Reviews (page 7 of 13)
Albums like this make me understand the appeal of live albums
Enjoyable. Don't want to feel too stingy so will give it a 4 for 'Lost Someone' alone.
Amazing energy. Can feel stage presence in recording.
SHEEEEEEEEEEESH
great album and love the feel. the original ll cool j (ladies love cool james brown). only problem was it was too short...
Excellent. Very nice.
Surprisingly pleasing! I usually do not like live albums and I have never been into James Brown, but I really enjoyed listening to this album. Catchy!
3.5 - I dunno man, I am normally into Jazz but this one feels like it got in because 'James Brown!'. The crowd has to be in it. Go take a look at Sam Cooke - Live At The Harlem Square Club and listen to that crowd. Maybe just not in the mood.
awesome live album. hardest working man in show biz
I thought this was a great live album to listen to. The concert looked fun. Absolute tunez in there too
I liked it
Definition of a classic, great party album
One of the greatest live albums of all time. Slightly behind Johnny Cash Live at Fulsom Prison.
I like 60s music, so I liked this one pretty well. I liked BB King better, but this one was good.
Heerlijke soul? Iig goeie shit
Very chill and relaxing
I liked the songs a bit bit slow for my tastes. It was close to jazz but not quite there. Some songs have more of a groove to them then others.
Good call-response structure in the songs. Live recording captures the energy and devotion of the fans. Good toe-tapping music to pickup your mood and pace.
1. Chill intro, I like the fact that it is pretty much a live thing, really immersive. 2. Really cool guitar work, instrumentation and harmonized voices are really cool. The use of the horns was really cool to accentuate the beats. 3. Reminds me of Earth Angel, really cool, slow song. 4. Hectic, cool transition. 5. Nice kind of jam song. Muted guitar technique is cool. 6. The high energy and momentum is nice. 7. The bass tone and bassline is really cool, as well as the slowness of the song and background voices. 8. Cool bridge. 9. Really nice, slow song. The horn accents are really cool, and the laid back instrumental is relaxing. OOOWW 10. Really amazing instrumental. Love it a lot. Bassline is cool. The song at the end with the rhodes and guitar was awesome. 11. One of the best tracks. The rhodes and the guitar tone make this song amazing. Love it so much. Favorite track.
The band was tight, listening to this live makes me wish I could have seen it.
James Brown certainly lives up to his name as the Godfather of Soul. I'm not usually a big fan of live albums, but this is an excellent recording, and the performances are incredible. James Brown's vocals are outstanding, and the band are incredibly tight and all sound fantastic. Crowd noises didn't even annoy me as much as they usually do, as they punctuate the recording nicely and almost behave as another instrument in the mix.
s ok
This was the first body of work by James Brown that I had the pleasure of listening to, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. the sound of the live crowd boosted the already electrified atmosphere that burst forward through James Browns stellar voice.
Amazing energy and talent!
I really enjoyed the album but I felt like some of the songs dragged on a bit.
Rhythm & Blues
great.
More soulful r’n’b than some of James’ more famous work. Short and sweet!
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!
this was a fun album and even though James Brown is a terrible person, I did enjoy it a lot.
The hardest working man in show business Great soul album before bootsy delivered the funk Suffers like most live albums but still great
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.
I like one song
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"
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.
Expected: Funk Got: Blues Whatever 🤷
Ihajees.
Grooovayyyyy
P good
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.
groovy
I find the screaming of the audience disturbing. Not a fan, the highs are hurting my brain
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.
fun album
Early James Brown. Would've liked later, crazy James Brown more.
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
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.
I just have one thing to say, THAT voice.
Good stuff
eh pretty good but the people in the audience were overreacting
An interesting historical document but not the energy I was expecting and I don’t think I would listen again.
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
James Brown, the magnificent. Alas - again, not exactly my music.
I feel that live albums are always very hit and miss. There is no studio setting, so no controlled measure for perfection. You can take this point either way... This can make the music either sound really disconnected, or really push forward that human aspect of one take and no do-overs. This was a good live album. I enjoyed listening to it, however, it just isn't something I would listen to again. As much as I love the human aspect, and explained that this was great for a live album, I just think that if I wanted to listen to the music, I would probably just listen to the studio album with cleaner vocals and mixing. I think the beautiful thing about live music isn't listening to it after it has been recorded, but actually BEING there and experiencing the connection of the people. A live show is somewhere where you can be exactly who you want to be, and every single other person in that room, stadium, or arena is there for the same reason as you. Everybody can come together to appreciate, love, and connect to the same thing. I think live music is one of the most beautiful things in the world if done right. It is one of the few times that strangers can all collectively agree on their love for something. I think this is why I will never truly love live albums... because you know there is an element to this you're missing, and that is the most important element of all: the atmosphere.
Very tight band
-you can instantly tell how alive this performance is. It’s amazing what Brown did and his effect on the people he played for. - just a perfect live recording album, I rly wanted to hear I feel good tho…
James Brown isn’t a favorite of mine, but I did like this live album. It was fun
Energiline ja massihüpnoosi valdav superesineja. Isegi siit on tunda, kuidas publik reageerib iga tema ütluse ja liigutuse peale. Aga plaat/esinemine ise on liiga lühike, et ssee tegelikult albumi vääriline oleks. Oleks tahtnud rohkem ja ka rohkem meeldejäävamaid lugusid, milleks ma tean, et James Brown oli võimeline. 3.4/5
James Brown is historically important, some lf his singles are incredible and this totally gives the vibe of his early shows. And yet, listening years later, this suffers the same problem of a lot of live albums, feeling quite stop/start and sloppy, and the similarity of his songs of that era doesn't lend to being engrossing. Still a worthwhile listen - high 3.
I don't typically like James Brown as he's a little over the top in the wrong ways on a typical listen. This album was raw and emotional and I enjoyed it.
Would have been fun to have been there. But the live recording fails to bring the show to life.
It was pretty good, I didn’t really like lost someone because of all the shouting and it’s a really long song but other than that it was pretty good!
Favorite track(s): I'll Go Crazy, Think, Lost Someone
Not the biggest fan of live albums. However, you really can't tell this is love, Brown sounds amazing, the band are great. Just not the most exciting of his songs on here to be honest.
This exercise is forcing me to learn to love live albums, previously I’d just feel too much fomo, but now I feel immersed instead. It’s transportational. I hadn’t actively listened to James Brown before but knew I’d enjoy this and I certainly did. Not sure that makes it a must listen but it’s definitely a lot of fun.
It's good, I do not want to give the impression this is not good. James Brown is a legend and I love a lot of his work. That said, live albums do not do it for me and without the allure of new songs I'd rather just listen to the studio releases. Also it's soooo short. Excited to get to James Brown's proper albums, wait getting word from my editor, there are no other James Brown albums on the list, what the hell.
Great showcase of James Brown’s energy and control as a performer with a squealing crowd in tow, I just wish I was more into the early soul period of his career more to enjoy it. Also, this reminded me of Otis Redding’s Monterrey Pop performance, in that you can see how these soul performers at the top of their game can jam more performance into 20-30 minutes than most could in a full modern gig, and so you end up just wishing there was more of it to soak in. Absolute shame this is the only James Brown on the list though, considering he’s a grandfather of funk and this is so early in his career to not hit at his popularly understood sound, even if this is an important album and a great showcase.
album #61 it's hard to rate each track individually, because this is more one long performance piece! james brown is incredible as per, but i struggle with live albums. ꩜ favourite track(s): think ꩜ least favourite track(s): any of the ones with talking lol ꩜ album rating: ★★★☆☆ ꩜ number of albums left to review: 1,028 ꩜ number of albums from the list that i agree with being on the list: 31 ꩜ albums from the list that I would consider on my list: 12 ꩜ albums from the list I won't include on my list: 49
A great glimpse of the star he would become coming from this early career live performance. You can hear the excitement of the crowd. Great album close with Night Train.
For an album that's intended to capture the live fury of James Brown and his famous Flames, this one is a lot more subdued than I was expecting it to be going into it. Brown is, of course, in top form in the more energetic sections, but the slower songs, like "Try Me," seem sort of ill-fitting for this album. It's also odd that they would compress everything to a blink and you'll miss it 30 minutes for this live release and elect to keep only the most straightforward songs. This is nevertheless a great live document of James Brown in his prime, though later live albums do a much better job of capturing the pure unbridled electricity of his performances.
tiene buena voz pero grita demasiado. puede decir las cosas con más tranquilidad ah de la nada era critica
Me gustó que sea un álbum en vivo y no me pareció para nada un mal album pero no tuvo llegada conmigo, igualmente le doy 3 estrellas porque lo que si me transmitió un poco es el sentimiento de lo que eran los 60´s y eso me gustó bastante.
Me eriza escuchar conciertos, pero obviamente queda la sensación de que lo lindo hubiera sido estar ahí. El álbum está bueno, no sé si destacaría una canción en especial. Me gusta la onda, no sé en qué contexto lo volvería a escuchar.
Me da vibras de el Gran Gatsby o de La La Land. Lo poco que he escuchado de Soul o R&B es en el cine yanquee, también parecido a Elvis en algunos temas se nota la euforia de las minas gritando atrás y le da ese toque que se caracterizaba esa época por ser el inicio del Rock creo yo. Conocía a James Brown de nombre como referente del Soul pero no había escuchado nunca algo atentamente, me parece que el loco tiene una voz maravillosa, parecida a la de Chuck Berry pero mucho más gritada. En lo personal me gustan los cantantes que recitan y si encima canta bien, están idos, James Brown era ese recitador que parecía que te relataba una historia. Top 3 🌟 1- Medley: Please Please Please etc 2- I’ll go crazy: (debe ser la que la gente más le hace gritar) 3- A Night algo no me acuerdo ahora
Not exactly my style of music but decent enough! I think this was more interesting for the crowdwork than the actual songs
The live aspect was cool but ultimately detracted from the album.
Probably would not have listened had it not shown up; funky
It's fucked up for someone as iconic as James Brown to have just one album on a list like this. I suppose it's James Browns' most iconic individual record, as the first premiere live album in an era where repeating all your songs for a new record was seen as ludicrous. It ages like a historical relic: capturing one performance of James Brown's crazy live performance. While it was crazy successful for its time, I think it would have been better if it was filmed for better posterity. It's hard for me to rank this album with its historical impact vs listening to it nowadays where so much live music has been released and nearly perfected by various bands of various genres. Based on my own expectations and vibes, I've enjoyed shorter albums on this list(!) more than this one. This album to me is giving strong "Seinfeld is Unfunny" trope vibes. Nevertheless, if you were at this show: it must have been fucking incredible.
Possibly the best soul singer ever
I just don't feel like audio recordings, live or otherwise, can do justice to what James Brown (and that backing band!) was as a performer.
gee i quite like it. it being live took off a star, but honestly would’ve been so enjoyable in person Lost Someone pissed me off bc my ex texted me today… leave me alone
got some swing but too many wooed ladies
Maybe you had to be there.
Old school crowd screaming was so good in this live. James Browns voice ... C'mon now. This is a good album and a fun listen,
Based on his lyrics, James Brown was a pretty lonely guy. Based on the mostly female audience’s reaction, he probably wasn’t.
Decent show, some good tracks. Nothing to amazing.
the bridge sections are punchy, they add to the vibe I like how he interacts with the crowd really nice voice I think my favorite songs were night train and think Think was very groovy, night train was too.
The recording quality is not great, but James Brown’s incredible charisma and talent comes through. The audience participation makes the whole album feel alive. This is a great little slice of music history.
Nice live recording, but soul music is not really my style. Three stars nonetheless
R&B, soul.
Great live album. I love the screaming crowds on these live albums from this era, it places you right there in the room. James Brown is one cool cat, and his band are wonderful. Nothing too memorable here though, but an enjoyable listen nonetheless. A 3.5 rounded down.
60-luvun keikka, James Brownia - meininki oli hyvä, yleisö pähkinöinä, ei suuresti säväyttänyt itseä. 3/5
"Think" is a barn-burner - I'm impressed by the frantic pace the band hits on this. I can imagine Brown doing that famous fancy footwork on stage for it. Crazy how this is only 33 minutes long. The band is fantastic and Brown is electric as usual but the recording is muddy. "Lost Someone" goes on too long and more time could have been given to the previous songs instead. Really about a 3.5
Pretty good, the track ‘I’ll Go Crazy’ is covered by Blues Magoos and both performances are great! I can see why it was chosen to cover. Overall nothing really stood out to me, though it was a good listen, but nothing there bringing me back for more.
Lo disfrute bastante, es un album que se puede escuchar de inicio a fin
Great live album, even if the sound quality isn't the best.
A performance bursting at the seams with energy and soul from fairly early in his career.
The recording quality takes away from what might otherwise be a 4.
Frisson
Pretty nice.
James Brown is an important link in the evolution on popular music and it would have been a real treat to witness this thing live. Listening to it 60 years later from a streaming platform doesn't quite do justice to this music, but it's still an enjoyable experience.
#384 / 1089 Heard before? ❌ Revisit? ✅, maybe Sounds familiar, but also quite a bit more restrained that I'm used to hearing on the later recordings. He does what he does best, except it sounds quite a bit more traditional rhythm 'n blues and soul, instead of the madness he was up to later. Strong 3, weakish 4/5.
(65/100)
3.5
Что-то зачастили тут с лайвами. Хотя в данном случае я понимаю почему, Джеймс Браун шоумен, он много работает с аудиторией, и лайв передает гораздо больше его энергии, чем студийник. Ну и конечно мы слышим реакцию аудитории, особенно женской. Но песни в целом ничем не примечательны, просто хорошее выступление для тех времен и для жанра в целом. 3,5
не такой вайбовый лайв как у джонни кэша, но музыка даже поприятнее, все равно 3
Upbeat old-school music. It's okay, but I doubt I'll listen to it a second time.
He was extraordinary. As for this album? I prefer his funk phase starting in 1967 with Cold Sweat. And his live show involved so much theater that this album is a little bit like listening to a film soundtrack. But there's no denying his total command of the music and the audience. As someone once said, "when everyone was waking up to the new music, he was to Black Folks everything that the Beatles were to White Folks."
no lhe sentit encara
Good stuff! 3 1/2
3.8 Buen refresh con la situacion actual, me gustaron los puentes
While I don't think that this is the most powerful document of James Brown in a live setting, it might be the most important one. Like usual, he and his band are in total harmony with each other, and it does sound like everyone in attendance wants to fuck James, himself included.
Full Album Thoughts: Album Rating: 3.56 B+ Can this even be rated on a song by song basis? This is such a wild blast from the past. When literally a 3rd of the album is a single song, that is mostly crowd work, and repeated build up... well, do we want to have the electronic music and the build up/drop, reacting to the crowd, live set conversation? Or do we want to point out that the composition of this as a Live Set List is a first third flip flopping between high tempo and low tempo songs, a middle 3rd of a single extended Vibes Grove, and the back 3rd where a single track list is a medley of like a dozen songs... and a closer. In a tight 30 minutes... that somehow still outstays its welcome. Track Thoughts: "Introduction to James Brown and The Famous Flames" (by Fats Gonder) B- I mean this is how you hype folks up! Is it a song? Or is it opening theme music as folks walk on stage? We just cant tell! Entirely skippable. "I'll Go Crazy" A+ I was not ready for the triplets of this grove! This drives pretty hard while feeling down tempo; its not something I would have thought to do. I expect we are going to have LOTS of HORN stings IN here AS call AND response. "Try Me" B The way the crowd popped off I guess this was a Big Hit at the time? It sounds pretty tame. Goodfellas music. Generic. "Think" A Now we have moved on from Goodfellas music to Guy Ritchie music (if we just took out the yell-singing of James). I think we are going to see me highly favor the uptempo songs, even if I am having a hell of a time trying to understand what is being sung. Simply because they are a blast to dance to! "I Don't Mind" B This song most exemplifies the highs and lows of the album in its dynamic range... Much like every highschool book report, its a land of contrasts. Super cut short rushed "i dont minds" from the backing vocals, the soft (for him) singing of James Brown into the FULL YELL. I mean, there is something to be said about juxtaposing uptempo with downtempo, high intensity with low... but sometimes you want your set to build, pick a lane and follow it... this rolls along in waves that tend to loose me, much like the final chase in One Battle After Another. "Lost Someone" D Please let this song start. Please. Oh no wait, its another slow ballad. Put it back into high gear. Say what you will, James Brown can fuckin SING. Man has one hell of a powerful vocal performance. I am grasping at straws for any kind of commentary here. I just find fairly generic back and forth swing of this song to be too uninteresting to latch on to, but then the singing is too IN YOUR FACE to ever have it JUST be background noise. This was (as you can hear) killer live, the crowd work in the song is great, but man is it ever not for me on a recording. OH MY GOD THIS SONG IS 10 MINUTES LONG. THIS IS JUST GOING ON FOREVER. HOLY SHIT. POINTS OFF POINTS OFF POINTS OFF. "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- Somehow this medley is shorter than the last song despite having almost 10 songs packed into it. This feels like playing ALL YOUR HITS and just the BEST PARTS OF THOSE back to back to back to back to back to back to back to back. Someone should do a polka cover of this. On the whole its actually very enjoyable, if only because of the variety, though focuses a bit too much on the down tempo songs again. "Night Train" B I actually thought this would be a more bombastic closer! Why does this specific organ grove, those staccato rhythm, evoke rolling down the train track so completely? Where did that shorthand come from?
I'm sure this has already come up on my list. If not, I've heard it elsewhere. Now, I like me some James Brown. 'Some' being the important word. 'Some' meaning one or two of his hits every so often. This album contains none of his hits. And too many trumpets. I don't think you can call yourself 'the hardest working' anything when your show up, play a seven song set (each song an average of three minutes long) then bugger off, presumably to kick the shit out of some women and then say that god forgives you. That's barely work at all. Of course, if he shooed thr crowd out then immediate played the same set again to a new crowd, and then again to a third, I might be convinced that you were capable of doing more than the bare minimum. Of course, Brown was known for leaving it all on the stage - manic, energetic performances. That is true here. You can almost hear him vibrate across the stage, a cocktail of speedballs surging his heart towards oblivion. But where are the songs, man? This is a historical snapshot. Important. Influential. But on a purely musical level? Meh.
461/1089 - It's pretty standard RnB. I don't really have an opinion.
funky I like
Original-would have loved to have been in the crowd in 1962.
Definitely a pioneer
I think JB has more soul than you can shake a very big stick at. But this album really doesn't present him at his best. Might be the set list, the screaming (I had no idea), or the poor production. Or maybe a combination of all of that. Despite all that, it's a fine way to pass 40 mins and it's a 3* from me.
Early JB. Sounds like it would have been from 10-15 years later. Enjoyable.
Lots of screaming
it's... another blues live album! i actually like blues a lot. i lied last time. it's just that i can't give any blues live album higher than a 3 because listening to them gives me massive fomo I SHOULD BE THEREEEEE fave track: please please please/you've got the power/i found someone
Funky, but not his funkiest...
I know a little bit about James Brown, but I had never heard his early works, so this was a complete surprise. It's hard to imagine this was performed in 1962 and not 1972... It makes most albums from the same period sound flat and anemic. Had I been around in 1962, I would absolutely have listened to this rather than The Beatles... I can see how revolutionary it must have sounded, and it helped me understand why he's such a musical giant. "Lost Someone" is 100 % my jam. I loved every second of it, and I would give a 5* in a heartbeat to an album entirely made of similar songs. In just 10 minutes, James Brown basically laid down the complete blueprint for the next 20 years of soul and funk music. Unfortunately the rest of the album is not exactly on the same level. Most of the short songs are fun, but they're just that - energetic party music without too much depth. A lot of them are still mired in classic rock’n’roll influences, only shining when James starts to sing. It's enjoyable, but not as soulful as I'd like. I’m also not a big fan of live albums (although I’ll admit the screams of entranced groupies kind of add to the fun here), and the mix is really not very good. I liked it overall, but I’m not sure I’d want to play it again. I still prefer the "Godfather of Soul" period. 6/10
Pure energy, almost exhausting, but you can’t deny the groove. Feels more like a controlled riot than a concert, and it works. Not for every day, but it hits.
This is hard for me to rate because I appreciate how influential James Brown is but a lot of 60s RnB doesn't really do much for me. But those vocals, wow! They really carry the album.
Excellent live production; really captures the feel of a live performance.
Good but not something I would go back to.
Fun live album. I like hearing the crowd cheers with the James Brown vocals, makes me feel like I'm there. His energy is another level and the supporting band is great as well
I didn't realize quite how influential James Brown was -- frankly I thought this album was decent, solid, but not necessarily extraordinary. I will say, this man's voice is incredible and I'd probably be screaming and creaming if I were in that audience too. I guess the songs just don't grab me or stick in my mind? But again, I can easily see how influential this would be, and it's still a great record. Fave tracks: - I'll Go Crazy - I Don't Mind - Please Please Please/You've Got The Power/I Found Someone
James Brown is great and would've been a killer live show, but the whole back and forth with him and the crowd of screaming girls took up too much time
It was fine and if it’s era. The transitions from slow songs immediately into uptempo interstitial music by the band were a little jarring for my taste. I wasn’t familiar with the early work so much but I loved how much the crowd loved it.
I feel like I am supposed to like this more
(4/7) I was having fun but that long, slow one in the middle lost me
meh, ganz gut aber naja, sehr viel fangirl gekreische
Incroyable vibe sur cet album. Un peu dérangeant à la fin quand la foule crie sans cesse, mais un peu jaloux de pas avoir été là pour l'enregistrement. Album live qui passe très vite, ça permet de comprendre pourquoi ce gars a été une rockstar du R&B. Manque un léger quelque chose pour le 4.
Pretty good overall. James Brown has a very distinct voice.
Ladys gotta chill out. 3/5
wonderful! I listened to this before I think on an aeroplane that had it in their entertainment system but I listened to it again today while cooking some big pasta and it was very nice indeed. I probably wont go back to it. thank u James brown for inventing music
I’m tied up in nostalgia and good rock and roll - what’s not to like?
The song «Try Me» earned the album an extra star.
Groovylicious. Me gustó dentro de lo que es álbumes grabados en vivo. I Don't Mind se me pegó y no me la puedo sacar de la cabeza. Los instrumentales le dan una fluidez rica. Casi todas las canciones van en una misma línea, pero dentro de todo, bacán.
I get the appeal and if this is ur vibe you would love this but just not for me
energetic and fun. i think most of the remarkable showmanship skills that he had, are shown in the longest jam songs where he interacts with the audience and in the fast transitions between short songs.
Gran voz, y se escucha bastante bien para ser un album en vivo
A bit dated
Enjoyable old but not my thing live, sounds better recorded not live. I don't mind goes hard, music hits well. I don't mind is best track followed by medley OK NVM MEDLEY ENDING IS GREAT
This is a bit early James Brown for me. I liked it but it didnt get me off my arse like most James Brown usually would.
Love a lot of his work, but this was actually kind of underwhelming compared with some other live acts from the era
Not his best live album
Oooh some quite slow numbers on here that I wasn’t expecting.
not great. just average. would listen to it.
Early JB …had the teen girls howling every grunt and moan he sang. Early on, first band JB and the Famous Flames had him move to the front of the bands namesake.
6/10
probably the single best way you could spend your evening at the time, but i don't feel like this works all that well as a record. the band is tight as hell, Brown sounds great, but the crowdwork, extended vamps, medleys etc just make it hard to dig into the actual songs. it's a very pleasant listen, but the live nature of it just makes things run together
Was 4 stars until half the album was taken up by slow, boring solo vocal ballads
The second to last track was nice.
Was hoping this would resonate with me a little more given my preference to the genre. The band, energy, and performance were great but ironically, there’s something about Brown’s voice that just didn’t stick the landing. Likes: I’ll Go Crazy; Try Me; I Don’t Mind
Good, not great.
Fun album. It would have been even more fun to be there at the time. Pretty short album at only 31 minutes, and that includes a bit of talk/intro and a couple of long tracks (10 minutes, 6 minutes) so that means a lot of the tracks are pretty short. I wonder if the full set was longer?
What might have been a strong 4 star album is laid low by a "garbage person tax" and an apparent 2 minute run time.
La verdad que no es mi estilo pero tampoco vamos a negar que es una leyenda en lo suyo. Personalmente este álbum mucho no me atrapó, pero está bien.
Usually I haven't enjoyed the live albums here and especially of artists that I do not know or have no touch base with. This however was more interesting than the previous ones and I enjoyed the audience engagement in this, Music was pretty decent as well.
They called him the original showman for a reason.
i like this album, but it didn't blow me away.
Notable Textzeile: I don't mind (I don't mind) Your lovesick soul I don't mind (I don't mind) It can grow cold Über das Call and Response fühlt man immer wieder die Energie im Raum, sowieso auch die Energie in der Stimme, die sich durchaus transportiert. Aber für mich dann doch zu oft zu preacher-haft, zu lange an einer einzelnen Idee festgehalten, fast jeder Song nur ein Loop um wirklich sagen zu können, dass mir das gefällt. Also 2,5 wird zu 3.
Fav- I don’t mind 3/5
зачем мне нужен целый альбом визжащих женщин из зала? некрасиво.
if i wanted to listen to screaming girls, i'd rewatch my recordings from the one direction concerts i went to at 13.
This one was funky. Not too familiar with his work (besides “Living in America”), but it was awesome to hear him live. The crowd was so into it! “Lost Someone” was amazing
Not his best
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
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...
Solid but not the best rendition of JB
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.
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.
First listen
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.
If I witnessed this live, 5 stars.
I'm more of a fan of his Deep Funk stuff... and of course his shotgun antics too
Another one that puts you right in the live atmosphere. This is a classic from a legend. Rounding up.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
C'était cool et rapide, après pas exceptionnel
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.
Only played it once but enjoyed it. Will probably go back to it. It’s James Brown what’s not to like
Pas trop mon genre. J'aime bien quand il screame?
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.
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.
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
He’s James Brown and he’s super bad (in the good way).
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
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
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.
3/5 Good album.
No bad tracks, but didn't have the same energy as his other studio or live albums
Funky. Groovy. Not my go to
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.
A decent live soul album. None of his hits are here but there's a good energy to the performances.
A little before the era of James Brown’s music that I actually enjoy but it’s not too bad.
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
Классика Не моё Как лайв круто
5/10
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
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
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
It was okay
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 🙀
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.
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.
I like this one. Didn't blow me away though. 3 stars
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.
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.
Fun music, quite low energie for a live album though.
Oww!!!
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.
Kinda cool, but would prefer it not to be live. I feel like you'd need visuals for James Brown. I like the doots.
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.
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.
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
Too bad he’s a terrible person
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.
Underwhelming. I'm never a big fan of live albums.
Gear: Hifiman HE6se v2 SE Artwork: 🖌️🎨🌆 Production: 🕰️😐👍 Music: 🌶️😱🤯 Rating: 🧨🧨🧨(🧨)/5
Classic soul from the God Father himself.
Solid groove and great musicians. Didn't make me go "Wow this is great" but wouldn't mind listening to this one again.
“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.
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
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
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.
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.
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
-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
ok, not such a big fan
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
I can feel the sweat dripping through the speakers here and I dig it
It gets samey but a good listen
I can see why it’s good. But it just isn’t my jam.
Old school live performance with more focus on the show than the actual songs
Thought this was alright, didn’t enjoy it too much honestly but it was ok
I've heard of James Brown but had never properly listened to any of his songs, soz. Intro by Fats Gonder - dang, great intro, and the crowd goes wild !!!!!! I'll go crazy - rlly jazzy and smooth, but he’s a great performer Try me - crowd favourite apparently, rlly beautiful vocals dang Instrmental bridge 1 - 12 seconds !! Yes jazz and trumpets Think - jazz jazz jazz, very upbeat but sounds very fun, would be a fire MT number Instrumental bridge 2 - 9 seconds !! I don't mind - crowd loves this one too, I like the rlly quick vocal echo (idontmind), very sultry Instrumental bridge 3 - 10 seconds !!!! Lost someone - 10 mins, makes up for the bridges lol, dang great crowd work, ok it’s getting a little long lowkey Medley - very long, all the songs kinda sound the same ngl Night train - I’m glad I’m ending now, geez Louise OVERALL: this is just a recording of one of his performances, but dang the crowd loves him, he’s a great performer. I also like it being less than 30 mins long 🫶, everything blended into each part that I didn’t even notice the song changed. But lowkey at the end, I was getting a bit bored 🤷♀️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5
Ihan tyylikäs keikka, ei ollut I Feel Goodia vielä julkaistu niin ei vetänyt sitä :( Ei tuttuja kappaleita siis. Parhaat: I Don't Mind
Enjoyed this. So much energy and soul in it. Hearing the audience sometimes lets me down though, but I think in this case the energy can be felt through them too. I like lots of James browns work, and I would listen again. Wish it was a bit longer of an album.
Really like the artwork of this. Feels like pure energy. I've been well exposed to James Brown via Alan Freeman's Story of Pop and I'm a fan. This is unfortunately a bit too short and difficult to get your teeth in to. Feels like a missed opportunity.
Good but not long enough
é um álbum muito tranquilo de escutar. as letras são mais simples, o vocal é bom e instrumental também. é um álbum com uma sonoridade bem clássica do soul. é bom!
It was good! Very enjoyable and easy listening.
He performed in Harlem, New York on October 24th, 1962.