Similar Albums:
- Artist: James Brown
- Rating:
- Release Date: September 16, 2003
- Type: Compilation (best of)
- Genre: Rhythm & Blues
Review
James Brown's two-CD 40th Anniversary Collection gathered 40 of the soul-funk giant's biggest hits, and in keeping with its title, The 50th Anniversary Collection is just that little bit bigger and better, with (could you guess?) 50 of his most famous tracks. From 1956's "Please, Please, Please" to 1988's "Static, Pts. 1 & 2," it has almost all of his biggies, though the absence of the 1986 Top Five hit "Living in America" is puzzling indeed. But that's a minor quibble given the dozens of classics onboard, which taken as a whole not only represent the best Brown compilation on the market, but also make a plain case for the singer as one of the major talents of 20th century American music. It's not wholly redundant on the off-chance that you're willing to replace 40th Anniversary Collection, mopping up a few hits of note ("Bewildered," "Bring It Up," "Let Yourself Go," "I Can't Stand Myself [When You Touch Me], Pt. 1," "It's a New Day, Pt. 1," "The Popcorn") that didn't make the cut the previous time around. If you're keeping score, it does lose a couple minor goodies from 40th Anniversary Collection ("Money Won't Change You," "King Heroin"). Also, the '70s funk years might be given too much emphasis and his R&B-soul beginnings shortchanged, though there are plenty of other reissues of his '50s/'60s material out there if you want to investigate further. Want another minor quibble on what is nonetheless a superb anthology? 40th Anniversary Collection came out in 1996; The 50th Anniversary Collection came out in 2003. Now that's the sort of creative accounting only a marketing department could love. Didn't this anniversary come three years early, especially considering that Brown's recording debut was in 1956? ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music GuideTracks
CD 1
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| Please, Please, Please | James Brown, |
James Brown | (2:45) |
| Try Me | James Brown | James Brown | (2:31) |
| Good Good Lovin' | James Brown, |
James Brown | (2:15) |
| I'll Go Crazy | James Brown | James Brown | (2:08) |
| Think | Lowman Pauling | James Brown | (2:50) |
| Bewildered | Teddy Powell, |
James Brown | (2:24) |
| Lost Someone | James Brown, Bobby Byrd, |
James Brown | (3:06) |
| Night Train | Jimmy Forrest, |
James Brown | (3:31) |
| Prisoner of Love | Leo Robin, Russ Columbo, |
James Brown | (2:22) |
| Out of Sight | James Brown | (2:23) | |
| Papa's Got a Brand New Bag, Pt. 1 | James Brown | James Brown | (2:07) |
| I Got You (I Feel Good) | James Brown | James Brown | (2:47) |
| It's a Man's Man's Man's World | James Brown, |
James Brown | (2:48) |
| Bring It Up (Hipster's Avenue) | James Brown, |
James Brown | (2:45) |
| Let Yourself Go | James Brown, |
James Brown | (2:58) |
| Cold Sweat, Pt. 1 | James Brown, Pee Wee Ellis | James Brown | (2:52) |
| Get It Together, Pt. 1 | James Brown, Pee Wee Ellis, |
James Brown | (3:51) |
| There Was a Time [Live] | James Brown, |
James Brown | (3:35) |
| I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me), Pt. 1 | James Brown | James Brown | (3:31) |
| I Got the Feelin' | James Brown | James Brown | (2:37) |
| Licking Stick-Licking Stick, Pt. 1 | James Brown, Pee Wee Ellis, Bobby Byrd | James Brown | (2:48) |
| Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud), Pt. 1 | James Brown, Pee Wee Ellis | James Brown | (2:48) |
| Give It Up or Turnit a Loose | James Brown | (2:50) | |
| I Don't Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing (Open Up the Door, I'll Get ...) | James Brown | James Brown | (3:05) |
| The Popcorn | James Brown | James Brown | (3:02) |
| Mother Popcorn, Pt. 1 | James Brown, Pee Wee Ellis | James Brown | (3:17) |
| Ain't It Funky Now, Pt. 1 | James Brown | James Brown | (3:08) |
CD 2
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| It's a New Day, Pt. 1 | James Brown | James Brown | (3:08) |
| Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine, Pt. 1 | James Brown, Bobby Byrd, |
James Brown | (2:50) |
| Super Bad, Pt. 1 | James Brown | James Brown | (2:52) |
| Get Up, Get into It, Get Involved, Pt. 1 | James Brown, Bobby Byrd, |
James Brown | (3:32) |
| Soul Power, Pt. 1 | James Brown | James Brown | (3:20) |
| Hot Pants, Pt. 1 | James Brown, Fred Wesley | James Brown | (3:07) |
| Make It Funky, Pt. 1 | James Brown, |
James Brown | (3:15) |
| I'm a Greedy Man, Pt. 1 | James Brown, |
James Brown | (2:48) |
| Talking Loud and Saying Nothing, Pt. 1 | James Brown, Bobby Byrd | James Brown | (3:15) |
| There It Is, Pt. 1 | James Brown, St. Clair Pinckney | James Brown | (3:06) |
| Get on the Good Foot, Pt. 1 | James Brown, Fred Wesley, |
James Brown | (3:29) |
| I Got Ants in My Pants (And I Want to Dance), Pt. 1 | James Brown | James Brown | (2:53) |
| Down and Out in New York City | Barry de Vorzon, |
James Brown | (3:16) |
| Sexy, Sexy, Sexy | James Brown | James Brown | (3:06) |
| Doing It to Death, Pt. 1 | James Brown | Fred Wesley | (3:03) |
| The Payback, Pt. 1 | James Brown, Fred Wesley, |
James Brown | (3:32) |
| My Thang | James Brown | James Brown | (4:09) |
| Papa Don't Take No Mess, Pt. 1 | James Brown, Fred Wesley, |
James Brown | (4:29) |
| Funky President (People It's Bad) | James Brown | James Brown | (3:55) |
| Get up Offa That Thing | James Brown | (4:00) | |
| Body Heat, Pt. 1 | James Brown | (3:57) | |
| It's Too Funky in Here | George Jenkins, |
James Brown | (3:45) |
| Static, Pts. 1 & 2 | Full Force | James Brown | (4:52) |
