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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
For the JB reader....and listener, May 10, 2008
This review is from: The James Brown Reader: Fifty Years of Writing About the Godfather of Soul (Paperback)
Five decades of JB's career are covered in rare (and long) interviews (one from the '70s with less than flattering comments from the entourage)and concert reviews (which, surprisingly, do not really address the joyous mass rapture evident on the live recordings); plus many photos this serious Brown fan has never seen before. I particularly enjoy the '67 to '75 period and was pleased to find alot of coverage of that great era of creativity, roughly from "Cold Sweat" to "Hustle!". The reader *today* will be astonished to learn that those cataclysmic concerts were something almost routine. Well, in entertainment, as in "real life" (though with James Brown, his public personae was always of the "open book" order), stuff happens, people change: that insistent, pulsating, inspirational aspect seemed to yield, slowly, to just another "greatest hits" revue.
A very helpful single, album, and elected CD section is provided, though I was disappointed by the lack of analysis of strong, later CD efforts like "Love Over Due", a solid effort from '91, and two from the late '90s, "I'm Back" (with "Funk On Ah Roll", "Break Away", and "Peace In The World"), "The Merry Christmas Album", a minor Classic - I say "minor" in that the production values were modest and it seemed to be available only online. George and Leeds could have expounded brilliantly on these lesser-known opuses.
A classy package all the way around by two very important names in publishing and music.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Not a book for black people, November 3, 2010
This review is from: The James Brown Reader: Fifty Years of Writing About the Godfather of Soul (Paperback)
I started reading this book and ended up trashing it. It's definitely a europeanized view of Brown's history, leaving out the most important things vital to understanding this King of Soul's journey. For example, the black anthem, Say it Loud, I'm black and I'm proud came about because blacks started calling Brown Sold brother no. 1 instead of soul brother no. 1, after he was approached by Humphrey and ended campaigning for the man. Also, after King was shot, James Brown was to perform in Boston, but when he arrived, found out that the white council had decided to televise his show to prevent riots from occurring in the street. Because riots had broken out across america, Boston was supposedly spared because of this decision. JB had not agreed to be televised and demanded a whole lot of money, which he got, to keep the blacks in their homes. I say all this because the author makes some real racist statements about what black people would have done and how great the move was because the natives were contained (at least that's my interpretation of his statements).
He also contends, again my take on his writing, that angry black politicians called him a sell-out because, he says, Boston's decision to televise the show, but not the Humphrey scenario above, made angry black politicians dis JB. Again, that white stereotype of the angry black. Never a reason, never a stimulus. What really sparked disillusion about brown, in blacks across america, was that they felt he was an UT, sell out, white washed and working to help the man. Remember, co-intel pro was alive and well and blacks had learned the wiles used against them and seen enough sell-outs throughout history, in particular what happened to the panthers.
Again, in my opinion, this so-called collection about James brown is completely white washed and if you're black, will make you ill. Finally, and most importantly, this author doesn't mention the fact that no white stations would broadcast "Say it Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud" and he fails to mention that Wolfman Jack, a Jewish and famous DJ,left LA, went into Mexico and broad casted the record back into the USA. I was a kid then and this song was our Anthem. We were sporting big 'fros and dancing to the funk of James Brown, the man who changed music forever, though those before him inspired him, like snakehips back in the early 1900s. This book is not anything I'd waste my time on, as a black American, because of the two above mentioned things. This was during the civil rights movement where Jim Crow was alive and well and JB was a big part of our self esteem and moving forward. Leaving that out is unconscionable, in my opinion.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
a glimpse of the god father at his peak, June 28, 2010
This review is from: The James Brown Reader: Fifty Years of Writing About the Godfather of Soul (Paperback)
This compendium of interviews with Soul Brother number 1 illustrates why he transcended music at the peak of his popularity and became an icon for a generation. Here was a man who was self made, unapologetic and independant. In 2010 its fascinating to look back in time and realize that a brother who had sold 38 million records before he was 40 years old, owned 3 radio stations, a chain of restaurants, toured over 300 days a year for well over a decade , diffused riots by request, and whose music rose like a phoenix a generation later to provide the foundation for the golden age of hip hop was never really given his due by the country he loved so much . A man for the ages to be sure. Like watching Ali in his prime, these interviews offer a glimpse into what made the Godfather great. For those of us who love JB this book is a long lost love letter. for those of you who are just discovering the amazing mr. please please, the big boss with all the hot sauce , the hardest working man in show business...dig in , enjoy and consider yourselves blessed. Get on the good foot and keep it on the one!
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