Reviews (page 9 of 13)
Nothing I'll ever seek out again due to personal preferences, but I'm glad it was on this list. Sounds like it was a religious experience for those in attendance, and James Brown was clearly a hell of a performer. 2.8
Classic. Very easy to imagine his energy on stage.
This album is the definition of soul, while laying the bricks in the foundation of Funk.
Fabulous
Amai wat een stem. Mooi zo even terug te gaan naar de early days van James Brown. Voordat hij ging funken. Wat een soul. Live album dus de vraag... Ja hier had ik wel bij willen zijn geweest. 7,5/10 Highlights Medley
This was entertaining enough, was a bit less funky than I was expecting. Didn’t know any of these tracks (at least not familiar with them). I’m guessing there would be better JB albums to put on this list, and maybe there are more. 3.25/5
Pretty good, more blues sounding than his more funky later work. Has good energy for a live album
Nobody has a more pleasant scream to listen to than James Brown. This was nice although I got a bit bored near the end. Considered a 4 but didn’t find it quite entertaining enough. Rating: 3
I love how the band kicks in after their introduction. The instrumental bridges are so good. I just know how fun it must have been to see this show or a performer like James Brown. Really interesting to hear a horn part I know from Marvin Berry's band in Back to the Future in "Night Train."
Gives you a taste of some live James Brown.
Genijalan vokal. Solidan live, medutim na momente se vokal gubi (vjv James Brown leluja po pozornici😅). Crowd work ponekad predug i/ili oduzima od dinamike pjesme. 6/10 = 3+
Oozes history through its paws. Decent.
When I was a kid I loved Eddie Murphy on Saturday night live. I kept wanting to hear JB say it's time to get into the hot tub... & getting hot in the hot tub. Other than that anticipation...it was just ho hum.
I don’t know what they were doing in 1963 but the frantic hype sounds like cocaine. I dig the instrumental interludes and every song is top notch. Moderation though, this album all at once is too much.
3,5/5
When crowd work isnt just for comedy shows. The backing band is so good, and James Brown is electric, but holy shit does this album give you whiplash with all the stops and starts. Although JB's call and responses are great.
It’s a Live album so that’s already a minus 1 Star. The songs are, for the most part, so short that they’re over before you really get a chance to groove on them or in one instance… so long and meandering that it makes you wonder how it made the cut. The band sounds amazing (as to be expected) and JB commands the crowd like no one else can. But it’s a LOT of Mr Brown screeching and the crowd screaming so even if you’re digging the music there’s not a lot to return to. I was pretty disappointed with this one and I’m a huge James Brown fan.
6/10 Live album boo, although James Brown has a bit more energy live I'm sure. James Brown is fun if nothing else. 1-17-2025
Can see how it would have been a revelation at the time. In 2025, just okay.
It was alright
Good music, I just don't enjoy the crowd noise in live albums.
Good stuff
didnt like it
Sexy and fun. James Brown brings the soul!
Overall pretty solid but it ended up being a bit underwhelming for me. I was like "oh hell yeah live album of the No. 1 R&B Start of 1962?? I bet this has some sweet energy" and then other than I Don't Mind, nothing really caught my ear.
I really wanted to like this one more than I did. On one hand, its a classic artist in one of the most important and famous venues of all time. You can really feel the energy of the crowd and the band. His vocals and kind of screaming that he does, is really fun and interesting. His band is really tight and I like the music, but I think there are probably better James Brown albums out there.
Live audience was too involved, and some songs went foreeever. But some highlights, overall good
Definitely a vibe. A little bit slow for me, but that’s probably just my poor attention span. Still some good songs and snapshot of it’s time, should probably go back and listen a bit more.
Very good
This is a special type of music, a mix of rock and latin, but I could be wrong. However songs are very pleasant to listen during an activity or just enjoy your Friday morning.
I have no doubt that much of the music we have today is thanks to the likes of James Brown. This album is unmistakably a show of great musical talent, especially considered in the context of its time. He is a pioneer of r&b and soul. And yet, despite his influence, I have to admit this album bored me at times.
still hate live albums - high pitched screaming from the audience was soo distracting throughout. In spite of this + considering it was recorded in 1962, it sounds pretty great. loveeed the instrumentals, my favourite tracks were Think, Night Train and of course the Please, Please, Please medley. Drinking game if you want to die : a shot every time James Brown cries 'Help Me'
Good oldies
Nice live album, never been a fan of James Brown’s screaming, but entertaining to have on in the room.
pretty good start,a true performer
Impressed, Never listened to James Brown. Interesting to hear the blues mixed in with what almost sounds like big band, rock and funk!
Powerful but I wish it included later material when he got more funky. As it is, it’s a neat timepiece but not what I would reach for when I want to hear James Brown.
Too early for me
É um album bem legal, mas acho que seria mais legal estar no The Apollo em 24 de outubro de 1962
I've been led to believe that this guy's an amazing singer. He's good, but not mind-blowing. His "I Feel Good" vocal is better. The sound here is extremely typical of the 50s, meaning an album released in 1963 is actually a step backward (or at least sideways) rather than forward. A gutsy move, for sure, putting this album on a list of the 1000 best albums of all time – especially considering it's a live album that hasn't reached many people (based on Spotify numbers). Was it the right choice? Well, probably. The influence on both contemporary and future musicians is palpable here, from the soul-rendering vocals to the relaxed, almost jazzy rhythm section and tight horns. It's at once a relic of its time and a clear inspiration for the likes of British Invasion bands, experimental jazz/blues, hard rock, and R&B. Plus, there are some mild standouts here. Most of side 1 is very strong, featuring thematic interludes that don't just talk about "sex, ya know what I mean, brotha?" (as interlude tracks in later tended to lean into). Instead, the interludes are generally instrumental and play off a horn section theme with slight variations each time. It's far more exciting and a solid addition to any live setlist. That being said, it's far too easy to skip these on subsequent listens, because they do interrupt the flow of side 1. Side 2 is marred by the almost 11-minute Lost Someone, featuring an arduous two-chord slog punctuated by Brown and the crowd having a back-and-forth screaming competition. It gets old after the first 5 minutes, and then you realise you're less than halfway done. And it takes up one third of an otherwise fairly strong album. This album was ranked 25th-best of all time by Rolling Stone in both 2003 and 2012, which is surprising. I can definitely think of 25 better albums released in the 60s alone. 3/5 Key tracks: Try Me, Think, Medley
Zoals vaak gezegd, geen liefhebber van Live muziek. James Brown weet wel een sfeertje neer te zetten en dat maakt dit album toch wel leuk om te luisteren. ***
Very fun R&Be album, audio quality due to age unfortunately holds it back.
A fun listening experience, got goosebumps a few times, just not sure it's memorable enough for me personally.
Mid live album that doesn't do justice to what a REAL James Brown concert would have been, since you can't see him, most of the appeal is lost.
I love James Brown, a lot. But this is such a weird album of his to pick. Live albums just don't really do it for me. The screaming in the background only takes away from the music.
It's okay.
Hardest working man in show biz. He’s an icon as is The Apollo, buuuuut he sounds better in the studio.
I don't really feel the funk. I can appreciate it, bop my head a bit and feel the vibe for a moment. But it does nothing to me like other genres do. At first I felt bad but not anymore, there's so much music for everyone, you don't have to like what everybody else does. This is objectively good, but just.. not for me.
The presence and ability to entertain is seriously impressive. The audience response is immediate, throughout the record. I wasn't blown away by the quality of the songwriting, but I don't think that was the intended purpose. It is clear that the live album gives you a glimpse into the energy of a true live James Brown performance. It is interesting though to hear blues based music sung by a gospel singer. The backing band is so incredibly tight and they follow James Brown into his fast changes, songs go from emotional, romantic ballads to wailing, rocking, call and responses in the blink of an eye, and the band does not miss a note.
Cleary skilled and knows how's to work the audience until a frenzy. Fun listen but would've been a hell of an experience live. This is almost 50% music, 50% style or showpiece.
The live aspect didnt do much for me but it was still really good. The best songs on here are Ill go crazy and Night Train and there was no worst song on here either.
I’m not much of a live album guy but he did a solid job and made it more enjoyable than other artists live albums
I thought I would like this a bit more. instead it was kinda meh. too much of his "wow", "ow", or various squeals. detracted from the music
If I'm to just judge the music from the album, and not the James Brown himself, I'd give it a 3. There wasn't really a time where I thought the music was particularly bad. His performance was definitely over-the-top, in a good way. He shows a lot of energy throughout the performance. But would I come back to this album and listen to it on my own time? No
This album felt a little insubstantial to me. I can’t say anything bad about JB’s music, but I’m not sure what makes this better than other entries in his catalogue.
It was aight
I was a bit disappointed in this one. I had high hopes for a live album from James Brown and this just felt short and disjointed to me. It wasn't "bad" by any means but there are really only seven songs here. James Brown should absolutely be in here and this is the only representation I am aware of, so I can't give it a "2," but I don't know if this is the best representation of his influence and career. I'm not asking for "Living in America" or anything but it would be good to have some of his more influential hits on here.
I wish artists still released live albums. This one wasn't particularly special to me, but the atmosphere was great and it's fun hearing artists perform live.
He's hard working. He's got energy, but this wasn't my favorite. Good, not great.
Another live album I liked. Sometimes you get terrible live performances. I'm glad this one wasn't one of those. Brown gave his all through this concert. However, the songs could have been better. 3 stars for "James Brown Live at the Apollo"
Never realized James Brown had such a huge vocal range. This would be better - not that it's bad - if I could SEE what was happening. The music gets interrupted A LOT by the audience interaction. So it sounds like a wildly entertaining live show that doesn't translate too well to a recording. Sound quality kind of suffered as well. That said there are some great moments on here, the medley at the end leading into Night Train are excellent. And you can definitely feel the energy. Proto-funk. Interesting transitional stuff, takes us from R & B/Jazz/Jump Blues into a heavier place.
Didn't get much time to appreciate this, but sounded like they were having a good time.
yeahhhh ive got a hounddog and a runaway trainnn
Quite a fun album and great voice but nothing stand out
very good live performance, had the crowd begging for more James Brown. solid piece that should have everyone listen to in regards of a live album.
I can picture how sweaty James Brown was while recording this.
If you like Micheal Jackson's music, then you might like this album as well. I highly recommend that you listen to this album.
2.9/3
I was disappointed by James Brown Live At The Apollo because he's such an iconic performer and vocalist with energy and swagger (the guy was a megacunt but that's nothing new on this list) but it doesn't really come across in this performance. It's a little slower, soulful but not full of soul, just feels like it's not representative of his best work, and it's a long way short of the best live albums we've had too. Gets a 3 because it's just fine, but I expected more really.
This was a bit underwhelming, you expect an awful lot from someone reputed to be one of the all time greatest live performers, and it doesn't quite come through on this. There's this great energy at the beginning of most of the songs, that kind of evaporates quite quickly; this is recorded before he has his biggest hits, so we miss out on those, and it's just a bit too short (not often I complain about that). But, some of the energy in places is infectious, his voice is great, and it's a decent ride. 3/5.
3/5. Thought this was just good – no more, no less. I could tell Mr Brown was doing some things that were sending the crowd fucking wild, but all I could think about was how 1) I wasn't there and 2) I couldn't see it. The voice and the energy are iconic, but the neo-luddite in me can't help but think live albums are better when visual. Was really excited when this album was generated for me. Note to self, never get your hopes up.
He showcased his vocals pretty well. Overall, for a live album, I did not love it.
11/04 never heard of it. A very fun listen. Idk if it really benefits from being a live album but I enjoyed the listen!
It’s classic old school James Brown and therefore never going to be bad, but honestly, and especially for a live recording, it just didn’t seem to have the customary James Brown energy.
This was super great, but tbh i feel like would be a lot better if i saw it live. He is still the king though do not want it to seem like I'm putting any hate on king james' name, just wasn't the most entertaining thing to listen to.
James Brown is (rightly, in my opinion) one of the best Funk and Soul musicians of all time. Is this his best album? Questionable. It definitely isn't the best recording and features none of his greatest hits. Still, early (peak?) James Brown deserves to be on this list.
Aaagoowh. Probably wouldn't listen again often, but great soul, some good rhythms.
Favorite songs: Try Me, I'll Go Crazy, Night Train.
This a great performance and the energy of the crowd makes it no contest, but I find the overall songs a bit monotonous sometimes and it’s just not my cup of tea at the end of the day. 3 stars, because I wouldn’t really listen again.
I love the energy of the crowd and the fun grooves, but there’s better things out there from James Brown in my opinion.
Fairly decent.
Starts strong, live blues
Bit boring
Whilst I am not typically a huge live album fan I really quite enjoyed this one.
A pleasant enough live experience. Few high-highs, no low-lows. 3/5.
High 3. Fun live album
Love James Brown, not my favorite album
classic
By far not what I had expected. It's nice but not so powerful as the better known songs by JB. Ok but not more.
Okay it’s a James Brown live show. It’s well executed and produced. Not sure it’s all that special.
wowie zowie, this just might be the best music I've ever heard in my life!! (I didn't type this idk where it came from)
Soulful shit but nowhere near the peak of my man JB (don't call him that)
Great performer.
overall pretty enjoyable, just don’t think i’ll replay it often
Can see why he was so popular
Fantastic vocals, great band, and a well constructed set, but this is my least favourite of the live recorded albums I've had so far. James Brown is obviously excellent at audience interaction, it sounded like they were having a blast, but all the screaming is not my cup of tea. Compared to other live recordings from the same era, I think the recording quality could have been better.
Solid live album. I like the album art.
Just okay. I thought I would like it more.
Not bad Very soulful but I want my JB funky
wow, what an energy! he certainly could move his audience...
Enjoyable enough
I hadn't really realized that before James Brown invented funk he was a pretty decent r&b singer. This is from that period and pretty standard of the genre although in the second half the atmosphere gets more loose and meandering and theatrical and you can kind of see what direction Brown might be heading in. I am not entirely sure if it works as an album per se, but that's largely due to my slight aversion to live albums. When the trade off is between the energy of a live recording and the care and attention to detail of a studio version, I usually prefer the latter but, to be honest, this might be one of those instances where it could be argued that it would have been impossible to create this kind of electricity in the studio.
Lidt for kort desværre
I used to live right by the Apollo so this was a special treat and took me back to a different time. Not something I would listen to again, but a fun experience.
I prefer James Brown's funkier stuff and find it hard to appreciate a live album. Still, the influence he's had on artists over decades is apparent here.
Good, but short album. A bit upbeat for me, though I enjoyed it.
Fun but I wanted to like it more than I did.
Too much screaming for my brain to handle. Still impressed with the quality of his voice for an old live recording.
Mid
I felt good listening to this. Great live
Great background album - it's classic James Brown. It must have been super fun live.
Highlights: I Don't Mind, Lost Someone. In a nutshell: Daaaaammmmmmn! James is turning it on here! And the band is hot to go. Everyone seamlessly transitions between songs. This would have been amazing to see live. Overall: 6/10
this was okay, pretty short with a long song
So this is very enjoyable, but I disagree on principle with live albums being in here.
185/1001 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑
It’s a good live hype album. Lost Someone seems to be a song that was an experience live, but I didn’t get absorbed by the recording. It’s essentially the same blues progression with no changes for 11 minutes with 30 seconds between verses by Brown. I’m glad I finally listened to this album, but don’t think I’ll revisit it. 3/5
Quite ok, but I think you must have been there
Nice. Not amazing
jimmy sang and hes got the groove and stuff his only 1001 representation really is just a live album huh
3- Stars (7/15)
For being live and Jazz, I actually didn't mind it. Was a pretty groovy album to listen to. None of the songs were "add to daily mixable", but it was still good.
It was almost over before it even started. Wow - James Brown and his musicians were just on fire. Very enjoyable
3/5
Very energetic performances of covers and James Brown tunes. Definitely worth a listen if you are only familiar with the hits like I was before listening to this album.
Quintessential James Brown. Live albums are always interesting. Trying to pick up on the energy present but sadly it just felt like I was too distant.
só a abertura vale umas 4 estrelas .
This rocks
This is a freight train of energy, as to be expected. Like stepping back in time.
Definitely seems like a classic of the genre. Just not my favorite genre. 3/5
It feels like I have listened to many "Live at ..." albums in throughout this list. Each time they become a little less impressive
It's star time...
He's a good singer and the instrumentals are decent but the live element of this is just much too irritating.
It was ok
Decent
Too short tbh
Tapers off a good bit in the back half (a better way to put this is that it changes modes and I prefer the first mode), but pretty damn great all the same. Surely these have to get worse at some point, I’m not used to so much great music in such a short span.
Too short, I want at least another hour of this
It's fine.
Alright
Live At The Apollo is one of those albums that everyone likes because it has mass appeal and works really well as a sum of its parts. It’s groovy, funky, all-ages fun. The issue is, I rarely listen to those parts on their own. Hell, I rarely revisit Apollo as a whole, as it is. What’s more, I think this era of funk has just been culturally regulated to Wedding Music™️. Maybe I’m showing my age/that I’m at that point in life where you spend your fall going to 5 weddings, but this style is just sonic novocaine to my ears. This is a quintessential example of an album I respect a lot more than I enjoy. But that’s also how I feel about James Brown generally.
The recording sounded OK but I didn't feel like the live format really helped this album. I had a good time listening though, how mad can I be?
He knows how to command a stage! This was short and sweet
It must have been a very special concert, with the women screaming and all. Listening to it 60 years later is nice but not much more than that.
Pretty electric and pretty awesome, filled with a lot of songs I wasn't familiar with, albeit a short album.
Solid live not my taste but I know enough that I can appreciate this. 2.75
Great energy. Really knew how to rile up a crowd. Unfortunately, didn't feel much listening to it. 2.5/5 = ok
It's CLASSIC James Brown, but I'm hard pressed to say it's the best of James Brown as there are obscure albums of his with amazing cuts, better audio, and less crowd sounds.
Left wishing I could see the passion that I can only hear and imagine.
My measure for rating live albums is how badly do I want to have been at the show. I’m having a difficult time understanding how the music critics think this is the greatest live album, and one of the greatest albums, of all time. It’s a fine album and I’m sure I would have had a fun time in the audience, but I don’t feel overwhelmingly excited.
Enjoyable. Lively.
Soulful R&B even on a live album just hits in a certain way. And that the mans voice is as smooth as they come only makes that more obvious. Standouts Try Me "I wanna scream"/5 (3/5)
Half the James Brown experience is seeing him do that thing where he collapses on stage, seemingly from exhaustion, and a stage hand drapes a cape over him to usher him out, only for James Brown to discard the cape and come back to life.
Good but not amazing. Love James Brown and this is a fabulous band, but I prefer the later 60s early/early 70s version of JB. Heard this a few times over the years, but even this listen is fun but not something I’d revisit.
This is JB before JB. He has not yet turned up the funk machine to its full glory to become Mr. Dynamite. Here he shows up as a really good R & B / soul singer. The seeds are there - the showmanship, the energy, the voice. The band is tight, it's just that the material is not quite fully there yet.
aperto de mente
It's a lot of fun to listen to, but not very interesting, if that makes sense. James Brown's shouts and screams are fun, but the rabid fans' in the crowd are not.
I'll Go Crazy Try Me I Don't Mind 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
Very James Brown, children!
Hopefully my last problematic yet talented human on the list Would have been quite a show
Vilken inledning! Det är svängigt och rösten är bra. Think och Lost Someone gillar jag. Publiken verkar älska Please Please mest. Det är genomgående bra men inte egentligen musik jag vanligtvis lyssnar på. Säkert en riktigt bra konsert men liveskiva är svårt, tar fokus från musiken. Några av hans hits är ju inte med på denna skiva. En 3a. Den är bra men inte bäst.
Rätt jobbig live-skiva med allt publikskrik. Det svänger dock skönt.
Great energy, but it really doesn't do much for me otherwise.
Enjoyed, but not something I'd put on myself.
I had to deduct stars because I hate live recordings. Also because this was an odd mix of full songs and instrumentals as songs. James Brown is a fantastic entertainer and I wish I could have seen live.
Album 454 of 1001 James Brown - James Brown Live At The Apollo Rating : 3.95 / 5 I like James Brown more than I like this album. Can't say too many things negative about a recording of him live at The Apollo. Though I'm not a big fan of live albums, this one does put you in a place you'll never be able to go again. They are all having a great time.
I Love James Brown. I am sure this performance was electric in person, but this album is not
Un sorprendente registro en vivo de una de las presentaciones más potentes del "Padrino del Soul". A pesar de su controversial vida, en sus inicios podemos notar su talento y cómo influenció a gran parte de la comunidad de músicos norteamericanos afrodescendientes. Recomendable.
funky wunky awesome possum
Never listened to older James Brown music. Not bad. Funky godfather of soul. 3 stars
Lots of screaming.
Groovy
Couldn’t get into the album, though I understand why he was such a charismatic star of his time. His vocal style just wasn’t for me.
Cool
Decent live album, James has the audience in the palm of his hand here
Great album! James Brown at his best!
No ha sido mi album favorito pero debería de oirlo más.
Magnaður listamaður og ótrúlegur söngur. Þessi lög voru samt ekki að heilla mig og þessir eilífu píkuskrækir skemmdu alla vega fyrir mér.
classic R and B live performance. Wish I could see him dancing during this!
R&B, soul.
Just a short, solid live performance with a great atmosphere, nothing that blows me away though. Also, the album art is cool.
Rarely do I enjoy live albums anymore but this is now 2 for 2 on live albums through this site. This is great background music that from time to time stops you in your tracks and just has you grooving to what it has to offer. Choice cut: I Don’t Mind
This thing literally flew by. Not many of his hits, but still enjoyable. I'm not sure why this one was on the list though?
Not a bad album. I think some of these older live albums are better than more modern live albums.
Jeg kan sagtens forstå at den har opnået status som legendarisk, og atmosfæren er en klar 5’er. Dog er musikken langt hen af vejen kedelig blues/soul, hvad der kendetegner tiden.
In my notes for a different live album from this project, I said something about enjoying a live album more when I can't hear the audience. Truly don't know what I was smoking saying that. Maybe it was something I enjoyed about that particular album, finding the mix impressive, idk. But I love hearing the audience usually. It amplifies the frisson. Goosebumps galore. Hearing the women screaming and ow-ing in this recording at the Apollo makes me wish I could use a time machine and be there in person. I'm giving it 3 stars, but only because I don't have a desire to relisten any time soon. For me, 4/5 stars are for albums I want to hear more than once or twice. It would be great to own on vinyl to spin on special occasions though.
It didn’t seem like he was live. Of course there was one girl screaming bloody murder every so often but besides that it was awfully quiet. Unless concert etiquette has changed… it wasn’t bad wasn’t amazing. Didn’t like the suggested music after though.
Hear the scream.. dont feel it.. Im not a women..
Never realized how much James got the crowds going. Those girls were going nuts for him. Good stuff
Great singer. Live format gives a lot of vibe, but it doesn't fit well in every situation. Enjoyed
Was hoping this would stand out more. Good not great.
This was good, but after a while felt like I was being yelled at.
what do you want me to say? it's a live album. i bet it would've slapped if I was there.
this was fine but nothing stellar for me. I'm sure it would've been very exciting to be there, but none of these are the huge James Brown hits I'm familiar with and the two long songs at the end (which together make up half the album's runtime) were a bit much. i listened to this album twice to make sure i didn't miss something but i guess it just didn't really click for me. james brown is still a great and exciting singer, and his band is really locked in with tight, impressive playing, so credit where credit is due. favorites: try me, night train
It's good but it's not great. Partially due to the fact I'm not a huge fan of live albums and partially due to I prefer JB's hard funk from the 70s over the R&B 60's output. Still, it's a decent listen and there is good material on here.
Fun live album Standout songs: Ill go Crazy Lost someone Night Train
Nice
Fun live album before he got huge.
James Brown is dead! He’s good here though. Feels good!
Pleasant but preferred Sarah Vaughan 5/10
Bit slower than I would prefer but pretty good
Almost got itself a 4. Just don’t think it’s something I would ever sit down and choose to listen to. Certainly a good vibe though. Simpsons: Guest star
It was alright, wouldn't choose to listen again though.
I liked it. Fun live album. Great energy
Its alright
finds immer cute wies früener d artists vorgstellt hend (han gad hüt per zuefall glese, dass de james brown glaub nöd so en coole guy gsi isch) die nur churzi pause zwüsche I'll go crazy und try me insane geil und natürlich s gekreische hahaha bläser au so geil hmm ich finds sehr schön aber s fühlt sich chli lang ah obwohl s ganze nur e halb stund gaht...liit wahrsch ah mier aber ja
Another classic artist who stands in front of a towering support band. They are *tight*. Props to them. This is fantastic music. James Brown? He's aight.
Forgot to write earlier. Good live jazz, albeit a bit short. One song is worth 1/3 of the run time, and it was just okay. Wasn’t the most creative jazz performance I’ve listened to. Standouts: Try Me, I Don’t Mind, and Medley: Please Please Please/You’ve Got The Power/I Found Someone.
I enjoyed it but not as much as I expected I would.
I've mentioned previously that I'm not generally a fan of live albums, but I think this will be a good one. James Brown is a ton of fun. This album was decent but not a favorite of mine. 3/5
Fun album. Quick and had a handful of memorable moments.
The beginning of Night Train made me think of the Eddie Murphy impersonation from Raw.
As much as I wanted yo like it, I just couldn’t. It’s not terrible, just not into it.
Good, would have been better if I was there
Fun little listen. Can't see me putting into the regular rotation, but enjoyable all the same.
Only thing would that make this better is a better recording. Live recordings of this period were not the best.
Honestly, a really awful recording of a great artist. the live sections really took away from what was happening in this.
This recordig/mix leaves mich to be desired. And the tracking/timing/arrangement was weird. But it's James Browns so...
Great live album, enjoyed this a lot
Man this one was fun. Listening to all the people loosing their mind in the audience is also very fun. A good vocal performance, nice accompaniment and if you enjoy classing 60s rock hes definitely a good choice.
You can feel the power of the live performer in this, and that's pretty exciting, especially early on (I very nearly plumped for the intro as the standout track, as it got me pretty giddy). The songs don't really match the excitement of the performance, which is a shame. It's all quite basic and same-y unfortunately.
His band isn't as good as others from that era. Mid lineup tbh.
He invented a few genres and can imagine seeing him in 62 would have been a riot. Battery aside, he got the funk.
Though not enamored of soul in general, the quality of Brown's band is remarkable to me. I'm a sucket for horns though. I hope to see more James Brown on this journey.
Crowd is crazy :-)
Oh this is fun. Familiar voice with mostly unfamiliar songs to me but you can hear the exuberance of the performance though the recording. Not something that I might seek out all the time but enjoyable nonetheless
I enjoyed it, but like many of these older albums it’s more of appreciating a historical piece than something I would actually regularly play. However, I like the funk/ blues/ soul sound of the music as evidence by the other songs that came on the album radio
Fantastic recording of a time and sound that, in the moment, must have been electrifying.
Short
I was looking forward to this but I should have known nothing will ever live up to his performance in Rocky 4
I expected a longer live set from the hardest working man in show business but I think they had a weird habit in those days of chopping up the recordings and changing the order around, missing songs etc
Definitely explains the fuss, which one has long heard about but never fully got. The band is almost painfuflly tight, and some of the cuts almost vanishingly short – it was a different era, one supposes. Weird that the record itself is so brief. "Try Me" is pretty deeply affecting.
Certainly I side of James Brown I have not been exposed to before. I really like the intro and the bridges and Lost Somone is good with my fave being Night Train.
Pretty good, it's nice hearing the crowds reaction to his performance.
I enjoy the energy on some songs, but I really don’t like the screaming voice. Some songs were fun, made you want to move, but not my thing.
I commend it for giving me the authentic live experience: getting annoyed with other people in the audience. Very cool album cover.
Classic
I bet it would’ve been amazing to be there. It was fun to hear the screaming and hollering. I also really enjoyed the horns.
Feel like I’m on. 3 star run. Maybe four or five in a row. Prolly added interest after my recent Memphis trip where I went to Blues hall of fame museum. I’d say 50/50 on the songs on this album. Maybe it’d be higher if not live. Don’t like the crowd yelps throughout.
Very brass forward backing music, but entertaining
The highlight on this album is the orchestra /band, they sound sharp and I bet this gig was amazing. It’s also charming to hear Brown before his funk period, there’s almost an innocence to the record in hindsight.
Not a fan of live albums, but this was a decent listen
Ongelofelijk goede artiest. The godfather of blues. Toch ben ik niet zo'n fan helaas.
One of the greatest on-stage performers ever, doing what he does best. The crowd is rabid, but they quiet down to still hear every word he sings. Barely a half hour, and he's got the crowd eating out of his hand with ease. Not too many others on that level.
funky I like it
After a while there's just too much yelping
3.5 stars , pretty cool.
Kinda let down by this one after all the hype over the years.
Soul blues thing live
Short! 30 minutes. Fun. Fine. I’ve heard way better stuff from him. Probably a whole lot better if you can see him dance and perform.
James brown is great but this wasn’t the greatest live album I’ve gotten on this album. There were some fun bits but it never really felt like it crescendoed to songs that blew the roof off the venue. Like lost someone and medley are both fine but they still feel like tracks early in the setlist before you get to the crazy stuff. I might just be scrounging for rationales instead of just saying this didnt do it for me but whatever.
Bueno
R&B, soul.
It seems incomplete for some reason.
Det lyder som om at kvinderne havde en fest (eller nærmere poolparty, if you catch my drift 😏🍑🍑💦)
Good samples; maybe too much screaming
2.6/5 Best Track: Night Train
Good live Album, James has great charisma and an iconic voice. Album is pretty repetitive which is main flaw. 7/10
Good
So this is where Janis Joplin got her singing inspiration from. What a soulful performance. The energy of the crowd is high and infectious. I don't love live albums so I can't go above 3 stars on this one.
It’s ok, not a huge fan of live albums
James Brown is incredibly talented. The band is tight. This is no doubt the very top tier of pre-Beatles music. The recording lets down the music here. Not really bangers either but very very solid, short, tight performance 7.6/10
James Brown puts everything on the stage and I'm sure this was a fantastic show to be in the crowd for. Live albums can range wildly in quality and this one sounds pretty good all things considered. The other part with live albums is they have a greater opportunity for appreciation when the listener is familiar with the material to pick out the special parts. I liked the album pretty well, but I know there is better James Brown out there. It also got a bit screamy from the crowd towards the end.. Favorite track: "Think" 2.5/5
I'd hoped to enjoy this more. Loved the band, but besides a couple of bright spots I found this just okay.
a solid live album. 3 stars.
A short and sweet little live LP. The flattened production mutes some of the vibrancy a bit, but it’s a testament to James Brown’s stage presence that this album keeps rolling along at a clip regardless. Some fun crowd interaction here as well, feels organic and genuine unlike some other live LPs that have cropped up on the list.
Solid album with fun songs.
Didn’t love this but let’s facet, that’s largely on me. I mean, the guy was the inspiration for Prince!
All the cheering and squealing in between songs made me smile. Experiencing live music is such a universal thrill. Hearing that must've been my favorite bit of the album, because although this is James Brown, the music or these performances weren't that impressive. I'm not a huge fan of live albums in the first place, but even I can admit that there are some amazing ones out there - Sam Cooke and Johnny Cash are just some of them. This record was fun and upbeat, but not... that.. amazing. There are better live albums for sure. Standout track is Try Me.
6/10
Out of respect for James Brown and what he brought to music I give this a 3, but my enjoyment was closer to 2. Not really a fan of live albums, and I couldn’t really pick a specific song from the album that I would return to - especially not in the live format. I do like the album cover with the abstract watercolor painting vibes. No comment on the album name.
This is James Brown. Not sure what else to say. He’s better when he’s singing, not screaming, but that’s his schtick.
It was good. Very pleasant for background music while cleaning.
boring asf
Must be before he found out about cocaine.
groovy
That is a crazy list of accolades. The fact that it's a live album from the 60s makes the audio quality pretty bad, and the screaming is just ugh. You can feel James Brown's energy, and it's crazy that this is such an early album. Overall didn't wow me though, 3*.
The music itself is great and has incredible energy througout. But the quality of the recording (even if it's early 60s) and the constant screaming of the crowd and other background noises distract me a lot from the music itself. 5 for the music, 3 for the album itself.
Mein erstes James Brown Album (live). Super funky und stimmungsvolles live Album. Überraschend kurz. Kurzweilig, aber ob ich es nochmal höre...
Zeer funky albumpje, James Brown wordt niet voor niets the Godfather of Soul genoemd. Maar toch luister ik dit niet zo snel nog een keer, is meer muziek waar je live bij wilt zijn. Wel meer dan 60 jaar oud, heel ziek
Opzich wel leuke funky soul-muziek. Ik zie m’n oma al helemaal staan daar in de jaren 60. En zo te horen aan die gillende dames, wist James de vrouwen ook wel om z’n vinger te winden
Very good but not my kind of music
R&B, soul.
Pretty good album. Jazzy and funky. Nothing more to add.
It's OK!
Good performance. But not my style.
For James Brown it felt really dry. I didn't sit there hating on any of the tracks but it felt weirdly short for a live album and the whole time felt like it was build up to a really good song which never really came. Just ended up feeling underwhelming and not really having much to it.
Brief funky jams tight as dovetails joints
I'm a fan of Mr Brown but i dont think this captured him at his best. I'm sure he was spectacular live but it doesn't come across in this
no me parece tan especial
6/10 Decent but honestly a little throwaway. Slightly surprised this is in top 1000 let alone considered to potentially be the best live album ever and top 100 of all time But it sounded great, tight band and he was driving the crowd feral at times Great voice, great backing singers More straight R&R/R&B than I was expecting - not so much funk (too early?) Best: I Don’t Mind
Instrumentals were great, the songs were good. I’m preferential to later James Brown, this was cool but mostly ballads.
Funky, but with more mellow tracks that I would’ve guessed from the Hardest Working Man in Show Business.
It was good, lots of energy and you can tell they were having fun.
Muchísimo ritmo. 3/5.
I’m sure he was an amazing performer but live records on this list just grind my gears. [0131/1001]
You know, I'm kind of surprised to get another live album just a little over a week after the last one I got. Fortunately, not only I do respect James Brown more than Jerry Lee Lewis as a person (although, unfortunately, he wasn't perfect either), I also liked Live At The Apollo more. This album isn't really special to me, but it's at least decent. James Brown was a really good singer. His screams are undeniably iconic and would justify him having multiple albums on this list, if he had more than one album on here. Apparently this is his only album that's on here. That doesn't seem right. Anyways, the writing is fairly basic, but that's to be expected of early 60s music. My biggest problem with this album is the mixing. I can only hear the singing in my right ear. That's a problem. This also doesn't really feel like a live album. A live album should really make you feel like you're there at the performance. This is just kind of music that is being played. Overall, not the most interesting album, but not particularly bad either. Light 3/5.
Would be so much better if it wasn’t a live album by him
I don't listen to live albums.
I never really "got" James Brown but this album drips with hard work.
I think it would have been crazy to see James brown at his level of career. But as far as the album goes, nothing better than a good horn section, but my take away was that the album wasn’t mixed very well. Had vocals only on one side