FUNK AT ITS FINEST

“GLOW.” Rick James. Motown.

There’s nothing really wrong with the vocals on “Can’t Stop,” the rowdy funk/rock tune that’s the first single released from this album. It’s just hard to believe this is a Rick James performance. The prince of funk sings without fury, his vocals somewhat subdued and lacking that all-out ferocity you expect from James.

He’s cruising in that low-gear vocal mode on several other songs too. It’s not laziness or power failure, he’s merely trying something different.

It works.

This is one of his best albums. It’s superior to 1983’s “Cold-Blooded,” which was a laudable effort, and even compares favorably with his 1981 classic, “Streetsongs.” “Glow” simply sizzles. Those rowdy funk rhythms are raging almost constantly throughout, energizing an appealing contrast between his more subtle, slow-burning vocals and the blistering instrumentals. Hard-core funk fans will find the title song and “Spend the Night With Me” irresistible. There’s only one real ballad, “Sha La La La (Come Back Home).” A smart move--ballads have never been his strength. The problem isn’t vocals--he knows how to sing them, with the proper outpouring of gut-level emotion--it’s just he’s never been expert at writing or arranging them. They’re usually full of unmodulated passion and are seldom really absorbing; you tend to lose interest half-way through. But “Sha La” is the album’s only real weakness.

Most of “Glow” is funk at its finest. Side one, featuring feverish tunes like “Melody Make Me Dance” and “Somebody’s (The Girl’s Got),” is a non-stop joy.

It certainly doesn’t take genius to write and arrange something as simplistic as funk, which is just good dirty fun. But to do it right requires an uncanny feel for songs that are seamy and full of lascivious innuendo. This lusty genre manages to bring out the best in James.

He’s not as popular as he used to be. For the most part, he’s been surpassed by the younger funksters in groups like the Time and Midnight Star. But “Glow” proves that he hasn’t lost his touch.