Gold

The comps just keep on coming. James Brown's passing in 2007 has -- as it would for virtually any artist of stature, let alone legend, in popular music -- spawned what seems to be a greater number of compilations being issued and reissued than occurred during his long career. This one, for instance, released in June of 2007, seems to have been in the works before Brown's death, as proved by a line in Cliff White's booklet essay, "...and still a part of Brown's stage show." Ultimately, it's the music that matters, and Universal has the lion's share of Brown's. Listeners have had a box set and numerous double-disc comps already, but this set seems to focus on the hits that charted. There are 40 tracks covering the years 1958, when "Please, Please, Please" was originally issued, to 1979, when "It's Too Funky in Here" hit the number 14 spot in the Billboard R&B charts. In between, all of them are here. Name it. There's even the great "Doing It to Death, Pt. 1" (better known as "Gonna Have a Funky Good Time") by Fred Wesley & the J.B.'s (with Brown) from 1973, which celebrated the return of Wesley and other bandmembers to Brown's group after leaving in 1970. This tune hit the number one spot on the R&B chart and stayed for a couple of weeks, and hit number 22 on the pop chart. Numerous two-part cuts have been issued in their entirety, such as "Cold Sweat," "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)," "Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine," "Super Bad," and "The Payback." Others have their A-sides (part ones) included, such as "Licking Stick," "Mother Popcorn," "Ain't It Funky Now," "Get on the Good Foot," "Talking Loud and Saying Nothing," "Hot Pants," "Papa Don't Take No Mess," and "Bodyheat." In 24-bit remastered sound, this baby is worth snagging off the shelves unless you have these cuts twice or three times over elsewhere. But cuts like "King Heroin," "Funky President," "Out of Sight," and "I Got the Feelin'" are here as well. It's a nonstop head rush of Godfather soul and funk from top to bottom. If you've been waiting, this is the one to snag. If you're already invested, can you live without the remastered sound? That's the question Universal wants you to ask yourself and answer as a solid "no," so you'll plop down your cash just one more time. (www.allmusic.com)

CD 1:
01 please, please, please
02 try me
03 good good lovin
04 i'll go crazy
05 think
06 lost someone
07 night train
08 prisoner of love
09 out of sight
10 papa's got a brand new bag (parts 1 & 2)
11 i got you (i feel good)
12 it's a man's, man's, man's world
13 money won't change you
14 cold sweat
15 there was a time
16 i got the feelin'
17 licking stick - licking stick
18 say it loud i'm black & i'm proud
19 give it up or turnit a loose
20 i don't want nobody to give me nothing (open up th
21 mother popcorn
22 hey america

CD 2:
01 (get up i feel like being a) sex machine
02 super bad ( parts 1 & 2)
03 soul power (part 1)
04 hot pants pt. 1 (she got to use what she got to ge
05 make it funky (part 1)
06 talking loud & saying nothing
07 king heroin
08 get on the good foot
09 the boss
10 doing it to death
11 the payback
12 papa don't take no mess (part 1)
13 my thang
14 funky president (people it's bad)
15 get up offa that thing
16 bodyheat (part 1)
17 it's too funky in here
18 living in america