Hell

This double album showcases the Godfather of Soul at his fiercest. Freed from the singles-motivated demands that drove his output in the ‘60s, the self-proclaimed Minister of New New Super Heavy Funk shouts and stomps on “Hell,” dances an unexpected samba on “Please, Please, Please,” and slow-jams on “Sometime.” The set closes with the marathon march of funk “Papa Don’t Take No Mess,” which frames the soul of his early hits in an extended jam session where Brown and band riff away on his unmistakable groove.