JAMES BROWN-THE PAYBACK.

dereksmusicblog ♦ October 10, 2011 ♦ Leave a comment

JAMES BROWN-THE PAYBACK.

During his career, The Godfather of Funk, James Brown produced many albums, hence the nickname “the hardest working man in show business,” but The Payback his 1973 album is one of the high points in his long and illustrious career. It’s no exaggeration to say, that nowadays, The Payback is perceived by critics as one of the seminal funk albums. This is a hugely important funk album, one that came at an important point in James Brown’s career. The Payback was released in December 1973, at a time when James Brown’s career was going through something of a lull commercially. His music wasn’t selling in the vast quantities that it previously had. That however, doesn’t mean that the music he was making wasn’t of the highest quality, it was. Between 1965 and 1980, James Brown released numerous great albums. For example, the year before, 1972, he’d released the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Black Caesar, which even today, is recognized as one of the best blaxploitation soundtracks, up there with Shaft and Superfly. The Payback was originally meant to be a blaxploitation soundtrack but was rejected as not being funky enough!

In 1973, James Brown had been commissioned to provide the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Hell Up In Harlem. Between February and October 1973, James spent time in the recording studio recording eight tracks for the film. This wasn’t the first blaxploitation film he’d been ask to record the soundtrack for. The previous year, he’d recorded the soundtrack to Black Caesar, so knew what was required for this type of film. However, when the film’s director Larry Cohen heard the music, he rejected it for not being funky enough. After Cohen’s rejection, James decided to release the album himself, giving it the title The Payback. On it’s release, fans would be the gauge of the album’s funkiness. Would they side with Cohen or the man known as the Godfather of Funk?

When the album was released, it reached number one in the US Soul album charts and entered the top forty, reaching number thirty-four in the US Billboard 100. The revenge themed title track The Payback gave James a number one hit in the US R&B Charts. Why did the album do so well though? Well, if you listen carefully to the lyrics, this album isn’t just funk for funks sake, it’s James Brown at his most political. Here the lyrics are full of social awareness, with James sticking it to the man good and proper. Combine that with some of his trademark funky grooves and some softer soul tracks, and you’ve an irresistible combination, eight tracks of vintage James Brown which I’ll now tell you about. 

The Payback opens with the revenge themed title track, which has long been a favorite source of samples for hip hop artists. When the track literally bursts brightly into life. It’s tight, booming drums, the funkiest of bass lines courtesy of Fred Thomas and braying horns that accompany James. He sings about taking revenge against a man who betrayed him, ripped him off, stealing his money and more importantly, his woman. James swears revenge, while a melange of funk laden chiming, shimmering guitars combine with the funkiest rhythm section in music. Horns blaze in anger, as James angrily yelps, screams and hollers against a backdrop of the some hugely memorable funky music and shrieking, sometimes joyous sounding female backing vocalists. Later, wah wah guitars are unleashed, but back in1973, this was unusual in James’ music. During the track, a pared down, open instrumental arrangement is the backdrop for James, and it works brilliantly. A combination of an angry sounding James Brown and his brilliantly funky band, produce a track that’s funk personified, but somehow wasn’t funky enough for Larry Cohen.

After the epic opening track The Payback, Doing the Best I Can is a much more mellow affair altogether, giving the listener the opportunity to draw breath. Here, it’s a soul influenced track, featuring a thoughtful, reflective vocal from James Brown, as his character ponders where he is in his life. Gone are the thoughts of revenge, now he’s just having to get by, the best he can. The arrangement has a similarly thoughtful, much more subtle sound. A combination of slow chiming guitars, shimmer, before subtle wah wah guitars enter, before James thoughtful, introspective vocal enters. He’s broken hearted, down on his luck, as lush strings sweep behind him, horns gently interject while guitars and rhythm section play with a subtlety. Female backing vocalists soulfully accompany James’ hugely sad, thoughtful vocal. The arrangement has a lovely repetitive sound, as his voice soars, a mixture power, passion and regret. Towards the end of track Fred Wesley plays an outstanding solo on trombone, which seems a fitting end to this masterpiece. For seven and a half minutes, James, his band and the backing vocals produce a fantastic track laden in drama, atmosphere and most importantly, soul.

Take Some…Leave Some sees James return to the funk of the opening track, with wah wah guitars playing slowly, before horns blaze brightly announcing the arrival of the Godfather of Funk. When James sings, his voice is louder, than the previous track, with some of the anger and frustration of the previous tracks apparent. Meanwhile, the arrangement is growing with both the rhythm and brass sections producing a funk masterclass. Fred Wesley and the rest of the rhythm section produce bright, dramatic bursts of funk music, helped by the rhythm section who seem to be naturally funky. James by now is sticking it to the man, the hustlers, schemers and dreamers who according to James, are either on the make, or on the take. As if agreeing with James’ sentiments, the band somehow, up their game, the horns a mixture of energy, passion and anger, while the drums crash and boom, and the bass hits funk overload. A mixture of trademark yelps, screams, shrieks and screams from James, seems just the icing on the cake, as the track ends. By then, you can’t help being impressed by the energy and passion James Brown put into his music. He almost seemed to live the music, and with one of the tightest and funkiest bands ever, he produces an excellent track laden in anger, frustration and passion. 

When Shoot Your Shot opens, it’s a frantic tempo with guitars chiming, shimmering and wah wah-ing, accompanied by an equally fast paced, hugely funky rhythm section and short, repetitive bursts from the brass section. Meanwhile, James vocal is just as angry and full of frustration as he sings about the disasters that have befallen him, the loss of his stash of cash and woman, being the source of his angst. As usual, he dispenses his trademark, screams yelps and grunts while his band come into their own. Their performance features a Hammond organ, which adds to the blaxploitation sound and feel. The horns surpass themselves, producing  a sound that mixes funk and jazz peerlessly, while the rhythm section seem to recreate what sounds like funky race. By the finishing tape, Fred Thomas frantically, fast bass seems to out-funk John “Jabo” Starks on drums, but only by a nose. It’s a close run thing, but the horns seems to have headed off at a similar breakneck pace, blazing furiously, their sound matching James’ angst and anger. When the track ends, you feel exhausted having tried to keep up with this furiously, frantically fast funk music that’s absolutely brilliant.

Forever Suffering has much in common with Doing the Best I Can, in that it’s a much slower, subtle sounding track, with a pared back arrangement. When the track opens, it’s just gently chiming guitars, slow spacious drums and a meandering bass that accompanies James. His vocal is much more gentle and thoughtful, full of regret and sadness. Gone is the anger and frustration, replaced by a much more reflective James. Horns subtly interject, while hugely sweet and soulful backing vocalists sweep in, accompanying James. Occasionally, he allows himself one of his trademark yelps and screams as his voice grows in strength, as he rues the one mistake he’s made. By now, he’s almost pleading for a second chance, for forgiveness. The contrast between his passionate pleas and the soulful backing vocalists really helps the track, acting as a perfect foil for a now desperate James. When the track ends, you just can’t help but fail to be moved by the passionate pleas of James. Taken with this understated, pared back arrangement, it’s a compelling and unmissable track, one of the album’s highlights.

After the subtlety and passion of Forever Suffering, Time Is Running Out Fast see things change quite drastically. Straight away, the track grabs your attention, when you hear fast paced, crisp drums accompanied by percussion and bursts of dialogue. After that, a funk drenched bass and baying, blazing horns enter, quickly turning funkometer to eleven. Percussion jangles, burst of dialogue break out of the arrangement, that’s driven along by horns and the rhythm section. Later in the track, some funky wahwah guitars combine with the horns and rhythm section, helping take the track on the longest funk journey on the album, nearly thirteen glorious minutes. During the track James Brown takes a break from vocal duties, content to let his band take care of business. This they do brilliantly, with the track improving the longer it goes on. Shrieking, desperate horns, a funk ridden bass and quick, metronomic drums demonstrate that all isn’t lost without the Godfather of Funk. A combination of horns, rhythm section and guitars settle into a groove, seemingly feeding off each other, willing each other to take things further, improve an already excellent track. Somehow, they manage to achieve this, and after nearly thirteen masterful minutes, you almost expect the band to be given a well deserved round of applause as the track ends. If you either like or love funk music, this track is unmissable, a must have for you.

One of the best known tracks on the album is Stone To the Bone. A few years ago, I heard an album by some wannabe funkateers and they covered this tracks. Their version was turgid at best, and thankfully, they sunk without trace. There is only one version of this track worth hearing, James Brown’s. James give a few of his trademark shouts and shrieks against a backdrop of short burst of dramatic drums and horns, before the drums combine with the bass for another fantastic funk workout. Similarly funky guitars chime, shimmer and reverberate while Fred Wesley and rest of the brass section drench the arrangement with their sumptuously subtle funky sound. Meanwhile, James hollers, shouts and grunts his way magnificently through one of his best know tracks. Later, the addition of a Hammond organ is a masterstroke, bringing an atmospheric sound to the track, one that works brilliantly in any blaxploitation soundtrack. Suddenly, its addition seems to transform the track, lifting it from good to great. However, it isn’t just one instrument that makes this such a great track, quite the opposite. It’s a hollering, howling James Brown and his brilliant band, who inject passion and energy into the track, making it such a funk masterpiece.

The Payback closes with Mind Power another track that has a fast and furious opening, a combination of fast paced, funk laden guitar, atmospheric rhythm section and subtle percussion, before James almost raps the lyrics. When he does, he’s venting his fury at scheming politicians and the other people that were letting the people down. They were he says, starving, jobless and homeless, and James isn’t a happy man, letting them know this. He lines them up in his sights, blasting them with both barrels. By now the arrangement is growing, with the brass section interjecting, their sound matching James’ anger and fury. A flute plays, as the rhythm section ensure they’re not left on the sidelines, upping the ante, with a fast, furiously funky bass accompanied by quick, sharp drums. Throughout the track, James anger and resentment is palpable, he almost sneers in disgust as he spits out the lyrics. His vocal is a prototype rap, providing a template for hip hop legends Public Enemy who were huge fans of James and his music. As the track draws to its funk laden conclusion, this epic closing track seems to a fitting end to the album, as during the track, both James and his band provide a funk masterclass for wannabes and pretenders alike. However, neither will ever record twelve minutes of such memorable and magical music. Only one man can do that, James Brown, The Godfather of Funk.

Having reveled in nearly seventy-three glorious minutes of majestically, funk music, I still can’t comprehend Larry Cohen’s rejection of the music as not funky enough for his film Hell Up In Harlem. If James Brown wasn’t funky enough, then the music used during the film must be something else. Personally, of all the albums James Brown recorded through his long and illustrious career, The Payback is not just one my favorites, but one of the best. Throughout this album, James Brown and his band are at their leanest, meanest and funkiest. This is a funk masterpiece, with James and his band showing the funk wannabes and pretenders just what funk music should sound like. Here, they play with an unrivaled passion, precision and pace. Sometimes the arrangements are pared back and spartan, other times they’re fuller and funkier. All the time, James Brown is a showman and bandleader supreme. Whether snarling, growling and yelping his way through the heaviest funk tracks, tenderly singing or passionately pleading for redemption and forgiveness, he’s at his very best. That’s what makes this such an irresistible and unmissable album, one that deserves its place any self-respecting funk lover’s record collection. Standout Tracks: Doing the Best I Can, Take Some…Leave Some, Forever Suffering and Stone To the Bone.

JAMES BROWN-THE PAYBACK.