Today is Christmas, and I’d like to remember this man.
It’s been about four months since I started introducing records on this blog, but this is my first time featuring JB. Today’s pick is, as far as I know—and I doubt this will ever change—my favorite JB album: Mother’s Nature, released in 1977 during his Polydor years.
Among devoted JB fans, this album (and really the entire Polydor period) tends to be somewhat overlooked. Come to think of it, has this album ever been reissued? I can’t seem to find a CD version anywhere. If that’s really the case… you’ve got to be kidding, right? I first became aware of this album through “People Wake Up And Live” (B3), which was included in a mix by my senior DJ friend, T-kun. If you don’t know this track, I strongly urge you to listen to it. To me, this song perfectly encapsulates what SOUL truly is. Sweet Southern soul vibes and the endlessly bright, positive feel of Northern soul are certainly essential aspects of soul music—but when you really dig down to its core, I believe it’s all about melancholy (and honestly, that applies to music in general). Every other track on this album is outstanding as well.
There are the unmistakably funky cuts like A1 “Give Me Some Skin,” A4 “Bessie,” and B1 “If You Don’t Give A Doggone About It.” In terms of sheer coolness, A2 “People Who Criticize” is second to none, featuring a killer groove and JB’s signature scat (?) that erupts repeatedly in the latter half after a mid-song drum break. Personally, the album’s hidden highlight is B2. It opens with about a minute of conversation between JB and a woman (and she’s got a great voice). I don’t quite understand what they’re saying, but suddenly it launches into a cover of “Summertime.” Set against an ultra–slow-tempo backing, it unfolds as a kind of exchange between her vocals and JB—not so much singing as a combination of muttering and shouting. The result is an utterly unique, bold, and deeply dramatic arrangement unlike anything else.
I honestly believe there is no other album where James Brown’s musical sensibility is expressed more fully and vividly than on this one.
本日はXマスですが、この方を
この方を偲んで。
当ブログでレコードを紹介するようになって4ヶ月程ですが、
JBは初めて。本日は現在当方が知る得る限りで(てか、一生変わらないと思いますが)
"MY FAVORITE JB"の一枚、ポリドール時代の77年発表アルバム「マザズ・ネイチャー」
熱心なJBファンには軽視されている感のある本作(ていうかポリドール期諸作)ていうか、このアルバムって再発されていないのでしょうか？CDの存在が見当たらないのですが、もしそうなら "嘘でしょ?" って感じですが...
当方が本作の存在を知ったのは、先輩DJ T君の
MIXに収録されていたB3「People Wake Up And Live」。ご存じない貴兄は是非聴いて欲しいですが、当方が思う
SOULとは正にこの曲に集約されていると思います。サザンソウルなどのスウィートな雰囲気、ノーザンの底抜けに明るいポジティヴな感じも"SOUL"という音楽ならではの一面ですが、突き詰めると"切なさ"だと思っています(ていうか音楽全般) 他の収録曲全てが素晴らしい！
如何にもなFUNKチューンのA1「Give Me Some Skin」, A4「Bessie」, B1「If You Don’t Give A Dogone About It」。楽曲のカッコ良さではピカイチで、途中のドラム・ブレイクから後半連発されるJBの独特なスキャット?も素晴らしいA2「People Who Criticize」, 個人的に本作の"影のハイライトB2は、1分程JBと女性との(彼女がまたイイ声)会話の件があって(内容がわからないのですが) 突然に始まる「サマータイム」カヴァー。超スローテンポの伴奏に、女性ヴォーカルと彼の歌声というよりは"呟きとシャウト"の架けあいのような、他に類をみない斬新かつドラマチックなアレンジの数々。
本作ほど彼の音楽センスが如何なく発揮されたアルバムは無いかと存じます。
