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Thread: James Brown and the Funk

  1. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by profusion View Post
    The thing with JB is, you have to get conventional notions of song construction out of your mind. He tended towards long vamps that are more ritual than song. If you're looking for "nice little songs," then the Godfather isn't for you.
    You're right on the money about the "song construction" issue and "ritual" is an interesting way to put it. An old friend of mine who I used to see a lot of shows with had the same problem with JB and funk in general. It is so boring, it is the same thing, over and over, he would say... I used to tell him you have to revel in the repetition. The art form is in the groove and how tight the band is. Once you can sync your brain with the groove you just want it to go on and on. He never got it... I guess everyone's brain just isn't set up to get pleasure from that.

  2. #27
    Right, it's almost like a mantra...

  3. #28
    Member Vic2012's Avatar
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    NP: Love Rollercoaster. ......Thee Ohio Playas.

  4. #29
    Member Vic2012's Avatar
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    I only have a JB compilation, but it scratches the itch. I like him in the 70s, when he started with Super Bad and all that stuff. Say It Loud, I'm Black And I'm Proud.........uh, kinda scared me......

  5. #30
    Quote Originally Posted by arturs View Post
    You're right on the money about the "song construction" issue and "ritual" is an interesting way to put it. An old friend of mine who I used to see a lot of shows with had the same problem with JB and funk in general. It is so boring, it is the same thing, over and over, he would say... I used to tell him you have to revel in the repetition. The art form is in the groove and how tight the band is. Once you can sync your brain with the groove you just want it to go on and on. He never got it... I guess everyone's brain just isn't set up to get pleasure from that.
    With James Brown it is less about the brain and more about the butt. If his funk grooves don't make you want to shake yer ass you might want to check and see if you have a pulse. Yes, its a ritual - a sexual dance ritual.

    Fellas, I'm ready to get up and do my thing
    (Yeah, go ahead!)
    I wanta get into it, man, you know (go ahead!)
    Like a, like a sex machine, man (yeah, go ahead!)
    Movin' and doin' it, you know
    Can I count it off? (Go ahead)
    One, two, three, four!
    Get up (get on up)
    Get up (get on up)
    Stay on the scene (get on up)
    Like a sex machine (get on up)
    Get up (get on up)
    Get up (get on up)
    Stay on the scene (get on up)
    Like a sex machine (get on up)
    Get up (get on up)
    Stay on the scene (get on up)
    Like a sex machine (get on up)
    Wait a minute!
    Shake your arm, then use your form
    Stay on the scene like a sex machine
    You got to have the feeling sure as you're born
    Get it together, right on, right on
    Get up (get on up)
    Get up (get on up)
    Get up (get on up)
    Ha!
    Get up (get on up)
    Get up…

  6. #31
    Quote Originally Posted by arturs View Post
    You're right on the money about the "song construction" issue and "ritual" is an interesting way to put it. An old friend of mine who I used to see a lot of shows with had the same problem with JB and funk in general. It is so boring, it is the same thing, over and over, he would say... I used to tell him you have to revel in the repetition. The art form is in the groove and how tight the band is. Once you can sync your brain with the groove you just want it to go on and on. He never got it... I guess everyone's brain just isn't set up to get pleasure from that.
    JB was a bit of a martinet that way in forcing exact repetition of the grooves, though I believe things loosened up after he got the younger guys like Bootsy Collins in the band in '69-70. He let them play around more.

    PFunk is even looser and more my style that way. They'll play a groove for 20 minute while GC does his hype man shtick, but when you listen deep, you realize they never come close to playing the same thing twice.

  7. #32
    Member wideopenears's Avatar
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    D'Angelo's new one is permanently stuck in my CD player...

  8. #33
    Soul Pride...the instrumentals sounds like one to keep an eye out for. The coolest one I've heard so far, (and one that really lets you see how CAN was hooked up to Brown) is the J.B.s /Doing It To Death record.

  9. #34
    Quote Originally Posted by wideopenears View Post
    D'Angelo's new one is permanently stuck in my CD player...
    I need to check that one out. Lots of buzz from people I respect. I generally stay away from modern R&B/hip-hop because it's all programmed stuff and samples, but this sounds like it might be worth a listen.

  10. #35
    Member Wounded Land's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wideopenears View Post
    D'Angelo's new one is permanently stuck in my CD player...
    An excellent, weird album.

  11. #36
    D'Angelo on SNL was pretty downbeat. Although fine, I was surprised he didn't funk it up as much as I suspected. Have not heard his new one; Loved Voodoo

  12. #37
    Member wideopenears's Avatar
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    The new one mixes it up a bit more than Voodoo did. I love that record too, though there's a lot of "sex jamz," you know....Black Messiah has some pretty heavy stuff--reminds me of Sly a bit at times, but it's not a rip-off at all. And......Pino, man........jeez.

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