Description
Richard Pryor – Here And Now – Vinyl Record
Black Vinyl
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic but promo cut in spine
Richard Pryor’s Here and Now (1983) is a live stand-up comedy album and concert film that showcases the legendary comedian at a pivotal point in his career. Recorded at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans, the performance marks Pryor’s return to stand-up after a period of personal turmoil, including a well-publicized incident involving his near-fatal accident in 1980. Despite the challenges he had faced, Pryor is as sharp and uncompromising as ever, using his personal struggles, observations on race, and biting social commentary to create one of his most raw and introspective performances.
Here and Now stands out for its blend of humor and honesty, with Pryor openly addressing his own mistakes, his battles with addiction, and the societal issues that continued to inspire his comedy. The album and film are a testament to Pryor’s ability to turn personal pain into powerful, often uncomfortable, yet incredibly funny material.
Here and Now is deeply personal, with Pryor addressing his own demons, including his history with drugs, his accident, and the process of getting clean. He delivers these reflections with humor, turning what could be dark, painful subjects into moments of levity and insight.
As always, Pryor’s comedy is rooted in keen observations about society, particularly about race, class, and the human experience. In Here and Now, he reflects on everything from relationships and sex to the absurdities of everyday life, all while maintaining his trademark sharpness and wit.
Pryor is unusually vulnerable in this performance. He doesn’t shy away from talking about his struggles and mistakes, which gives the album a confessional tone at times. Yet, even in these moments of vulnerability, Pryor remains funny, making the audience laugh at both the absurdities of life and his own missteps.
Key Bits
Addiction and Recovery: One of the central themes of Here and Now is Pryor’s candid discussion of his struggles with addiction, particularly cocaine. He jokes about rehab, the difficulty of staying sober, and his near-fatal incident when he set himself on fire. These moments are both poignant and humorous, as Pryor mines his personal experiences for laughs while offering a sobering reflection on the dangers of addiction.
Race and Identity: As with much of his comedy, Pryor continues to explore themes of race in Here and Now, discussing the experiences of African Americans in a racially divided society. His observations about racial identity, particularly the ways in which Black people navigate a predominantly white world, are insightful and filled with his usual biting satire.
Relationships and Sex: Pryor dives into his complicated relationships with women, offering brutally honest takes on love, sex, and the challenges of maintaining healthy relationships. His comedy about relationships is often self-deprecating, as he reflects on his own failures in marriage and dating.
Aging and Mortality: Pryor, now in his 40s, also reflects on aging and the passage of time, using his humor to confront the realities of getting older. His jokes about health, sex, and the inevitability of death are filled with both wisdom and irreverence.
Pryor’s delivery in Here and Now is raw and unfiltered, reflecting both his mastery of stand-up and his willingness to bare his soul on stage. His ability to blend humor with deep emotional truths makes the performance compelling and unique.
Even though Here and Now is an audio album, Pryor’s physicality plays an important role in his delivery. His expressive face, body language, and ability to embody different characters and emotions come through in his vocal performance, giving listeners a sense of the physical humor that was integral to his act.
Pryor engages with the audience throughout the performance, breaking the fourth wall and reacting to their responses. This adds an intimate, spontaneous feel to the show, as Pryor improvises based on audience reactions and incorporates their energy into his routine.
Here and Now marked Pryor’s triumphant return to stand-up comedy after a period of personal struggle. It reinforced his status as one of the greatest comedians of all time and showed that even in the face of personal adversity, he could still connect with audiences in a deeply authentic and humorous way.
Pryor’s ability to blend humor with raw honesty set him apart from his contemporaries. In Here and Now, this approach is taken to new levels, as Pryor tackles deeply personal topics like addiction and recovery, showing that comedy could be both cathartic and healing.
Pryor’s candidness, his use of personal experience as material, and his exploration of race and identity have influenced countless comedians who followed in his footsteps. Here and Now is a prime example of how Pryor used his platform to address difficult subjects in a way that was both brutally honest and uproariously funny.
Much of the album is focused on Pryor’s efforts to redeem himself, both personally and professionally, after his public struggles with addiction. He talks about trying to be a better person, getting clean, and learning from his mistakes, all while maintaining his signature sense of humor.
As always, Pryor addresses race with unflinching honesty, providing biting commentary on the racial divide in America. His ability to turn these heavy topics into moments of humor and reflection is one of his greatest strengths as a comedian.
Pryor’s survival—both physically, after his near-death experience, and emotionally, through his recovery—becomes a central theme of Here and Now. His ability to laugh at his own pain and invite the audience to do the same is what makes the album so powerful.
Here and Now by Richard Pryor is a deeply personal and raw live album that showcases the comedian’s unmatched ability to turn pain into humor. With a mix of biting social commentary, personal confessions, and observational humor, Pryor delivers a performance that is both hilarious and emotionally charged. His candid discussions of addiction, race, and personal failings make this album a standout in his career, highlighting his ability to connect with audiences on a deep, human level while keeping them laughing. Here and Now remains a testament to Pryor’s legacy as one of the greatest and most influential stand-up comedians of all time.
Track Listing
Here And Now
Southern Hospitality
Slavery
Motherland
I Met The President
Fire Exit
Mudbone (Part One)
Mudbone (Part Two)
Inebriated
One Night Stands
One Day At A Time
I Like Women
Being Famous
I Remember
