The most groundbreaking and daring comic talent since the heyday of Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor was also the most controversial. Like Dick Gregory before him, Pryor explored issues of racial inequity with great insight and depth, tackling taboo topics that mainstream white America would have preferred swept permanently under the rug. But while Gregory used the standup stage as a pulpit to preach messages of peace, equality, and social change, Pryor seethed with bitterness and anger; his was the foul-mouthed voice of the growing Black Power movement, uncompromisingly decrying the continued oppression of the conservative establishment while reporting on the African-American experience - warts and all - with honesty and conviction...
While the past few decades have seen the emergence of tons of comedians who spit out swears and graphic subject matter with reckless abandon, precious few have taken offensive subject matter and turned it into something intelligent and entertaining at the same time. Denis Leary, Bill Hicks, and Dave Chappelle come to mind when I think of such a select group, but Richard Pryor may well have towered over them all. And 1979's "Live In Concert" may have been his definitive document. This 90-minute standup DVD sees Pryor giving a manic, imaginative, deliriously profane performance that had the audience in the palm of his hand from beginning to end. A master impersonator with a vast pantheon of characters and voices, Pryor didn't just talk about his subjects, he became them; he acted out every person, every story, and every idea to the fullest extent possible, constantly blurring the line between real and make-believe. Jokes about animals quickly gave way to spot-on imitations, whether of the inner thoughts of Dobermans or of his pet monkey's illicit sexual activities.
Pryor's musings about racial differences in expressing grief were funny and insightful, but they were merely a setup for an outrageous recounting of his grandmother's reaction to his cocaine habit. There are also plenty of brutally honest stories about Pryor's life with his father, ranging from his father's death in mid-coitus ('he came and went at the same time'), to the one time Pryor stood up to his old man ('It wasn't really a fight, but I did the best I could'), and their time hunting together ('I hated being the dog'). Pryor's honesty and insightfulness come out in plenty of other places too, from his troubles with the law to his heart attack to his less-than-stellar boxing career. All throughout, though, no matter what the subject, Pryor piles on joke after insight after impression with pitch-perfect timing and plenty of scatological language. For those of any age, race, or political leaning, this is a must.
Track listing
01. Opening Credits - 1:30
02. Entrance/White People - 6:04
03. Patti Labelle - 1:01
04. I Killed My Car/The Police - 2:19
05. Dogs - 4:21
06. My Monkeys - 4:04
07. Miniature Horse - 2:56
08. Heart Attack - 3:07
09. The Hospital - 2:54
10. I'd Like To Die Like My Father Died - 1:42
11. Funerals - 0:58
12. My Grandmother - 5:20
13. My Father Was Scary - 3:56
14. The Great Outdoors - 7:33
15. Leon Spinks - 2:51
16. I Got In The Ring With Ali - 1:24
17. I Used To Box In The Golden Gloves - 5:08
18. Running - 2:42
19. Macho Man - 2:28
20. Swimming - 1:22
21. Being A Parent - 3:45
22. Mexicans & The Chinese - 2:57
23. Making Love/Macho Man Reprise - 6:52
24. Closing Credits - 1:06
Notes
"Live At The Terrace Theatre In Long Beach, California 1979"
Genre: Comedy, Concert
Length: 78:20
© 1979
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