I just bought "Fresh" by Sly & the Family Stone and . . .

And as I said, I don't think that matters to the general population. I hear "Hot Fun in the Summertime" and "Thank You" on the radio far more than I hear "Family Affair". If greatest albums list meant shit to most people, Forever Again and The Velvet Undergound and Nico would be anchoring classic rock weekends the world over, or at least played on oldies stations with some regularity.

yet somehow, las if by magic, ou reed is a far more legendary figure in rock n' roll than, say, boston

reputation isn't about radio play or "most people"

How would we think of his (their) career if you take Riot out of the picture?

I don't think it would effect his reputation in the slightest. Look at all the "Buy the best of" comments in the thread. Sly's rep is totally made from his hit singles, and Riot only contains "Family Affair", all the others came before it. As much as I love the album, the general population isn't basing their love of him on that record.

I totally agree. I was more trying to counter the people who said Fresh was not a drop from previous records.

Cool description. I actually listen to Fresh more than Stand

None of which is to say I don't like it. In fact one of my favorites on the elpee.

And they were an inspiration for Miles Davis's On the Corner, if I'm correct...

-- howell huser (chaki.tim...), December 14th, 2005.

OTM

Instrumentation is kinda blah

??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

-natin'

that fairly well sums up my feelings, too.

i think its a case of you having no soul!

xpost do you mean soul in the Motown sense or in the Grim Reaper sense? cause I'm with you on the latter.

So when I hear it know it's like someone set the studio to "generic funk" and Fresh was cranked out

What strikes me is that despite the fact that hundreds of nominally similar-sounding albums have been made since, Fresh still sounds like the best jazz-funk album ever. It sounds like what the Headhunters were going for when Mike Clark was in the band, except more thought-out, darker and with amazing vocals instead of keyboard jams.

sly's catalog desperately desperately needs some serious remastering/deluxe edition treatment. Riot is still in that lame packaging (at least in the US)...and they left the title track off the cd!

and anyone know what happened to that live set that was supposed to come out a couple years ago? did sly personally nix it?

ive never been more otm

I've never heard any of the records after Fresh.

The hi-hats on "In-Time" blow me away (both playing-wise and recording/EQ-wise). The 16ths are so light and subtle and then the barks just scream (er, bark) out of the mix.
― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, December 14, 2005 2:02 PM (8 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah these type of drums are basically my favorite thing

Ha, I just randomly heard a song from this record the other day on the radio and totally though it was new song.

Thanks for that essay j

Goddamnit, if you don't think this album is classic YOU'RE FUCKING WRONG

It's the personal, sort of optimistic twin to Riot IMO. It's an album I want to make the whole world listen to and then I want them to fill out questionnaires about it and if I think you don't get its greatness, you'll listen again and again. Because its beautiful and sad and happy and funky and weird and that goddamn BASS and those fucking DRUMS man.

Their best album.

Eno otm about the centrality of the rhythm. Another Green World's "Over Fire Island" sounds like a product of this album.

My favourite Sly. Especially (as I've doubtless said already in this thread) the later mix that Sony accidentally pressed on CD in 91.

You are all right. And we need a deluxe 2cd version with both mixes and whatever else they can find. I'd pay for a third disc of just isolated drum and bass tracks.

I'd be happy if someone just pressed that alt mix on vinyl