If you would ask me to describe Richard Pryor, numerous words come to mind...funny, brilliant, honest, human. As a comic, he was all that and more. It didn't matter if he was talking about racial indifference, sex, drugs, farting, women or life in general, there was always an element of truth to be found in his humor. Sometimes, there was more honesty there than we'd care to hear. But, that was the true genius of Richard Pryor. He made us think as we laughed. How he made us laugh is another story. As you listen to the material in this collection, a lot of what you'll hear is from Richard's personal life. He lived his material, it's as simple as that. Even the most unfunny situations that he found himself in, situations that, in all reality, shouldn't even have the slightest hint of humor in them...well, Richard found the humor and he took it as far as he could possibly take it. It's hard to believe that none of these albums, with the exception of one, were ever made available on compact disc. The material found within this box set should have been preserved long ago and, well, to be honest, this release is long overdue. So, with that said, let's take a look at what we've got here...and, to quote the introduction that's found on one of his albums, "The two most beautiful words in the world of comedy...Richard Pryor!

"RICHARD PRYOR" (Released: 1968)

Compared to the other albums in this collection, this release is rather tame. It's funny, but, on a different level. I wouldn't call it a classic Richard Pryor moment, but, it's a good album that takes you back to the early days of a man who would soon become a comic legend. I enjoy this one, but, it's not something I listen to often because it just doesn't have the bite that future albums would have. There's really no language to be found on this release which, as you all know, is what Richard Pryor is all about. He made profanity an art form. It's also interesting to hear some of the subject matter that's touched upon on this release because it's material that would come into full bloom in the future. Obviously, the racial material found on tracks such as "Super Nigger" and "Prison Play" would eventually become stronger and Richard's act grew. He would also do more lengthy routines such as "TV Panel Show" in the future. This album, at least in my opinion, represents a man who knows what road he wants to take...he just hasn't found the right exit yet.

"THAT NIGGER'S CRAZY" (Released: 1974)

"Thank you. Good evening. I hope I'm funny." That's how this album starts off and, for those of you who heard this album, funny wasn't something that Richard Pryor had a problem with. He wasn't at the top of his game yet, but, this release got him off to a wonderful start. This album would be the begining of the Richard Pryor that we would all come to know and love. Track two, "Nigger With A Seizure," would be one of the first, really funny, lengthy routines. The subject matter wasn't about race, it was about alcohol and how people act when they're drunk...and Richard plays the role to perfection. You get a double shot of the wino character with "Wino Dealing With Dracula" and "Wino & Junkie." There's also a healthy dose of racial material with tracks such as "Black & White Lifestyles," "Black Man/White Woman" and "Niggers VS. The Police." "Exorcist," which is obviously about the movie, touches on race and religion. When you listen to the audience reaction on this release, one thing is clear...when Richard was on stage, he was in complete control. His act was becoming stronger and he knew how to keep his audience laughing. This release would give Richard his first Grammy for Best Comedy Record.

"IS IT SOMETHING I SAID" (Released: 1975)

This was the album that you could find on compact disc, which is really a shame. The humor that Richard Pryor has graced us with should have been preserved, as I said before, long ago. Hopefully, this box set will finally make some people stand up and take notice of Richard's contributions to the world of stand up comedy. Anyway, this album would give him another Grammy and it would also introduce his popular Mudbone character by way of a rather lengthy sketch. The album starts off with "Eulogy," in which Richard performs as a preacher at a funeral. From there, Richard goes into drugs, sex, the prison system and bad relationships. This disc also includes a bonus track, "Ali," which comes from his "Greatest Hits" album, which isn't included in this collection for obvious reasons. This is a good, solid release that's classic Richard Pryor.

"BICENTENNIAL NIGGER" (Released: 1976)

Over the years, I've heard a lot of Richard's material. But, this was my first experience with this release, which gave him yet another Grammy. The material on this release, however, seems like a departure from his normal subject matter. Well, maybe not. I mean, he still talks about the difference between races, sex and, yes, there's another routine with his Mudbone character. But, he approaches it a bit differently. He goes redneck in "Hillbilly," life on the street in "Our Gang" and he's a preacher once again in "Bicentennial Prayer." His drug routine this time around, "Acid," is the one he did when he appeared on Saturday Night Live. The title track closes out this album. On it, he talks about race, obviously, and while his routine is supposed to be funny (which it is) he makes some very serious points here and while the audience is still laughing, he ends on a rather serious note. Having been familiar with most of his other albums, this one seemed fresh to me. But, the more I listen to it, the more I realize that, yes, this is another classic Richard Pryor moment.

"WANTED: LIVE IN CONCERT" (Released: 1978)

A strong performance can be found on this double album. It's hard to pick out stand out tracks because everything on here is funny as hell. If I have to pick something, "Heart Attacks" and "Leon Spinks" on the first disc would be my choice. On the second disc, his routine on football great and personal friend, "Jim Brown," is a trip. "Dogs And Horses" is another gut wrencher and anyone with children will appreciate "Kids." This release is a good example of what Richard Pryor is all about. It's got a little bit of everything that made him one of the world's greatest stand up comics.

"LIVE ON THE SUNSET STRIP" (Released: 1982)

The first album from Richard Pryor after his well documented suicide attempt in which he set himself on fire. While his pain and suffering were no laughing matter, Richard tells his story with "Freebase," and the results are hilarious. Richard went to hell and back and he came back and made us all laugh with his story. He also tells of his recovery in "Hospital." He takes his pain and uses it to put a smile on all our faces. He talks about making the movie "Stir Crazy" with Gene Wilder in "Prision," which is one of the better moments on this release. One thing that most people will notice here is the fact that Richard doesn't use the word "nigger" like he normally does and with good reason. After a visit to Africa, which was a magical experience for him, he decided to stop using that word and he gives his reason/explanation on this release with a serious tone with, of course, his usual wit. Although Richard wasn't saying "nigger" in his routine anymore, which actually pissed off some of his fans, his other trademark word, "motherfucker," is heard in abundance. This album showed a lot of personal growth. It also showed that even the best can get better.

"HERE AND NOW" (Released: 1983)

This release reminds me of Robin Williams because Richard comes out and, after a bit of improv with the audience, he goes right into his routine with lightning speed and he doesn't stop until the show's over. This release is Richard Pryor at his fine tuned best. It's a very exciting album to say the least. "Slavery," "Southern Hospitality," "Motherland" and "Inebriated" are some of the best tracks on this release. Of course, his Mudbone character makes yet another appearance and he goes straight for the funny bone...especially when he talks about having crabs. If you haven't heard this routine yet, you don't know what you're missing. This release also features a rather lengthy interview with Richard which, according to the liner notes, was dialogue that was used in the motion picture release of "Here And Now." It's a bit difficult to hear the person doing the interview. But, you can hear Richard as plain as day and, this is a good look into the man who made us laugh for so many years. This is about as personal as you can get and it's a good way to understand what makes him tick...or what made him tick around the time this interview was conducted. There's a wealth of material on this release and this interview is one of the brightest moments.

"THAT AFRICAN AMERICAN IS STILL CRAZY"

Subtitled "Good Shit From The Vaults," this album features a collection of unreleased material from the 70's, 80's and 90's from the vaults as well as Richard's personal collection. This release is what really makes this box set worth while because, well, it's something you haven't heard before. There's some good stuff on here too. Oh, where to begin? He talks about everything and the track titles say it all. "Fame," "Patty Hearst," "Acid." "I Don't Give A Fuck" is a ripper, gotta wonder if he was trying to be funny or if he was serious on this one. The best of the bunch here is, without a doubt, the one unreleased track from the 90's, "M.S." As you all know, Richard is suffering from multiple sclerosis and, like he has done in the past, his pain becomes a tool to make his audience laugh. Even as he battles a disease that pretty much ended his career, he still goes out making sure we have a smile on our face.

This release also comes with an informative 76 page book that goes into details about Richard's career. There's a lot of good pictures as well as his filmography. It'll give you some interesting reading material, that's for sure. Like I said at the begining of this review, this release should've happened long ago because his contributions to the world of comedy should be preserved on compact disc. While there's a lot more material out there, this release is probably the best of the bunch. It would be nice to see some of his other releases made available on CD. But, for now, the material on this album is more than enough for anybody. No matter how many times you listen to them, they're still funny. So, if you're a fan of Richard Pryor, "...And It's Deep Too" is a mandatory purchase for your collection. No exceptions!

Copyright 2002, BallBuster, The Official Int'l Underground Hard Music Report