James Brown Plays And Directs The James Brown Band ‎- Sho Is Funky Down Here (1971)

Given the prodigious number of titles in the James Brown catalog, and the dizzying stylistic madness within the mind of its creator, it is no surprise that there are a number of unexplainable releases. Even within that narrow subsection, Sho Is Funky Down Here stands out: an almost completely unsoulful album -- at least as close as James Brown will ever come, even in his later years -- full of fuzzed-out guitars, poorly recorded drums, and not much else. Brown's highly individual style at the electric piano is the only evidence of his presence on this record at all. That said, after the initial disappointment, and how could it be anything but a disappointment after its title, Sho Is Funky Down Here does provide a few musical highlights, especially the inexplicably titled "Bob Scoward." It is doubtful that any James Brown fan was anything but disappointed after purchasing this album, but it is worth holding onto both for its oddball nature and for the clues into the crazy world of James Brown. -- Kurt Edwards