Black Caesar [Soundtrack]

James Brown | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 22, 1992)
• Original Release Date: February 7, 1973
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Polydor / Umgd
• ASIN: B000001DZS
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #46,866 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

It's the classic 1973 blaxploitation film featuring Fred Williamson and Gloria Hendry. Tommy Gibbs is a tough kid, raised in the ghetto, who aspires to be a kingpin criminal. As a young boy, his leg is broken by a bad cop during a payoff gone bad. Nursing his vengeance, he rises to power in Harlem, New York. Angry at the racist society around him, both criminal and straight, he sees the acquisition of power as the solution to his rage. He performs a free-lance hit on a Mob contract to attract the attention of the head of a Mafia family. Reluctantly accepted into 'The Family,' he grows increasingly autonomous and aggressive, eventually starting a gang war. It's a great film for constructive anger release! If you're all worked up, just watch Black Caesar and keep yourself from life imprisonment!

• Actors: Fred Williamson, Gloria Hendry, Art Lund, D'Urville Martin, Julius Harris
• Directors: Larry Cohen
• Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Widescreen, NTSC
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only.)
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating
• Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
• DVD Release Date: January 9, 2001
• Run Time: 92 minutes
• DVD Features:
• Available Subtitles: Spanish, French
• Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 2.0), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0)
• Audio Commentary
• Size: 7 1/2" x 5 1/4"

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars James Brown Meets The Godfather, July 7, 2000

By 

Eddie Landsberg "My 10th year as a reviewer !... (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Black Caesar (Audio CD)

I'm going to stand up for this album. Sure, it wasn't the strongest soundtrack made in the "blaxploitation" genre - - in fact, one might even argue that Edwin Starr outfunked the Godfather in the follow up to it "Hell Up in Harlem", but still there's some pretty bad tracks, and also, you can always go to the video rental shop (or order the film on Amazon) to decide if you want it. - - The film itself was pretty baaaaaaaad (as in Good)... it starred Fred Williams in the tale of the rise and fall of a Black Mobster, who takes on the cop and the mob. Its very interesting to hear JB funking up DOWN AND OUT IN NEW YORK CITY, which I believe originally came from the country genre. - - JB did one other sountrack by the way... The slightly more action packed and funkier Slaughter's Big Rip Off, featuring Jim Brown. (The song "The Payback" I believe was a reject from one of these films - - it was supposed to be the theme, and was rejected as not funky enough.) Overall, for some reason a lot of die hard JB fans aren't crazy about this album, but I think it was a nice showcase for both JB and Fred Wesley. In fact, a lot of JBs albums featured one or two hard hitting tracks, and a bunch of corn... its the compilations that give you the impression that he was pure funk. This album, compared to some others then, is actually relatively hard hitting. On the other hand, if you haven't dug the James Brown FUNKY PEOPLE compilations... and are really looking for some heavy funk... GO THERE !

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Godfather's first soundtrack recording is hit and miss, July 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Black Caesar (Audio CD)

According to JB's front man Fred Wesley, James's attitude towards soundtracks was to simply empty the vaults of unreleased material. Some of these substandard tracks surface on "Black Caesar", but fortunately some real classics do, as well. "Down and Out in New York City" and "The Boss" rank with some of Brown's greatest 70's work. Another major problem is that this album is WAY too short (an insulting 36 minutes). Neophytes to Brown are better off with "The Payback" or the "Make it Funky" anthology. Harcore fans will find enough to satisfy.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps the Finest Blaxploitation Soundtrack Ever, May 28, 2003

By 

Chad A. Timm "Funk Disciple" (Morristown, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Black Caesar (Audio CD)

If you are at all impressed with Mayfield's Superfly, give Black Caesar a listen. This album has it all- heavy hitting chunks of funk like Down and Out in New York City to the laid back pimpin' sounds of Blind Man Can See It. Keep in mind that this album was released within months of the ground breaking Big Payback. Buy this album, then buy Slaughter's Big Rip Off. You won't be disappointed.