1001 Albums Summary

Excellent. This album feels like the guitars are speaking to me in ways that I believe that I’ve only ever heard by the Strokes. Favorite: Marquee Moon Least Favorite: Guiding Light

I have heard high praise for this record, which is hailed as one of the greatest live albums ever made. I've even skimmed a few lists to find that it is even sometimes listed as one of the best albums ever made, live or not. Going into it, I wasn't sure exactly what to expect other than it just being a solid live performance from the early '60s. This was especially the case because my only real frame of reference to Soul or R&B in general were all female artists such as Etta James or Aretha Franklin. While it did not strike me instantly as "THIS IS IT, THIS IS MUSIC AT ITS FINEST," as some lists and reviews claim - it is extremely unique. The album is sprinkled with Brown speaking and audience chatter, which makes for a listen that reminds you that you aren't actually listening to an "album" album. Now it's up to you if that takes you out of it in a good way or bad way, really. I could really take or leave it, but for the most part I found it pretty neat every time. I believe this record is very fascinating in that it is a perfect time capsule for the time when James Brown, the "Godfather of Soul," was at a peak. Sitting there in my room listening to this thing feels like I am there watching the man himself at a concert, complete with an intro, instrumental breaks, a great backing band, audience cheers, and a stellar melody to cap it off as artists do, even today. All of that packed into 30 minutes of music is quite the show, and it's extremely enjoyable. Soul as a genre is something I can appreciate but never fully immerse myself in like I can with other genres, mainly because I am just not as knowledgeable of the scene and timing of the fruition of artists. For example, "Lost Someone -Live At The Apollo Theater, 1962" isn't making the top of my On Repeat any time soon. However, that's not to say that the album as a complete work is not worth revisiting in a year or two. The performance is capped off (almost) by a stellar rapid-fire medley that I enjoyed more than anything else. Brown's band shines here. That being said, with only a track or two I would skip over and maybe a mild annoyance over time with crowd reactions (only the screaming; the real interactions between Brown and the audience are great), I enjoyed this album. I'm still torn to rate it against other studio recordings I love that were meticulously thought out and produced, but if every album was "easy" to compare then I wouldn't enjoy listening to records as much as I do. Favorite: Medley Least Favorite: I Don't Mind