Product Description

During the late '60s, Sly and the Family Stone was the emblem of the new utopia-- celebratory, integrated, intent on breaking down walls, and full of relentlessly positive, idealistic energy. 1971's THERE'S A RIOT GOIN' ON directly contradicted all of these characteristics. Instead, the album represented the dark days of post-'60s disillusionment--a move from right-here/right-now ethos to reflection ("Time"), from integration to separatism ("Thank You For Talkin' To Me Africa"), and from Sly's exuberant cheerleading to a weary, craggy-voiced vocal style. Many fans considered the album a "downer" at the time.
In truth, RIOT is stunningly innovative and artistically accomplished. Here Sly began playing with subtle, sophisticated rhythms, creating webs of interlocking parts and textures, foregrounding mood over pop structures. The production is murky, keeping with the dark, edgy themes of the album, yet it is packed with detail. The burbling guitars, keys, lock-pop bass, and ghostly vocals create a warm,enveloping cocoon, as on the honeyed, heavy-lidded groove of "Just Like A Baby", the percolating surge of "Family Affair" (one of Sly's finest moments), and "(You Caught Me) Smilin'", which catches a wistful flash of the old optimism. Though it may be a challenging listen for the uninitiated, THERE'S A RIOT GOIN' ON rewards endless repeated listens.

Track Listing

1. Luv 'n' Haight
2. Just Like A Baby
3. Poet
4. Family Affair
5. Africa Talks To You 'The Asphalt Jungle'
6. There's A Riot Goin' On
7. Brave And Strong
8. You Caught Me Smilin'
9. Time
10. Spaced Cowboy
11. Running Away
12. Thank You For Talkin' To Me Africa

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #70215 in Music
• Released on: 1994-04-25
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Import

Customer Reviews

A Black Music milestone
Never mind what version you are hearing, remastered, US or European, what you are getting here is an absolute classic FUNK album. While Sly had been embraced by the Rock mainstream earlier on in his career, with Riot Sly dipped into the reality of the experience of Black America, and told it like it was.

And it wasn't easy listening - this was and is an album that you may not get first time around. This is a fuzzy, sleazy, chunk of Funk, with none of the optimism of, say, "Dance To The Music", but it captures the drug fuelled spirit of the times.

"Family Affair" is probably Slys' finest, with its ambiguous lyric, but there are others here which stand comparison such as "Just Like a Baby" "Running Away" and "Brave & Strong". It is as a whole that this album desrves to be heard however, and it is as a whole that it claims its place as one of the best Funk albums of all

A tripped out classic !
Granted, this release is not remastered, but given that Sly Stone supposedly overdubbed and overrecorded endless female backing singer on the same loop of tape (in return for "favours") whoever tries to remaster it will have hell of a task ! You can almost hear the hiss on the tape as track after track is re-layered. The opener "Luv 'n' Haight" is a classic example, although it also drips with pure, essential raw funk. Ever wondered why "Family Affair" didn't sound quite right in the mix ? Now you know.

"Spaced Cowboy" is possibly the most bizarre track as Sly manically yodels his way to the end of it. Heaven only knows what he had been taking before recording this track.

To me, this album reeks of the heat of an early 1970's San Francisco sidewalk, it carries the echoes of police sirens, demonstrations and excess of all kinds.

Forget the flaws in the sound, this is an essential reflection of its cultural zeitgeist. This is "Black Power's" crazed answer to Woodstock. Sure, it pretty much implodes, but it does so with a funk so sweaty you can almost smell it.

the best
All of slys albums are amazing but i think this is my fav, it really is one of the greatest albums ever. I really wish all the sly albums would get remastered, cause stand definitely needs it even though its still great regardless.