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Cold Blooded
R&B / Soul · 1983 · 5 tracks

Cold Blooded

Rick James

Heavy synth-funk and street-level swagger meet smooth Motown soul. A high-voltage 1983 document of urban confidence and late-night grooves.

August 5, 1983 · Gordy

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Cold Blooded represents Rick James at a fascinating crossroads, where the raw, organic 'punk-funk' of his early career began to merge with the sleek, icy precision of 1980s synthesizers. The album feels like a neon-lit tour of a city after dark, alternating between the aggressive, strut-heavy energy of the title track and the shimmering, sophisticated soul of his collaboration with Smokey Robinson. It is the sound of a man who knows he is at the top of his game, exuding a level of confidence that borders on the predatory, yet still capable of moments of surprising tenderness.

Tracklist · 5 Tracks
04
1, 2, 3 (You Her and Me)
4:05
05
Doin’ It
5:04
06
New York Town
4:06
08
Tell Me (What You Want)
5:03
09
Unity
1:50
Moments Worth Listening For
The way the title track's bassline locks into a robotic, menacing groove that feels colder than his previous hits.
The sudden shift from the high-octane funk of the A-side to the velvet-smooth soul of 'Ebony Eyes'.
The sparse, vulnerable piano chords that close the album on 'Unity', contrasting the preceding bravado.
Where This Album DepartsEach spoke is a trait. The orange shape shows where this album pulls away from — or holds to — the rest of the artist’s catalogue. Tap for more.

How does Cold Blooded sound next to the rest of Rick James's catalogue?

Confident+1.3σ

Confident saturates this record notably more than the artist's norm.

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