The break neck pace, the clockwork precision of the horns, the freight train steadiness of the rhythm section, and of course, the Godfather of Souls’ signature growl and passion.  From Shout and Shimmy to Sign, Sealed and Delivered, the opening quintet delivers a machine gun assault of exactly what I wanted from a James Brown record.

Then it’s time for things to get a little tender on Like a Baby.  But while the band might be playing a ballad, Brown still finds room to scream the house down, and it’s amazing.  From then on, it’s a mixture of hard hitters, soul grooves and doo wop taken to Brownsian extremes.

I would never say James Brown or anything on Pure Dynamite! surprised me in any way, but that’s not what I was looking for from a James Brown album.  I wanted James Brown at his most James Brown, and it delivered.  While studio recordings of Brown are already right there, in your face, the live setting makes him seem even more visceral.  And when I think of my cliché based, mainstream idea of James Brown, I wouldn’t want him to sound any other way."

      - Pete Laurie, boredanddangerousblog.wordpress.com