20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of James Brown, Vol.

Performer: James Brown
Artist: Bootsy Collins; Maceo Parker; Fred Wesley; Bobby Byrd
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel includes: James Brown, Bobby Byrd (vocals); Phelps "Catfish" Collins (guitar); Maceo Parker (saxophone); Fred Wesley (trombone); Bootsy Collins (bass); Jab'o Starks (drums). Producer: James Brown. Compilation producer: Harry Weinger. Recorded between 1970 and 1976. Includes liner notes by Daddy Cool. All tracks have been digitally remastered. This is part of Universal's "20th Century Masters The Millenium Collection" series. Photographer: Tom Terrell. Arranger: Fred Wesley. The first volume of the 20TH CENTURY MASTERS James Brown compilation chronicled Brown's rise from Jackie Wilson-inspired R&B crooner to the godfather of soul. The second volume finds him locking down the trademark funk sound that carried him through the '70s. Outside of Marvin Gaye, you'd be hard pressed to find a harder-grooved expression of sensuality than "Sex Machine," but the story doesn't stop there. The '70s found Brown exploring a more highly politicized sensibility, as exemplified by the street-smart "Talking Loud and Saying Nothing" and "The Payback." Aided by the likes of drummer Clyde Stubblefield (the original "funky drummer") and young bass phenom Bootsy Collins, Brown created a sinuous, distinctive style in the '70s that laid the groundwork for most of the funk that followed, and this concise collection shows how it was done.

The unrelenting intensity of James Brown's music has made him one of the most recognizable and influential performers since the 1950s. Starting out as a gospel singer, Brown soon switched to R&B and started scoring hits. As the '60s progressed, the self-proclaimed Godfather of Soul transformed the sounds of R&B into a tight, driving style that helped lay the foundations of funk. Personal troubles over the following decades threatened to sideline the ever-impassioned Brown, but he repeatedly bounced back. Countless JB samples--credited and uncredited--found on rap and hip-hop records testify to his enduring influence. The Godfather of Soul passed away on Christmas Day in 2006.

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