August 29, 2005 @ 1:00 am

Rick James Super Freak Live 1982

by: Abena Agyeman-Fisher

Accompanied by his seven-person Stone City Band, Rick James performed ambidextrously, playing an assortment of instruments that included a harmonica, piano, guitar and drums. Employing blues, rock, reggae, funk, and soul, James effectively traversed genres on songs such as “You and I,” “Give It to Me Baby,” and “Standing On The Top,” where his instrumental execution proved both fluid and harmonious.

His musical sophistication never dulled his decidedly sexual delivery, though; with the excessive stroking of his microphone and oral sex simulations, James made sure he left nothing to the imagination. And after dedicating “Mary Jane” to Bob Marley, his band repeated, “We love Mary Jane, we love to smoke the reefer, we love to smoke the ganja” as if they were caught in mid-toke.

Balancing his act with heartfelt ballads, James kept the crowd on its feet with flashy costumes, artistic posturing, and vibrant movement as only a dedicated performer would.

Most satisfying about James’s performance, however, is that minus the backup singers and musical accompaniment: James is a fiercely sincere vocalist; a man who wasn’t afraid to show the sensitive, the cocky, the perfectionist, and the perverse all the while revealing the full splendor of Rick James. Witness James at the height of his career.

Article tags: Rick, James, Super, Freak, Live, 1982 

del.icio.us digg Furl Reddit YahooMyWeb

Page printed from:
http://www.vibe.com/news/reviews/archives/2005/08/rick_james_superfreak_dvd/

Return to previous page