Week 25: 50 Albums That Changed Music.

[Swish]

How ironic that this great selection would come up at this time and is also the last selection of 2006 and takes us to the mid-point of the list. James Brown - Live at the Apollo (1963)

This remains the live album by which all others are measured, and is still the best delineation of the raw power of primal soul music. It propelled James Brown into the mainstream, and paved the way for a string of propulsive hits like "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" (1965) and 'Cold Sweat' (1967). The catalyst for many great soul stylists, from Sly Stone to Otis Redding, it also provided an early lesson in dynamics for the young Michael Jackson. Without this...great chunks of hip hop - which has sampled Brown more than almost any other - would be missing.

I don't think there will be anyone who will disagree with this one (finally) and, as I said, how ironic that it would come up the week after his death. I didn't change the order one iota. Really. It is the 25th selection and was the one that was set to be posted this week.

Happy New Year!
Swish

[Dusty Chalk]

No argument about this -- James Brown was an "artist to be watched" before this, but after this he was properly ordained as the godfather of soul that he is. To say that he put his foot down would be an understatement. Huzzah.

[BradH]

Good choice. But I don't know who started the Godfather Of Soul description. That would be Ray Charles.

James Brown was the godfather of funk. The Guardian completely missed that. They described Sly Stone as a "great soul stylist". "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" and "Cold Sweat" are described as "propulsive hits". The word "funk" isn't mentioned one time in that description yet that is Brown's true legacy.

[3-LockBox]

Good choice. But I don't know who started the Godfather Of Soul description. That would be Ray Charles.

James Brown was the godfather of funk. The Guardian completely missed that. They described Sly Stone as a "great soul stylist". "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" and "Cold Sweat" are described as "propulsive hits". The word "funk" isn't mentioned one time in that description yet that is Brown's true legacy.

Most of Brown's nicknames were self appointed (as noted elsewhere), which included Soul Brother No. 1, The Hardest Working Man in Showbusiness, The Grandmaster of Funk, as well as The Godfather Of Soul. Aretha is the Queen Of Soul, Ray would be Father or King of Soul, Micheal Bolton would be the Foster Child of Soul...or whatever...

I've always heard Brown referred to as the Godfather Of Soul, which I believe came into vogue around the same time The Godfather movie came out (Brown would have preferred the more ominous sounding title).

But yeah, I've always thought of Sly Stone as a "soul stylist"...right...