In The Jungle Groove (2003)
This reissue of In the Jungle Groove is a further obfuscation of the original masters, though a welcome one. The album is not so much an album but a 1986 collection of James Brown singles and apocrypha from recordings of the period 1969-1971; it sounds as defining and current today as it did when it was first issued on LP. While the tracks here featured some new sidemen, a good portion of what’s here is played by the original J.B.’s. For starters, there’s “It’s a New Day,” a two-part single issued as King 45-6292 and then placed on the album It’s a New Day — So Let a Man Come In. Next is the classic “Funky Drummer,” appearing on album for the first time although it was a Top 20 single in 1969. Also included here are remixed versions of tracks that appeared on the original In the Jungle Groove, such as “Give It Up or Turnit a Loose,” and from the Sex Machine LP, as well as “Talkin’ Loud & Sayin’ Nothing.” In addition, this expanded version contains mono mixes of “Get Up, Get into It and Get Involved” and “Soul Power,” which was re-edited for inclusion here. In addition, the single “Hot Pants” is here and an extended reading of “Blind Man Can See It” is included as a bonus cut. While this funky, greasy mess is enough, there’s also the inclusion of the previously unreleased “I Got to Move” and a ghost of bonus beats and added sounds. This does nothing but make something awesome truly stratospheric. Here the focus is on rhythm and hypnosis, that state where the hips and backbone move imperceptibly at first before coming out of their collective shell and making nasty on the dancefloor. At the height of the great hip-hop madness, 1986 was a perfect time to reintroduce these tracks from a decade and a half earlier, and now, with the unimaginative aspect of hip-hop controlling the charts, the reintroduction of real beat-conscious songcraft couldn’t be more welcome. (AMG)
Tracks:
1. It’s a New Day
2. Funky Drummer
3. Give It Up or Turnit a Loose (Remix)
4. I Got to Move
5. Funky Drummer (Bonus Beat Reprise)
6. Talkin’ Loud and Sayin’ Nothing (Remix)
7. Get Up, Get into It, Get Involved (Mono)
8. Soul Power (Re-edit) (Mono)
9. Hot Pants (She Got to Use What She Got to Get What She Wants)
10. Blind Man Can See It (Extended)
**Listen**
James Brown – In The Jungle Groove (2003)
Diciembre 22, 2008 a 7:06 pm (Funk, Soul, Soul Funk)
Parliament – 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Parliament (2000)
Diciembre 22, 2008 a 6:16 pm (Funk)
20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Parliament (2000)
Choosing between the many Parliament best-ofs isn’t an easy task; in fact, the single-disc collections are all so similar that it’s barely even worth belaboring the task. But if you do want to labor a bit in hopes of getting the absolute perfect single-disc best-of, this is one of your best options. First of all, above anything, skip Greatest Hits (The Bomb); there isn’t anything wrong with its choices — they’re perfect — but that album runs only 55 minutes, wasting invaluable CD space. That’s where this collection becomes a better choice, making the most of its length by adding “Testify,” “Agony of Defeet,” and full-length versions of songs such as “Flashlight.” You could argue, of course, that The Best of Parliament: Give Up the Funk is an even better collection than 20th Century Masters, which it is (not having “Testify,” but instead offering “Let’s Play House,” “Ride On,” “Theme From the Black Hole,” and “Do That Stuff”), but that’s a near-futile argument since they are practically facsimiles of one another. If you can find The Best of Parliament, get it over this album; it’s a better choice. But don’t go out of your way to find that album, because 20th Century Masters is a fine best-of, filled with nothing but Parliament anthems. There honestly aren’t any weak moments here, with the possible exception of “Agony of Defeet,” a latter-day song by the group that would have been better off replaced. Still, that’s being highly critical. This is a perfect starting point; pick it up and chances are that either you’ll struggle to stomach Parliament’s funk or, more likely, find yourself searching out the group’s full-lengths. (AMG)
Tracks:
1. P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)
2. Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)
3. Flash Light
4. Dr. Funkenstein
5. Up for the Down Stroke
6. Chocolate City
7. Bop Gun (Endangered Species)
8. Testify
9. Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop)
10. Mothership Connection (Star Child)
11. Agony of Defeet
**Listen**
