The Rill Thing represented
Little Richard's most serious attempt at a comeback since his 1950s heyday. "Freedom Blues,"
Richard's debut Reprise single, released in April 1970, was a mid-chart hit, his first in five years. "Greenwood Mississippi," released as a single concurrently with the album, also charted.
Richard adopted a Cajun/country-rock approach (even covering "Lovesick Blues"), with a heavy beat and twangy guitar backing up his rough, forceful vocals. Despite the indulgence of the rambling ten-minute instrumental title track, the LP was a convincing update on his early work. But it did not propel
Little Richard back to the top of the charts. ~ William Ruhlmann