Super Freak: The Life of Rick James

Readers might wonder what could possibly make another Rick James biography worthwhile, so soon after his posthumously published autobiography (with David Ritz) Glow. Yet Benjaminson (The Lost Supreme: The Life of Dreamgirl Florence Ballard; Mary Wells: The Tumultuous Life of Motwon's First Superstar; The Story of Motown) has indeed provided a fascinating, can't-put-it-down profile of the late, great performer. While acknowledging the singer's account, Benjaminson aims to fill in the cracks and reveal another side to James's exploits, adding details that James chose to omit. His list of interviewees and references is impressive, although the reliance on secondary sources gets tiresome at times. In the end, the story is absorbing. From James's start with Neil Young in Toronto, through struggles at Motown, success (and excess) in the 1980s and beyond, James packed a lot into his 56 years. It's all here.