James Brown: Body Heat, Live in Monterey

First issued in VHS format with the title The Lost James Brown Tapes, this 1979 performance—recorded in California in either Monterey (as indicated on the packaging) or Santa Cruz (according to other sources)—has been roundly panned by many viewers for both its technical presentation and creative content. It's true that the visuals lack crispness and clarity, the sound is only marginally better, the lighting is dark, and the direction is unimaginative, with a surfeit of extreme close-ups of Brown's sweaty face. And the performance? Well, it isn't Live at the Apollo or the T.A.M.I. Show. But this is James Brown, y'all! We're talking about the godfather of soul. And while Brown was certainly capable of putting on a bad show, this isn't one of them. As always, the band is skintight, laying down some fierce, uncut funk. Powered by the rhythm guitarist (none of the musicians are identified, including an alto saxophonist who delivers a couple of scorching solos), the grooves are relentless (check out the epic version here of “Sex Machine”) in this hour-long set featuring a couple of ballads (“Try Me” and “Georgia on My Mind”), a swinging “Please Please Please,” and one of Brown's signature tunes—performed in a fairly perfunctory fashion here—“Papa's Got a Brand New Bag.” To be sure, plenty of better James Brown titles are available, but this one—presented in Dolby Digital stereo—is good enough to be considered a strong optional purchase. (S. Graham)