Black Caesar (album)

Black Caesar
Soundtrack album by
James Brown
Released February 1973
Genre Funk
Length 36:17
Label Polydor
Producer James Brown
James Brown chronology
Get on the Good Foot
(1972) 		Black Caesar
(1973) 		Slaughter's Big Rip-Off
(1973)
Singles from Black Caesar
  1. "Down and Out in New York City"
    Released: 1973
  2. "Mama Feelgood"
    Released: 1973

Black Caesar is a soundtrack album recorded by James Brown for the film of the same name and released in 1973. The album also features The J.B.'s and Lyn Collins.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic
Robert Christgau D+
The Rolling Stone Album Guide

In a 1980 consumer guide to James Brown's albums following the dissolution of King Records, Robert Christgau of The Village Voice gave Black Caesar a "D+" and stated, "You listen to Brown for music, not songs, but that's no reason to expect good soundtrack albums from him. He should never be allowed near a vibraphone again."

However, other critics wrote more positively about the album. In a later retrospective review, Mark Deming of AllMusic gives the album three-and-a-half out of five stars and feels that, "like most soundtrack albums of the period, Black Caesar sounds rather scattershot, especially when the music is divorced from the film's narrative," but observed "several top-notch tracks", including "The Boss", "Make It Good to Yourself", and "Mama's Dead". Deming adds that "Fred Wesley's superb horn charts, Jimmy Nolen's percussive guitar, and Jabo Starks' dead-on-the-one drumming make even the weaker instrumental cuts worth a quick listen". Dave Thompson calls it a "kick-ass soundtrack" and "nothing short of a full frontal funk assault."

Track listing

No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Down and Out in New York City" Bodie Chandler, Barry De Vorzon 4:43
2. "Blind Man Can See It" James Brown, Charles Bobbit, Fred Wesley 2:18
3. "Sportin' Life" James Brown, Bobbit, Wesley 3:50
4. "Dirty Harri" James Brown 1:29
5. "The Boss" James Brown, Bobbit, Wesley 3:14
6. "Make It Good to Yourself" James Brown, Bobbit, Wesley 3:18
7. "Mama Feelgood" (Performed by Lyn Collins) James Brown, Lyn Collins 3:29
8. "Mama's Dead" James Brown, Wesley 4:47
9. "White Lightning (I Mean Moonshine)" James Brown, Bobbit, Wesley 2:40
10. "Chase" James Brown, Bobbit, Wesley, Jan Hammer 2:38
11. "Like It Is, Like It Was" James Brown 3:51

Personnel

Credits for Black Caesar adapted from Allmusic.

  • James Brown – arranger, conductor, producer, vocals
  • Bob Both – mixing, production supervisor
  • Lyn Collins – vocals
  • Jeff Faville – redesign
  • Joseph M. Palmaccio – digital remastering
  • Harry Weinger – liner notes
  • Fred Wesley – arranger

Charts

Chart (1973) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Top LPs & Tapes 31
U.S. Best Selling Soul LPs 2