James Brown: Studio 54, New York City
Roy Trakin, Melody Maker, 17 April 1980
Despite the recent hip upsurge in his popularity, James Brown has for over a year studiously avoided playing a live gig in Manhattan. Pity that, since the legendary Godfather still manages to live up to his rep as the "hardest working man in show-business." With an active repertoire of leg-splits and lightning quick dance steps, Brown always puts on a yeoman performance, featuring a healthy dose of his greatest hits like Its Too Funky In Here, Gonna Have A Funky Good Time, Cold Sweat, Get On The Good Foot and a Remember 1965 medley of Poppas Got A Brand New Bag and I Feel Good. In terms of dynamics and non-stop action, James Brown could probably even teach the current, but recently retired, funk torchbearer, George Clinton, a thing or two about live performance.
Total word count of piece: 385