Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: 1970s-80s band whose debut album was soundtrack to Richard Pryor film

Constructor: Patrick Berry

Relative difficulty: Medium

THEME: none

Word of the Day: ROSE ROYCE (17A: 1970s-'80s band whose debut album was the soundtrack to a Richard Pryor film) —

Rose Royce is an American soul and R&B group. They are best known for several hit singlesduring the 1970s including "Car Wash," "I Wanna Get Next to You," "I'm Going Down", "Wishing on a Star", and "Love Don't Live Here Anymore". // The Los Angeles-based group originally comprised Henry Garner (drums), Terral "Terry" Santiel (congas), Lequeint "Duke" Jobe (bass), Michael Moore (saxophone), Kenny Copeland (trumpet, lead vocals), Kenji Brown (guitar, lead vocals), Freddie Dunn (trumpet), and Victor Nix (keyboards). The group began in the early 1970s, when members of several backup bands from the Watts andInglewood areas of Los Angeles united under the name Total Concept Unlimited. In 1973, this collective toured England and Japan behind Motown soul star Edwin Starr. Starr introduced them toNorman Whitfield, Motown's 'psychedelic shaman' who was responsible for bringing a progressive funk-rock slant to the company, via such productions as Starr's "War", The Undisputed Truth's "Smiling Faces Sometimes" and The Temptations "Papa Was A Rolling Stone". [...] The movie Car Wash and the soundtrack were great successes, bringing the group national fame. Released in late 1976, the soundtrack featured three Billboard R&B Top Ten singles: "Car Wash," "I Wanna Get Next to You," and "I'm Going Down." The first of these was also a number one single on the Billboard popular music charts, and "I Wanna Get Next to You" reached number ten. (wikipedia)

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This one felt much harder than it was—this is usually the case when much of the puzzle is easy, but parts are murder. Overall time ends up somewhere in the normal range, but the frustration of being very stuck for a while leaves you feeling like the puzzle was hard in general. Actually, there was no part of the puzzle I thought was Very easy. Maybe the NE, where I started, but that's only because PIA ZADORA was a gimme (11D: 1982 Razzie winner for "Butterfly"). And even then stuff like HIPPO (9A: One form of the Egyptian god Set) and ONION (16A: Light bulb, maybe) didn't exactly come quickly. Had CARUSO instead of SCOTTO in the NW (6D: Callas contemporary), so that mucked things up for a bit (TAYE was a rock-solid gimme, so knowing that helped a little; 7D: "Private Practice" actor Diggs). NEMO for LILO in the SE held me up there for a while (54D: Title character of a 2002 Disney film), as did SMUT for SCUM (46D: Disgusting film), but the "U" got me UTILITIES (56A: Some Monopoly holdings), and the rest fell once LILO fell. That left the SW, the hardest section (for me) by far. Actually guessed COCA first (27A: Something to chew on), but couldn't get any of the downs off of that, so took it out (ugh). Had ENTER and LIANE, but put in ANDREI (?) instead of ANDRES at 42D: Guitarist Segovia, and so couldn't figure out what Latin plural could be the answer at 59A: They have two legs. I eventually got to -ANTI and started running the alphabet when I realized "Aw, *&$&, it's an 'S' not an 'I'" (thus, PANTS). HOME HELP = yuck (33D: Shut-in's caregiver, in Britain). Biggest breakthrough was getting CONTINENT (finally—I knew the "crust" involved was the earth's right away, but couldn't think of a technical term). Last letter was "H" In HOUND / HOMEHELP.

I have to stop and go watch season premiere of "Louie" now ...

OK, that's over.

Bullets:

17A: 1970s-'80s band whose debut album was the soundtrack to a Richard Pryor film (ROSE ROYCE) — brutal. And *I've* actually heard of them, which will not be the case for almost every solver under, say, 35. And probably many over.
33A: ___ Chicken Shack (Chicago-based restaurant chain) (HAROLD'S) — again brutal. Never heard of it. A partial is only a tiny step up from a plural name, especially when the partial is whatever this is.
5D: Military decoration that depicts a flying eagle (AIR MEDAL) — the medal you get when you don't take gold, silver, or bronze.
28D: Literally "man of the forest" (ORANGUTAN) — rough. No idea where to start with this. Really needed crosses. I was thinking far more figuratively with "man of the forest." My mind went to some dark places I don't care to recount or even recall.
36D: High-hat (SNOBBISH) — an adjective?
48D: Werther's love in a Goethe novel (LOTTE) — this, paired with 50D: Ethan Frome's sickly wife (ZEENA), was (again) brutal. Two obscure literary loves with insane exotic five-letter names? Practically right next to each other? If I hadn't gotten ABLAZE (47A: Going up) ... well, I'd still be wondering what these women's names were (though LOTTE I probably could've inferred).