The Hardest Working Man In Show Business. Soul Brother Number One. Mr. Dynamite. The Godfather Of Soul. Even these titles don't do justice to the magnificent career of James Brown, a man who was crucial to the invention of soul music, funk, and rap. His story has its many triumphs and tragedies - most of Brown's own making - but it tells the tale of black music in the latter half of the 20th century.

James Brown was not always an icon. He was once a struggling singer with a rag tag band divining their way towards a unique sound. By the time they found it, Brown had become an awesome taskmaster, driving the band (the Famous Flames) to dizzying heights but also to mutiny. Brown would go through several stellar groups including the Flames and the JB's, and his sidemen would include Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis, Clyde Stubblefield, Bobby Byrd, and Bootsy Collins. Still, the music never suffered, at least until the mid-70's when Brown ran out of creative steam and became mired in drug and legal problems.

It would be much too difficult to name even part of the great songs for which James Brown is responsible. Luckily, a variety of fine choices exist for consumers wishing to delve into his work depending on one's passion for his music or the depth of one's pockets. Want one CD? Get 20 All-Time Greatest Hits. Need two? Get JB40: 40th Anniversary Collection (simply the best CD bargain in the universe). Willing to spring for the motherlode? Get Star Time, a beautifully compiled and packaged 4-disc box that finally does the man justice. One of the first-ever CD boxed sets, it still stands as one of the most important. Beyond Star Time, Brown's only can't-live-without-it album is Live At The Apollo 1963. The Godfather's incendiary stage show could never translate completely to record, but this disc comes close - it's one of the most explosive recordings this side of Iggy Pop's Raw Power.

Futher listening should include Brown's Funky Christmas (read more), which really must be heard to be believed, and the currently three-volume James Brown's Funky People which compiles assorted Godfather-related productions and side projects. Of course, there's a zillion James Brown CD's on the market (about half of them live recordings); proceed with caution. For those who want to get stoopid funky, however, I recommend a loose series of excellent, more specialized sets - most of them double discs. These sets (now largely deleted) include, in rough chronological order:

• Roots Of A Revolution
• Messing With The Blues
• Soul Pride: The Instrumentals 1960-69
• Foundations Of Funk: A Brand New Bag 1964-1969
• Funk Power 1970: A Brand New Thang
• Make It Funky: The Big Payback 1971-1975

The JB's, meanwhile, made a number of wonderful dance records on their own. Funky Good Time: The Anthology, is a double-disc, full-course dinner of their steamy, savory funk, while Pass The Peas: The Best Of The JB's is a well-compiled taster that may just leave you hungry for more.