Search - Various Artists :: Super Bad @ 65: A Tribute To James Brown

James Brown isn't what you'd call much of a songwriter--his stuff is all about performance and groove-construction--so this tribute is less about the hidden dimensions of his songs than about what makes his records unique, and naturally the artists who go farthest afield from the originals shed the most light on them. The James Taylor Quartet finds an acid jazz anthem, complete with scratching, in the obscure vamp "In The Middle"; the Swingin' Neckbreakers rock the hell out of "Good Good Lovin'," and Sex Mob's slow-burn jazz take on "Please, Please, Please" is surprising. The more respectful tracks, on the other hand, are less interesting--especially because few of these bands have the rhythmic sense that JB's original group did. --Douglas Wolk