The One

The Life and Music of James Brown

De: R. J. Smith

Narrado por: Kevin R. Free

Senior editor at L.A. Magazine RJ Smith saw his first book, The Great Black Way, win the coveted California Book Award. With The One, Smith profiles one of the 20th century’s most innovative musical icons, the Godfather of Soul himself, James Brown. Drawing on extensive research and captivating interviews, Smith chronicles Brown’s rise from abject poverty to the pinnacle of fame, while also detailing Brown’s work as a civil rights activist and entrepreneur.

©2012 R.J. Smith (P)2012 Recorded Books, LLC

Very Detailed

Very detailed reporting. Many unexpected background historical details about music. Very interesting. A labor of love.

Loved it!

I was captivated by the story that revealed so much about the life of this remarkable and complex man. As a long time fan, I was surprised by how much I did not know about him.

The performance was also outstanding. Five stars.

Good

A strong, hard working man for his times, not perfect of course. Great book and great story .

Excellent writing + delivery

I really enjoyed this book. Definitely recommend. The writer seemed to have researched well and weaved it together into an excellent piece of work.

Why he became the hardest working man in show biz.

An illuminating look at how James Brown became an icon of the 60s, a musical pioneer, and an eccentric character frequently in trouble with the law. Complex, thorny, and very much a product of the time and place he was born into, James Brown became a musical revolutionary and a player in the civil rights movement despite a childhood of deprivation. This book is a welcome investigation into the life of a man who has still never gotten his due as a musician and band leader, and a man for whom success was never enough to erase the effects of a life lived as a poor African American in the early part of the 20th century. Well written, well read, and well worth the time it takes to listen.

pitiable, lovable, despicable,understandable

i've never been a hip-hop happening kind of a guy
pencil-neck white-bread suburban kid is closer to the truth
but james brown has fascinated me since i was a child

his penetrating funky hot-blooded music was like no other
but i sensed that there was more to the story than that
r.j. smith's story and kevin free's narration brought it to life

his horrible childhood invites pity / that he overcame it invites love
the way he treated women and co-workers makes him seem despicable
but at the end of this great book i felt i understood him as a person

what makes the story profound is its' uniquely american foundation
james brown never apologized for who he was or where he was from
he just wanted respect and a spot at the table / he more than earned it

Politics & Racism! Not much about music :(

If you're looking for a book on James Brown music career, look elsewhere. This book is loaded with politics and racism. Then more politics and racism and after that even more racism. Only maybe 20% of this book is about music.