This 20-cut, double-CD features ten tunes that were Top Ten hits for James Brown during his career. What 12 Top Ten Hits doesn't tell you until you flip to the back is that these are not the original performances as recorded for King, but a live recording of James Brown and the JB's made some time during the '70s. The concert is exciting and even fiery at times, but is bogged down in some places by poor sound; this sounds like an audience recording if there ever was one. That said, the perfor   [ read more ]

CD $9.48

While Brown's 30-track, 40-track, and even 50-track collections are excellent choices as well, this fine hits package is the best one for Brown neophytes looking for a way in. Covering his prime stretch from the late '50s through the early '70s, 20 All-Time Greatest Hits! includes early R&B milestones ("Please, Please, Please"), epochal '60s sides ("Papa's Got a Brand New Bag, Pt. 1"), and latter-day funk classics ("Papa Don't Take No Mess, Pt. 1"). And that's not to mention such per   [ read more ]

CD $13.25

While Brown's 30-track, 40-track, and even 50-track collections are excellent choices as well, this fine hits package is the best one for Brown neophytes looking for a way in. Covering his prime stretch from the late '50s through the early '70s, 20 All-Time Greatest Hits! includes early R&B milestones ("Please, Please, Please"), epochal '60s sides ("Papa's Got a Brand New Bag, Pt. 1"), and latter-day funk classics ("Papa Don't Take No Mess, Pt. 1"). And that's not to mention such per   [ read more ]

CD $13.25

The Godfather of Soul makes it to the 20th Century Masters collection for a third time with this Christmas collection. James Brown was a big fan of Christmas, and Christmas records, releasing three of them: James Brown & His Famous Flames Sing Christmas Songs from 1966, Soulful Christmas from 1968, and Hey America released in 1970. All three albums are represented here, and despite JB's high-octane funk image, he's a sentimental guy, too (you would have to be to release three {   [ read more ]

CD $11.38

On the almost 37-minute The Millennium Collection: The Best of James Brown, versions of "I Got You (I Feel Good" and "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" show up in their most popular versions rather than the more R&B/blues-based ones that were unearthed in the '80s. In a surprise move, Brown's classic "Cold Sweat, Pts. 1 & 2" is unedited and gives a listener a chance to hear him say "Give the drummer some" as Clyde Stubblefield, Brown, and bassist Bernard Odom solely carry the rhy   [ read more ]

CD $9.45

The first volume of The Best of James Brown, issued as part of Universal Music Group's mid-priced compilation series 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection, contained 11 Brown recordings from the 1950s to the early '70s. This one has ten tracks that follow Brown from 1970 to his last major hit of the '70s, 1976's "Get Up Offa That Thing." Nine of the tracks were hit singles, reaching the middle levels of the pop charts and the upper regions of the R&B charts, the exception    [ read more ]

CD $9.45

The first volume of The Best of James Brown, issued as part of Universal Music Group's mid-priced compilation series 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection, contained 11 Brown recordings from the 1950s to the early '70s. This one has ten tracks that follow Brown from 1970 to his last major hit of the '70s, 1976's "Get Up Offa That Thing." Nine of the tracks were hit singles, reaching the middle levels of the pop charts and the upper regions of the R&B charts, the exception    [ read more ]

CD $9.45

Just about every single artist in the Universal-distributed 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection series is given one brief volume (containing an average of about 40 minutes of career highlights), but James Brown has been given four. The first volume traipses through the '50s, '60s, and '70s; the second volume concentrates on the '70s; the third volume (though not billed as such) is all Christmas. And now this one, billed as the third volume, is credited to James Brown & Friends, e   [ read more ]

CD $9.45

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 doze   [ read more ]

CD $18.95

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 doze   [ read more ]

CD $59.83

Collectables' James Brown's 70's Funk Classics is a pretty good budget-priced, ten-track collection containing some of the Godfather of Soul's most popular songs of the era including "Funky President (People It's Bad)," "Sex Machine" and "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved." Please note that this edition includes the exact same track listing and cover art as the 1995 Polygram Special Markets release of the same name. ~ Al Campbell, All Music Guide

CD $7.58

This 11-track collection includes the best tracks from Brown's '70s funk period, like "Sex Machine," "The Payback," "Think '73," "Make It Funky" and "My Thang." ~ Keith Farley, All Music Guide

CD $6.63