Consumer Guide Album

The J.B.'s: Doing It to Death [People, 1973]
The consumerist-conservationist in me is appalled by the whole idea of J.B.'s records, which are basically another way for James Brown to spread himself thin. The title riff is the best he's come up with since There It Is--two soundtracks, a compilation, a studio double, and another J.B.'s album ago--and might have been put to better use elsewhere. On the other hand, the whole first side is adequate James Brown--that is, pretty damn good. The second side stretches Brown out on organ, never my favorite vehicle for his talent. Theme song: "You Can Have Watergate Just Gimme Some Bucks and I'll Be Straight." Lot of different ways to take that. B