Live' At The Apollo

JAMES BROWN Live At The Apollo (US limited edition 8-track LP pressed on 180-gram Black Vinyl. Live At The Apollo remains one of the defining live albums of the 1960s and a pivotal release in James Brown's catalogue. Recorded at Harlem's Apollo Theatre in 1962, it captured the full force of Brown's stage show at a point when few live R&B albums had managed to convey that level of energy, tension and crowd response on record. Backed by the Famous Flames, Brown drives through hit after hit with barely a pause, turning the performance into a continuous surge of call-and-response, band precision and emotional release. What gives the album its lasting reputation is not only the setlist but the sense of occasion preserved in the recording itself. The audience reaction is integral to the performance, pushing tracks such as "I'll Go Crazy", "Try Me", "Think" and "Night Train" into something far bigger than their studio versions. It is a live record that feels completely committed to the room it was made in, and that immediacy remains its strength. Recommended)