Consumer Guide Album

James Brown: James Brown . . . Live: Hot on the One [Polydor, 1980]
Hard to believe almost ten years have passed since JB had the wherewithal to release a live double--not the new tunes, which he mostly skips for old stuff, but the commercial credibility. Hard to believe this one's so different--busier, relying on band and backup rather than the acuity of Brown's singing. Hard to believe it's so alive--until you play the damn thing, which only slackens to make room for the latest edition of "Man's World." B+