“The crown prince of comedy.” That’s how Richard Pryor was introduced at The Redd Foxx Club—and how he was known throughout the world. Was he also a righteous fool? No doubt. Was he a king among kings? That, too. And did he sire generations to follow in his comedic dynasty? You’re goddamned right he did. “'Craps' (After Hours)” finds Pryor at perhaps his most carnal, deeply ruminating upon (when not absolutely enjoying) all the ways fleshly pursuits from fighting and fornicating to drinking and drugging distract us, destroy us, and make us utterly human. Along the way, we get classic Pryor character studies, from the men enjoying the stage that was a Saturday night police lineup to the unfailingly polite white clientele of the whorehouses in his childhood environs, fathers ready to defend their daughters’ long-since departed honor, preachers enlivened by their personal relationships with God, tricks plying their trade while lying through their teeth, and, of course, Wino & Junkie, those staples of the streetcorner. Perhaps the most astounding thing is realizing that, in 2023, not a moment of these records feels out of date or distant; it’s all right there, the troubles of our times, unfolding then as they unfold now. At least then we had Richard Pryor to guide us through.

We’ve teamed up with Omnivore Records and Richard Pryor’s production company Indigo to pack this double-deluxe vinyl release, “'Craps' (After Hours),” with delights aplenty: sides one and two are the original, but newly remastered classic album, recorded live at The Redd Foxx Club in Hollywood, CA; side three is bonus material selected from “Evolution/Revolution: The Early Years (1966-1974)” and “No Pryor Restraint: Life in Concert,” now on vinyl for the very first time; and side four is an engraving of the original cover art for “Craps.” We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Pryor himself would call this one a real wing-dang-doodle!