Review #65: Live At The Apollo, James Brown
#65: Live At The Apollo, James Brown
Looking back, this is the album that should have indicated that my perception of time had been completely shattered after my long strange trip. I listened to Live At The Apollo only three days after listening to Star Time (#54) on the road through Hell — I mean Kansas. But it may as well have been a lifetime.
I also made the mistake of going running to this album. Have you ever tried to work out to a live album? It’s a weird experience. You spend a fair amount of it trying to find a rhythm to the applause and stuff. And this album is STUFFED with applause.
Anyway. The RS blurb says that this album charted for 66 weeks straight, which is pretty cool. It’s also the first live album we’ve encountered! That’s a big deal! And it sounds like a concert I would like to be at. Although I don’t know if I’d be able to keep up with all these screaming women. I’ve never been so overpoweringly enthusiastic about anything.
FAVORITE SONGS:
“Introduction by Fats Gonder/Opening Fanfare” — Hearing this announcer reel off a bunch of songs that I had recently had a spiritual experience to got me inordinately hype.
“I’ll Go Crazy” — This crowd LOVES James Brown, and he sounds like he’s having an absolute blast.
“Try Me” — This rivals a Beatles concert in the level of excitement in the female demographic of the crowd.
“Lost Someone” — This is transcendent. Lol at the woman who REALLY lets loose and shrieks in the middle of this. I hope she got to meet James Brown.
“Medley: Please Please Please/You’ve Got The Power/I Found Someone” — The title of this song belies its true lack of any form whatsoever.
“Night Train” — NIGHT TRAIN!
LEAST FAVORITE SONGS:
“Instrumental Bridge #1, #2, & #3” — These are transitions between songs, which is why I’m clocking them as my least favorite. But honestly? Even these are a blast.
IS RS FULL OF IT?
Well, if you’ve suffered through my Star Time review to the end, you know that I think that album shouldn’t have been included. This is the James Brown album that belongs there. But it’s because of the woman who screams her soul out during “Lost Someone.”
