Star Time – Four Discs of the Hardest-Working Man in Show Business

Artist: James Brown · Album: Star Time (box set) · Year: 1991 · Label: Polydor · Rank: 54 / 500

Calling Star Time a “compilation” feels wrong. It’s more like a compressed history of modern rhythm: the story of how soul turned into funk, how groove became a science, and how one performer could bend an entire band – and eventually hip-hop – to his will.

From R&B Screamer to Funk Architect

The earliest cuts show James Brown as a raw R&B shouter – “Please, Please, Please,” “Try Me” – full of gospel drama and heartbreak.

By the mid-60s, he’s tightening the screws. “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” and “I Got You (I Feel Good)” shift the focus to the one: the downbeat becomes king, guitars, horns, and drums all interlocking in percussive patterns.

Funk Engine Room

The later discs are pure rhythmic architecture. “Cold Sweat,” “There Was a Time,” “Mother Popcorn,” “Sex Machine,” “Super Bad” – each track is essentially a series of riffs, breaks, and call-and-response chants, with Brown as conductor and detonator.

The grooves are so strong they became raw material for an entire generation of hip-hop producers.

Band as Weapon

The Famous Flames, the J.B.’s – whichever band name is on the sleeve, the principle is the same: precision with sweat. Horn stabs like punches, bass lines that don’t quit, Clyde Stubblefield and Jabo Starks on drums writing the unofficial drum book of the 20th century.

Why This Box Set Matters

Star Time isn’t just a stack of singles; it’s a curated arc that shows how James Brown reinvented himself again and again while pushing the language of rhythm forward. For anyone serious about funk, soul, hip-hop or dance music, this is core curriculum.

How to Listen

You can treat it like a reference library – dip in and out – but at least once, play each disc straight through. You’ll hear the evolution of groove in real time.