James Brown

Double Dynamite is comprised of two concerts from 1980 and 1985, when James Brown's commercial fortunes were sagging. The first show is the more engrossing one, since it was helmed at the temple of commercial disco, Studio 54, after Brown was dropped from his label. There's a dogged determination as Brown and what then passed as the J.B.s power through classics like "It's Too Funky In Here" and "Sex Machine" with a vicious groove that strikes like a sledgehammer smashing through the plate glass windows of the coked-up artifice that was Studio 54. It goes a long way in arguing the Godfather's proclamation as "the Original Disco Man." The second show shot in Atlanta's Chastain Park is less satisfactory due to a thin mix and careless editing. It's still all-good, since age hadn't weakened his moves and epics "Try Me" and "Please, Please, Please" are performed with regal authority and a passionate swagger. By the time Danny Ray brings the cape out you know the crowd's gotten their money's worth. While not as historically important as the recent I Got The Feeling, Double Dynamite will still make you feel good.