| James Brown is, quite simply, one of most influential artists of the last five decades and any self-respecting music fan should own at least one collection of his finest moments. Out of Sight--The Very Best of James Brown is the perfect introduction. Concentrating on The Godfather of Soul's heyday, the early 60s to mid-70s, this 18-tracker charts his transition from the molten knee-scraping balladry of "Please Please Please" to the ferocious funk and righteous anger of "The Payback". There isn't a dud track and although the dramatic ballad "It's A Man's Man's Man's World" is the equal of anything here, the emphasis is on rhythm-propelled grooves. It's remarkable that the combustible likes of "Out of Sight", "I Got You (I Feel Good)" and "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" (Parts 1 and 2) date from as far back as the mid-60s. With their repetitive rhythms, juddering bass lines and staccato horn blasts, such tracks laid the foundations for what we now know as funk. Arguably, the first fully fledged funk release was Brown's seminal 1970 release "Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine". A truly ground-breaking record, it inspired a new generation to get on the good foot. Predictably, there are omissions, notably "Cold Sweat", "Superbad and "Papa Don't Take No Mess" but anyone new to Soul Brother Number One will inevitably move on from here and investigate his extraordinary back-catalogue.--Chris King |
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