James Brown - Star Time
|
List Price: Our Price: $42.36 You Save: $17.62 (29%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $14.50 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Star Time
Free Music Review: The Amazing Mr. Please Please Himself
Hit: 5 Stars
It's not an accident that almost all reviews of this box set give it five stars; it's also no accident that several people say they've owned this for over a decade and still find it fresh. James Brown was the most important American musician ever, completely altering the shape of music the world over, and this admirably complete collection will give you all the evidence you need as to why. Often shortened for 45s and radio play, the songs are presented in their full length; a few tracks (besides those from JB's famous "Live at the Apollo" record) are presented in well-selected live versions, giving those of us who never attended a concert some idea of the James Brown Band's consummate musicianship.
The first CD, "Mr. Dynamite", covers Brown's early years up to the recording of "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag". His major innovations were still to come, but he was a powerful conventional R&B singer and arranger, and the material stacks up very favorably with other '50s acts. The second CD, "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business", is where the magic happens: the band stretches out, rhythmically and in song length, such that tracks like "Cold Sweat" inaugurate a musical revolution -- and JB begins to articulate the new black consciousness in unforgettably clever aphorisms. "Soul Brother No. 1" illustrates the full-bore funk of Brown's "New Breed" (Bootsy Collins et al.); "The Godfather of Soul", the weakest CD (although that's not saying much), covers Brown's late-'70s and '80s output.
Out of all the CDs I ever purchased, these are my clear favorites: and if any of the non-rock popular music of the last thirty years (hip-hop to house) has moved you, this will help you get an idea of where it all began.
Free Music Review: It's Star Time!
Hit: 5 Stars
"Star Time" is the perfect collection of James Brown's career-spanning musical output all in one place. Classic after classic is presented across four jam-packed discs. Might I add, most if not all are presented in their full unedited and uncut versions so for example with "Cold Sweat", you get both parts whereas some smaller collections will only give you part one. On these cuts you experience the rawness and the pure vitality of JB and his band. You get to hear some band members, notably saxophone players, improvise and James Brown talks to his band and tells them how he wants the next part of it to sound. What other band leader did that or does that? These guys showed a true sense of muscianship. Again, all the well-known classics are here as well as some songs you don't hear too often, as well as some alternate cuts like the full version of "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag", with JB saying "This is a hit" at the beginning and its presented how it was originally recorded before the tape was sped up and prepped for the 45. Cool! This is interesting, "Stoned to the Bone" on disc four might actually be "I Got A Good Thing" which came out at the same time. Whatever it is, it's funky stuff anyway, and this collection's got it. From JB's early days as a passionately bluesy pioneering artist to his get-down and get-funky years. The liner notes, essays, and the whole booklet is fantastic, and the track by track listing contains sessionographies and so much other interesting facts. So please, please, please get up offa that thing and add this amazing set to your collection. You'll be doing the popcorn, gettin' on the good foot, breakin' out in a cold sweat and doin' it to death. Ahhhhhh-ow!Free Music Review: Who Begun The Funk?
Hit: 5 Stars
Absolutely essential listening for anyone with any desire to delve into the origins of funk, hip hop or modern rhythm and blues. As one who grew up with the origins of hip hop, this box set acts as a catalog for me of thousands of "funky breaks" used in hip hop music since the advent of the affordable sampler. But it also serves as a course in the study of popular music - period. While every would-be Cobain can trace their roots back to the Beatles, anyone who's played or programmed beats comes back to James.This collection is offered in chronological order, allowing the listener to follow James Brown's development of the genre referred to as funk. Not a great musician (he can play keys, most notably Hammond organ), and not a composer (can't read or write music), James Brown is the best bandleader (some members might say "taskmaster") of the past 35 years. Many of James' best tracks are arranged on the spot ("take me to the bridge!"), challenging the band repeatedly to be on their toes at all times.
Some of the best players of the genre (Clyde Stubblefield, Bobby Byrd, Bootsy Collins, Fred Wesley) have played with James, adding to the impact of his importance. Is every song a classic? Not by a long shot - James' grooves far outweigh any of his lyrics. But the world has always had an appetite for mindless dancable chants (from Chic to Daft Punk). The included booklet is fantastic and easily worth $15 by itself. A must-have by anyone claiming to "know" and love popular music, especially those who's listening tends to the funky and rhythmic.
Free Music Review: THE Fitting Tribute To The Man ..RIP
Hit: 5 Stars
I purchased this upon it's release some 15 years ago and it is totally undated and sounds exciting and immortal as indeed the persona JB is..Brown was larger than life, a personality that lived as he sang and felt. Not in some Disco (the disco craze must have thrown him for a loop) but in the daily blood,sweat and tears of life and survival.
As such Brown succeeded despite the adversaries within and without.
All the great singles, r@b classics, later moves into longer funk jams are all here with NO filler.
The man whose pulse was fast and one beat ahead of white rock and roll,British mod invasion, and the domestic Sly Stones and Prince's that followed in his wake so totally revolutionized music that he was genius and prophet remaining one of the top 5 so influential to the world of contemporary music.
As great as Duke and Satchmo are in their jazz genre, this box set will not be the last word on modern music but a collection that deserves a space in any serious CD collection.
This box set was the defining word(no "Living In America" yet) capturing the icon in all his guises in great sound, lavish informative booklet and considered one of the better box sets out there.
Nothing more to say except with his passing the world lost a legend.
May all his newcomers cherish the emotive sensual grooves this man laid down for all time.
Free Music Review: Funk me in a Cold Sweat!
Hit: 5 Stars
Get up off that thing and Dance! This box set and Queen of Soul is the reason why I bought a CD player in the 1990s because I LOVED my Albums with its two sides and more but this CD box set was an inspiration. I rang around and invited all of my friends to a King and Queen Soul party and played the two box sets all night in alternating funkadellaica. In life there are some things you think you'll never do. But all the limits are moved when you hear the funk and passion on STAR TIME. So FUNKing hot is this you'll need a drink. Sex Machine, Cold Sweat, Papa's Got A Brand New Bang, Hot Pants, I could go on forever. Here's the deal. I live in England and Ska, Reggae, Funk, Pop and soul have equal field here so I love this,
Barbra Streisand, Bowie, The Beatles and Bob Marley. But nothing in the World of music can take the place of this SuperBad Dude. Mother in heaven let the people know, If you want to be cool and hot and win the eye of like minded people and generate a stupor among the narrow minded, Play this any night of the week and let your troubles walk away because all you need in music is right here. The Godfather is no pretender, so bendover and do a back flip, knowing this is a man's world but it would be nothing, Nothing! without a woman on this earth. Can you feel it!