REVIEW: James Brown, Say It Live and Loud - Live in Dallas
08/26/98
(Private I/Mercury)
- Joann D. Ball
James Brown has been and continues to be a significant force in popular music and popular culture. Proof of his enduring legacy and continued relevance is revealed on two recent releases, the spectacular Say It Live and Loud: Live in Dallas 08/26/98 and the refreshing I'm Back .
Say It Live and Loud: Live in Dallas 08/26/68 was released to commemorate the 30th anniversary of "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud." One of James Brown's most political and socially influential songs, it was recorded on August 7, 1968, rush released to radio nine days later and performed live for the very first time at the Dallas concert captured on this release. "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud" became an instant anthem of Black Pride in the pivotal year of 1968 and throughout the final years of the decade. In the song, Brown captured on wax the cultural transformation then taking place among Americans of African decent in the bleak months after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In a reflective essay which introduces the live release, Public Enemy's Chuck D. eloquently sums up the social impact of "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud," stating that "James Brown single-handedly took a lost and confused nation of people and bonded them with a fix of words, music and attitude."
With a running time of just over 77 minutes, Say It Live and Loud: Live in Dallas 08/26/98 captures the spirit and energy of a James Brown live show during the most productive period of his musical career. While several of the tracks featured here have been included on previous James Brown compilations, the concert performance has never been released in its original, full length form. Digitally remastered and remixed from the original tapes, the Dallas concert presented here is typical of Brown's spectacular performances of the time. A complete concert revue, the Dallas show features Brown's full band and orchestra performing all the hits and crowd pleasers.
Live in Dallas begins with a show introduction from sax player and emcee Maceo Parker Jr. Brown soon starts the first part of the concert with "If I Ruled the World." After thanking the audience for coming to the show, he then comments on the social climate and the mood in America at the end of August 1968. Urging peace and togetherness and suggesting to the Black and White concertgoers that "a little love won't hurt," Brown launches into the first live performance of "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud" which is greeted with applause and rousing audience participation on the chorus. After singing "I Guess I'll Have to Cry, Cry, Cry" and "Kansas City," Brown leaves the stage for a short intermission leaving the polished James Brown Orchestra to entertain the crowd with the instrumentals "Suds" and "Soul Pride" and a cover of "Tighten Up."
"Star Time" begins in earnest after Emcee Maceo Parker Jr. announces James Brown's return to the stage. The Godfather of Soul gets down to business, kicking things off with "Licking Stick" which had been recently released. An thirteen-minute supersoul version of "Cold Sweat" follows, during which Brown and his orchestra pull out all of the vocal and musical tricks, even dropping in a cover of "Soul Man" for the obviously enthusiastic crowd. Brown then slows things down with "There Was A Time" and a medley of "Try Me/Lost Someone/Bewildered" before firing off the rest of the hits: "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag," "I Got the Feeling," "Maybe the Last Time, "I Got You (I Feel Good), "Please, Please, Please" and "I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me). Bringing the now historic concert to a close, Brown and company do another run through of "Cold Sweat," "I Got the Feeling" and "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud" before leaving Dallas Memorial Auditorium.
In hindsight, James Brown's August 28, 1968 Dallas performance is a testament to his musical genius, status and popularity as the premiere Black performer of the 1960s. As captured on Say It Live and Loud: Live in Dallas 08/26/68 nothing could match the intensity of a James Brown live show, which showcased his unique vocal style and stellar showmanship as well as the skilled musicianship of his band and orchestra. But even more so, this collection is valuable evidence of the critical role James Brown played during the social upheaval of the late 1960s, when his uncompromising brand of funky soul was a source of inspiration in an unprecedented period of change and chaos. In 1968 alone, Soul Brother Number One helped quell unrest in America's burning cities after King's assassination, visited Africa, dined with President Johnson at the White House, toured Vietnam and became the first Black performer selected as the headline act. to entertain troops in the war zone At a time when there was a serious void in social and political leadership in the United States, entertainer-humanitarian-social activist James Brown emerged as a central figure in the fight for racial equality, civil rights and peace.
While Say It Live and Loud: Live in Dallas 08/26/68 documents James Brown's contribution to the cultural revolution known as Black Pride, I'm Back is a new release which highlights the way in which Brown has influenced the cultural revolution known as hip-hop and rap music. As an innovative and creative musical form, rap music has sampled, borrowed and given tribute to James Brown throughout its twenty year existence. Proving that his is as much the Godfather of Rap as he is the Godfather of Soul, James Brown opens up the door and does it himself on I'm Back. The best song on the release is the first single "Funk On Ah Roll," which along with the cut "I Don't Hear No Music" and a reworking of "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" prove that James Brown is still the man with the master plan. Not content to have his work creatively dropped into other artists' songs, Brown grabs the rap music framework and does his thang with it. On "Funk On Ah Roll," Brown serves up a fresh batch of hooks and grooves with a supercharged vocal in which he resurrects some of his most memorable phrases and utterances. Updating his trademark soulful funk with some scratching and other rap techniques, "Funk On Ah Roll" is as fresh for the Nineties as "Payback" was over twenty years ago..
With his status as a living legend universally acknowledged and continually celebrated, James Brown could sit back and rest on his well earned laurels. But that would prove too easy for the The Hardest Working Man in Show Business. In his illustrious career, James Brown has created and redefined musical forms, accented cultural expression, enhanced self and group identities and influence social and political life in the United States. And he's poised to do his trademark slide right into the next century.
