Bustin' Out

"Bustin' Out of L Seven" is Rick James' 2nd studio album on Motown sub-label Gordy Records. Included on the album is the Top 10 R&B hit, "Bustin' Out (On Funk)". L7 is slang for "square", as in the opening lyrics of "Bustin' Out (On Funk)", "Well, alright, you squares, it's time you smoked, Fire up this funk and let's have a toke". The letter L and the number 7 form a square.

"Bustin' Out of L Seven" is Rick James' second album on Motown sub-label Gordy Records. This album was re-issued on CD in Germany and has become very rare and highly sought after by Rick James fans. Hard to find for many years, this 1979 platinum release includes the top 10 R&B hit "Bustin' Out (On Funk)" and the top 40 R&B track "Fool On The Street".

In the late '70s and early '80s, Rick James did more than anyone to challenge George Clinton's place on the funk throne. Eventually, his music would turn into a very tired cliché, but at his creative peak, James was among the most exciting and vital artists funk had to offer. Summarizing his Motown output from 1978-1986 and offering four new tracks from 1994 as well, this two-CD anthology reminds you just how great he once was, but it provides evidence of his artistic decline as well. Though some of the songs are mediocre, most are outstanding. Even the most casual funk fans owe it to themselves to savor such rowdy classics as "Super Freak," "You and I," "Love Gun," "Give It to Me Baby," and "Ghetto Life." James was equally superb when it came to soul ballads – and anyone who thinks otherwise should give a serious listen to "Fire and Desire" (a stunning duet with Teena Marie), "Dream Maker," and "Ebony Eyes" (which features Smokey Robinson). Sadly, "Cold Blooded" and "17" illustrate how formulaic James' funk often sounded by the mid-'80s. Meanwhile, some of the new material (including an enjoyable remake of Norman Connors' "You Are My Starship") indicated that he had the potential to make a comeback with the right guidance. Boasting many more pluses than minuses, this set is the best place for novices to start.

The second installment in veteran DJ Mik Maguire's fascinating mission aimed at charting the groundbreaking developments in Electronic-based music through the '80s. 15 tracks including cuts from Gary Numan, Pylon, Front 242, Die Krupps and many others.

2011 release, an installment in the enormously popular Old School Soul/Dance/R&B series Backbeats. The series was designed to offer some of the best music in the world from some of the greatest independent labels over the last 50 years. We only use the full original 12' or album versions from the original artists, plus, with over 75 minutes of music on each Backbeats album, you can be assured of getting maximum musical value for relatively minimal outlay.

Though credited to Frank Wess, this album is more likely a compilation of various sessions in 1957. Nevertheless it is a nice addition to any jazz collection.

Released the same day as Rick James' autobiography, Glow, was published, The Complete Motown Albums indeed contains the musician's nine albums for Motown — technically its Gordy subsidiary — from 1978's Come Get It! through 1986's The Flag. Perhaps due in part to the reissue of several James albums during the preceding several years, this set was available as a digital download only.