Live At The Apollo (1962)

This is widely recognised as one of the greatest live albums ever released because it captures a hot, intense, passionate performance early in the great man's career in 1962. According to Wikipedia, it was ranked at #24 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.I write a blog about the best live albums where I ask people to vote in polls based around specific genres. This album is #2 in the poll to find the best live soul album. It currently has 26 votes and that's 6 behind the Sam Cooke classic One Night Stand - Sam Cooke Live At The Harlem Square Club, 1963 and 1 ahead of Live by Donny Hathaway and these three have a significant gap ahead of the rest.However, if you're a casual James Brown fan, you might want to treat it with a little caution. It was recorded before many of his better known songs and it finds Brown as a gospel influence soul singer and not as the man who led the development of funk. It's also very short. I have two other recommendations to consider before buying this one. The first is Live At The Apollo Volume 2, recorded at the time he was moving from soul to funk in 1967 and which comes in two versions, the original and the deluxe and gives you a flavour of both. The CD version of the deluxe version is expensive but the mp3 version is good value Live At The Apollo - Volume Two (Deluxe).If you're more interested in the funk, buy Love Power Peace Live in Paris from 1971. This is currently the #1 album in my poll to find the best live funk albums, ahead of Live: P Funk Earth Tour by Parliament, Earth, Wind & Fire's Gratitude ( remastered) and Live.If you've become a real James Brown fan, I think you need all three. It's just a question of which you buy first. He was a fantastic live performer and his magic is well captured on these three albums.

Often cited as the greatest live album of all time, curiosity finally made me succumb and hear for myself what all the fuss was about - I wasn't disappointed. Recorded in 1962 at Brown's own insistence and paid for personally after King Records resistance this short album captures the excitement of a James Brown concert perfectly and catapulted him to stardom. The audience are as much of the star as Brown and his terrific backing band The Famous Flames, with atmosphere dripping down the walls. This was soul performed in a manner never captured before in radically different performances to those recorded in the studio with Brown perfectly at home in his natural habitat. This was a watershed for both Brown's career as well as the live album format which barely existed outside the world of jazz up to this point. The introduction of Brown and the band is an essential part of the album, with announcer Fats Gonder whipping the crowd into a frenzy before Brown takes the stage to perform I'll Go Crazy. It's an unrestrained, joyous release for Brown who milks the audience with screams and hollers. The centrepiece of the album is a 10:40 version of Lost Someone, stretched out beautifully and showing Brown off at his best. This is followed by superb eight song medley changing the pace masterfully over just over six minutes framed by big hit Please, Please, Please. This really is an astonishing album capturing Brown at his youthful peak. It thoroughly deserves it's reverential reputation.

A Master at work.The Hardest Working Man in Show Business shows why he was one of a pair ( the other being Bruce Springsteen) empyies the Tank in every performance. James Brown did not turn up to collect the money - he truly earned it.Magical.

James Brown was the greatest entertainer I have ever seen and this 1962 live performance must have been electrifying. On disc it is stunning and fascinating at the same time.Obsessed with soul perfection, the great entertainer was a great innovator, and fabulous singer. His band is precise and soulful and Brown cuts through with his amazing voice and charisma. Only the material sounds a bit old fashioned and samey. You wish it was recored a few years later, with I Feel Good and Sex Machine. Oh well, it is still a classic.The recent biopic captured some of the excitement of a JB show, but this driven, neurotic and hugely talented guy was simply beyond description. A snapshot in a fabulous career, buy it to hear a landmark, seismic event in black music history.

Funk, soul, jumpin' rock n roll - you can feel the heat of a Harlem night. James Brown breaks down, bares his soul, drops to his knees, and does his "lost someone" routine with maximum r 'n' b style. Massively influential, and captures a moment in music performance and stagecraft that has long since passed.

James Brown's seminal live album which is still regarded ,quite rightly,as the best live album ever recorded.Even 54 years after it was recorded it still retains a freshness and intensity that many modern artist can only wish to attain

No 1 on Rolling Stone list of Best Live Albums Ever!

This is a classic. James Brown was a musical genius and this early live performance is really good to add to any music enthusiasts collection