What I've learned from 'diggin' on James Brown'

[Aftab]

I've recently been gettin' into James Brown, and all I gotta say is ' whoah'! and 'da-hay-am'!

I realize now that a lot of music I've listened to over the years that I thought was funky wasn't even close!

'sall bout the ONE!

Picked up a cd called Motherlode - all previously unreleased cuts and stuff - whoo does that thing groove.

Also been gettin into Sly - fun-kay as well.

Anyone else out there groovin' on James or Sly?

[Jim Dye]

If you dig MOTHERLODE, then you must own IN THE JUNGLE GROOVE!

[Soul Stream]

If you dig MOTHERLODE, then you must own IN THE JUNGLE GROOVE!

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Seconded. Those two go together like peanut butter and jelly.

Then get "Love, Power, Peace" Live at the Olympia. After that, everyone can kiss my ass because that's the A and Z of it all. You can have the rest....

[Noj]

I was just playing the The JB's Funky Good Time 2cd Anthology today.

I've got Black Caesar, In The Jungle Groove, There It Is, Hell, The Payback, Slaughter's Big Rip Off soundtrack...some of my favorite music. I also dig the the James Brown's Funky People compilations, all three that I have are excellent. Soul On Top is cool too. I even like the older JB from the "I Feel Good" era. Fred Wesley & The Horny Horns and Maceo Parker & All The King's Men funk it up too...every time I think I've heard it all from the JB universe I run across some other funky disc. What an artist!

So far, I've got Sly Stone's Fresh, Small Talk, There's A Riot Goin' On, and Stand! Top notch funk, I need more.

Funkadelic and Parliament carried the funk torch for a while...Bootsy!

Here's a question for some of the other funkateers on board, who was funky in the 80s?

[Noj]

Sounds like I need to pick up Motherlode and Live At The Olympia!

[Soul Stream]

Sounds like I need to pick up Motherlode and Live At The Olympia!

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Yeah, and I'm with you on Funky People (vol 1 and 2) and the JBs anthology. After those mentioned, that's all I listen to as far as JB and his family of funksters. There's other great stuff, but that covers 90% of it.

80's stuff....Gap Band is 'bout it for me and I don't have any of their CDs to be honest.

[Harold_Z]

There's a third volume on the Funky People and also there is a Funky Divas of James Brown produced material that is a stone cooker. I'm also a big fan of JB's early recordings.

I can't remember if was on this board or the Bluenote before the diaspora, but there was a good thread on this, I think started by Jim Sangrey.

There's a lot of us jazzers that definitely dig the funk.

[Sundog]

Anyone else out there groovin' on James or Sly?

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Went through a serious JB phase about a year ago. I'm about ready for another "dose". If your current listening habits are on the funky side don't forget about The Meters. Those guys can bring it!

Re: Soul On Top, My Desire is just about perfect. The rest of the album is hit or miss for me depending on my mood. A worthy purchase though.

[Aftab]

I got In The Jungle Groove in the same shipment - they are definitely a 1-2 punch.

I'll have to check out the JB's discs and some Meters stuff.

Thanks for the input

[JSngry]

Two minor gems from when people had stopped buying his records:

Far from essential, but satisfying nevertheless, unlike most of his mid-70s onward releases.

And from as recently as 1998, there's this one, where JB's Hard Funk & Hip-Hop-style production mack it on down:

Uneven, to put it mildly, but when it is good (which is often enough) it's goosebump-inducing.

[WD45]

I got In The Jungle Groove in the same shipment - they are definitely a 1-2 punch.

I'll have to check out the JB's discs and some Meters stuff.

Thanks for the input 

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The Meters are impossibly funky. It is that same New Orleans thing that Idris Muhammad and them cats have.

[GregN]

I got In The Jungle Groove in the same shipment - they are definitely a 1-2 punch.

I'll have to check out the JB's discs and some Meters stuff.

Thanks for the input 

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The Meters are impossibly funky. It is that same New Orleans thing that Idris Muhammad and them cats have.

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The drum feel on Sissy Strut seems to allude most drummers. It is sooo loose and funky. I end up just telling my drummers to do their own thing when they start getting frustrated with the feel.

One old friend of mine, who is into TOP big time tried telling me that The Meters were too sloppy. I don't know... I'd rather have the funk err on the side of loose, than too whitey up-tighty.

Give It Up or Turn It Loose!

[PHILLYQ]

'Love Power Peace' is best heard in one sitting so that you can appreciate the dynamics of it. JB has the crowd screaming, and then suddenly he's into a ballad, then he'l jump into an uptempo tune. To my ears it's absolutely astounding how he has the audience in the palm of his hand and constantly reels them in and lets them out.

I just picked up a double-disc of Defunkt, the group with Joseph Bowie, Lester's brother, and they were 80s and mightily funkified- worth a listen.

[Noj]

Other favorite funk bands:

Kool & The Gang

The Nite-Liters

JD & The Evil's Dynamite Band

Mickey & The Soul Generation

The Whitefield Brothers

Gotta seek out Defunkt, thanks PQ!