"Peel Slowly And See" by THE VELVET UNDERGROUND – All Four of Their Studio Albums - "The Velvet Underground And Nico" (1967), "White Light/White Heat" (1968), "The Velvet Underground" (1969) and "Loaded" (1970) - featuring Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, Maureen 'Mo' Tucker, Nico and Doug Yule (October 1995 UK Polydor/Chronicles 5CD Compilation Long Box Set (6" x 12") with 74 Remastered Tracks (25 Previously Unreleased) and an 88-Page Booklet - Bob Ludwig, Dan Hersch, Dan Kincaid and Joseph M. Palmaccio Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

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"...Falling In And Out of Grace..."

 

I remember when this re-peelable 5CD brute used to turn up in second-hand record shops with alarming regularity - always with its sticker curled or plain knackered (truly a sin). But in May 2022, maybe now not so much. And speaking of much to linger on (pale blue eyes anyone as one of the most gorgeous songs ever written, or certainly by Lou Reed anyway) - let's get to the details and what Candy says (she's always sayin' sumthin' that Candy)...

 

UK released October 1995 - "Peel Slowly And See" by THE VELVET UNDERGROUND on Polydor/Chronicles 527 887-2 (Barcode 731452788726) is a 5CD Long Box Set (6" x 12") of 74 Remastered Tracks (25 Previously Unreleased). It comes with a Re-Peelable Banana Sticker on the front lid (mimicking their debut album of 1967), an 88-page illustrated booklet with essays, rare photos, repro'd memorabilia and text involvement from all members of the band - Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, Maureen Tucker, Nico and Doug Yule. It plays out as follows: 

 

CD1 "The Velvet Underground Demo Tape, July 1965" (78:12 minutes):

1. Venus In Furs (Demo, 15:33 minutes) 

2. Prominent Men (Demo, 4:53 minutes)

3. Heroin (Demo, 13:34 minutes)

4. I'm Waiting For The Man (9:50 minutes)

5. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams (15:50 minutes) 

6. Tomorrow's Parties (18:26 minutes)

Lou Reed, John Cale and Sterling Morrison - recorded live at John Cale's Ludlow Street loft apartment in Mono - all Previously Unreleased

 

CD2: "The Velvet Underground And Nico" (78:06 minutes):

1. All Tomorrow's Parties (Mono Single Version) 

July 1966 US Debut 45-single on Verve VK-10422 in Mono, A-side 

 

2. Sunday Morning [Side 1]

3. I'm Waiting For The Man 

4. Femme Fatale 

5. Venus In Furs 

6. Run Run Run 

7. All Tomorrow's Parties 

8. Heroin 

9. There She Goes Again 

10. I'll Be Your Mirror 

11. The Black Angel's Death Song 

12. European Son

Tracks 2 to 12 are their debut album "The Velvet Underground And Nico" - released March 1967 in the USA on Verve V-5008 (Mono) and V6-5008 (Stereo) - November 1967 in the UK on Verve SVLP 9184 - the STEREO MIX is used here

NOTES: 

The MONO MIX is available on the June 2002 Deluxe Edition reissue, CD2. 

NICO sings lead vocals on "Femme Fatale", "All Tomorrow's Parties" and "I'll Be Your Mirror" - Lou Reed on all others

 

13. Melody Laughter (Live, 10:43 minutes)

Recorded 4 November 1966 at the Valleydale Ballroom, Columbus, Ohio and is edited down from a 30-minute performance - Previously Unreleased

 

14. It Was A Pleasure Then (8:02 minutes)

15. Chelsea Girls (7:24 minutes)

Tracks 14 to 15 are from "Nico: Chelsea Girl"- the solo debut album by NICO released October 1967 on Verve V6-5032 (Stereo) and finally released in the UK in September 1971 on MGM Select 2353 025 (Stereo) 

 

CD3: "White Light/White Heat" (74:15 minutes):

1. There Is No Reason (Demo, 2:12 minutes)

2. Sheltered Life (Demo, 2:52 minutes)

3. It's All Right (The Way That You Live) (Demo, 2:48 minutes)

4. I'm Not too Sorry (Now That You're Gone) (Demo, 2:17 minutes)

5. Here She Comes Now (Demo, 2:46 minutes)

Tracks 1 to 5 are The Velvet Underground Demo Acetate, recorded early 1967 in Mono at John Cale's Ludlow Street loft apartment in Manhattan, NYC - Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison and Maureen 'Mo' Tucker - all 5 tracks Previously Unreleased 

 

6. Guess I'm Falling In Love (Live, 4:40 minutes)

7. Booker T. (Live, 6:30 minutes)

Tracks 6 and 7 recorded live April 1967 at the Gymnasium, NYC - Previously Unreleased 

 

8. White Light/White Heat [Side 1]

9. The Gift 

10. Lady Godiva's Operation 

11. Here She Comes Now [Side 2]

12. I Heard Her Call My Name 

13. Sister Ray 

Tracks 8 to 13 are their second studio album "White Light/White Heat" - released January 1968 in the USA on Verve V-5046 (Mono) and V6-5046 (Stereo) - the STEREO MIX is used here

 

14. Stephanie Says (2:49 minutes)

15. Temptation Inside Your Heart (2:30 minutes) 

Tracks 14 and 15 are from the post compilation album "VU" - released February 1985 on Verve 823 721-2 – Previously Unreleased at the time

 

16. Hey Mr. Rain (Version One) 

Track 16 take from the post compilation album "Another View" - released July 1986 on Verve 829 405-2 - Previously Unreleased at the time

 

CD4: "The Velvet Underground" (75:41 minutes)

1. What Goes On (Live, 5:34 minutes)

Track 1 recorded live 2 October 1968 at La Cave, Cleveland, Ohio, Previously Unreleased

 

2. Candy Says [Side 1]

3. What Goes On

4. Some Kinda Love

5. Pale Blue Eyes

6. Jesus

7. Beginning To See The Light [Side 2]

8. I'm Set Free

9. That's The Story Of My Life

10. The Murder Mystery

11. After Hours

Tracks 2 to 11 are their third studio album "The Velvet Underground" - released March 1969 in the USA on MGM Records SE-4617 and April 1969 on MGM Records CS 8108 in STEREO (reissued November 1971 in the UK on MGM Select 2353 022 with different artwork). The album was recorded Nov/Dec 1968 at the T.T.G. Studios in Hollywood, California. 

 

NOTE: The 1995 "Peel Slowly And See" 5CD Box Set Version of their third studio album "The Velvet Underground" is known as the Closet Mix - a mix that was ok'd by Lou Reed on original American LPs and is therefore restored as such here. This was done for the 1995 box because mixes from the 80ts onward - including even the 45th Anniversary CD from 2014 - all contain what's become known as the Val Valentin Mix which upped the brightness of many instruments, making the album more poppy. I personally prefer the quieter (even more sedate) Closet Mix. See separate review for The Val Valentin Mix...

 

12. Foggy Notion

13. I Can't Stand It

14. I'm Sticking With You 

15. One Of These Days 

16. Lisa Says 

Tracks 12 to 16 are from the post compilation album "VU" - released February 1985 on Verve 823 721-2 – Previously Unreleased at the time (October 1969 recordings). "I Can't Stand It" and "Lisa Says" ended up being re-recorded for Lou Reed's debut solo album "Lou Reed" issued June 1972 in the USA on RCA Victor LSP-4701. 

 

17. It's Just Too Much (Live) - recorded 28 Oct 1969 at The End of Cole Ave., Dallas Texas - Previously Unreleased

 

18. Countess From Hong Kong (Demo) - recorded late 1969, Previously Unreleased

 

CD5: "Loaded" (76:24 minutes): 

1. Who Loves The Sun [Side 1]

2. Sweet Jane [Previously Unreleased Full Length Version, 4:06 minutes]

3. Rock And Roll 

4. Cool It Down

5. New Age [Previously Unreleased Full Length Version, 5:07 minutes]

6. Head Held High 

7. Lonesome Cowboy Bill

8. I Found A Reason 

9. Train Round The Bend 

10. Oh Sweet Nuthin'  

Tracks 1 to 10 are their 3rd studio album "Loaded" - released September 1970 in the USA on Cotillion SD 9034 and April 1971 in the UK on Atlantic 2400 111. Produced by GEOFFREY HASLAM, SHEL KAGAN and THE VELVET UNDERGROUND – the album didn't chart in either country. 

 

11. Satellite Of Love 

12. Walk And Talk 

13. Oh Gin 

14. Sad Song 

15. Ocean 

16. Ride Into The Sun 

Tracks 11 to 16 and Track 19 are "Loaded" outtakes. "Satellite Of Love" would be used on his second solo LP "Transformer" in 1972, "Sad Song" would be revisited with orchestration on his third solo album "Berlin" in 1973 while "Ocean" and "Ride Into The Sun" would be re-worked for the "Lou Reed" debut solo LP (also in 1972).

 

17. Some Kinda Love (Live) 

18. I'll Be Your Mirror (Live)

Tracks 17 and 18 recorded live 23 August 1970 at Max's Kansas City, New York. 

Track 17 is Previously Unreleased

Track 18 first appeared May 1972 on the US LP "Live At Max's Kansas City" on Cotillion SD 9500   

 

19. I Love You (see Tracks 11 to 16)

 

Quite apart from the gimmicky and hard-to-keep-from-getting-knackered Banana Peel sticker (aping their famous Andy Warhol artwork debut) - the first thing that hits you is the 88-page booklet (6" x 12") - a seriously in-depth and beautifully annotated work of art in itself. Produced by BARRY LEVINSON, Essay by DAVID FRICKE and Remasters from a team of four Universal-related Audio Engineers - Bob Ludwig, Dan Hersch, Dan Kincaid and Joseph M. Palmaccio - all names known to collectors - it's an impressive package for damn sure. There's posters, flyers, gig adverts, press reviews and all five of the jewel cases are adorned not with the LP artwork but Mono and Stereo master-tape boxes. Page 55 has a gig poster from December 1969 with Detroit's MC5 as the support act - or Page 65 with its beautiful psych typeset poster for the Hippodrome with Clover and Maya in tow. The card that advertises 'the world's first mod wedding happening' with 'girl-of-the-year' Nico and Andy Warhol for The Carnaby Street Fun Festival. The infamous toilet in Warhol's New York studio hang...and on it goes to credit pages at the end. 

 

It's astonishing (even in 2022) to think that the Velvets never charted any of their four LPs - so by all accounts were an abysmal chart failure. Yet their influence and ethos stretches its tentacles out like a beast. When I worked at Reckless Records in Berwick Street, Soho, London - there was only one album we kept over 100 copies of in new and sealed reissue form - "The Velvet Underground And Nico" - their mind blowing debut. Copies of the US original with the Peelable Banana sleeve still relatively intact go on auction sites for ludicrous sums - The Velvet Underground the very epitome of what cult means. 

 

In truth I cannot abide much of "White Light/White Heat" with its sonic onslaught - but at least the Remaster gives the seriously rough recording the audio bombast its always needed. But I adore the third platter "The Velvet Underground" - so skipping a needless live version of "What Goes On" - I play Tracks 2 to 19 all the way through - hell I even suffer the nine-minute speaker-to-speaker Lou Reed/Doug Yule consciousness reading in "The Murder Mystery". And killer tracks like "Foggy Notion" should have been on an official Velvets LP and not just ended up as a Punk-sounding Sally May curiosity on a post split-up compilation from 1985.      

 

I have to be truthful and say that much of the vaunted Previously Unreleased material is either badly recorded or when it comes to the serious full-on grunge and noise of the "White Light/White Heat" period - excuses for pig outs that are largely unlistenable. But then I go to the five "Loaded" outtakes on Disc 4 and I can't get enough. Love those extended versions of "Sweet Jane" and "New Age" on the seriously underrated "Loaded" album from 1970. "Rock And Roll" too - what a great tune.

The Velvet Underground were and have always been an acquired taste - part genius - part smoke and mirrors - but man those foggy notions put to tunes slaughter me still. Venus In Furs, Shiny Leather, Lisa says, and she would know...

"Funky Good Time: The Anthology by THE J.B.'s featuring Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker and The Macks, The Last Word, The First Family, The James Brown Soul Train (1995 US Polydor/Chronicles 2CD of Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...The Grunt..."

Blessed Blackness indeed. I suspect that if future geneticists somehow get a micro-droplet of James Brown's blood – splice in a little of Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker horn spittle – maybe a slither of Jabo Starks' broken drumstick and a shaved smidgen of Jimmy Nolen's plectrum – you'd create SUPER FUNK MAN – the funkiest cat who ever lived! Superman would crap his outside yellow underpants at the mere sight of him (eat your heart out Henry Cavill). 

There is so much brilliance on this 2CD Polydor-Chronicles 30-tracker beast for James Brown's backing band THE J.B.'s (and all points in-between) that a 'get up offa that thang' freak out on the part of my aged and flabby posterior would hardly do its monumental grooves the credit it so wildly deserves. Covering single and album releases made between June 1971 and April 1976 and even offering two Previously Unreleased - "Funky Good Time: The Anthology" is just so damn good and that goes for both chock-full CDs.  

Describe it? You gotta try, as the great man was fond of saying. Pass the peas and grunt if you please, 'cause here comes the blessed blackness in detail...

UK released March 1995 (23 February 1995 USA) - "Funky Good Time: The Anthology" by THE J.B.'s on Polydor/Chronicles 527 094-2 (Barcode 731452709424) is a 2CD Anthology featuring FRED WESLEY that covers 1970 to 1976 on People and Polydor Records and plays out as follows:

CD1 (76:41 minutes):

1. Introduction To The J.B.'s (0:25) / Doing It To Death (12:09) 

PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED Complete Version, Track Originally on "Doing It To Death" – July 1973 US LP on People PE 5603 (no UK issue)

2. The Grunt (Parts 1 & 2) (3:30)

Part 1 on the June 1972 US LP "Food For Thought (Pass The Peas I Mean Gimme Some More)" on People PE 5601 - Part 2 is the Non-LP B-side of "The Grunt (Part 1)", July 1971 UK-only 45-single on Mojo 2027 002

3. My Brother (Parts 1 & 2)

Part 1 is the A-side to a June 1971 US 45-single on People 45-2502 (re-titled as "To My Brother" when issued on the "Food For Thought" LP, June 1972 on People PE 5601). A six-second intro from the original master tape has been added to Part 1. Part 2 is Non-LP B-side only.

4. Pass The Peas (3:30)

May 1972 US 45-single on People PE 607, A-side. Also on the "Food For Thought" LP - for B-side see Track 8

5. Gimme Some More (3:05)

November 1971 US 45-single on People PE 602 - also on the "Food For Thought" LP 

6. J.B. Shout (2:47)

August 1972 US 45-single on People PE 614, Non-LP B-side of "Back Stabbers"

7. Blessed Blackness (3:43) - on the "Food For Thought" LP

8. Hot Pants Road (2:45) 

May 1972 US 45-single on People PE 607, B-side of "Pass The Peas" (see Track 4). Also on the "Food For Thought" LP

9. Givin' Up Food For Funk (Parts 1 & 2) (5:47)

June 1972 US 45-Single A&B-sides of People PE 610 - single-only released

10. Honky Tonk (Part 1) (3:04)

June 1972 US 45-single on Polydor PD 14129, A-side - also included on the October 1973 James Brown album "Soul Classics Vol. II" on Polydor SC 5402

11. Dirty Harri (3:10)

March 1973 US 45-single on People PE 619, Non-LP Version, B-side of "Sportin' Life"  

12. Watermelon Man (3:35)

November 1972 US 45-single on People PE 617, A-side, Non-LP single-only release - a Herbie Hancock cover version

13. Parrty (Parts 1 & 2) (5:51)

July 1973 US 45-single on People PE 624 (James Brown writer & producer) - also on the June 1974 Maceo LP "Us" on People PE 6601

14. You Can Have Watergate Just Gimme Some Bucks And I'll Be Straight (3:30)

September 1973 US 45-single on People PE 627, Non-LP Version, B-side of "If You Don't Get It The First Time, Back Up And Try It Again, Party" (for A-side see Track 3, CD2) - an Alternate Take is used on the "Doing It To Death" LP

Track 1 is PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

Tracks 1, 6, 11, 12, 14 and 15 by FRED WESLEY And THE J.B.'s

Tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 by THE J.B.'s

Track 10 by THE JAMES BROWN SOUL TRAIN 

Track 13 by MACEO And THE MACKS (Maceo Parker)

CD2 (77:50 minutes): 

1. Gimme Some More (3:56)

PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED Live Version (Recorded 14 September 1972 at the Apollo Theatre, NYC)

2. Same Beat (Parts 1, 2 & 3) (7:46)

January 1974 US 45-single on People PE-632, A-side (Part 1) - also on the "Damn Right I Am Somebody" – June 1974 US LP on People PE 6602 - Parts 2 & 3 are the NON-LP B-side 

3. If You Don't Get It The First Time, Back Up And Try It Again, Party (3:32)

September 1973 US 45-single on People PE 627, A-side (for B-side, see Track 14 on CD1) - also on the "Damn Right I Am Somebody" LP 

4. Damn Right I Am Somebody (6:26)

May 1974 US 45-single on People PE 638 (both sides) - full album version from the "Damn Right I Am Somebody" LP 

5. I'm Payin' Taxes, What Am I Buyin' - from the "Damn Right I Am Somebody" LP 

6. Soul Power 74 (4:10)

October 1973 US 45-single on People PE 631, A-side - also on the Maceo LP "Us"

7. Keep On Bumpin' Before You Give Out Of Gas (3:32)

February 1974 US 45-single on Polydor PD 14226, A-side, Non-LP single-only release

8. Breakin' Bread (4:20)

December 1974 US 45-single on People PE 648, A-side - also on the January 1975 US LP "Breakin' Bread" on People PE 6604

9. Rockin' Funky Watergate (4:33)

August 1974 US PROMO-ONLY DJ-Edit in STEREO on People PE 643, B-side (A-side was Mono) - also on the "Breakin' Bread" LP

10. Control (People Go Where We Send You Part 1) (3:45)

 August 1974 US 45-single on Polydor PD 14250, A-side, Non-LP single-only release

11. Cross The Track (We Better Go Back) (3:19)

1975 US 45-single on People PE 647, A-side, Non-LP single-only release

12. All Aboard The Soul Funky Train (4:30)

1975 US 45-single on People PE 663, A-side - also on the September 1975 US LP "Hustle With Speed" on People PE 6606  

13. (It's Not The Express) It's The J.B.'s Monaurial (8:13)

June 1975 US 45-single on People PE 955, A&B Parts 1 & 2 - this is the full version from the September 1975 US LP "Hustle With Speed" on People PE 6606

14. Future Shock (Dance Your Pants Off) (4:02)

1975 US 45-single on People PE 661, A-side (Part 1), also included on the January 1976 US LP "Hot" by James Brown on Polydor PD 6059 

15. Everybody Wanna Get Funky One More Time (Part 1) (5:52)

April 1976 US 45-single on People PE 664, A-side - Non-LP single-only release

 

Track 1 is PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

Tracks 1, 12 by THE J.B.'s

Tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, by FRED WESLEY And THE J.B.'s

Track 14 by MACEO 

Tracks 6 and 11 by MACEO And THE MACKS (Maceo Parker)

Track 7 by THE LAST WORD (Fred Wesley, James Brown, Maceo Parker etc)

Tracks 8, 9 and 13 by FRED & THE NEW J.B.'s (Fred Wesley etc)

Track 10 by THE FIRST FAMILY 

Track 15 by THE J.B.'s with JAMES BROWN 

The 24-page booklet is a crammed with black and whites of the 7-to-13 piece 'band' that was THE J.B.'s. With James Brown at the writing, co-writing and Production helm - we get introduced to legends that have travelled through their ranks like horn players Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley, pianist and singer Bobby Byrd, Guitarists Jimmy Nolen and Hearlon "Cheese" Marlin, Bassist William "Bootsy" Collins, Tenor Saxophonist St. Clair Pinckney, Bassist Fred Thomas and Drummer John "Jabo" Starks. Guests include Randy Brecker on Trumpet, Hugh McCracken on Guitar and "Pee Wee" Ellis from The Famous Flames. 

The final 10-pages or so goes into a track-by-track credits but oddly leaves out catalogue numbers and dates (I've supplied them above). Long-time Tour Manager and keeper of the JB flame ALAN LEEDS (he did all 11 of the magnificent "Singles" Volumes for Hip-O Select) provides the insightful, honest and witty liner notes. You get small photos of all five period albums, some 45-label repros and a couple of typically attention-grabbing trade adverts - but the lack of colour kind of lets the side down a tad. 

What doesn't disappoint is the AUDIO care of a team of two - Transfers by GARY MAYO and Digital Remasters by JOSEPH M. PALMACCIO. Palmaccio did the gargantuan STAX Singles box sets (Volumes 1 to 3 as I recall) so he knows his way around a tape box or two. The Funk is strong with this one. To the chunes...  

"How can we do it? We do it to death!" As Fred and James Brown lead the band through the shout/response intro to the impossibly catchy "If You Don't Do It The First Time, Back Up And Try It Again, Party" - it takes less than a minute for that Funky neck-jerking rhythm to turn into Fred's trademark horn. It's just fantastic. You could argue I suppose that 30 slabs of this relentless Funk is too much, but even when they tackle something like Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man" - the J.B.'s put their own stamp on it and somehow make it their own. 

You would also have to say that the shadow of The Meters and their impossibly sexy New Orleans strut-funk permeates organ-driven B-sides like "Dirty Harri" and talking-the-talk "Same Beat" where a groove is faded-in and just stays locked-in like a limpet that's found its mollusc home. There is even a touch of Fusion in the subtly angry "Damn Right I Am Somebody" – a song that Funks pertinent subjects like lack of food, drug-riddled neighbourhoods and racial inequality. In fact period Politics is always there beneath the surface, made available to the masses as JB chants "You Can Have Watergate Just Gimme Some Bucks And I'll Be Straight" – both Hearlon "Cheese" Martin and Jimmy Nolen flicking those guitar notes to stunning effect. And perhaps his greatest groove ever - "Doing It To Death" - weighs in at an almost side long 12-minutes on CD1 – a Previously Unreleased entry actually worthy of the moniker 'Bonus'. Astonishing. 

"We're gonna have a funky good time! Gotta take you higher!" – James Brown sings as he leads his ace band in "Doing It To Death" – Fred taking it to the bridge as ever. And it is will cost you less than seven quid brand new. 

Now I'll grunt for that plate of peas any day...

ALBUM DISCOGRAPHY for "Funky Good Time: The Anthology"

Credited as THE J.B.'s:

"Food For Thought (Pass The Peas I Mean Gimme Some More)" - June 1972 US LP on People PE 5601 - Issued as "Pass The Peas" in the UK on Mojo 2918 004 also in 1972

Tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 on CD1 and Track 1 on CD2

"Doing It To Death" – July 1973 US LP on People PE 5603 (no UK issue)

Tracks 1 and 14 on CD1

"Hustle With Speed" – September 1975 US LP on People PE 6606 

Tracks 12 and 13 on CD2

Credited as FRED WESLEY and THE J.B.'s:

"Damn Right I Am Somebody" – June 1974 US LP on People PE 6602 - Same title July 1974 UK on Polydor 2391 125 

Tracks 2, 3, 4 and 5 on CD2

Credited as FRED & THE NEW J.B.'s:

"Breakin' Bread" – January 1975 US LP on People PE 6604

Tracks 8 and 9 on CD2

Credited as MACEO (Maceo Parker):

"Us" - June 1974 US LP on People PE 6601

Track 13 on CD1 and Track 6 on CD2

With JAMES BROWN:

"Soul Classics Vol. II" - October 1973 US James Brown album on Polydor SC 5402 featuring The J.B.'s - Track 10 on CD1

"Hot" - January 1976 US LP by James Brown on Polydor PD 6059

Track 14 on CD2

"The Payback" by JAMES BROWN [The Godfather Of Soul] – December 1973 US Double-Album (April 1974 UK) on Polydor Records – featuring Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, St. Clair Pinckney on Horns with John Starks on Drums (22 September 1992 US Polydor 'Expanded Edition' CD Reissue – Joseph M. Palmaccio Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Stone To The Bone..."

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Fans of this fantastically funky late 1973 double-album will notice some subtle differences on this September 1992 US CD Remaster. But some details first...

Originally penned and recorded to be another Blaxploitation Soundtrack called "Hell Up In Harlem" - the filmmakers were famously less than impressed with more of the same from JB - so they passed, Recorded at sessions throughout the year (February to October) – Brown therefore prepared and rush-released the double into the US market place. It was preceded by the November 1973 issue of the fantastic "Stone To The Bone" single - a four-minute edit of 10-minute monster that would dominate Side 4 of the double-album (along with the equally cool and brill brothers-across-the-nation "Mind Power").

Issues of Billboard talked about "The Payback" set as early as November 1973, but it's sales debut came late in the year when it hit the US R&B charts on the 22nd of December 1973 (charted Pop in January 1974). British Soul lovers saw no original release until April 1974 when Polydor UK simply brought in unsold copies of the US double on PD 2-3007 and stuck a UK catalogue number on its rear sleeve (Polydor 2659 030). It remained unissued on British pressed LPs until the 1993 reissue (Polydor 517 137-1) of this 1992 CD Remaster. And although filmmakers may have rejected it – the US Joe Public lapped it up and Brown did indeed get payback when it eventually went No. 1 R&B and No. 34 Pop - his biggest selling double in years. Which brings us to this cheap but utterly fab CD reissue. Let's get Stoned To The Bone...

US released 22 September 1992 - "The Payback" by JAMES BROWN (The Godfather Of Soul) on Polydor 314 517 137-2 (Barcode 731451713729) offers the full 1973 eight-track double-album onto 1CD with some tracks slightly extended (73:08 minutes):

1. The Payback (CD 7:39 minutes, original LP 7:35 minutes) - Side 1

2. Doing The Best I Can (CD 7:39 minutes, LP 7:50 minutes)

3. Take Some...Leave Some (CD 8:20 minutes, LP 8:22 minutes) - Side 2

4. Shoot Your Shot (CD 8:19 minutes, LP 8:08 minutes)

5. Forever Suffering (CD 5:39 minutes, LP 5:42 minutes) - Side 3

6. Time Is Running Out Fast (CD 12:48 minutes, LP 12:37 minutes)

7. Stone To The Bone (CD 10:14 minutes in Mono, LP 10:05 minutes) - Side 4

8. Mind Power (CD 12:04 minutes, LP 10:35 minutes)

The studio double-album set "The Payback" was US released December 1973 on Polydor PD 2-3007 and April 1974 in the UK on Polydor 2659 030 (using US copies).

As you can see from the timings provided above, the final three tracks are added to - especially the minute and a half bump up onto the seriously great groove of "Mind Power". ALAN LEEDS who did the original liner notes, returns for this 1992 reissue and provides a potted history of the tumultuous 1973 for JB. Leeds has handled all of the magnificent James Brown remasters across the decades – check out the eleven volumes of "The Singles" series of 2CD sets (I’ve reviewed Nos. 6 to 11). His name is a sign of quality. And the JOSEPH M. PALMACCIO Remaster makes every track feel like it’s kicking anew – even if it transpires that "Stone To The Bone" is in fact in Mono?

"The Payback" title-track would haunt so many movies for decades afterwards and its fantastic groove and drum breaks has provided samples for DJs and mixers for nearly 50 years! I used to dislike the ballad "Doing The Best I Can" – a JB co-write with Charles Bobbit and Fred Wesley – but I’ve mellowed to its charms as the years have passed. Other winners include the slow and sexy cat groove of the give-me-some song "Take Some…Leave Some" followed by the very movie-funky cop-chases-a-baddie speed drive of "Shoot Your Shot". The African bells, drum-whack-rim-shots and Herbsman shouts of "Time Is Running Out" felt like Fela Kuti and Ginger Baker at times and those guitar passages from Jimmy Nolen and Hearion Martin are just so damn cool. And on it goes to the best - "Stone To The Bone" followed by "Mind Power". And throughout his crew simply excel – the tightest band anywhere - Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, St. Clair Pinckney on Horns with John Starks on Drums and so many more.

JB and his evolving Famous Flames had issued the "Black Caesar" soundtrack in February 1973, the soundtrack to "Slaughter's Big Rip Off" in July, a compilation called "Soul Classics, Volume II" in October and then "The Payback" double-album in December. And when you think about how he issued "Get On The Good Foot" in November 1972 - another double - the man was amazingly prolific. 1973 was a helluva year for The Godfather Of Soul - commercial success again - only marred by the horrible loss of his son Teddy in an automobile accident on the 14th of June. Still he carried on that punishing schedule for years after. My admiration for him and what he achieved is boundless.

Currently selling for just over a fiver and less in some places, this 1992 great-sounding CD Remaster of 1973's "The Payback" is indeed stone to the bone. Increase your mind power with it, right away…

PS:see also my separate in-depth reviews for "The Singles Series..." Volumes 4 to 11...