James Brown / Black Randy and the Metrosquad

We listen to a lot of music and two things we think are missing from music today are a sense of space in the music, which gives it a sense of groove and syncopation---it makes the music pleasant, even exciting; the second being fun with emotions---it takes emotions to keep making music and to keep the audience into it. Today we bring you two takes on one song... this song proves that even though the topic of the song is frenetic and immediacy, doesn't mean the music needs to be.

James Brown gave us funk in the early 1970's, reworking a classic in September 1970 with his new band. It's layered, it's dynamic, and it's tight. Even though 36 years have passed, James Brown is still the icon today he was then for funk, soul and even R&B (if even more so).

Black Randy and the Metrosquad put out the album "Pass the Dust, I Think I'm Bowie" in 1979. It was a fast-paced funk-infused post-punk sound that had some erratic, even frightening lyrics on it about subjects from James Chance stealing his shtick to Idi Amin. Black Randy's instrumental version was a wise choice so he didn't have to step on the image of one of his idols, James Brown, to just let the music speak for itself. (Black Randy and the Metrosquad's entire album, "Pass the Dust, I Think I'm Bowie" is available for download at another mp3 blog, Last Days of Man on Earth.) Oh, and Black Randy ISN'T black.

James Brown - Give It Up or Turn it Loose
Black Randy and the Metrosquad - Give It Up or Turn it Loose