“Listening to Brown’s music is one thing. Watching the Godfather of Soul in action is quite another. Those who never got that chance will understand how he also came to be nicknamed the Hardest Working Man in Show Business after witnessing the sweat-drenched, electrifying performances on this three-DVD set. “Feelin’ ” captures a seminal period in his career in 1968. While rioters were torching inner cities in reaction to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, Boston stayed cool thanks to the decision to not cancel (and to also televise live) a previously scheduled Brown concert the day after King’s death. Directed by David Leaf, the behind-the-scenes documentary “The Night James Brown Saved Boston” is the compelling centerpiece of this package—a tribute to Brown’s talent and the deepening of his own social activism. Rounding out the set: the actual Boston Garden concert (”James Brown Live at the Boston Garden”) and an earlier Harlem performance (”Live at the Apollo ‘68″), plus intriguing extras. —Gail Mitchell”
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