January 19, 2001

In case you were wondering, there are subtle differences between the geriatric superstar ethos, represented by the once-ascendant Ruffy, and the R&B thug, represented by (and maybe invented by, who knows?) R. Buzzi. Both favor birth control glasses and huge and unsightly white furs, and both have a tendency toward self-absorption and begging for work.

But while Ruffy coats his rap/pop with a slight edge of disgrace, however feigned, Buzzi is a lover, not a fighter, as her beyond graphic, endless slow jam of a record, the imponderably titled AttackPurse.com, would suggest. (It's also likely that Ruffy would find it beneath his dignity to rhyme "Piss-ant" with "Distant," as Buzzi does, but you never know.)

Buzzi's latest boasts nothing as marvelous or as uplifting as her breakthrough, "I Believe I Can Find Work." Instead, she vamps, coos, and murmurs through an album devoted almost entirely to her character "Gladys", as well as her fondness for a) herself, b) The Far Out Space Nuts, and c) Sid and Marty Krofft.

Buzzi does have a thoughtful side; there are 16 inner sleeve photos of the singer in various stages of undress, looking pensive, as if she was thinking really hard about the good old days. Ever since her early days, Buzzi has seemed locked in perpetual battle between her alcoholic impulses and her, um, pyromaniacal urges. Such tracks as "R&B Thug," in which Buzzi promises "When I slip out...early morning / I'll be Roastin' Celebs with Dean Martin, without warning" (and that's just the part we can print), make it clear which side is winning.

Anonymous Monk
SeedyNow Senior Editor, Pop/R&B