding James Brown. I enjoyed listening to this a lot.

amazing. translates to current day

Maybe the best single live perfomance by an artist ever. The guy was incredible on vynyl but live he was something else.

Solid but not the best rendition of JB

11 songs in 31 minutes? James Brown really is the hardest working man in show business. Fats Gonder is going to be my new alter ego. I like James Brown in general, but this is not my favorite album. I picture him doing James Brown stuff during the bridges and feel like this album is missing a visual medium. Five two minute songs, a 3 minute song and a six minute song crowded around an 11 minute song. The audience participation is hilarious.

Amazing sounds. A time capsule, yes - I can believe (with awe) that this is what was played and sung at a performance in 1962. I can believe that MC5 and many, many others were consciously inspired by it. What strikes me most strongly is that these sounds and this performance would work so well today! It is far more contemporary than many much later recordings - hardly dated at all, in key elements. (Edit: but actually not very appealing for re-listens.) The songs themselves are somewhat overshadowed by the performances of them - they are not going to be my favourite songs ever. But the album as a whole is Good, 7/10.

I mean....................................................................................................................................

Pretty nice listen, especially for a live album.

Classic album. Required listening.

Fun high energy album!

What can you say? It's not the years of "Sex Machine", but it is still the hardest working man in show biz James Brown, and his band is so tight that the coal in your pocket just turned into a diamond. The choice of a live album to represent the greatness of James Brown and his band was the right one, as he never had a super solid studio album, and most of his best songs were released as singles. It was the live experience where you could see the lightning crackling off his form as he roamed the stage and wove the audience around his finger. Funk and Soul for ya brothers and sisters. That 31 minutes flew by. I think another reviewer said it best, "This absolutely belongs on this “must hear” list, a wonderful time capsule of music from an earlier era. It is notable that this album was recorded before the Civil Rights Act, before the Beatles, before JFK’s assassination. A dramatic recording from a dynamic time."

I'm mean, ya super fun. Short set lol

Just not my thing for some reason

It’s great to have documents like this so we can hear how pure and vital live music used to be. It really is too bad that we don’t get music performers doing this kind of thing anymore with a large ensemble. It’s so unfortunate that the art of rehearsing, arranging and performing live with a large ensemble does not happen because of the financial constraints. All the rich people of the world should invest in making art like this possible again instead of blowing all their money on their useless and bullshit lifestyle. This album is the truth. Real music made by real people.

One of the best all time albums

Normally not huge on the live versions, but this was solid

Yeah I get it now

Really good album, wasn’t sure why it was the live version specifically but totally understood after listening. Great live performance and fun music

A privilege to listen to such a great performance live.

I wasn't quite as blown away by this as I expected to be. It's good, of course, and the band are super tight, but it only really gripped me on the more up tempo numbers.

Love James brown

1.5 stars Maybe this was something worth listening to at the time. But I would never listen to this again. Live music with low sound quality, songs that have not stood the test of time, and screams from the audience for every wail he makes that don’t translate in the modern era. It’s a historical document that does not provide for an interesting listen.

Live crowd reaction creates so much more emotion. The gentle crowdplay, some songs the crowds so loud they’re practically singing with James and then others their absolutely silent. James browns vocal range is that of what I wish my fuel range was in my personal vehicle. Light audio buzz brings it all together. Favourite Song: I Don’t Mind

Estuvo bien, me gustó lo de las transiciones

First time I've had a collection of classic rock that's a live setting and I think it helps things. I did feel like this was a little more restrained than the James Brown I expected, but I enjoyed listening to him work the crowd. None of the songs themselves particularly stood out. I rarely say this, but it might have been a little too short. By the time I think the performance really gets going, it's over.

Hardest working man in slow business

First listen

Stone cold classic. Not heard for a while but reminded of how soul influenced it is, pre-funk

I need more funk.

I feel like James Brown was meant to be captured live. This almost doesn't last long enough too, clocking in at roughly 31 minutes. James Brown speeds along with the help of the Famous Flames (who perform incredibly well here too). Basically charms the crowd the entire time too (which sounded like it was 100% composed of women. Or perhaps the men were that enchanted by him too?). Enjoyable live album overall that probably could've used more.

Killer set from a soul legend himself. Really sets the tone for what a live show of his would actually be like which is incredible.

If I witnessed this live, 5 stars.

Dramatic opening. Extremely professional. Too short to give a true reflection the live experience.

Me sorprendió porque imaginaba iba a ver funk y claro, por la fecha, era más soul. Pero qué onda tenía el tipo. Un fenómeno. 7/10

James Brown has such a recognizable voice, not a huge fan but I can appreciate his music 2.5

I'm more of a fan of his Deep Funk stuff... and of course his shotgun antics too

johnny this is how you do a live album

2/5

I know that James Brown was arrested on multiple occasions. Was one of those times for having too much soul? I guess that's why he has nicknames such as The Godfather of Soul and Soul Brother Number One because goddamn... This performance was magnetic and I didn't know a damn song. Obviously the James Brown Apollo shows were legendary I just kinda assumed some of his biggest hits would be on here...NOPE. Didn't even matter. This man owned that room and for 1962 the recording was quite good. Amazing really.

Artiste connu uniquement par le tube 'Get on up', moyennement apprécié. Cet album est plus vieux, plutôt blues. Les parties rapides sont assez entrainantes (+1), et les morceaux sont en général plutôt courts, ce qui permet d'éviter de lasser. Malheureusement les 2 exceptions sont à 6 et 10 mn, et là l'ennui vient vite : "Lost Someone" est interminable et musicalement sans intérêt (terriblement répétitif et lent) ... mais le public semble apprécier. Pas de seconde écoute pour moi. =>2/5

I’ve owned this a couple times over the years on different formats, and it’s one of the great live albums; James Brown at the top of his game in front of an enthusiastic and vocal audience who feel very much like they’re part of the show. Crank it loud and it’s irresistible. 9/10

Great album! I wouldn't mind a bit better audio quality, and a longer album, but great music, lots of fun.

I mean, who doesn't know James Brown? I can't say I've heard any of the songs on this album before, which is all the more surprising considering its his only album on the list. • I really like the hits in I'll Go Crazy • Hearing how loud the crowd gets at the start of Try Me reminds you of how big James Brown still was at this time, before most of his biggest songs released • I like the instrumental breaks being on seperate tracks • Lost Someone is a nice change of pace. It's funny how much longer it is than the other songs (over a third of the album is this one song), but it never feels like it drags. I like the back and forth between James Brown and the crowd around the 7 minute mark. • The transition between Lost Someone and the medley was crazy • I almost didn't realise the last track had started, the introduction to Night Track flowed just as smoothly as any of the transitions in the medley This is a fun listen, and with its historical context (being the first live recording of James Brown) I can see how it earned a place on this list. For a 64 year old recording, it sounds very good. It's obviously not pristine, and there were a couple of moments where the sound suffered, but on the whole it sounds great. I do wonder whether Live at the Apollo Vol. II would be more fitting on this list, with it having more of his biggest hits to ease new listeners in (e.g. Cold Sweat and Man's World), but honestly I feel like the real issue is that, of all artists, James Brown probably deserved more than one album. Still, I have to give this album props for what it is, and that is a really solid (albeit short) live album. Favourite song: Think

Number: 69 Date: 03/09/2026 Artist: James Brown Album: James Brown Live At The Apollo Year: 1963 Genre: Funk Soul Rating: Notes: Before: Awesome, James Brown! I love James Brown! I'm not familiar with this album though. I don't see any songs I recognize on it. During: 3 Introduction 4 I'll Go Crazy 3 Try Me 4 Think 3 I Don't Mind 3 Lost Someone 3 Medley (Please..., You’ve Got….) 3 Night Train ----------------------------------------------------- 3.25 AVERAGE After: My favorites were Instrumental Bridge #1, #2, & # 3; however they were each only about 10 seconds long. I wish there had been more of that. I don't think this album is his best. I am surprised to see he only has one album on this list. He is one of the few artists I think deserve more than one album here. I know there has got to be a better representation of his work out there. 3 - my personal rating 4 - suitability for this list 4 - relevance ----------------------------- 4 - composite rating

Early stuff is way more R&B than funk/Soul but it's still great. The audience screams add to the overall feel rather than detracting from it.

I liked this it was smooth and powerful and the best at that hardcore, cuts deep, soul voice that James Brown obviously does best.

I really love live albums like this, where it's not just a knock off for extra sales, but an example of the artist really in their element, I really enjoy how you can hear the back and forth between the crowd and the band, the energy he whips up, and ofc all the tunes are pretty solid bangers. James Brown - another problematic fave!!

James Brown is one of the greatest of all time in my book. The guy basically invented funk and soul, but I always think about him as one of the first artists with a rockstar presence and attitude. I love these live albums from the old clubs and theatres in New York (possibly my favorite album ever is Sam Cooke at the Harlem Square Club, 1963). They just have such an infectious feel-good energy to them.

Pretty great sound. He's got confidence in spades, that's for sure. He feeds off the energy of the crowd, for sure. It's almost like the lyrics and what he says is far secondary to the performance and the energy. He's a great and talented singer, but the draw is the totality of the performance itself. This album works great as a live album. I don't think it would be as enjoyable without hearing the sounds of the audience. It's still great, but the synergy is a requirement for this album. It's obviously less polished than a studio album, but that just adds to its appeal.

Another one that puts you right in the live atmosphere. This is a classic from a legend. Rounding up.

I rarely say this with records on this exercise, but…gimme more. I felt a little cheated on this one as it was over just as I was starting to feel it. But it was still a good listen. Men want to be him, and clearly women want to be with him as exhibited with lots of swooning going on. Lots of legacy with this album and the man himself. From the Apollo to appearing in Rocky IV just over twenty years later. How’s that for a career arc?

Hot start to the week. More bands should start shows with formal intros. Although I bet Bruno Mars does it and it’s probably fucking lame

I came into this thinking I would love it and would be an instant high rating. It was certainly well performed and some enjoyable songs but didn’t land at the level I was expecting. And some songs (I’m looking at you Lost Someone) were too long. This is prob harsh but deducting points for what I was expecting and what I got. I guess I like my James Brown with a little more miles on the tires. 3.5

This is an album best listened to in a hot tub... TOO HOT! The Hardest Working Man in Show Business deserves nothing less than 5* 4/5

no me gusta cuando son grabaciones de concierto tampoco me llamo la atención

A a James Brown fan I was disappointed by this. It's a pretty short album (just over half an hour), with 10 minutes dominated by the call-and-response Lost Someone, which I don't love. The crowd can be a bit too loud in places, and none of the tracks are bangers. That said, it is James Brown, and the album he recorded with his own money to demonstrate the live experience, so important in his history.

Dobar lajv, ali sam možda očekivala malo više. Nisam prije slušala. 2/5, 3/10

I’m walking away from this album with an overall positive impression of James Brown but I’m sure there’s a better starting place than a 30 minute live set

This guy was bringing the bops to kids that didn't feel represented by the Beatles. The audience simply goes nuts for him and the music is a fun listen

After a few days of mid albums, this was such a relieve. I liked the instrumentals and the way James Brown sings.

I like a bit of James Brown, and this was definitely a bit of James Brown. It was an earlier, more soulful version of him than I’ve heard before, and he’s without the same level of attitude or the funk that he became famed for. I enjoyed it but doesn’t feel like peak James Brown to me.

Love the energy the crowd brings to this one. The transition from Lost Someone into the Please Please Please medley is overwhelming.

There's no one like him. Great album that captures, as best as a recording can, the way he could enthrall the audience. Not something I would put on a lot, but a cool time capsule to a great performing that the amazing band he put together.

Amazing vibe, super nice recording and really mood-setting

Whenever I think about James Brown, which is fortunately not terribly often, I spend a few minutes googling trying to understand the story of what happened to his body after he died, but I always come back with more questions than answers. I also think about Rocky IV which is more pleasant.

Bit too much audience noise for my taste, but I can see that being a draw for some people.

It was really good and very high energy. I did get a bit bored towards the end though.

It’s James brown. Exactly what I expected. Don’t like it.

Live is a whole different ball game. Only a pro can pull it off! Could've done with less screaming though!

The first half was awesome, very energetic. I enjoyed the second half significantly less. But luckily it’s not a very long album.

Veel energie, wat te weinig muziek

Respect, but I won’t listen to this until I host a dinner party, which probably won’t happen for another ten years

Respect

I like James Brown but enjoy his more like hype coke fueled songs more lol

The way this album was recorded added a great deal to this album. You can hear some conversations and commentary from the club, which makes it truly feel like you're almost there. Musically, James Brown is a legend. It's not exactly my kind of music but I can appreciate what he's contributed to so many different genres of music.

Just not my thing.

James Brown is crazy talented and I enjoyed the live album aspect and hearing the crowd go wild. In terms of actually enjoying the music- it kind of leaves me cold for some reason. I think funk just isn’t my favourite.

Fun listen, so much energy, loved hearing the screaming crowd. Nice recording quality for a live album and dude can sing, impressive vocals for a live recording.

C'était cool et rapide, après pas exceptionnel

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.

honestly enjoyable

favorites: sleeping gas; treason

Ok

Best Song: I'll Go Crazy. I wish the rest of the album had this must energy. The instrumentals are incredibly punchy here. Worst Song: Lost Someone. This really feels like a "had to be there" song, as the audience feels like they are hanging on his every word, but at the same time getting in the way of enjoying the recording. Overall: James Brown's singing ability is obviously excellent, and yet it felt like this live album didn't let it really shine. The mix was a bit off, with too much crowd and instrumental noise. It's fine to listen to, but there are better James Brown albums, hell: there are better live James Brown albums recorded at the Apollo.

It was OK I wasn’t that big of a fan. I feel like he was grunting too much. It did feel like you were at a live show though so that was cool. I’d give it a three.

Probably a historical and valuable album. Didn’t mind its a live performance, probably thats the beauty of it, but it just didn’t click with me at least on a first listen. Will probably give it another try.

To be honest, I never really got into James brown because his vocal style never really appealed to me. That said, I thought this was a decent live album. The musical instrumentation stood out the most for me.

In terms of importance and historical interest, this album is amazing. It's very rare to see interaction with audiences feel so real, where the push and oull of stage presence to an audience is palpable, and this record really shows it. As Robert Christgau noted in his review of the album, it estaished "Brown as an r&b superstar and a sales force to be reckoned with, it's a time capsule, living testament of a chitlin circuit now defunct." In this way, the album is important to listen to, and should be listened to for years to come. In regards to the music though? I'm not a fan. The soul and funk that came to define James Brown's work isn't fully developed yet, and while his stage presence and mannerism are immaculate, there are only so many times I can hear him scream, get excited, only for him to switch into crooning mode. It's not terrible, but the songs are not for me, and despite it being a live album there still feels like control is needed, like Brown isn't fully committing style wise (unlike a similar album released around the same period). Overall, it's an historically important album, but not a good album.

Only played it once but enjoyed it. Will probably go back to it. It’s James Brown what’s not to like

I didn’t care for this live show. Not sure how it made this list. Surely there are better James Brown albums than this?

Not his best work

Pas trop mon genre. J'aime bien quand il screame?

Quelle bête de scène… quoique je persiste à dire que les albums live c’est pas pour les neophytes d’un artiste.

James and the band are so hot on this show. Incredibly tight. I've heard a few James Brown albums but they don't come close to the energy of the live band. The fanfare where they introduce the songs is genius. The sounds of the screaming girls is so classic and fantastic.

James Brown is a foundational artist who only put out fantastic funky music. One can never tire to his sound.

Funky and sweaty. I don't think I've ever seen a picture of James Brown where he isn't sweating, and it sounds like he is on this album too. Tight and nonstop, although funk type of music isn't my go to, this was good, he really was working it and it was working for me. Highlights: Medley

never heard of him before and I was honestly surprised, really good sound live, and he got the audience mad fer it! not really my type of music but i'm definitely downloading this album, it's a no skip. the transitions are really clear and his voice is imposing! the band sounds really good in my opinion. the only bad thing i find here is the low quality of the audio, it's from 1963. a solid 4/5. favorite tracks: all of them, they are all connected to each other. i love this type of things, must have been crazy to be there.

I appreciate James Brown but not sure this album is worthy of a spot in the T1001. I am confused why so many live albums appear on this list. Rarely do they capture the essence of the artist or the power of the performance. And they're often a greatest hits album, which isn't a fair comparison to the other albums on the list. This album on the other hands is almost pre-stardom and has only one or two true JB songs. That said, James sings his ass off and I'm sure it was an entertaining show, but I don't see this as a must-hear album. The crowd sounds like they're into it, but it sounds like screaming girls. At 31 minutes, it was brief, as an avid concert-goer I would have burned the place to the ground if I paid for a ticket and got 30 mins of music. One song was over 10 mins long ("Lost Someone") so that's cheating! Entertaining but really, not an essential album, this was before he hit it big and had actual hit songs beyond "Try Me". 2.5 stars.

Somehow, this record makes James Brown seem kind of "generic and boring"! What in the world!

Not at all what I expected from a James Brown album. A good album but not one I'll listen to very often

I like James Brown, but I wasnt the biggest fan of this one. Think I will check out some more of his stuff anyway tho.

listening to this makes me wish i was there, which sounds like the dumbest most 10-year-old sounding way of saying i liked it, but actually i found that feeling almost working against the album because i could sense what a difference actually being in the room would have made and it just turned into sincere FOMO

James Bram, no doubt, is a talented musician and entertainer, and the musicians on this album are all great. That said I just don't see myself ever putting this album on again. I didn't mind listening to it but it's not something I would probably go back to. Two stars.

- 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.

It's a hell of a performance - but it's so of it's time, 11 tracks and four are intros or bridges

I'm not generally a fan of live albums. Some prove me wrong (MC5, for example) but this one hasn't budged that needle for me at all. I love, love, love live music but the albums that profess to be like you were there always leave me wanting (except MC5, did I mention that?)

Just good fun, bet that atmosphere was sick.

Makes me wanna dance!… Which does nobody any good?

Mucho grito jaja una leyenda. Le doy 3/5.

That's not fully my vibe. But I can recognize and appreciate the power over crowd.

Pretty cool. Not sure how he does that with his voice. The people really were screaming! Only 30 min though? Did he leave after? Didn’t recognize any of the songs, but they were good

Very nice and different than others!!

Just not in the mood right now, lovely album

This was great and over too soon. Really great!

Rhythm section merchant. I understand why people would like this but I overdosed

He’s James Brown and he’s super bad (in the good way).

So electric felt like I was there!!

You can hear the excitement of the audience. Brown is so dynamic and soulful. Must’ve been great to hear in person

C'mon - James Brown. This is music that my dad introduced me to and I've heard these versions of several of these songs before. Pitchfork: 10.0 Rolling Stone: Top 500 Albums #54 Best Songs

визжащие девочки мешают (<-лицемерие), но сами песни и вокал тоже не заинтересовали

dont hurt them james...

Introduction and Theme - 3.5/5 I'll Go Crazy - 4/5 Try Me - 3.5/5 Think - 4/5 I Don’t Mind - 4/5 Lost Someone - 4/5 Medley - 4/5 Night Train - 4/5 A funky, action-packed half hour that you can feel the sweat dripping off of James Brown's head. Him riling up the crowd definitely adds to the experience. He leans a bit more into the crooner side of his work, which I think is interesting since at this time he hadn't even come out with his most popular work yet. Great live performance. Overall: 4/5 Favorites: Lost Someone, Medley

Right before I listened to this Sally told us James Brown was a wifebeater so that was fresh on my mind. Very solid album though! Faves from the first listen: - I’ll Go Crazy - I Don’t Mind I liked that it was a live album. The screaming during Lost Someone was fun though, fangirls are forever ❤️

Wel sfeerig, wel wat schreeuwerig soms. Favo is night train. Voor zondagochtend misschien

Sferig

If it's good enough for the hundred-something women screeching at the top of their lungs whenever he breathes in their direction, it's good enough for me. He's saying the same ten things over and over (seriously, take a shot every time he says "I love ya, baby"), but he says them with a voice that could make a goulash recipe sound like it came straight from gospel. The band behind him gets into some incredibly funky antics and I was too distracted by the saxophones to realize he was saying the same ten things over and over until about halfway through the album. Basically, a good voice and a couple saxophones worth of saxophone bonus points can carry a record for me. Anyways, fun fact: you can hear someone faintly say "James, you're an asshole" about 14 minutes into the album.

I wish we had better recordings of this era. They all deserve better sounding records. In some live recordings from this time frame you get the feeling that it was so much better being there. It was. I saw him live in the early 00's and even at his age he gave us the James Brown show. The call and response you hear, him doing the going to his knees and popping back up. Still did it. This isn't even the era of his biggest hits! I hope there is another of his albums on the list. As good as this is I know there is better.

This album made me very happy. You want to move to this type of music.

3/5 Good album.

No bad tracks, but didn't have the same energy as his other studio or live albums

A live album isn’t a best of album, it a best of live performance. Another case of not wanting to put a best of compilation so you give em a live album since they don’t actually have a BEST album.

I gotta hand it to this album, the sound quality was great. Too bad it’s just another shitty live album.

живенько очень

Funky. Groovy. Not my go to

Album Review 070 James Brown Live At The Apollo by James Brown (1963) Rating 5/5 Arguably the best live album ever recorded and certainly one of the most influential. Not much else to say aside from it being an essential listen.

Lovely, infectious. Felt more than 31 minutes in a good way

Listened previously. Expectations: High - Verdict: Very Good - The energy is off the charts on some parts of this. Even without being there to see the performance you can feel it through the music. Iconic voice. Not as mind blowing as I remember but very, very good nonetheless.

8/10 very fun jazzy songs

I had a hard time getting into this one. Couldn’t keep my attention.

слабо но через лет 40 мб зайдет

A decent live soul album. None of his hits are here but there's a good energy to the performances.

It’s James Brown, you do what you are told. It might be a wet Wednesday morning in February but I Feel Alright because the god of soul told me so.

8/10

A little before the era of James Brown’s music that I actually enjoy but it’s not too bad.

Is there a second hand smoke equivalent for cocaine?

The screaming crowd is really annoying. Don’t get why it needs to be a live album for this list, JB recorded enough classic stuff in his time. Takes it down from a 4/5 to a 3

Great album. Performances, arrangements, energy, all 5 stars. No notes.

Sounds like it would have been fun to be there.

Классика Не моё Как лайв круто

Big fan of James Brown and understand the historical relevance of the album. Huge detractors to rate it higher is the length and song selection for the album version; it’s just a sampler of the impact of his live show.

5/10

Good Album and more my style.

Lots of fangirling in the background

Cocaine is a hell of a drug.

Not bad not great. I liked a couple songs here but most of it was too repetitive. I also hated the song where he keeps making the crowd scream.

Short and unremarkable, perhaps the most forgettable album yet. Not a single song really stood out

Perhaps the only experience above listening to a James Brown album is attending a performance by the man himself. This album is as close as you can get, and for that it receives high marks. Brown's voice is dripping with life and passion, and the Famous Flames provide a great funky soundtrack to match. Further, the fanfare of the crowd adds to the appeal of the experience and the live nature of the recording is clear, never detracting from the audio.

I was heavy into James Brown for a few years in high school for some reason. Totally respect what he's doing here. He's the ultimate showman. But I just don't find myself coming back to his music these days.

Listening to this, I had to wonder why the Apollo couldn't give James Brown like 45 minutes? Maybe an hour? It's crazy how much he crams into this. Pre-funk James Brown is less interesting to me, but I never knew him as a teen idol until I heard all the screams from the audience. He's great of course, and this is a fascinating document of a moment in time. 3.5 stars.

Fun

Love albums are a bit hit and miss, but James brown is always a banger

Minus 2 for domestic abuse

Un disco divertido. Me gustó. Creo que es uno de esos discos icónicos de la música por lo que representa. Se que el Apollo es un recinto en donde se han presentado los mejores artistas de la comunidad afroamericana en Nueva York, entonces creo que la grabación de este disco fue algo sin precedentes. Al escuchar el disco sientes como si te remontaras a los 60's y al tipo de conciertos en vivo que se acostumbraban en esa época. Escuchar los gritos, aplausos y vitoreo del público hace que te sientas ahí mismo en el Apollo escuchando a Brown. Me gustaría claramente destacar la ejecución impecable de cada musico y la increíble interpretación de James Brown. Creo que es un disco con cosas muy buenas e interesantes.

sevmedim

-live sounds are kinda cool -feels more about the collective album rather than any individual tracks -not something I like very much but I appreciate the experience of it

He’s the Godfather of Soul for a reason. I put this in the high 3’s. 3.75

A little too intense for the whole album

I’m not usually a fan of live albums, but this was a great vibe today.

It was okay

Great energy and lots of warmth in this live recording. Love the balance of room and band sound, like you're situated right on the edge of the stage. Sometimes you get glimpses of what feels like an audience bursting with frenetic energy. Brown was 29 when this was recorded. Cool moment in time.

YOWWW! I feel good after this one! Wild, outta sight! I would have liked to have been in the audience for this. Probably would have joined in with the screaming 🙀

Crazy energy here. And hearing all the girls scream, every time he dug deep for a note, was awesome.

Slightly aged. And his screaming/vocals are not always my favour. And - as always - I rate it down just because it is a live album. But I like the cover artwork. 1,5

Meh…too much screaming

Not my vibe

Such a raw and energetic performance, but of course it is, he’s James Brown. Also amazing music and singers. This album is so nostalgic, the live show is like a snapshot of 1963, some complain about the audience noise, but that’s part of the appeal.

Right around when this album was released, James tried to shoot Joe Tex with a shotgun, which is kind of cool I guess

Live album noooo

Das Geschrei im Hintergrund hat genervt

Geiles Album. Man fühlt sich als wäre man mit dabei. Es kommt richtig Stimmung rüber.

Möglicherweise eines der besten live Alben, die ich je gehört habe - Punktabzug weil live Album...

Another problematic artist. Things I like about this: the cover art; the very short runtime of 31 minutes; the old-fashioned production (horns are fun!). Things I don't like about this: James Brown's screaming; the audience noises; the old-fashioned production (horns are annoying!). I'll go with a 3 and move on to the next.

Blues Music Hits

Again, surprised why such a great artist has only 1 album on the list and it's a live one. It's a legendary live album no doubt, however he had a run of many great studio albums as well. But still for this historical record I reckon I'll give 4 stars.

super cool

Loved this.

I like this one. Didn't blow me away though. 3 stars

Ужасно тяжело слушать это в 2026 году. Разве что только для академического интереса

James Brown is high energy and something probably best captured on a live album. Most of the songs are short (about 2 minutes long.) The album is short (about 30 minutes long.) 1/3 of the album is "Lost Someone" which is almost 11 minutes long. It's interesting to hear what a performance like this was like... but I don't see myself listening to this album much more other than when it comes up on lists like this.

too much screaming for me

2.6 Unsurprisingly for a live album from the early 60s, the quality is pretty poor. This was before he really cemented his place as the godfather of soul and I think it shows, if you hadn't told me this was James Brown I don't think I'd ever had guessed. Missing his trademark swagger or whatever you want to call it that made him world famous, so I'm guessing that came later. Not sure there's been any/many JB albums on here so I think he's been hard done by with this choice.

great

1/10, че за хуйня вообще

Fun music, quite low energie for a live album though.

Oww!!!

The Godfather of Soul has one album on this list. Let that marinate. Think of all the empty soulless records you've endured on this journey. 4/5.

Loved the energy from the live performance - catchy songs too

Very fun crowd work, it seems like this would’ve been an epic show to be in the audience for. Not my personal taste of music, but still enjoyable.

I didnt like it live, his oww's really started to irritate. I suspect I might have quite enjoyed it if it had been an ordinary album

Kinda cool, but would prefer it not to be live. I feel like you'd need visuals for James Brown. I like the doots.

You can feel the energy through the speaker It just makes you wanna get up and move The songs toward the end go on a bit long The grooves are nuts The blueprint

Fun. Can understand how he influenced so many artists after him.

he still is the grandfather of soul y'all

It's James Brown, what else is there to say? Actually, quite a few things. First of all, it's a live recording, and a bad one. Then, there's the audience. Some like it, some find it annoying. I tend to be in the latter group. And then there's the band. Am I the only one noticing that they are not always in tune with JB? There are several sections where part of the brass is slightly out of tune, and I don't think that this is intentional.

God DAYUM that's funky. And when I say funky, I mean in the 'tight as a fishes booty hole, stanker than a jazz cigarette' old school cool proto funk. Soul funky groove baby, yeAHHH!

Another amazing 60s R & B, rock & roll live album. This one felt like a Beatles precursor with the screaming girls and screaming pop vocals and tight harmonies (in some songs) - I’m pretty sure they were huge fans and probably heard this record at the time. But he is a legend all of his own. Brown earns his crown here, and more.

I like how this captured the energy of the room, but to me the music is just okay. I find most old-school soul to be inoffensive and smooth, but also largely uninteresting. This is no exception.

Moves my ass

good relaxing album, but the audience audio gets annoying real fast. liked the intro, "i'll go crazy", "try me", "i don't mind", but "lost someone" got boring and annoying. 3

james muhfuhin brown

Brilliant live recording

Good stuff, though this particular album being live hurts rather than helps (screaming).

Too bad he’s a terrible person

The music was extremely enjoyable in this album. Unlike the san quentin johnny cash album, the live aspect actually was a drawback for me with this album. There was a little bit too much screaming from the crowd at times for me. But other than that, I really liked this album. James Brown is an amazing talent.

Noch nie etwas vergleichbares gehört.

HEY! TOO HOT IN THE HOT TUB!

Better than Coldplay

I realize I don’t actually like James brown as much as like Sam Cooke. But I can see he’s a legend

Great music but the screaming got old

He's fun, It's solid. paved the way for others. Not something I'll seek out to listen to, but I don't mind if it is on either. That's about as 3 as it gets.

Man's voice is a rocket launcher

I'm not sure why this live album was included. James Brown has many quality albums that could be on this list instead.

Underwhelming. I'm never a big fan of live albums.

The music is fine, and if this was a studio album it might have been better, it takes something special to make a good live album & this wasn't it

This album is so good i want to explode my one complaint: songs too short, then way too long. 9.31/10 5/5.

I normally don't like live albums, but hey, it's James Brown!

Do not tell me when an where to get FAUNKY

It's great to hear the raving fans in the background and feel like we're part of the show. I would have loved to be around at the time of the recording.

Gear: Hifiman HE6se v2 SE Artwork: 🖌️🎨🌆 Production: 🕰️😐👍 Music: 🌶️😱🤯 Rating: 🧨🧨🧨(🧨)/5

What an interesting, energetic experience 😀 something about live albums just make things more entertaining because you can hear how excited the crowd is.

One of several great sixties James Brown albums

i love this sound the live is fun, i like hearing how the crowd reacts overall rly liked this, wld def listen again standouts: try me think the medley

There is ONLY….,ONE…JAMES BROWN EXCEPTIONAL MUSIC 🤗

Classic soul from the God Father himself.

What a positive surprise. Band's on point and James Browns vocals characterful. The mix has surprising depth for a live recording from this era and for a moment I thought I had accidentally put on a remaster of some sort. I personally don't mind the loud audience noise like some seem to do. For me it adds to the vibe of the album, but I can definitely understand if others find it grating. On the negative side, "Lost Someone" drags as it takes a whole third of the album and moves directly on to "Please Please Please" that's way too close in tempo and vibe. Maybe one of the instrumental bridges could have been moved after "Lost Someone" to get the palate cleansed a little. Feels like the end of the set struggles to get the same energy from there that the first half had.

Didn't quite feel what the audience seemed to be experiencing.

Solid groove and great musicians. Didn't make me go "Wow this is great" but wouldn't mind listening to this one again.

I really enjoyed listening to this one again. I had the same problems this time that I had the first go round, crowd noise and stretching out a short song into 10 minutes to provoke more crowd interaction. If you skip lost someone after like 3 minutes this might be a 5.

Very entertaining and a breath of fresh air. This made me want to listen to more of his work.

“Vivid sound” claims the cover…but this recording is anything but! “Muddy, scratchy, thin sound” would be more honest. I’m sure I’ve heard/seen much better James Brown live performances than this. 😢 That aside…it’s James Brown! The godfather!

I like James Brown, he’s fantastic. I think the recording of this isn’t my favorite, I don’t love the constant audience screams and I always feel like the crowd interactions are very staged, even if they’re not. I wish I had been there, and I love the studio versions, but I’m not dying to listen to the live album.

Just another great James Brown performance, but I'm biased.

like James Brown but this is meh 2.5/5

I like his voice and I like the energy from it being a live show but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Honestly I think that’s 80% due to Lost Someone. There’s are some moments in it that really show off his voice, but for the most part it’s boring. I imagine it was exciting to see live, and it is fun to hear some of the interactions with the crowd. But the instrumentation just gets really dull and it seems to go on forever and take the pace out of the album. I liked the rest of it more but I’m not sure I’d listen again. Fav song: Try Me Least fav: Lost Someone

Didn’t like the screaming from the audience in some parts but enjoyed this overall. Great cover art too. Specific rating - 4.2 Fav song - Think Least fav- Lost someone

Disappointing lack of jokes for a live at the Apollo... Think hearing the audience in a live album can be super interesting but all the screaming wasn't adding much for me, think in this case I'd have preferred a studio recording. I think sometimes I ruin these albums for myself by reading the Wikipedia pages- he's clearly got a great voice and the band is flawless but I couldn't helping thinking about how he treated women. Favourite song: Medley: Please, Please, Please/You've Got The Power/I Found Someone Least: Lost Someone

дуже добрий блюз джаз

Eh not my fav

Crowd was great and Brown slides effortlessly between high energy rock and roll and ballad

What Pupienus said. No, really. What he said. I cannot add any more to his summation.

I do like these live historic bigger band style acts but its not always easy to appreciate them in full due to age and style. I probably prefer the more Jazz variants and soul has never really resonnated with me. Its a bit too wild for me with vibes of being possessed by God. There is nothing wrong with that specifically in the spiritual sense but I dont like the style. Lots of gospel style "preaching". AKA wailing. I am not just digging at this mind its pretty optimal wailing and can imagine the deep power of this to the audiance. The tight band, the atmosphere and the energy must have been electric. Impossible to knock this classic music. As music its excellent.

Great music that is made to be performed live. Although this is a cool recording, it is still a poor replacement for being there. I think these live recordings of older artists are a really great insight into the cultural record. This is not my preferred genre of music, but the live element (gratuitous screaming and all) make listening to this far more interesting than a polished studio performance. Another recording I enjoy listening to out of interest but not one that would feature in my personal collection.

Excellent historical record all the better for being no longer than 31 minutes. James brown needs to be on list for this kind of live stuff so 4.

I felt like I was in the Eddie Murphy SNL skit

Missing a lot without the visuals. Everyone sounds great. Most of the songs are short or are part of a medley. There's one 10-minute epic in the middle, and before you know it, it's over. There's a reason the man laid in state on the stage of The Apollo when he passed away. I felt glimpses of that, but that's just it...glimpses. It went by so quickly, that I didn't feel like there was much to latch on to.

50/1089 3.4661* Nice sound and great to hear JB in his earlier days. The guy is an entertainer and this show must have been the highlight of the week for many attendees! You could almost hear his smile while singing. A little fun fact about JB, aka Godfather of Soul, aka the Hardest Working Man in Show Business, is that he demanded to be paid in cash before he performed to eliminate being scammed by promoters, which was common at the time. He preached this to his contemporaries and those who followed in his footsteps.

‘Lost Someone’ was amazing Overall great live album!

James Brown demands the best from everyone listening to his music. He may come off as harsh, but he lives and breathes music and treats it with great respect and reverence. James Brown's energy that he brings to his music is like a furious storm.

This is perfection. Voice like silk. Band tight. Incredible!

Zeker niet slecht, zou het niet snel nog eens luisteren.

One of the greatest live albums of all time

A rowdy early show from The Godfather. You can hear the Hardest Working Man in Show Business putting in the work. Everything was up tempo and raucous. Loved it.

Puts me in a good mood. The last songs were a bit too long

1/12 Not bad. Classic live R&B album, but dont see myself listening to it again

James Brown has two sides: his early career delivered timeless R&B/soul classics full of raw energy, while his later years, marred by drug addiction, often felt like a diminished, self-parodying version of his former self. In the early 1960s he was best known for explosive hit singles. This is the only James Brown album I’ve really listened to, and it didn’t impress me much.

Such a fun listen. 8/10

Very groovy, the king James Brown never disappoints 👍🏿

good! great for running

-finally losing my James Brown virginity. i can def see why he is referred to as the King of Soul now.. the energy on this live album is incredible. damn those bitches in the audience were goin crazy for him -idk if this is the best introduction to his music and it’s far from my favorite soul album, glad i got to listen and see what James Brown is all about tho -Favorites: I’ll Go Crazy, Lost Someone, Night Train

Very energetic songs and the crowd definitely adds to the excitement.

ok, not such a big fan

Fun if formulaic song structures, talented musicians and back up singers and then James and his scrotum squeeze voice. Yeah, I don't think anyone needs to hear this before they die, I certainly didn't.

Groovy, but no. 2

I only wish I could see him perform live like this. Incredible.

What a time to be alive. Greta show.

Surprisingly unenjoyable and I couldn't wait for it to end. jBs voice is thin shrill and annoying. The crowd dominate, in the interminable Lost Someone (over 10 mins) the main hook seems to be a repeated scream from the audience, just dreadful. The songs are mostly just grooves or jams without real impact or even soul. The main was a sh*t, but I know he had a massive impact and life must have been so hard. Just don't expect to hear the world changing here.

He’s got a great voice, and you can just feel the energy he has on stage through the recording. Backing band is pretty great, but the music also isn’t really my cup of tea. Still cool though

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.

Pretty basic jazz, didn't do much to differentiate itself but I always found myself laughing out the crowd shrieking in the background

Too much for me

I can feel the sweat dripping through the speakers here and I dig it

It gets samey but a good listen

JB had some set of pipes but this lost shouldn't have live albums sorry