Sly & The Family Stone

It's easy to write off There's a Riot Goin' On as one of two things – Sly Stone's disgusted social commentary or the beginning of his slow descent into addiction. It's both of these things, of course, but pigeonholing it as either winds up dismissing the album as a whole, since it is so bloody hard to categorize. What's certain is that Riot is unlike any of Sly & the Family Stone's other albums, stripped of the effervescence that flowed through even such politically aware records as Stand! This is idealism soured, as hope is slowly replaced by cynicism, joy by skepticism, enthusiasm by weariness, sex by pornography, thrills by narcotics…

It's easy to write off There's a Riot Goin' On as one of two things – Sly Stone's disgusted social commentary or the beginning of his slow descent into addiction. It's both of these things, of course, but pigeonholing it as either winds up dismissing the album as a whole, since it is so bloody hard to categorize…

Collection of live tracks, possibly from various TV broadcasts. Very good soundboard? This collection is the bomb, simply put. It was lovingly prepared by the same kind soulsters at Big Fro who were responsible for the Curtis Mayfield 1972 Rarities collection, and the Otis Redding Soupcon of Soul collection… It’s a fascinating document of the group at the height of their powers, and every performance is a gem. The sound quality is varied, but predominantly very good. For the perfectionists, be warned, these recordings do have some limitations, and the occasional minor analog artifact.

Stand! is the pinnacle of Sly & the Family Stone's early work, a record that represents a culmination of the group's musical vision and accomplishment. Life hinted at this record's boundless enthusiasm and blurred stylistic boundaries, yet everything simply gels here, resulting in no separation between the astounding funk, effervescent irresistible melodies, psychedelicized guitars, and deep rhythms…