standells's Full Review: Motherlode [Remaster] by James Brown
My musical tastes have changed considerably since five years ago, when I first started writing for Epinions. Entire new worlds have opened up and my musical taste is constantly changing. One of the biggest changes is my obsession with funk. With so many different grooves, moves and ideas, a funk fan can never tire of the variety that is out there.
James Brown, along with bands such as Parliament/Funkadelic brought funk to the forefront. This compilation captures Brown in his funky prime. These tracks were recorded between 1967 and 1976, when Brown was at a creative peak in his career. However, one must not forget the musicians featured on this album. They are all just as important as James Brown himself. These musicians included saxophonist Maceo Parker, trombonist Fred Wesley, bassist Bootsy Collins, and drummer Clyde Stubblefield. All were members of Brown’s legendary backing band, The J.B.’s.
Motherlode aims to please any James Brown fan with its mix of great grooves and lesser known tracks. The album was originally released in 1988 with 11 tracks, but it is remastered and contains two bonus tracks for this 2003 reissue. The album features an excellent mix of live tracks, instrumentals, and solid songs.
What is most evident in every one of these recordings is the raw energy, enthusiasm, and concentration that is present from Brown and the J.B.’s.
The album starts with an exhilarating live version of There It Is, one of Brown’s classic grooves. This live version was recorded at the legendary Apollo Theatre in 1972 and the sound is fantastic. All the energy is there, and it is easy to picture Brown dancing onstage putting all his energy into his performance. Brown even moves to the organ in the middle for a solo. This is one of the highlights of the compilation. It is an excellent start to the album.
The other live track on this compilation is another classic, Say It Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud), generally regarded as one of the black anthems of the late 1960s. The audience is audibly shouting the chorus with Brown throughout the song. This version is a touch quicker than the studio version (typical of all of Brown’s live performances), and it suits the song well.
She’s the One, recorded in 1969, is a solid catchy number by Brown and Hank Ballard. It’s interesting to note that this track doesn’t have the horns in the forefront, but puts more emphasis on Brown’s vocals. This is followed by a 1970 duet with Bobby Byrd titled Since You Been Gone. There are no horns in this song, but it is obviously a recycled version of the main groove from “Give It Up or Turnit a Loose” from the year earlier. The most notable aspect of this track is the complex drum pattern played by Clyde Stubblefield, where he purposefully seems to avoid as many offbeats on the snare as possible.
Don’t let the unimaginative title fool you! Untitled Instrumental is one of the funkiest tracks on the album. The interplay between the rhythm section and the horn section is tight and will leave you guessing what makes it so funky the first few times through. The other instrumental, Funk Bomb, was recorded in 1967 and is the earliest track on the album. It utilizes a simple 12-bar-blues chord progression. Funk Bomb is interesting in how it bridges the line between R&B and Funk. The track has a funk groove, but the R&B influence is still quite evident. It’s also nice to hear only the band their thing.
Compared to the other songs on the album, Can I Get Some Help, is much more laid back. Its placement suits the album well. It prepares the listener for the dense rhythm of You Got to Have a Mother for Me, the predecessor of the James Brown classic “Mother Popcorn.” It has a completely different feel, and the rhythm really drives.
Baby Here I Come is another laid back number, recorded in 1969. The band is tight throughout, and the horns are fully brought to the forefront. This number only serves as a prelude for what I consider to be the best song on this album, People Get Up and Drive Your Funky Soul. This song is the ultimate of coolness and very different from the other material on the album. It is filled with so much music and gorgeous melodies from the horn section. I realize it’s probably a bit strange to describe a funk tune as “gorgeous” but the contrast the horns provide at their entry must be heard. One can perhaps even sense a little Charles-Mingus-influence…
In I Got Ants in My Pants (And I Want to Dance) James Brown is faced with a problem… he has ants in his pants. Of course everyone knows to get rid of the ants, you gotta dance. James Brown is no exception. Put this song on if you're faced with the ants-in-pants. You will be dancing in no time!
The bonus track You’ve Changed is a great song. Brown reuses the groove from the earlier hit “There Was a Time” and slows it down just a bit with great success. The final track, Bodyheat, is the latest song in the collection, from 1976, right before the disco craze. It is easy to notice how Brown was keeping up with the style of the time. He offers a slicker production in a style reminiscent of the Ohio Players. An alternate mix is provided here instead of the version from the 1976 Bodyheat LP. The bonus tracks aren’t totally necessary, but it’s always nice to have something extra.
Every single track on the album can be analyzed on your own in so many different ways. It is fascinating to isolate each instrument in your mind, and to attentively listen to how that one instrument’s rhythmic figure interacts with the rest of the band. If you think about it, the one instrument may sound strange on its own, but the song becomes a coherent whole once all the other instruments are added.
This music is meant to get people up and dancing. I find it difficult to avoid at least tapping my foot when I listen to this album. Whenever I hold parties at my house, I always put on the James Brown, and it gets people up and dancing immediately! It’s like some kind of medicine. Keep in mind these are 20 year olds moving to music that is older than them! It proves that James Brown is truly timeless and his music crosses generations.
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