After the legendary Live at the Apollo and the even better Love Power Peace: Live at the Olympia, James Brown could be forgiven if this 1970 live set disappoints. But this is Brother James, so skip the forgiveness. Sex Machine is the bomb, capturing a thrilling moment in Brown's funky revolution. The disc features 12 hot and sweaty, and sometimes slinky, live cuts recorded with the James Brown Band in 1969, plus three more studio jams (including a 10-minute title track) with his next band, the great JB's. "Can I get into it?" James shouts at the top. Oh man--does he even have to ask? (Amazon)
Although the CD was supposedly "Recorded live at home in Augusta, Georgia with his bad self," these recordings come from two different sources: a live concert recorded at Augusta's Bell Auditorium in 1969, and a series of studio recordings that were doctored with audience noises and applause. The record, long considered a soul classic, actually features two different bands. The concert recordings feature Brown's band from the 1960s, while the studio songs feature Brown's then-new band, powered by Bootsy Collins on bass and Pelps "Catfish" Collins on guitar.
Whether these recordings are "live" or not is really not the point; Brown has never sung a calculated note in his life, and one would be hard-pressed to distinguish whether one of Brown's trademark howls was recorded in a studio or onstage. His scat singing on "Brother Rapp" sure sounds live. As the furious, barely one-minute-long "I Got the Feelin'" segues into the pure funky adrenaline rush of "Give it Up or Turnit A Loose," it is nearly impossible to keep still. The groove is that infectious. Surprisingly, the title track is not the hit single version of "Sex Machine," but rather an extended, more leisurely rendition. (cd Universe)