33-1/3 - James Brown Live at the Apollo by Douglas Wolk
Douglas actually has an advantage over many authors in the series in that the recording of this historic live album took place the same week as one of the most frightening events in recent history – the Cuba missile crisis. It’s possible that the excitement generated at this show is at least partially due to the fact that no one in the Apollo knew whether or not they would live through the week! I guess that there are far worse ways to go than after seeing James Brown at his prime!
He intertwines the events of the crisis with the week of the show and even the night of the show! It is amazing and quite scary just how close we came to nuclear war.
Wolk walks you through the evening, listing all of the opening acts (and informing us that Brown was on stage playing with his band, who was the backing band for a number of the acts) and their current hits and what songs (3 each, in most cases) they most likely performed. He then details James’ MC’s introduction to “STAR time!”
You do tend to feel like you are experiencing the show and not just the recording as Douglas goes through the details. That is when I think that this book series works – when the author is not afraid of the fine points. That’s what I’m interested in. You can figure out the gist of it on your own – I want to know as much as possible!
Douglas continues to intersperse the events that almost led to war with the events of the night of the show – mentioning that at about this moment in the show a bomber with a nuclear payload took off or a “saboteur” was shot outside a base (who turned out to be a bear).
On a lighter side, he also informs us of the chart placement of the songs performed (the studio versions as well as the versions from this album) and their history, as well as the story of the performers backing Brown this night – their solo careers as well as their time spent with James.
Definitely one of the more successful and interesting books of this series!
He intertwines the events of the crisis with the week of the show and even the night of the show! It is amazing and quite scary just how close we came to nuclear war.
Wolk walks you through the evening, listing all of the opening acts (and informing us that Brown was on stage playing with his band, who was the backing band for a number of the acts) and their current hits and what songs (3 each, in most cases) they most likely performed. He then details James’ MC’s introduction to “STAR time!”
You do tend to feel like you are experiencing the show and not just the recording as Douglas goes through the details. That is when I think that this book series works – when the author is not afraid of the fine points. That’s what I’m interested in. You can figure out the gist of it on your own – I want to know as much as possible!
Douglas continues to intersperse the events that almost led to war with the events of the night of the show – mentioning that at about this moment in the show a bomber with a nuclear payload took off or a “saboteur” was shot outside a base (who turned out to be a bear).
On a lighter side, he also informs us of the chart placement of the songs performed (the studio versions as well as the versions from this album) and their history, as well as the story of the performers backing Brown this night – their solo careers as well as their time spent with James.
Definitely one of the more successful and interesting books of this series!
posted by rich @ 4:19 PM
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