The Payback

James Browns third soundtrack album of the early 70's, except this never appeared with the film, as other reviewers have pointed out. This can realistically be regarded as the end of a progression started with "Say It Loud..", as James produces arguably his most political work .

At the time this album was conceived, JB was in a commercial slump, ignored by the music mainstream. While this did little to break that situation, here was James Brown being completely true to his ideals - no compromise for commercial gain, no dodgy endorsement of sleazy politicians.

Here there is only a funk groove, underlying lyrics of social awareness encompassing a plea for equality. If ever an album was a funk bomb, then this is it. James remains true to his tried and tested methods - you can still hear the arrangement being done on the hoof "I wanna go way back to the top", and there can have been few better examples of his craft than "Stone to the Bone".

There are more influencial JB productions, but this is significant because it marked the beginning of the end of the Godfathers' reign - only "Hell" would be worthwhile after this release. As time has gone on samplers have recognised the true nature of this album - pick it up and immerse yourself in the true power of the Funk

Black music has an odd position in the mainstream critical canon.

One or two records - Marvin's "What's goin' on", Miles's "Kind of Blue", Prince's "Sign 'o' The Times", Stevie's "Songs in the key of life" - are all dutifully trotted out to round off even the whitest of white Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan & Led Zeppelin-fixated lists. They dull the corners to 'prove' that any suspected institutionalised racism of yer ROCK is a lie. Except that the aformentioned aren't even those artists' best records - see 'Here my dear', 'Get up with it', 'Parade' & 'Innervisions' if you'd like - but don't forget to mention others, please. Isaac, Smokey, Sly, Curtis, Bootsy, George, oh but good God almighty, don't forget to mention James Brown. Don't ever forget to mention JAMES BROWN.

From about 1965 - 1980, James Brown was involved in creating more good music than anybody else. Anybody else at all. And not just under his own name, but with productions/arrangements for Marva Whitney, Bobby Byrd, Maceo and... settle down at the back please ... The J.B's (about whom more later). His discography is a hotly contested, endlessly revised, partially out-of-print run of various labels, one-offs, big hits, tiny flops, test presses and many, many artistic successes. That the man just about never stopped performing gigs - and with James Brown that word was PERFORMING - is breathtaking. He had the energy of a two year old.

But albums were not James Brown's forte. They displayed a distinct lack of cohesion. As the 1960s progressed well into the 1970s and an album grew to represent THE reflection of a recording artist's worth - James Brown's albums were still dogged by filler and re-recordings. 'Get on the good foot', for example, could have been a great & glorious single album - but padded out to double vinyl with a shocking 10 minute re-make of 'Please Please Please' and a terrible 'Recitation by Hank Ballard' it makes 70 minutes FEEL like 70 minutes, and that can't be good. But James Brown would have had a hundred other things to do by then - a J.B's album, a tour, a Lyn Collins album, a single, a production for another, a business deal here and there, another session, another TV appearance and another album with a couple of good tracks padded out with some rubbish. He didn't have the time to stop and care. Before 'The Payback' maybe only 'There it is', with it's hodgepodge of left-over Bootsy-era material and newly recorded funk, was about 90% cohesive.

And then, from nowhere, James Brown released not one but TWO album masterpieces within a matter of months.

The first is this, THE PAYBACK. At only 8 tracks long spread out over 70 minutes, it should be another padded out load of rubbish. But - for once - this is a James Brown album with the chaff cut out.

The title track is the most famous. As sampled by quite a few, 'The Payback' is soaked with female shouts and James screaming about Revenge. It's difficult to think of James Brown as being angry - especially as he became such a regrettable caricature in the years to come - but here's what Public Enemy were worshipping. James Brown could be a nasty piece of work when he wanted to be. But don't forget the band, particularly the very great Fred Thomas on the bass. Let John Starks play with the space, let Fred Wesley, Maceo & co. stab the brass in the air and let Fred Thomas coast the earth, rooting all that is down with his minimal interventions. Feel that spirit through your chest. James Brown could feel it - I swear he could feel it. Where else do you summon such energy from?

The rest of the album has geniune hurt in place of James's standard ballad false sentiment and a fluid funk that sounds as fresh as any recorded before, since or sampled. And then, in case you didn't believe it possible, the final three tracks soar even higher, and take over 35 minutes to present some of the best music that recorded sound has ever been blessed with.

'Time is running out fast' could have gone on a Miles album of the period. I don't think there's any higher praise than that. It could have graced 'On The Corner'. It most definitely could have gone on a J.B's record. Perhaps more than any other track, 'Time is running out fast' blurs James Brown's commercial and avant-garde instinctions (the latter of which James Brown couldn't help but express even if he was frustratingly loathed to admit it - you just have to search a little through The J.B's recordings [and all their odd pseuydonyms] for many fine and odd examples of it). 'Time is running out fast' consists of James occasionally saying "aye-aye-aye-aye-aye" like Speedy Gonzales while the rest of the team impro on an endless, juggernaut rhythm, finding and winding their way to a near-Shamanic state. It's different to, yet comparable to Can. A fun Can. Acid without the acid; an atmosphere for the stratsophere.

"Stoned to the bone" threatens to be a run of the mill song, but for the fact that it is too perfect. If you think that that doesn't make sense then, 1) You're probably right but, 2) You can't have heard the song. The chorus is just James shouting "Ooo! Ooo!" which makes it sound terrible, but really, really, it really, really isn't. It's more rock than any rock, more soul than any soul. It's the brightest star in a galaxy. Overwhelmed only by "Mind Power."

That more people don't know "Mind Power" says more about institutionalised racism than a thousand Sociology theses. A song, nay, a Jam in three parts, it consists of James spitting out lyrics throughout the first part - rapping before rapping. Even when he makes a mistake, he doesn't; James Brown is so tasteful, confident and powerful that he just continues with a shrug and carries all with him. There is not another recorded track in the world like "Mind Power." James audibly directs the band to places where music should not go but James could feel. And just dig those Maceo and/or St. Clair's subtle Coltrane squeaks through that long fade. Honestly, that this song isn't even half as famous as "A Day in The Life" is a sorry indication of a lack of support that this record has received. When you think of some of the rubbish that get the 'deluxe edition' treatment and here's one of the best albums ever made by a recognised legend, still struggling for any serious recognition at all. Well, let that recognition begin, and let it begin now.

No 'Best of' list is complete without 'The Payback', the shining jewel of James Brown's album career. And then, just in case you weren't paying attention, James Brown released The J.B's masterpiece "Damn Right I Am Somebody" (plus Maceo's excellent-but-slightly-padded "Us") within months of this album's release. I feel a seperate review coming on. We haven't got the time and space. Listen to the man. Time is running out.

Fast.

The Godfather of Soul struts his funky stuff, on this album that tells the government the needs of the minorities, and how they cannot turn a blind eye to what is going on. Mind Power, the final track, goes on and on, and just when you think that the song has finished, the guitar riff kicks back in, prompting the "Funky Drummer playin' his Funky Sticks over there" to add the hip-hop style beat. Shouts by Brown to the band, such as "Gimme some flute" or "Gimme taste, Jimmy. Gimme TASTE!" just make you wanna get down and do your thing. Very funky, very 70's, ultimately James Brown at his best.