Throwin' Down


Throwin' Down is the sixth studio album by Rick James, released in 1982 via the Gordy imprint of Motown Records. It peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard 200. Although not as popular as Street Songs, Throwin' Down is certified gold by the RIAA. It was nominated for an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Album.

Production

Michael Walden, Roy Ayers, and Grace Slick appear on the album.

Critical reception

Robert Christgau wrote: "Stealing his licks from G. Clinton & Co., he's the nearest thing to a pop musician in the rock and roll sense that today's black charts—not to mention today's white charts—can offer." The Washington Post wrote that "the musical settings are clumsy reworkings of Parliament's funk and the Temptations' psychedelic soul." The Boston Phoenix said that the album "is the sort of follow-up record you'd expect from a journeyman rocker who’s just stumbled into the Top 10 with a hot single.... chugs along with throwaway fun, staying just a notch below Street Songs in general utility."

Track listing

All tracks composed by Rick James, except where noted.
Side A
  1. "Dance wit' Me" 7:16
  2. "Money Talks" 4:50
  3. "Teardrops" 4:49
  4. "Throwdown" 3:17
Side B
  1. "Standing on the Top" 3:51
  2. "Hard to Get" 4:07
  3. "Happy" 5:29
  4. "She Blew My Mind " 4:11
  5. "My Love" 2:53
2014 digital remaster bonus tracks / 2014 Complete Motown Albums bonus tracks
  2. "Standing on the Top" - 9:50
  3. "Hard to Get" - 4:12
  4. "She Blew My Mind " - 6:30
  5. "She Blew My Mind " - 7:28

Personnel