The JB’s “Funky Good Time: The Anthology V.1” [Polydor]

Mr. Lucky   9/13/2006   12-inch, Soul

This is it! It’s hard to know what to say about a body of work like this. The band that would replace The Flames as James Brown’s stage and studio band can easily go down as one of the tightest, most influential bands of the last century. The J.B.’s not only spawned countless copycat funk bands in the U.S., but would go on to be an influence on musicians worldwide. They would also lay the groundwork for groups like Funkadelic/Parliament, Prince, and countless others. And once samplers came along, the J.B.’s would be the foundation for another genre of music that would soon rule the world, HipHop. KFJC’s library holds MANY records that have sampled works by this badassmotherfuckin’band, and the hits don’t stop coming. Handpicked by the Godfather himself, this group was a ferocious funk monster that laid down the baddest grooves ever committed to wax, and here on this anthology we witness all their glory. From the famous (and also oft-sampled) intro to the final cut, this is all thriller, no filler. If I had to pick one at gunpoint it would have to be the ear splitting “The Grunt”, to which you can find me freaking out every time. -Mr. Lucky