Richard Pryor’s Essential Albums Released as Box Set

by

Jennifer Lee Pryor, widow of the late comedian Richard Pryor, expresses her enthusiasm and excitement about a groundbreaking new box set released by Rhino. This collection gathers seven of Pryor’s influential comedy albums that he created during his time with Warner Records.

Included among the re-releases of the collection “Richard Pryor — I Hope I’m Funny: The Warner Albums (1974-1983)” are albums such as “…Is It Something I Said?“, “Wanted/Richard Pryor Live in Concert“, “Live on the Sunset Strip“, and “Here and Now“.

or

Some of the reissued albums from “Richard Pryor — I Hope I’m Funny: The Warner Albums (1974-1983)” include “…Is It Something I Said?“, “Wanted/Richard Pryor Live in Concert“, “Live on the Sunset Strip“, and “Here and Now“.

or

The collection “Richard Pryor — I Hope I’m Funny: The Warner Albums (1974-1983)” contains reissued albums like “…Is It Something I Said?“, “Wanted/Richard Pryor Live in Concert“, “Live on the Sunset Strip“, and “Here and Now“.

or

In the collection “Richard Pryor — I Hope I’m Funny: The Warner Albums (1974-1983)“, you’ll find reissued albums such as “…Is It Something I Said?“, “Wanted/Richard Pryor Live in Concert“, “Live on the Sunset Strip“, and “Here and Now“.

Several took Grammy Awards for comedy album of the year.

As a gaming enthusiast, I’d put it this way: Richard Pryor revolutionized comedy, blending hilarity with raw truths about society. He fearlessly tackled tough topics like racism, but also delved into personal struggles such as trauma and addiction, making his stand-up performances not just funny, but thought-provoking too.

Dick Gregory, another renowned comedian, once remarked about Pryor that there was no one like him before or after, in the realm of American comedy.” He considered Pryor to be among the three greatest American comic geniuses, alongside Lenny Bruce and Mark Twain.

Included in this collection are several routines, such as “Wino & Junkie,” a recurring character of Pryor’s named Mudbone in “Mudbone Goes to Hollywood,” and the recounting from 1982’s Sunset Strip of the tragic freebasing incident that left Richard Pryor with severe burns covering half his body.

The Warner Albums collection (1974-1983) features liner notes penned by Scott Saul, an English professor at UC Berkeley and writer of the widely acclaimed biography Becoming Richard Pryor published by Harper Perennial, known for being the comprehensive account of Richard Pryor’s life.

Despite enduring multiple sclerosis in his later life, Pryor passed away in 2005 at the age of 65 due to a heart attack. Jennifer humorously remarks that her late spouse would be “turning over in his grave” if he were alive today to see the current situation unfolding in the United States.

She expresses her concern about how all the advancements achieved so far are being eroded, accompanied by a surge of hatred and intolerance – racism, antisemitism, misogyny, as well as other forms of prejudice. She believes that Richard’s voice is more important now than ever before.

The all-vinyl set is available Thursday from Rhino Records.

Read More

2025-04-17 16:54