Down and Out in New York City

I take it back. Previously, I stated that I was bored with James Brown. He was played out for me. No longer. I've always known that if you go deeper than the big hits, you can find a lot of rare grooves that blow away the hit singles. Without a doubt, that ideal holds true for The Godfather of Soul's album "Black Caesar." I don't know how I came across it, but I did. Actually, I do know. I was looking for records from Caesar Frazier (baaaad-azz funky organist). For some reason, I found Mr. Brown instead. There's a lot of instrumental stuff here, but that's because the album's a soundtrack for the blaxploitation flick "Black Caesar." If you do go and check out this record, you'll definitely recognize "The Boss." It's in "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels." That track in particular actually sounds like an alternate version of "The Big Payback" from The JBs. Other good vocal tracks include "Down and Out in New York City," "Mama Feelgood," which features Lyn Collins on vocals, and "Like It Is, Like It Was," a slow-burn soul track. Check it out.

Blind man can see it