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1973 soundtrack album by James Brown From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Black Caesar is a soundtrack album recorded by James Brown for the film of the same name and released in 1973. The album also features The J.B.'s and Lyn Collins.[2]
Black Caesar | ||||
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Soundtrack album by | ||||
Released | February 1973 | |||
Genre | Funk[1] | |||
Length | 36:17 | |||
Label | Polydor | |||
Producer | James Brown | |||
James Brown chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Black Caesar | ||||
|
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [3] |
Robert Christgau | D+[4] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [5] |
In a 1980 consumer guide to James Brown's albums following the dissolution of King Records, Robert Christgau of The Village Voice gave Black Caesar a "D+" and stated, "You listen to Brown for music, not songs, but that's no reason to expect good soundtrack albums from him. He should never be allowed near a vibraphone again."[4]
However, other critics wrote more positively about the album. In a later retrospective review, Mark Deming of AllMusic gives the album three-and-a-half out of five stars and feels that, "like most soundtrack albums of the period, Black Caesar sounds rather scattershot, especially when the music is divorced from the film's narrative," but observed "several top-notch tracks", including "The Boss", "Make It Good to Yourself", and "Mama's Dead". Deming adds that "Fred Wesley's superb horn charts, Jimmy Nolen's percussive guitar, and Jabo Starks' dead-on-the-one drumming make even the weaker instrumental cuts worth a quick listen".[3] Dave Thompson calls it a "kick-ass soundtrack" and "nothing short of a full frontal funk assault."[1]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Down and Out in New York City" | Bodie Chandler, Barry De Vorzon | 4:43 |
2. | "Blind Man Can See It" | James Brown, Charles Bobbit, Fred Wesley | 2:18 |
3. | "Sportin' Life" | James Brown, Bobbit, Wesley | 3:50 |
4. | "Dirty Harri" | James Brown | 1:29 |
5. | "The Boss" | James Brown, Bobbit, Wesley | 3:14 |
6. | "Make It Good to Yourself" | James Brown, Bobbit, Wesley | 3:18 |
7. | "Mama Feelgood" (Performed by Lyn Collins) | James Brown, Lyn Collins | 3:29 |
8. | "Mama's Dead" | James Brown, Wesley | 4:47 |
9. | "White Lightning (I Mean Moonshine)" | James Brown, Bobbit, Wesley | 2:40 |
10. | "Chase" | James Brown, Bobbit, Wesley, Jan Hammer | 2:38 |
11. | "Like It Is, Like It Was" | James Brown | 3:51 |
Credits for Black Caesar adapted from Allmusic.[6]
Chart (1973) | Peak position |
---|---|
U.S. Billboard Top LPs & Tapes[7] | 31 |
U.S. Best Selling Soul LPs[8] | 2 |
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