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You don’t need to be an R&B historian to know that this 43-song sampling of James Brown’s singles tracks recorded at the late-60s peak of the Godfather of Soul’s funk innovation is going to be heavy with killer material. And you get the anthems, like Say It Loud – I’m Black And I’m Proud, Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose, I Got The Feelin’, You’ve Got The Power and There Was A Time.
But even those who own James Brown’s albums of the period may be surprised by the lesser-known singles-only sides cut when Brown’s success on King had given him free rein in the studio to indulge his every experimental whim. He not only tries his hand at the keys for Here I Go, but he also has his nutty noodling cranked up insanely high in the mix, which compilation producers have thoughtfully preserved on this reissue for your listening pleasure. Never less than entertaining.
