James Brown - Live at the Apollo
King, 1963
It's always nice to hear the wife ask what it is I'm listening to, but given that 1960s soul is in her wheelhouse, I wasn't surprised (more on that when we cover Solomon Burke in a few). The result? I got to keep this one on during dinner. It's hard to think of a record that is more of a crowd pleaser than this one. As we saw with Sam Cooke's Live at the Harlem Square Club, there really isn't a better genre suited to the live treatment than soul. Hence, Live at the Apollo isn't just one of the greatest live albums of all time, but one of the most iconic records in any genre, anywhere. This is pure, uncut joy poured over you by the Hardest Working Man in Show Business. There's something about the women screaming in the album's quiet moments that perfectly captures what music can do to an otherwise sane and rational person. Great music can drive you absolutely insane, and if you haven't felt that before, I suggest you keep going to shows until you find it.
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