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Wednesday, June 3, 2020

James Brown and The Famous Flames - "I Can't Stand Myself When You Touch Me" Album, LP, Vinyl, 1968 (King Records)


First of all, one of my favorite album covers. I love the three women, and Brown in that mid-century non-existent background. Beyond that, this is an album of 45 rpm singles. When I hear this album, I hear a series of songs—still, a remarkable album. I'm of the opinion that Brown didn't make any bad records during the 1960s. Some I like more than others, but "I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me) is one of the great Brown tunes—an existential existence on the sexual hysteria series of moments. The rest of the album is a consistent groove that one can play at a party, and no one is going to turn blue because of its relatedness funk. 

"Time After Time" has strings behind a horn arrangement, with a potent mix of drums, and it's a pop song, which in actuality it's written by J. Styne and S. Cahn. Oddly enough, it sounds like The Stones "Satisfaction" in parts. "The Soul of J.B." has an organ solo, which I believe is Brown himself. Solid work from beginning to end.  The album is a bridge between the soulful and funk that is Brown. 

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