44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Liner Notes Almost Say It All, November 3, 2000
This review is from: Richard Pryor: ...And It's Deep Too! The Complete Warner Bros. Recordings (1968-1992) (Audio CD)
I have to preface this review by saying that nobody has more respect and love for Richard Pryor than me, especially with regards to sheer talent. Of all the comedians you could ever think of, he's pretty much the only one whose repetoire merits the box set format. And while we've got a number of reviews that overdose on their own reverence, has anybody actually listened to the discs??? That's what this particular review is about.
The main reason I bought this was the reissues--Bicentennial Nigger, That Nigger's Crazy, Wanted, and particularly the first album had never been released on CD, and we had to make do with the sometimes patchy efforts on Straight Cannon records. The packaging is fantastic--though some might be annoyed at the vinyl throwback of the sleeves, and the liner notes are for the most part, very well done.
The first disc is in mono, but it hardly detracts from the material. In each progressive CD you can hear Pryor improving everything about his act, from the politics to the delivery, although to be honest there wasn't much wrong with the delivery from the very beginning.
That Nigger's Crazy improves (mostly) on bits found on the Video 'Live & Smokin' but includes the brilliant "Nigga With a Seizure."
Is it Something I said--refer to my individual review already on Amazon. They made a mistake of adding 'Ali' to this disc, because A) it isn't all that funny, and B) he'd already ended the disc with the perfect finale. It detracts from the rest of the album.
Bicentennial Nigger plays like a continuation of Is it Something I Said, but showcases Richard's political bent somewhat. It's a bit patchier than the first 3 albums, but has some killer moments, especially the Mudbone bit and "Chinese Restaurant."
Wanted: Live in Concert is a bit disappointing, if only because what the liner notes say is true--this is a performance you have to see on video/dvd/whatever, because the visual Richard Pryor is just as funny as the audible. The two combined are amazing; rent Live in Concert the movie and you'll see what I mean.
Live On the Sunset Strip is a good album, but his delivery in the movie version is funnier, for the most part--again, this is a performance that is a bit funnier on the video than the album. Hereafter, Richard forgoes the word "nigger", and his later performances never sound the same again.
Here and Now gets credit for being funnier than it might have been, simply because a drug-free Richard is less potent than his earlier incarnations. But you side-step all that simply because his performance wins you over; bonus star for the interview track tacked on the end of this.
The cream of the crop is the bonus CD--it's chock full of album-worthy material, especially the 70s output. But even on the last track "M.S.", circa 1992, Richard is still a comedian's comedian. Past his peak both physically and creatively, but still able to both perservere AND deliver some strong material. It's worth getting for "Patty Hearst" and "Mudbone Goes to Hollywood (Alternate Version)" alone.
Honestly, you won't be disappointed with this set, even if you already own much of the non-WB material, as I do. It's not perfect, but it's pretty close.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The funniest man alive, October 24, 2000
This review is from: Richard Pryor: ...And It's Deep Too! The Complete Warner Bros. Recordings (1968-1992) (Audio CD)
Here is something that Richard Pryor fans have been waiting for, for a long time. His classic Warner/Reprise albums are now finally available on CD, all except for "Is It Something I Said?" have never been released on CD until now. Lavishly packaged with a booklet that gives you an overview of Richard's career. The discs come in cardboard slip cases that look like miniature versions of the original LP's. Besides all of the classic routines featured, the real bonuses are an eighth disc that has over an hour of unreleased material, and at the end of the "Here And Now" disc is a 30 minute interview. Richard's ability to be extremely funny, profane, and sensitive are the things that set him apart from other comics. His gift for making something beautiful out his own personal pain is why he is and always will be the greatest comedian of all time. This box is a must have!!!
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
No one has topped him. This is a must have!, March 16, 2001
This review is from: Richard Pryor: ...And It's Deep Too! The Complete Warner Bros. Recordings (1968-1992) (Audio CD)
Any self-respecting comedy aficianado cannot do without this set. Richard Pryor, together with his peer George Carlin in the '60s & '70s, simply raised the bar of stand-up and has never been surpassed (the closest someone's come thus far has been Sam Kinison and Chris Rock). The good news to the uninitiated is that none of the material on these albums, even the earliest, has dated in the least. It's still fresh, vibrant, and hilarious because Pryor, like most great artists, worked from a closely autobiographical and personal viewpoint. His work was largely apolitical (in the Mark Russell/Capitol Steps sense) and he stayed clear of many pop-culture references, ensuring his comedy a very long shelf life. There isn't one bad disc in the set and the "archives" disc is just as strong. Buy this box and don't let future generations forget this master (as they are starting to forget about Kinison). Oh, and did I mention that you'll be out of breath from laughing so hard?
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