Wanna make the whole world pay attention
Rick James - Glow
I fucking love Rick James' music: his writing, his production, his voice, his playing, his side-projects. It's so good. Still massively underrated, I believe.
I remember reading an interview with James in a music paper, around 1983, and he was absolutely raging about how Prince had stolen his schtick and how he had got his minder to carry him round like a big baby at one of his shows to steal attention.
I will never for the life of me understand how Prince is considered rock royalty (no pun intended), and James isn't, apart from in about 500 BCE, Aesop said "Men often applaud an imitation and hiss the real thing." I think that explains it nicely.
This album came out in 1986. I taped it off my mate at the time and picked it up for a mere $7.50 - can't remember where. It's got that super-eighties-Rick-James signature sound (which spread like nits through the rest of the pop/rock playground at the time.) However the title track and Moonchild are exquisite and timeless.
I don't wish to diminish the fact that Rick James was a horrible cunt, who did some horrible things to people. I don't think he ever got the pass for his behaviour like many others (Lennon, Polanski, Boy George, for instance) have though.
Tinselwig likes this.
Tinselwig
in reply to John Spithead • •by Claire Dederer? It talks about that issue. Not about Rick James from memory but about why some are tolerated more than others. I really enjoyed it.
Also that 7.50 price tag is old school port hole records price tag and pricing. He loved an unusually specific 7.50...
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John Spithead
in reply to John Spithead • •That book got quite the slagging in the Guardian's review. I'd still give it a read though, because it's such an interesting area. I remember giving Lily a lecture when she was younger about why she shouldn't be listening to R Kelly whilst I was literally playing Ike & Tina Turner.
Yes, you're right. It was Porthole.
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Tinselwig
in reply to John Spithead • •Haha
Yeah I remember that review. I got the impression they went into it with a different idea what it would be.
It's more of a reflective read and it builds layers. I really enjoyed it.
Its also available as an audio book you can stream.
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