Great For New James Brown Listeners

this isn't a Great Compilation when Compared Too other Fuller Sets.but for the new James Brwon Listner this is a Great Introduction too Some Of The Greatest Music Ever Recorded.James Brown is one of The Greatest Artists Ever.His Music is TImeless.

I Want My Funk Uncut...

This collection of James Brown's best "pop" moments is too limited in its scope, and too limiting in its depth. Yes, it has the essential (and played out) trio of pop classics, "I Got You," "It's A Man's World," and "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag." And a plus is the inclusion of the long version of "Cold Sweat," which many rate as THE most essential James Brown cut. But James Brown, the REAL James Brown, is not about being restricted to 3 minutes. Since less than 40 of the cd's 75 minutes are used, Universal could have done us all a favor by a) using the same songs in their long versions, or B) adding more of James' essential cuts, like "Please, Please, Please," "Out Of Sight," "I Got The Feelin'," or, yes, "Say It Loud, I'm Black And I'm Proud" (which was a top 10 pop hit, not that it's ever played on oldies OR old school stations). What's the sense of finally releasing "America Is My Home" on this set, and limiting it to part 1? This is one of the rarest of James Brown cuts ("World" is the other), and with all the extra room on the cd, it should have been issued in full length. Come to think of it, "World" was top 10 R&B. It could have been here, too. This set is not only a poor value, it is exceeded by every other James Brown collection out there. If you are a James Brown novice and think 20 Greatest Hits might be going a bit deep for you, pick up "In The Jungle Groove." In just 8 cuts (9 if you count the bonus beats), you'll have an introduction that should leave you salivating. All in all, even with the inclusion of "America Is My Home," this is a pretty lame excuse for a James Brown retrospective. I want my funk uncut!

Too many retreads for...The Millenium

You can't argue about the importance of the titles on this CD. What a loyal JB fan/collector *can* argue with is the apparent (presumed) haste with which it was assembled. Ofcourse the history-makers like "Papa's...Bag" and "Cold Sweat" are natural selections for the theme, but with the material so commonly available, you would think a peep inside the vaults for previously unreleased LIVE versions would have been appropriate for general listeners. One source suggests there are at least five basically untapped concerts on file. [Selling point for this reviewer/fan: 1st ever album issue of "America Is My Home" (Part One)"].