Did you know that Rick James, the King of Punk Funk- the guy who snorted more coke, bedded more ladies and got into more scrapes than seemingly anyone in the biz…was from Buffalo, NY and was in a band with Neil Young in Canada? What? Just a couple of bits that I didn’t know but learned from the super watchable ‘Bitchin’: The Sound and Fury of Rick James’, and I was a first generation fan, still in school.
His story has been told often, particularly in the VH-1 2000s days, but this film dives deeper and doesn’t just stop at the biographical greatest hits: coke, orgies, trouble with the law, etc. Instead, we hear cogent and historical context, and not just for the shenanigans but for the actual music.
James was a smart man. It wasn’t just the charisma of a rock star; it’s the soul of a salesman whose most important product is Rick James himself. As I type this, I’m listening to James on the old Tom Snyder program from 1998. He’s got his shit together and knows how to tell a story.
James’ adult daughter is seen at the beginning of the film and throughout-her perspective is one which we haven’t seen before. We also hear from former band mates who have stories of admiration and grumblings of having been underpaid-the whole gamut.
Particularly enlightening for music aficionados are the bits where a producer is playing original channels from early tracks. No visuals, no hype, no archive video- just experts playing the music and giving it what it deserved: serious analysis.
And that’s what I liked about the film. Forget the cartoon Chapelle Show Rick James persona- he was a serious man, with serious talent and insight, including a strong understanding of race in America and how it played out within music and culture. It’s a shame that his addiction took him out, but not a surprise. It’s also a tragedy because Rick James had a lot to say, musically and otherwise.
Kudos to director Sacha Jenkins who resists the thumbnail sketch and plumbs the archives and the memories of those who count to render this 3 dimensional portrait.
Bitchin’: The Sound and Fury of Rick James | 3 ½ out of 4 stars | Showtime | reviewed by Kyle Osborne
