A long time ago I read a review which acted as if this was a jazz fusion album!!! Arrrgh!!! It's a lot like Fire It Up and the others which came before it. "Big Time" was the hit and unabashedly about him taking advantage of his star status. Which for me, is refreshingly honest. The bulk of the album is more in the slow jam ballpark which makes this weakest entry of the "early years", for me at least. But it's still good.

I would like to say James takes a step back here, because from a technical standpoint he changes barely anything, but Fire It Up is still a classic record. The guitar riff for "Love Gun" is beyond description; for me, one of his best and easily most underrated tracks.

For all of the praises heaped upon the debut and 1981's Street Songs, it's albums like Bustin' Out of L Seven (and the ones that follow) which really entrench Rick James as a unique musical presence. This particular record hits at revisiting the old days of Funkadelic because of the spooky/campy cover, but the music within is a thoughtful mix of hybrid funk/disco, and elaborate, highly charged, slow jams. "Bustin' Out" was not a major hit but defiant, infectious anthem based James' pro-weed stance, while "Jefferson Ball" is a flashy but finely-crafted ballad with depth. All of the early records are great listening; this one just has a little bit more of an edge.

Considered to be his debut record, in reality Rick James had 3 or 4 different false starts over a lengthy span - which could have rightly been considered debut records - before the real one came out when he was 30 years old. Ironically, a musician roughly similar to him, but 12 years his junior - Prince Rogers Nelson - came out with his first record in the same time frame. Compared to Prince, James acted as if he had been entrenched as a long time star, deftly employing a wide range of styles from decadent disco to spaced-out ballads to street-wise funk. The dance floor-hungry "You And I" is the centerpiece, while the retro-flavored "Mary Jane" stuck a claim in pot-head territory, which was heady thinking at the time. James had definitely given funk a new look and direction with this one.

The Great White Cane was the end result of a number of groups and collaborations between Toronto, Los Angeles, and Detroit which were highlighted in one way or another by Rick James. So, it was entirely possible the King of late 70s and 80s punk funk could have been a crossover rock star in the era of Crosby, Stills, and Nash and James Taylor. Then you have a look at the cover and...putting that aside, the music itself comes off energetic, definitely live-attuned, but the swagger he was so noted for later on is only here in spots ("Find It"). This is more Chicago and Santana with a bit of classic soul tossed in the melting pot ("Don’t You Worry"). Not saying it's not professional, but like the cover itself it's hard to take serious this well-meaning but slapdash affair.