The All-TIME 100 Albums: Star Time by James Brown

E-Mail This Article

The All-TIME 100 Albums

27 of 101

By Alan Light Published: November 13, 2006

VIEW THE COMPLETE LIST

ALBUM: Star Time

YEAR RELEASED: 1991 LABEL: Polydor ARTIST: James Brown

TIME 100 ALBUMS PODCASTS

PODCAST: Welcome to the All-TIME 100 Albums - the musical compilations of the last half-century that need no introduction. That said, listen in below as music critics Josh Tyrangiel and Alan Light introduce the list and talk about the top albums of the 1950s and '60s.

PODCAST: We know. Twenty-nine of the 100 greatest albums of all time come in the 1970s, and Pink Floyd isn't there. Play this podcast to learn why we picked the titles we did, and if you have something to say, tell us about it using the talkback link below.

PODCAST: Maybe it's a Sign O' The Times that you're listening to critics' audio recordings about great music, but this podcast about how we chose the best albums of the 1980s really is a Thriller. Give it a listen below.

PODCAST: Here's music even the younger set will know by heart. Listen to selected clips from the 1990s through present day as music critic Josh Tyrangiel discusses his picks.

Download this to your iPod at iTunes
Or, copy and paste this URL into your favorite podcasting tool:

Funk nirvana. James Brown has one of the richest and most influential bodies of work in musical history, but before this 1991 box set, his catalogue was a mess to sort through. Albums were in and out of print, singles were impossible to track down. The four discs of Star Time, though, are the very model of a great compilation — comprehensive without being overwhelming, they tell the complete James Brown story, using unreleased material and newly-discovered, unedited or unaltered versions of songs judiciously, to flesh out the incomparable greatness of Soul Brother Number One. Hearing "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" at its original tempo — it was sped up for release — is a revelation, and a live medley of "Brother Rapp/Ain't It Funky Now" showcases the jaw-dropping, drill-team precision funkiness of one of Brown's finest bands. After five hours, you still want more.