20th Century Masters - The Christmas Collection: The Best of James Brown

Performer: James Brown
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Producer: James Brown. Compilation producer: Alan Leeds. Recorded at King Studios, Cincinnati, Ohio. Recorded at King Studios, Cincinnati, Ohio. Personnel: The Charmaines (background vocals). Audio Remasterer: Ellen Fitton. Recording information: King Studios, Cincinnati, OH. Arrangers: Nat Jones; Pee Wee Ellis. The Godfather of Soul makes it to the 20th Century Masters collection for a third time with this Christmas collection. James Brown was a big fan of Christmas, and Christmas records, releasing three of them: James Brown & His Famous Flames Sing Christmas Songs from 1966, Soulful Christmas from 1968, and Hey America released in 1970. All three albums are represented here, and despite JB's high-octane funk image, he's a sentimental guy, too (you would have to be to release three holiday albums), and most of the 17 tracks on The Christmas Collection are soul ballads. Hey, there's even a cover of the Mel Torm�-penned Yuletide classic "The Christmas Song." "Soulful Christmas," "Santa Claus, Santa Claus," and "Merry Christmas, I Love You" are the best of the ballads and, like rum in eggnog, a few funky cuts sneak in as well, including the racial equality-espousing "Hey America" and the warm groove of "Christmas in Love." Rumor has it that Santa himself has done more than a few chimney shimmies to JB's holiday treats. ~ Wade Kergan At his superstar peak in the 1960s and early '70s, Brown tried to appeal to several constituencies on his many LPs, and the Christmas market was not neglected. Indeed, for a while he was on a regular schedule -- this 17-track compilation includes selections from seasonal albums cut by Brown in 1966, 1968, and 1970. Good Christmas rock and soul is somewhat of an oxymoron, but if you want some, you're better off with this than most anything else. The songs usually boast the funk-driven arrangements that were typical of his prime work, and Brown's performances are satisfyingly committed. That's not to say the material itself is on par with his best classics; it isn't. In fact, it's rather variable -- "Go Power at Christmas Time" is a hot slice of 1970 James Brown funk, but some of the poppy cuts with strings are a bit weak and forgettable. All power to Brown, though, for investing the holiday season with a smidgen of social consciousness on "Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto." ~ Richie Unterberger One doesn't generally associate the Godfather of Soul with Christmas music, but in fact, James Brown recorded a fair amount of yuletide offerings. This collection of seasonal soul draws its selections mainly from 1968's SOULFUL CHRISTMAS and 1966's JAMES BROWN AND HIS FAMOUS FLAMES SING CHRISTMAS SONGS. This is no schmaltzy holiday fare, though. Though Brown takes a turn at the venerated "Christmas Song," most of the tunes here are original compositions that bear his unmistakable mark. "Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto" (one of Brown's many contenders for best song title of all time) injects a socially conscious message into the proceedings. The blues track "Merry Christmas Baby" turns out to be a natural for Brown, who does his best slow burn on the tune. The lengthy "Let's Make Christmas Mean Something This Year" is a tour de force that features a spoken message from Brown, who revels in the joys of Christmas and urges his listeners to put some genuine thought and emotion into their holiday rituals. The Godfather of Soul makes it to the 20th Century Masters collection for a third time with this Christmas collection. James Brown was a big fan of Christmas, and Christmas records, releasing three of them: James Brown & His Famous Flames Sing Christmas Songs from 1966, Soulful Christmas from 1968, and Hey America released in 1970. All three albums are represented here, and despite JB's high-octane funk image, he's a sentimental guy, too (you would have to be to release three holiday albums), and most of the 17 tracks on The Christmas Collection are soul ballads. Hey, there's even a cover of the Mel Torm�-penned Yuletide classic "The Christmas Song." "Soulful Christmas," "Santa Claus, Santa Claus," and "Merry Christmas, I Love You" are the best of the ballads and, like rum in eggnog, a few funky cuts sneak in as well, including the racial equality-espousing "Hey America" and the warm groove of "Christmas in Love." Rumor has it that Santa himself has done more than a few chimney shimmies to JB's holiday treats. ~ Wade Kergan

Entertainment Weekly (12/1/95, pp.70-71) - "...Essential for anyone whose bash needs a jingle-bell backbeat." - Rating: A

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.

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.25