In an era when
Brown went on to make three studio doubles,
Get on the Good Foot was the first. This 1972 album finds
Brown having great chemistry with both his newer
J.B.'s and the New York session players. The title track is particularly stunning. "Get on the Good Foot" was so off-the-cuff and nonpareil, he couldn't have replicated the formula even if he wanted to. "I Got a Bag of My Own," on the other hand, sounds forced and synthetic. Although
Brown was known for his new product, this album has him recycling some of his King singles. Doing so-so remakes of "Cold Sweat" and "Ain't It a Groove" could be taken as an attempt to ease some of his old catalog into his new label. Not surprisingly,
Get on the Good Foot does have its share of throwaway cuts. "Recitation by Hank Ballard" is a spoken-word effort with
Ballard extolling his buddy's virtues, as well as giving unsolicited advice about the perils of show biz. "Dirty Harri," a lukewarm instrumental, goes nowhere fast for all of its six-plus minutes. Although
Get on the Good Foot only managed to yield two hits, the album is one of his more varied and fun efforts. ~ Jason Elias