SLY & THE FAMILY STONE - A Whole New Thing (1967-2007) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Sly & the Family Stone's debut album is more restrained and not nearly as funky or psychedelic as their subsequent efforts, owing far more to traditional soul arrangements. These aren't that traditional, though; Sly is already using goofier and/or more thoughtful lyrics than the soul norm, and taking some cues from rock in his adventurous and unexpected song construction. The Family Stone, similarly, aren't as innovative as they would shortly become, but are already a tight unit, particularly in the interplay between lead and backup vocals and the sharp horn riffs. by Richie Unterberger
Tracklist:
1 Underdog 3:59
2 If This Room Could Talk 3:14
3 Run, Run, Run 3:07
4 Turn Me Loose 1:57
5 Let Me Hear It From You 3:36
6 Advice 2:23
7 I Cannot Make It 3:21
8 Trip To Your Heart 3:44
9 I Hate To Love Her 3:33
10 Bad Risk 3:06
11 That Kind Of Person 4:28
12 Dog 3:07
- Bonus Tracks -
13 Underdog (Single Version In Mono) 3:06
14 Let Me Hear It From You (Single Version In Mono) 3:30
15 Only One Way Out Of This Mess 3:53
16 What Would I Do 4:07
17 You Better Help Yourself (Instrumental) 2:19
Credits:
Bass, Vocals – Larry Graham
Drums – Greg Errico
Guitar, Vocals – Freddy Stone
Keyboards, Vocals – Rose Stone
Saxophone, Vocals – Jerry Martini
Trumpet – Cynthia Robinson
Written-By – S. Stewart

SLY & THE FAMILY STONE - Life (1968-2007) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Just a matter of months after Dance to the Music, Sly & the Family Stone turned around and delivered Life, a record that leapfrogged over its predecessor in terms of accomplishment and achievement. The most noteworthy difference is the heavier reliance on psychedelics and fuzz guitars, plus a sharpening of songcraft that extends to even throwaways like "Chicken." As it turned out, Life didn't have any hits -- the double A-sided single "Life"/"M'Lady" barely cracked the Top 100 -- yet this feels considerably more song-oriented than its predecessor, as each track is a concise slice of tightly wound dance-funk. All the more impressive is that the group is able to strut their stuff within this context, trading off vocals and blending into an unstoppable force where it's impossible to separate the instruments, even as they solo. The songwriting might still be perfunctory or derivative in spots -- listen to how they appropriate "Eleanor Rigby" on "Plastic Jim" -- but what's impressive is how even the borrowed or recycled moments sound fresh in context. And then there are the cuts that work on their own, whether it's the aforementioned double-sided single, "Fun," "Dynamite!," or several other cuts here -- these are brilliant, intoxicating slices of funk-pop that get by as much on sound as song, and they're hard to resist. by Stephen Thomas Erlewine 
 Tracklist:
1    Dynamite!    2:44
2    Chicken    2:13
3    Plastic Jim    3:29
4    Fun    2:23
5    Into My Own Thing    2:13
6    Harmony    2:51
7    Life    3:01
8    Love City    2:43
9    I'm An Animal    3:21
10    M'Lady    2:45
11    Jane Is A Groupee    2:49
- Bonus Tracks -
12    Dynamite! (Single Version)    2:07
13    Seven More Days    3:24
14    Pressure    3:44
15    Sorrow (Instrumental)    3:19
Credits:
Bass, Vocals - Larry Graham
Electric Piano, Vocals - Sister Rosie Stone
Guitar, Vocals - Brother Freddy Stone
Organ, Vocals - Sly Stone
Percussion - Greg Errico
Producer - Sly Stone
Saxophone - Gerry Martini
Trumpet - Cynthia Robinson

SLY & THE FAMILY STONE - Stand! (1969-2007) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

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. Add to this a sharpened sense of pop songcraft, elastic band interplay, and a flowering of Sly's social consciousness, and the result is utterly stunning. Yes, the jams ("Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey," "Sex Machine") wind up meandering ever so slightly, but they're surrounded by utter brilliance, from the rousing call to arms of "Stand!" to the unification anthem "Everyday People" to the unstoppable "I Want to Take You Higher." All of it sounds like the Family Stone, thanks not just to the communal lead vocals but to the brilliant interplay, but each track is distinct, emphasizing a different side of their musical personality. As a result, Stand! winds up infectious and informative, invigorating and thought-provoking -- stimulating in every sense of the word. Few records of its time touched it, and Sly topped it only by offering its opposite the next time out. by Stephen Thomas Erlewine  
 Tracklist:
1    Stand!    3:10
2    Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey    5:59
3    I Want To Take You Higher    5:24
4    Somebody's Watching You    3:21
5    Sing A Simple Song    3:57
6    Everyday People    2:22
7    Sex Machine    13:48
8    You Can Make It If You Try    3:43
- Bonus Tracks -
9    Stand! (Single Version In Mono)    3:09
10    I Want To Take You Higher (Single Version In Mono)    3:02
11    You Can Make It If You Try (Unissued Single Version In Mono)    3:40
12    Soul Clappin' II    3:27
13    My Brain (Zig-Zag)    3:18
Créditos
Bass, Vocals – Larry Graham
Drums – Gregg Errico
Guitar, Vocals – Freddie Stone
Keyboards, Vocals – Rose Stone
Saxophone, Vocals – Jerry Martini
Trumpet – Cynthia Robinson
Written-By – Sylvester Stewart
 

SLY & THE FAMILY STONE - There's a Riot Goin' On (1971-2007) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

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. Joy isn't entirely gone -- it creeps through the cracks every once and awhile and, more disturbing, Sly revels in his stoned decadence. What makes Riot so remarkable is that it's hard not to get drawn in with him, as you're seduced by the narcotic grooves, seductive vocals slurs, leering electric pianos, and crawling guitars. As the themes surface, it's hard not to nod in agreement, but it's a junkie nod, induced by the comforting coma of the music. And damn if this music isn't funk at its deepest and most impenetrable -- this is dense music, nearly impenetrable, but not from its deep grooves, but its utter weariness. Sly's songwriting remains remarkably sharp, but only when he wants to write -- the foreboding opener "Luv N' Haight," the scarily resigned "Family Affair," the cracked cynical blues "Time," and "(You Caught Me) Smilin'." Ultimately, the music is the message, and while it's dark music, it's not alienating -- it's seductive despair, and that's the scariest thing about it. by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist:
1    Luv N' Haight    4:04
2    Just Like A Baby    5:13
3    Poet    3:02
4    Family Affair    3:08
5    Africa Talks To You "The Asphalt Jungle"    8:45
6    There's A Riot Goin' On    0:04
7    Brave & Strong    3:32
8    (You Caught Me) Smilin'    2:56
9    Time    3:05
10    Spaced Cowboy    3:59
11    Runnin' Away    2:57
12    Thank You For Talkin' To Me Africa    7:18
-Bonus Tracks-
13    Runnin' Away (Single Version In Mono)    2:44
14    My Gorilla Is My Butler (Instrumental)    3:11
15    Do You Know What? (Instrumental In Mono)    7:16
16    That's Pretty Clean (Instrumental In Mono)    4:12

SLY & THE FAMILY STONE - Fresh (1973-2007) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Fresh expands and brightens the slow grooves of There's a Riot Goin' On, turning them, for the most part, into friendly, welcoming rhythms. There are still traces of the narcotic haze of Riot, particularly on the brilliant, crawling inversion of "Que Sera, Sera," yet this never feels like an invitation into a junkie's lair. Still, this isn't necessarily lighter than Riot -- in fact, his social commentary is more explicit, and while the music doesn't telegraph his resignation the way Riot did, it comes from the same source. So, Fresh winds up more varied, musically and lyrically, which may not make it as unified, but it does result in more traditional funk that certainly is appealing in its own right. Besides, this isn't conventional funk -- it's eccentric, where even concise catchy tunes like "If You Want Me to Stay" seem as elastic as the opener, "In Time." That's the album's ultimate charm -- it finds Sly precisely at the point where he's balancing funk and pop, about to fall into the brink, but creating an utterly individual album that wound up being his last masterwork and one of the great funk albums of its era. by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist:
1    In Time    5:47
2    If You Want Me To Stay    3:00
3    Let Me Have It All    2:56
4    Frisky    3:11
5    Thankful N' Thoughtful    4:40
6    Skin I'm In    2:54
7    I Don't Know (Satisfaction)    3:52
8    Keep On Dancin'    2:23
9    Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)    5:22
10    If It Were Left Up To Me    1:58
11    Babies Makin' Babies    3:38
- Bonus Tracks -
12    Let Me Have It All (Alternate Mix)    2:18
13    Frisky (Alternate Mix)    3:26
14    Skin I'm In (Alternate Mix)    2:46
15    Keep On Dancin' (Alternate Mix)    2:42
16    Babies Makin' Babies (Alternate Version)    4:20
Credits:
Bass – Rusty Allen
Drums – Andy Newmark
Guitar – Freddie Stone
Piano, Vocals – Rose Stone
Producer, Vocals, Keyboards – Sly Stone
Saxophone – Jerry Martini, Pat Rizzo
Trumpet – Cynthia Robinson