I began listening to Sly and the Family Stone in April 2022.
A Whole New Thing (1967): B
Dance to the Music (1968): B-
Life (1968): C+
Stand! (1969): B+
Greatest Hits (1970): A
There's a Riot Goin' On (1971): A
Fresh (1973): B+
A Whole New Thing (1967):
Although they remain restrained in all areas, which is probably for the best because there are so many possibilities that lie ahead of them, the Family Stone are nevertheless a talented band and it's fairly clear they will be a force to be reckoned with when they fall upon the right direction. For now, Sly Stone's promising songwriting leads them towards an interesting and original cross between rock and soul. In addition to these influences, they dabble with a healthy dose of experimentation when so many groups around this time indulgently drown in it. B
Dance to the Music (1968):
After their debut failed to be commercially successful, CBS executive Clive Davis suggested a more pop friendly album. Sly and his family weren't so hot on the new direction and I'm not either. Where the psychedelic touches on their debut felt nature, here they feel added for the sake of embellishment. The band still sounds pretty convincing anyway and Sly's songwriting has become more political in places, which I'm happy about. Overall, however, it's just seems like a detour in the wrong direction--title track included. B-
Life (1968):
After the success of Dance to the Music, the band fully indulges in the previous LP's direction. Critical opinions generally indicate that this is the beginning of their classic period but I'm very disappointed. Despite some very fuzzy and loud tones, the guitar is often outshined by horns. Additionally, some of the band's most irritating melodies show up here--"Chicken" and "Plastic Jim" are the worst offenses--and I found it impossible to concentrate on anything else when listening to this incoherent mess. A few of the songs would make some decent singles but overall this is easily their worst project so far. C+
Stand! (1969):
After suggesting a bright future on their debut and then punking me on their next two, I'm glad they're finally becoming a major talent--the title track, "Sing a Simple Song," and "Everyday People" are stone classics accompanied by politics lyrics that reflect the values of the hippie movement but with more realism and grit. Although the album does have one flaw, "Sex Machine," a fifteen minute jam that sounds okay but takes up most of side two without going anywhere, everything else is better than anything they've recorded previously. B+
Greatest Hits (1970):
Although with hindsight I would most likely grade this band's first three albums differently, there's little doubt each of their first four studio albums were marred at least slightly by dubious experimentation or musical naivety. But with an incredibly stacked track list, their Greatest Hits immediately reveals the power of several songs I wrote off because of their menial company. I'm relieved to finally be in the know. A
There's a Riot Goin' On (1971):
As much as I enjoy the happy music of this band's early period, Sly's isolation and dejection in the lyrics--"feel so good inside myself, don't wanna move"--move me in a way that their earlier music couldn't. Not that these are words to live by. Completely consumed by drugs, Sly does not shy away from a shocking revel in his descent and dependency. Despite this dark period in Sly's life, it spurs a creative awakening that refines Sly the poet--"my only weapon is my pen/And the frame of mind I'm in"--as well as introduces Sly the drum programmer. A brooding and druggy song cycle that is fogged up by cynicism and murky production, There's a Riot Goin' On is one of the 60s most talented bands finally releasing an album that is consistent from start to finish. A
Fresh (1973):
No longer much into psychedelic experimentation, the band releases their second project of their Riot-era, this time with brighter production. Despite the change in the mood of the music, Sly's drug problem had become even more invasive by this time. Fresh is a step down from foreboding Riot, but at least on the surface, it's joyous like their early work. It's also consistent, which is more than their early work was. B+
