Bustin’ Out of L Seven

This 1979 Motown album from Rick James, his second for the label, was entirely written by James who aside from singing on it also played bass, guitar, keys and percussion. You get shimmering disco, jazz-flecked fusion jams, P-Funk-esque soul ballads and post-JBs funk like the buoyant title track. It’s an album that easily moves from unashamedly commercial disco/soul to sweaty proto-electro funk-rock and there’s a real free and easy quality to proceedings, as though the songs came quickly and the recording was a breeze. Whether that’s the case or not, the overall feel here is of an album with many interesting twists and turns that simply flows on by.