Search - James Brown :: Jb40: 40th Anniversary Collection

The Original - And Still The Best

Joseph Kimsey | Pac NW | 06/20/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With Bob Dylan, Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, and Elvis Presley, the US has had its share of influential musical giants. But, for my money, THE most influential and definitely one of the best is The Godfather of Soul. If you don't hear echoes of James Brown in most of the stuff around for the last thirty years, then you must have been stranded on an Aleutian Island. Nearly the entire mid-to-late 70's & 80's soul scene was a pale imitation of the amazingly rhythmic originality of Mr. Brown's work. Not that all of the spin-offs were that good; some were and are awful. But some of the best music around (like Parliament) was directly influenced by The Godfather.The first disc is the more "soulful" of the two: in other words, these songs epitomize the Soul genre of music. "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" & "I Got You" are known by everybody except maybe an errant Martian or two. "Licking Stick" and "Mother Popcorn" are already well on the way to full-blown funk. "Say It Loud" is a timely response to the prevailing attitudes of the nation during that period. "Please, Please, Please" shows clearly that the basis for soul, funk, and most jazz is gospel. Disc two is the "funky" one. I defy anyone to sit still while listening to this disc. "Get Up...", "My Thang", "Talkin' Loud...", "Get Up Offa That Thing", among others are classic funk. "Papa Don't Take No Mess" is compulsively funky. Some have commented about the redundancy of this compilation; but for the person new to James Brown, this is the place to start. Unlike some of his successors, James Brown is real, varied, and the original."

Better than 'star time'!

kevin m antonio | rumford, ri United States | 12/07/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"That's blasphemous to some of you readers, I'm sure, but hey, at one time I owned both sets. I kept 40th because it has "Down and Out in NY City"; 'Star Time' does not. Anyway, I found myself going for the 40th set whenever I needed some JB. I guess I just don't have the time or patience to wade through box sets anymore.

As for the music, well what can I say? The man INVENTED funk and rap. Think about that -- James Brown invented two musical genres. It boggles the mind. EVERY R&B performer who came after him owes their career to "the Hardest Working Man in Show Business", "Soul Brother #1", "Mr. Dynamite", "the Godfather of Soul", ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr. James Brown!

This set has the songs in chronological order so you get to follow his progress from journeyman soul balladeer to one of the most important figures in 20th century music.

"Sex Machine" is one of the greatest songs ever conceived by the mind of man....

The one complaint I have is you can't see James performing this stuff...

So, if you have the $ and the time, get 'Star Time'. But if you're like me 'JB40' is where it's at. Hunh! good gawd!

"

Essential Listening

B. Bowman | Jersey, United States | 11/24/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These discs prove without a doubt that James Brown is THE MAN. This is one of the only CD's that I have permanently kept in the car because no matter how many times I hear it I won't get tired of it. The man has charisma, a message and SOUL to the max. These two CD's capture his journey from the ballads of the 1950's to the hardcore funk of the 1970's featuring Bootsy Collins on bass, "Friendly" Fred Wesley on trombone, and Maceo Parker on sax. James Brown is to funk what Miles Davis was to jazz; he has a knack for surrounding himself with incredible musicians and bringing out the best in himself and his players through the music. "Get Up Offa That Thing", "Sex Machine", "Super Bad", and "There Was A Time" are incredible. These discs are essential for any party; I have been at many where this music has made many people get on their feet and get down. You aren't human if this doesn't move you."