The Godfather of Soul makes it to the
20th Century Masters collection for a third time with this Christmas collection.
James Brown was a big fan of Christmas, and Christmas records, releasing three of them: James Brown & His Famous Flames Sing Christmas Songs from 1966, Soulful Christmas from 1968, and
Hey America released in 1970. All three albums are represented here, and despite
JB's high-octane funk image, he's a sentimental guy, too (you would have to be to release three holiday albums), and most of the 17 tracks on
The Christmas Collection are soul ballads. Hey, there's even a cover of the
Mel Tormé-penned Yuletide classic "The Christmas Song." "Soulful Christmas," "Santa Claus, Santa Claus," and "Merry Christmas, I Love You" are the best of the ballads and, like rum in eggnog, a few funky cuts sneak in as well, including the racial equality-espousing "Hey America" and the warm groove of "Christmas in Love." Rumor has it that Santa himself has done more than a few chimney shimmies to
JB's holiday treats. ~ Wade Kergan