Album review: James Brown and the Famous Flames, Best of Live at the Apollo: 50th Anniversary (Polydor)

This is not, as you might imagine, a reissue of the classic 1962 Live at the Apollo, but instead a selection of tracks from that release alongside later performances from James Brown's 600-plus appearances at the Harlem venue, culled from shows in 1962, '67, '71 and '72.

The most significant breakthrough depicted here involves the lock-tight union of guitarists “Chank” Nolen and “Country” Kellum and drummers Clyde Stubblefield and Jabo Starks on the late-Sixties tracks “There Was a Time” and “Cold Sweat”.

Download: There Was a Time; Cold Sweat; Sex Machine; Hot Pants Road