One of
Richard Pryor's finest records, this album was recorded live (as almost all of them were), which is really the only way to make a comedy record that gives you the full effect of
Pryor's genius. The thing that makes this record a bit different is that it was recorded shortly after his near-fatal cocaine freebase accident. Of course, nothing is sacred with
Pryor, and his routine on the subject ("Freebase") is one of the funniest of his career -- it finds
Pryor at his most outrageous. The good thing about this (and the entire record) is that although
Pryor is a bit more in control, the accident didn't diminish his overall, nearly out of control, and often filthy (in the best possible way) delivery. A real classic. ~ Matthew Greenwald