Rick James is a complicated figure, to put it mildly. He made some great music and was known as a super freak. He also was addicted to drugs and was abusive to women. His struggles and his misdeeds became fodder for jokes to the point where his name became a punchline just in time for his death in 2004.
I remember being annoyed at the time in high school that people who’d never listened to Rick James were invoking his name as they slapped other people and otherwise acted obnoxiously. It made light of the truly bad things he did, while also snuffing out what good he left the world through via his music. The man, his many faults, and his music was collapsed into a caricature.
Well, James wasn’t exactly in the uppermost tier of musical geniuses (Prince, Stevie Wonder, etc.), but he had a run in the late 70s and early 80s culminating with Street Songs in 1981 that is worth appreciating. Street Songs is legitimately one of the great American music albums, while others like Fire It Up and Throwin’ Down are excellent markers of the funk genre.
James could also get into a rut. He hit on many good ideas, but he also had a knack for running them ideas into the ground as he rarely had back-to-back good albums.
So, below are my album reviews plus two playlists compiling his solo work, that of his backing band (the Stone City Band) and the Mary Jane Girls, a female quartet he wrote for and produced.
PLAYLISTS on Tidal
1978-1981
1983-1989
RICK JAMES ALBUM REVIEWS
Come Get It!: B-
Bustin’ Out of L Seven: D+
Fire It Up: B
Garden Of Love: D+
Street Songs: A+
Throwin’ Down: B+
Cold Blooded: C
Glow: B-
The Flag: B-
Wonderful: F
Kickin’: D-
In ‘n’ Out: C+
The Boys Are Back: C+
Out of the Shadow: D-
Mary Jane Girls: B-
Only Four You: C+
Sweet Conversations: C