Sly Stone S/D

High On You is not "fantastic" — it pretty clearly runs out of gas early on. But the first two cuts (title track and esp. "Crossword Puzzle") are serious highlights. Back on the Right Track sounds a little bit like Car Wash, with a few good tunes and some great organ comping. It's worth hearing if for no other reason than "It Takes All Kinds," which is so smacked out/"I've-been-up-for-six-weeks-straight" it makes There's a Riot Goin' On sound like Enya.

Cos Enya DOESN'T sound like fucking heroin-womb music???????

small talk is underrated. been playing it all week. its basically the riot/fresh sound continued, but with strange violins and strings that could be potentially over-sappy but arent. the strings seem almost put on there to sound more like other records of the time/more polished - maybe to hide some of the records flaws, not sure, but it just gives it a more sympathetic edge and makes it sound quite diff to his other records.

has anyone read the eddie santiago or jeff kaliss books?

yeah, small talk is rad. is that the album with 'crossword puzzle'?

No, that's "High On You". As for the strings, there was a violin player in the band at the time I think?

High On You is wonderful. The last great album he made

the oldies station here plays "thank you (falletinme be mice elf agin" p much everytime i listen to it. this is a dope thing imo.

hahahaha based on strength of these quotes i might just have to buy for the record

it's out of print fwiw

did they ever do "maybe your baby"?

there are plenty of used copies going around anyway.

I highly recommend it

if just for the bit where Sly's pitbull Gun tries to eat his baby, and his wife (at the time) has to wrestle the kid away from the dog and flee the house

Just pulled down Listen to the Voices: Sly Stone in the Studio 1965-1970, which collects all his production work from that time period -- and frankly, OMG. There's a pretty awesome sampling of all the work he was doing at the time -- one of the Beau Brummels tracks sounds like Sly producing the Byrds.

But the real treasure trove on this is the circa-1970 Stone Flower stuff. The sound of There's a Riot Goin' On is there--all the Maestro King drum machines, wah guitars and clavinets, etc. plugged in direct--but the vibe as a whole is not quite as despairing. It's all great -- highlights including Joe Hicks' "Life and Death in the G&A" and 6IX's "Dynamite" and "I'm Just Like You" (the latter of which has a drum machine part one review I read described as a windshield wiper).

In particular, tho, Little Sister's "You're the One (Parts 1 + 2)" is just about one of the best things Sly ever did -- the amazing ensemble vocals, an incredible groove and an outstanding tune. It's unbelievable that this stuff hasn't been reissued until now.

Here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2Yp2LIAGCk&feature=related

"You're the One" is indeed awesome (I've had the original 7" for awhile) - there was a different, more disco-fied version issued in the late 70s, apparently

i so so so wish little sister had completed an album. stanga and somebody's watching you are astonishing.

Yeah, if you like Sly and you don't have that comp you are totally missing out. The Joe Hicks version of "Life and Death" is just insane. Oh and finding the "Somebody's Watching You"/"Stanga" 45 for a buck was a recent triumph.

Oh and finding the "Somebody's Watching You"/"Stanga" 45 for a buck was a recent triumph.

this is the sort of story that might inspire me to start trawling dusty record stores again...

how did i miss that 65-70 compilation?? Imma go get that now. thank you!

OMG, 20 seconds into the 65-70 comp and I'm sold. Best purchase this week!

One of my fave comps of the last few years!

How did I miss this? That does look good.

I think it's a bit more uneven than people are making it out to be, but there is some real gold on there, stuff that's been unavailable/out of print for ages

Yeah, I'm not saying every track is bee's knees -- the Stone Flower stuff pretty much lords over the rest of it. But most of it is pretty-good-to-great. I also enjoy the vampy version of "You Really Got Me."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ki4GUz5Qwg

lol

so sad:

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/the_rise_and_fall_of_sly_stone_qijyKoYzmAqer1PA0YogSJ

that is very sad.

I want to say in that MOJO piece a couple of years ago that he was living in semi-squalor even then. Anyway, the guy's nuts and an addict. But most guys don't carry around a "get out of poverty" card like he does. If he could get his act together, he could play a few shows. But even Gil-Scott was doing better than this ...

resonance had an hour or two about sly stone, sometime, um, within the last year that's really worth checking out.

cocaine is so awesome!

ugh wtf.

I'd like to see the documentary they mention, but it looks like it barely played anywhere. It's only 74 minutes long, has eight IMDB ratings, and debuted on Netherlands television.

wow, that's bad. He's basically like the homeless dude on our block, with about the same support network (ie neighbors).

If you're curious about what Sly's camper van era recordings sound like, here's a taste

Apparently there's a new album, mostly reworkings of catalogue material with special guests. Wish I could have been a fly on the wall when he crammed Ann Wilson into the van. Okay maybe not. More good news: it's on Cleopatra Records. Further good news: dubstep mix of Family Affair. That'll get Gaga's attention.

oh good autotune

Apparently there's a new album, mostly reworkings of catalogue material with special guests. Wish I could have been a fly on the wall when he crammed Ann Wilson into the van. Okay maybe not. More good news: it's on Cleopatra Records. Further good news: dubstep mix of Family Affair. That'll get Gaga's attention.

...please tell me you're kidding.

Ned, I'm so sorry, but the universe from which I am transmitting this news is not in some alternate parallel plane.

My brain. Do you have a direct link to this info anywhere? People must be warned.

It's called (wait for it...) "I'm Back: Family and Friends" and here is the amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Back-Family-Friends-Sly-Stone/dp/B0057JWWFU

^^it got like, three stars in Rolling Stone.

so, almost as good as the SuperHeavy album then

Yeah there was a display for this at Barnes & Noble, I picked it up and gave a firm shake of my head.

Sly is not credited as having played on the remake tracks; aside from the guest cameos the instruments were all played by Jurgen Engler and Chris Lietz. Hadn't heard of them but Wikipedia tells me they're former members of the German industrial rock band Die Krupps.

It's available on spotify if you're a masochist http://open.spotify.com/album/52C9QFWsfF3Kzb8riRPJzj if you thought that 'Dance To The Music' really needed Ray Manzarek to noodle all over it then it might be for you I guess.

If you're curious about what Sly's camper van era recordings sound like, here's a taste

this is awesome?
seriously i would buy a record of this, it totally has the kinda slinky shuffly thing i love the most about sly. am really surprised + wanna hear more

it is not awesome

I hear what you're saying about it containing some of his readily identifiable stylistic tics but still

"if i didn't love you, i wouldn't like your ass at all..."

i dig it

"Family Stone" are touring here in a month or two* - anyone know who's in this apart from Vet Stone (og backing singer) and Cynthia Robinson (og horn/backing singer)?

*on a festival with Flaming Lips, Mogwai, Portishead, Death In Vegas, Holy Fuck and Mercury Rev