According to
Alan Leeds
-- tour director of the
James Brown
show in the late '60s -- by 1968
Brown
was honored with the distinction of selling one million concert tickets during his various appearances at the famed
Apollo Theatre
. The first volume of
Live at the Apollo [1963]
captured the
R&B
fury that would single-handedly define the
soul
music genre. While this volume reveals
's updated stage show, it more importantly offers another prolific observation into the future of
--
funk
. It would be nearly two years before
would discover the likes of
Bootsy Collins
and ultimately form
the J.B.'s
. However, as
Live at the Apollo, Vol. II
testifies, "
brother number one" is already submerging his band into more extended musical tangents, bobbing and weaving within a tight framework. This yields exciting new readings of familiar classics such as
"It's a Man's Man's Man's World."
Not only does
brilliantly incorporate the track
"Lost Someone"
-- recalling the extended workout given on
's percussive, heart-attack inducing call and response will leave even the most unflappable enthusiast slack jawed. ~ Lindsay Planer