This is Sly's last album. period. He didn't even really finish this one, so I can't imagine he'd be slightly interested in even thinking about doing another.
Sly had been accepted into the P-Funk fold by this point and after their work together on War Babies, George was slated to produce a record and get both musicians back on Warner Brother's good graces. When the shit went down between Warner Bothers and Brother George, Sly just disappeared. Gone. That was it.
WB then called in Stewart Levine to try to make a record out of what was recorded. I don't think he did too bad of a job. It's probably easier to produce a Sly record without Sly. Some of this record gets bogged down by Stewie trying to apply a glossy disco sound to Sly's drug induced ramblings, but it still, deep down in the grooves, feels like a Sly record; More so than the previous two, if you ask me.
It would have been interesting to hear this if it was recorded as more of a collaboration with George Clinton, eh.?
Track listing:
Side A: 1. L.O.V.I.N.U. 2. One Way 3. Ha Ha, Hee Hee 4. Hobo Ken
Side B: 1. Who In The Funk Do You Think You Are 2. You Really Got Me 3. Sylvester 4. We Can Do It 5. High, Y'all
So this was supposed to be a comeback album, right? Wasn't the last one, too? I don't know what this was trying to get back to, but it's not the classic Family Stone sound. Not that this a bad record by any means, it's just tough to consider it a comeback. It's not even a Family Stone album, even though it does have some 'family' members. Warner Brothers just labeled it as such in hopes of selling more albums
This later Sly stuff is good, but lacks the 'sheer energy' of the early albums or the laid back, dark grooves of the middle period records. It sounds like he still has that dark fear, paranoia and disillusionment that came up with Riot, but knows that sounding more upbeat will be better for his career. For some reason I think High On You works much better than this record. Maybe it's because he was revitalized a little bit by not being billed as The Family Stone.
All that aside, there are some tight funk tracks on this one. Actually, pretty much all of it is fun and grooves pretty hard. The problem is we know what masterpieces came before it.
Track listing:
Side A: 1. Remember Who You Are 2. Back On The Right Track 3. If It's Not Addin' Up... 4. The Same Thing (Makes You Laugh, Makes You Cry)
Side B: 1. Shine It On 2. It Takes All Kinds 3. Who's To Say? 4. Sheer Energy
Most of Sylvester Stewart’s post-Family Stone work seems to be wholly forgotten. I would imagine that if you asked most casual music fans if they had ever heard any of it, they might even be surprised to know that it exists. They might be inclined to use the words welfare, crack, arrest, seclusion, insanity, recluse, etc. to describe his career after 1975. Not that any of these labels are really inappropriate, but certain aspects of this time period seem to be overlooked. Names such as Funkadelic, Bobby Womack, Jesse Johnson, Bar-Kays, George Clinton (solo), Earth, Wind and Fire and The Temptations are what should be discussed. Sly didn’t really disappear from the public until 1993 (after showing up out of nowhere to be inducted to The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame).
That being said, I present to you Mr. Stewart’s first solo record. Now, I know most of his output from There’s A Riot Goin’ On onwards is pretty much solo work, but this record is the first recorded after the infamous 1975 Radio City Music Hall gig, after which The Family Stone officially broke up and also the only to not include the words “& The Family Stone”. Even though it’s not technically a Family Stone record, there are some familiar names on this record (Cynthia Robinson, Freddie Stone, Jerry Martini, Rusty Allen, Vet Stone & Little Sister, Sid Page), but I’m not sure how much of their contributions are just left over studio tracks from prior recording sessions. I know that the track "Crossword puzzle" was originally recorded in a different form for 1974’s Small Talk, but other than that I don’t recognize any of these tracks as outtakes from any sessions I’ve ever heard.
All-in-all this is a pretty solid funk record and, if you ask me, maybe even one of his best since 1969’s Stand! It seems a little more focused than Riot and less repetitive than Fresh or Small Talk. The opening track, and also the first single from the record, “I Get High On You” is a pure funk gem. “Crossword Puzzle” is way more than just a reworking of a Small Talk outtake and “So Good To Me” has a fuzzed out bass that really might be Larry Graham playing it. Even the ballads, “That’s Lovin’ You” and “My World” are outstanding tracks and any fan of Sly’s Hammond B3 Organ will get a kick out the instrumental “Green Eyed Monster Girl”
If you enjoy Sly please check out the new The Woodstock Experience album that Sony Legacy just put out and also, a site called Wolfgang’s Vault has an amazing live recording of Sly & The Family Stone playing The Fillmore East in ’68.
Download and Enjoy!
Track listing:
Side A: 1. I Get High On You 2. Crossword Puzzle 3. That's Lovin' You 4. Who Do You Love 5. Green Eyed Monster Girl
Side B: 1. Organize 2. Le Lo Li 3. My World 4. So Good To Me 5. Greed
First off, welcome to Vinyl Dump. A way to revitalize some forgotten records. This site will only post digital copies of records that never had an official pressing on CD and also some hard to find, out of print albums. If a link is no longer active please email me and I will repost it unless it has been permanently taken down. If you are the rightful owner of a recording I am linking to and have a problem with the music being shared please let me know and I will remove the link. If anyone has a specific album that they would like to mail me to rip and post please let me know. I'd be more than happy to do it. As long as it doesn't suck.
THANK GOD IT'S SLY-DAY!!!!!!
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