Review: "I Feel Good" by James Brown

How can you not give major points to an album that starts with:
"Yyyyyyeeeeeoooooowwwwww..........SEX MACHINE!!!!"

Probably the best start to an album you can get. Well it is close, and way cool.

This seems to be a "Best Of" album without a lot of the "Best Of". Maybe a "Pretty Good Of".

It does have "Sex Machine" and "I Got You (I Feel Good)" on it, but the latter is not the version most would recognise, it is a funked out version that is similar to "Sex Machine". Both are good though, and the banter between James and the band on "Sex Machine" is great. Hearing them talk about what sort of woman they like, "Do like barey legs, or do you like hairy legs?". Very funny.

From there it goes more slow. Prehaps it was a best of the rest sort of album. The tracks are good, there is no doubting that, but most of them seen to be either covers or sort of second versions of songs not normally heard. I could be wrong here, but that is how it feels.

The covers are great. "Fever" with the perfect change of a line to "My eyes light up when you call James Brown" is perfect for James to sing. "That's Life" has a charming lament to it.
Personally I think the album peaks with "The Popcorn", an instramental that, if it is not Maceo Parker on the sax then it is some other phenominal sax player, has the groove and the one that James is famous for creating all over it. . Brilliant. Great grooving song.
"Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" parts 1 and 2 are both good, "It's A Man's Man's Man's World" and "Summertime" (a duet with Martha High) also provide highlights.

However overall not the base pumping, soul grinding, horn poping funked out trip that you expect when you hear the name James Brown. Not his fault mind you, the tracks are all excellent, just not the funk you expect. I guess Startrax couldn't afford all the good stuff.

Certanly not bad, but not fantastic at the same time.

6/10