"Live at the Apollo" by James Brown (June, 1963)

Dad's Take:

There's just something about James Brown live. Whether it's the classic "T.A.M.I. Show performance or this record, put an audience in front of James Brown and this always energetic performer kicks it up to 11 and beyond.

I'm convinced that the Apollo didn't have to use any of it's own electricity. There's enough energy in this record to power a small city. In songs like "Think," He could provide energy to all of New York. Even when he slows it down, as in "I Don't Mind," he's a one-man generator.

One of several highlights here is "Lost Someone." At nearly eleven minutes long, it's a tour de force that shows Brown earning his "hardest working man in show business" moniker. I dare you to try to do something else while this song plays. It commands your attention, and gets it. He makes you believe that his pain is unbearable, and even on record you can see his performance. You hear his drop to his knees. You hear him drop away from the microphone, stepping and crying at a distance, only to return with a shout. The song blends seamlessly with a medley that includes songs like "Please, Please, Please," "You've Got the Power," and "I Found Someone," creating an eighteen-minute suite that moves from loss to hope. Then, without a break, he moves into the classic "Night Train."

"Live at the Apollo" is almost as exhausting to listen to as it must have been to perform. But that's a good thing. Most records, you listen, then stop, or you move on to the next record. When you've listened to this one, nothing can follow. You have to take a break. You know you've heard something special, and you have to breathe before you can move on. I can imagine what it was like to leave the theater that night, amazed and exhausted.

The CD version we found includes three bonus tracks, another version of the medley, as well as additional versions of "Lost Someone" and "I'll Go Crazy." These are great performances to have, but don't necessarily add anything new to the original recording, which already includes those songs. The medley contains some different bits, and the other performances are spectacular, so I'm glad the bonus tracks are there, but I feel like I could stop at the end of the original record without feeling any less satisfied.

This is James Brown at his peak. It's also one of those rare live records that captures something special. You hear his connection with the audience, whether they are reacting to him or he's goading them to scream. Live albums are often little more than another way to release a greatest hits compilation, but this one is really something special. It's no wonder Rolling Stone listed this at number 24 in its list of the 500 greatest albums. It could have been higher without any argument from me. The audience at the Apollo is as much a part of this record as James Brown is. Never has pain been so delightful. (Well, Ok, maybe that one time in ____, but that's a story for a different kind of blog.)

Brad's Take:


James Brown + live performance = Wow!

There isn't much else to say, really. James Brown kills it. This is an audio only concert experience, but you can close your eyes and see him dancing and sweating all over the stage. And you can see the crowd of girls swooning. I wish it had been more than 8 tracks. I think if James performed more than 8 songs at a time though, he probably would have exploded. He puts his all into each and every note.

The audio quality of the recording is near perfect. The performance is near perfect. The whole album is near perfect! This is definitely a classic performance, but I imagine all of his concerts were just as amazing. It was hard to not scream "Yeah!" or "Ow!" along with him when he makes the crowd do it.

 James Brown was a classic performer who inspired Michael Jackson and many, many others. He deserved all the praise he got. If you watch videos of him performing live, you will see how incredible the man was. He was out of control!