James Brown's Live at the Apollo (33 1/3)
by Douglas Wolk
List Price:
Our Price: $7.62
You Save: $7.33 (49%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $3.64 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Douglas WolkEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2004-08-10
ISBN: 0826415725
Number of pages: 128
Publisher: Continuum
Book Reviews of James Brown's Live at the Apollo (33 1/3)
Book Review: An "on the good foot" storytelling of a classic live recording
Summary: 5 Stars
A simple but effective running of the history, with comments on the individual recordings, of the songs that appear on James Browns first major album hit, "Live at the Apollo" recorded in October 1962 alongside the then occurring critical world event of the Cuban Missile Crisis, makes for an effective time capsule telling by Douglas Wolk of the making of this classic recording.
While the author veers towards the over stated at times (did the 1,500 in the audience based on the limited public news released really behave as they did based on the belief they could die in a week!) he does a much better job of nailing the history of James Brown. These include how he got to make this recording against his record company's indifference; his on balance limited hit record success to date offset by his constant touring of an all action performance, but most of all that what was on show here was one man's personal and stylistic interpretations of a suite of songs that covered black music across the 20s to the early 60s. Some songs had undergone numerous adaptations and recordings by others plus JB before the versions done here (the ripping of of other peoples songs seems almost to have been a lifelong JB hallmark). What was really being performed was an exercise where songs could only last for less than a minute to over ten minutes as JB backed by his ever tight band riding on their leaders moods and his reading of the audience emotions laid down one of the truly original live recordings made.
The fact that the LP was in popular demand for many months after to be played in full on R&B radio stations at a time when single hits were paramount was testament that something unique that connected with the black audiences of 1962/1963 had occurred and it was to be some time before JB reconnected in such a way again (and certainly never again with another live album, despite several attempts).
Wolk also does a very good expose of Brown's ego and resulting mis-treatment of all around him plus how the recording was not a true full recording from having to be adapted and edited from the true JB live revue show, which while visually spectacular would not have translated into such an effective audio format.
A story telling which is certainly "on the good foot" throughout.
Summary of James Brown's Live at the Apollo (33 1/3)
In this remarkable book, Douglas Wolk brings to life an October evening in 1962, at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem: an evening at the height of Cold War tensions. In great detail, Wolk pieces together what took place (and what was recorded) that night, and illustrates beautifully the enduring power of one of James Brown?s ? and popular music?s ? defining moments: Live at the Apollo. EXCERPT Standing on the stage of the Apollo at a sold-out show on the night of October 24, 1962, screaming, James Brown would have looked out and seen 1500 people screaming back at him in the audience, split between the floor and the balconies. The walls behind them were a dark crimson; the balconies were decorated with the laurel wreaths that are the emblem of Apollo the god, recalling Daphne, who became a laurel tree to escape his lust. Most of the audience thought there was a good chance they?d be dead within the week.History & Criticism Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in History & Criticism Books
KISS and Make-upby Gene Simmons
Crown; Published: 2001-12; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $17.58
Price in other shops:
Elvis Presley: A Life in Music : The Complete Recording Sessionsby Ernst Jorgensen
St Martins Pr; Published: 1998-07; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $199.98
The Devil's Horn: The Story of the Saxophone, from Noisy Novelty to King of Coolby Michael Segell
Picador; Published: 2006-08-22; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.81
Price in other shops:
Elvis: My Best Man: Radio Days, Rock 'n' Roll Nights, and My Lifelong Friendship with Elvis Presleyby George Klein, Chuck Crisafulli
Three Rivers Press; Published: 2011-01-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.49
Price in other shops:
Bill Evans: How My Heart Singsby Mr. Peter Pettinger
Yale University Press; Published: 1998-08-11; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $75.50
Microsoundby Curtis Roads
The MIT Press; Published: 2004-08-20; Paperback; Book
Best price: $24.00
Price in other shops:
Hip Hop Americaby Nelson George
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2005-04-26; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.52
Price in other shops:
A Love Supreme: The Story of John Coltrane's Signature Albumby Ashley Kahn
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2003-10-28; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.69
Price in other shops:
Jazz Styles: History and Analysis (10th Edition)by Mark C. Gridley
Prentice Hall; Published: 2008-01-17; Paperback; Book
Best price: $45.99
Price in other shops:
Dark Star: An Oral Biography of Jerry Garciaby Robert Greenfield
It Books; Published: 2009-02-10; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.47
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
Elvis Costello's Armed Forces (33 1/ 3)by Franklin Bruno
Continuum; Published: 2005-04-28; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.94
Price in other shops:
Television's Marquee Moon (33 1/ 3)by Bryan Waterman
Continuum; Published: 2011-06-16; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.61
Price in other shops:
Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life (33 1/ 3)by Zeth Lundy
Continuum; Published: 2007-01-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.92
Price in other shops:
Led Zeppelin's Led Zeppelin IV (33 1/ 3)by Erik Davis
Continuum; Published: 2005-02-18; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.50
Price in other shops:
David Bowie's Low (33 1/ 3)by Hugo Wilcken
Continuum; Published: 2005-08-19; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.97
Price in other shops:
The Rolling Stones' Some Girls (33 1/ 3)by Cyrus R.K. Patell
Continuum; Published: 2011-06-16; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.47
Price in other shops:
Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited (33 1/ 3)by Mark Polizzotti
Continuum; Published: 2006-09-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.94
Price in other shops:
The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main St. (33 1/ 3)by Bill Janovitz
Continuum; Published: 2005-02-19; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.79
Price in other shops:
Public Enemy's It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (33 1/ 3)by Christopher R. Weingarten
Continuum Pub Group; Published: 2010-04-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.51
Price in other shops:
James Brown - Live at the Apollo 1962Release date: 2004-03-23; Music CD
Best price: $2.59
Price in other shops: