★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Maybe not one of JB's greatest albums — it feels rushed out and desultory — but somehow, it all works, despite offering a scant five tracks and a fair number of those consisting of the Godfather just grunting or talking to his bandmates over sweet funk beats ("Pull off your pants! I mean your long pants!"). (All of which made me wonder as I listened how much of this material can properly be said to be James Brown derived material; the groovy improvisation of his crack band really makes this stuff shine.) Somehow, against all odds and logic, this ends up being a very good album. The ten-minute "Blues & Pants" isn't the strongest start, but some solid tracks follow. "Escapism" is mostly where Brown ad-libs and vamps over the funk. The music's great, but James asking where the lads are from doesn't rise to even Bo Diddley levels of proto-rapping. Favorite tracks: "Hot Pants," "Cant Stand It."
