It's nice to learn that James Brown loved Christmas so much as it was the day he died two years ago. I mean, he really, enthusiastically loved it as is made clear throughout James Brown's Funky Christmas, a compilation of his many holiday songs recorded in the sixties and seventies (from the albums James Brown & His Famous Flames Sing Christmas Songs and A Soulful Christmas among others).
Christmas albums can be dicey, especially from popular musicians who, if they are devoted the making the album any good, are usually schlocky, sentimental artists anyway, yet Brown really does bring the funk and the passion and it makes the album a whole lot of fun to listen to.
He uses words like “fantabulous”, he sweats,?grunts and screams, he tries to unite the entire world, and he begs Santa to “Go straight to the ghetto” in one of the most beloved songs on the album.
But when he's not expressing himself with the funky and energetic styling we all love him for, he's taking things slower and prettier with nice renditions of “The Christmas Song” and the heartfelt epic that features excellent backup female vocals “Let's Make this Christmas Mean Something this Year”. This album will help make your Christmas mean something this year by giving music to play with your family that is actually fun and funky indeed.
But what do you think?