Craps (After Hours)
Omnivore, 2021
8/10
Richard Pryor’s sophomore album, Craps (After Hours), really set the tone for his work in the ‘70s, as he was becoming more political/socially outspoken and also, most notably, more controversial. Originally released in 1971, this expanded edition brings back the original 32 tracks, plus 4 bonus tracks from the out of print Evolution/Revolution: The Early Years (1966-1974).
At this point in his career, Pryor was performing for mostly black audiences, and even when it was a mixed crowd, he didn’t have a ‘clean’ act. This approach is more than apparent in sketches like “Big Tits” and “Gettin’ Some”, where problems in marriages more than hint at his own failed unions. Elsewhere, the ongoing battle of being a black man and dealing with white cops shines through in bits like “I Spy Cops” and “The Line-Up”.
Not so surprisingly, Pryor was knee deep in hedonism in the ‘70s, and that’s reflected in pieces like “Gettin’ High”, “Dope” and “Gettin’ The Nut”, where, by his own admission, he’s snorting cocaine. While this was recorded he was being sued by two women for child support, and going through a divorce, and one can easily speculate that Pryor’s sexual prowess had something to do with that.
Pryor wasn’t at a great place in his life when Craps (After Hours) was recorded. Financial and personal problems plagued him, and he parlayed these struggles into his loose, often messy act, that, even though raw and sometimes disjointed, is still quite insightful at its core and always brutally honest.
Certainly a must for longtime fans, it’s not a bad place to start, too, and even though there’s just a small amount of bonus material included, Scott Saul’s lengthy liner notes alone are worth picking up this reissue for.
Travels well with: Richard Pryor- Richard Pryor- Richard Pryor; George Carlin- Class Clown