The best live album ever. A great aural snapshot of a genius writer/performer at the tip of his greatness. Another album that I was raised on. My parents had this record, and my dad played it on a regular basis. I remember putting the album on in his studio numerous times while he worked on his art. As I have mentioned before, if Wallace (my dad) liked a record, he would play it over and over till it becomes a meditative or ambient presence in that room.
When I play this album, I get such a vivid image in my head. James Brown with a cape wrapped around his shoulder as he's being led off the stage. But the intensity of the moment is too high, and he throws off the cape and runs back to the microphone. James does this over and over again. The repetition becomes a burning fuse, and one wonders if he is just going to explode. The practice or discipline of art is very prominent in Brown's work. That is what he has in common with Wallace Berman. A performer is a performer no matter if they're on a stage or in the studio. The mediums are different, and they have their own set of rules and practices, but the essence of repetition is to build the intensity to a level that is a natural high.
When you look at the songs, Brown performed that night in 1963, that itself is perfection. As I read the song listing, such as "I'll Go Crazy," "Think," "Lost Someone," and then the incredible melody on side two, it's all there in my head. I can hear it now, as well as the audience screaming in ecstasy. So yes, an incredible document of a time and place (the Apollo), but also a great work of art. You can't beat the Four B's. Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, and Brown.
