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Sly Stone


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I don't have any Sly Stone in my collection, and am interested in how his music made an impression on Miles.

Recommendations, and recommendations in general? Thanks!

I like the earlier work best. STAND is my favorite and an excellent place to start, but you can't go wrong with anything before it either. It's a Riot Going On is often considered to be a masterpiece but I've found it harder to get into, and most of what came after...not as big a fan.

(Did Sly do anything good after the last album on the box, Small Talk? The consensus seems to be that the drugs took over for good right around that point.)

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Of all his albums the one I go back to the most is "Small Talk". I've no idea how it may have influenced Miles but it's a great album anyway.

It's part of an essential boxset called "The Collection" which came out a few years ago. It has seven of his albums remastered with extra tracks and great notes. There's currently a used copy at Amazon for a not unreasonable price:

Sly Stone - The Collection

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I love "There's a Riot Goin' On" - has been a favorite ever since I was about 13 or 14... the mix of funky horns and keys, rock drums and guitar, Larry Graham's dry and incredibly funky bass, as well as the all 'round good vibes coming from the vocals and Sly's keys... great and unique band!

I guess "Stand" or "Life" might maybe make better entry points, though... "Stand" can be had as part of the "Woodstock Experience" 2CD set (coupled with the Woodstock concert).

"Dance to the Music" is also very good, while the debut ("A Whole New Thing") is more a promise of greater things to come than a great album in itself.

All of the albums have been remastered/reissued in 2007 (including "Greatest Hits" which contains three new songs from 1969 (when it was compiled with tracks from "Dance to the Music", "Life" and "Stand").

Of all his albums the one I go back to the most is "Small Talk". I've no idea how it may have influenced Miles but it's a great album anyway.

It's part of an essential boxset called "The Collection" which came out a few years ago. It has seven of his albums remastered with extra tracks and great notes. There's currently a used copy at Amazon for a not unreasonable price:

Sly Stone - The Collection

"Small Talk" is the one I don't have yet... and didn't know about the "Collection" - but I assume it being OOP it might be cheaper to get the original albums anyway.

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Well, you kind of need GREATEST HITS, or some collection that sports "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" which was a single-only release. STAND!, too, and RIOT. FRESH is, IMO, the best / most musically significant of the later LPs.

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Well, you kind of need GREATEST HITS, or some collection that sports "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" which was a single-only release. STAND!, too, and RIOT. FRESH is, IMO, the best / most musically significant of the later LPs.

"Essential" is the place to start. If you like what you hear there, go to the box set collection of the seven LP's. You'll need to keep "Essential" anyways for the single-only releases. "Greatest Hits" was a gem for it's time, but "Essential" renders it totally extraneous.

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My new favorite Sly album is The Woodstock Experience, which is actually one disc of his complete Woodstock performance (amazing energy) and one with the Stand album, probably the best studio album.

Stand has that one long cut of filler, but otherwise plays like a greatest hits album even though it wasn't. Several classics.

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It's too bad his demons got the better of him. Sad to think he's still with us but simply not coherent enough to perform.

He and the band performed at NorthSea a few years ago (2005-ish) but sadly it was a very mixed bag. I have it on DVD somewhere as part of a compilation.

I was there. Band was great. Sly was a mess, had to be coaxed on stage several times. I split and heard someone else instead.

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My new favorite Sly album is The Woodstock Experience, which is actually one disc of his complete Woodstock performance (amazing energy) and one with the Stand album, probably the best studio album.

Stand has that one long cut of filler, but otherwise plays like a greatest hits album even though it wasn't. Several classics.

I actually think "Sex Machine" is...well, it's not a "hit" with no worded vocals and clocking in at 15 minutes, but it's not filler either. This is one of the deepest grooves you will ever hear.

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Well, you kind of need GREATEST HITS, or some collection that sports "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" which was a single-only release. STAND!, too, and RIOT. FRESH is, IMO, the best / most musically significant of the later LPs.

"Essential" is the place to start. If you like what you hear there, go to the box set collection of the seven LP's. You'll need to keep "Essential" anyways for the single-only releases. "Greatest Hits" was a gem for it's time, but "Essential" renders it totally extraneous.

Is there anything on it that's NEITHER on one of the albums NOR on "Greatest Hits"?

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Well, you kind of need GREATEST HITS, or some collection that sports "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" which was a single-only release. STAND!, too, and RIOT. FRESH is, IMO, the best / most musically significant of the later LPs.

"Essential" is the place to start. If you like what you hear there, go to the box set collection of the seven LP's. You'll need to keep "Essential" anyways for the single-only releases. "Greatest Hits" was a gem for it's time, but "Essential" renders it totally extraneous.

Is there anything on it that's NEITHER on one of the albums NOR on "Greatest Hits"?

Four tracks by Little Sister - very Slyish and very good - and various other Sly produced tracks are available on this compilation.

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Well, you kind of need GREATEST HITS, or some collection that sports "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" which was a single-only release. STAND!, too, and RIOT. FRESH is, IMO, the best / most musically significant of the later LPs.

"Essential" is the place to start. If you like what you hear there, go to the box set collection of the seven LP's. You'll need to keep "Essential" anyways for the single-only releases. "Greatest Hits" was a gem for it's time, but "Essential" renders it totally extraneous.

Is there anything on it that's NEITHER on one of the albums NOR on "Greatest Hits"?

Four tracks by Little Sister - very Slyish and very good - and various other Sly produced tracks are available on this compilation.

Little who? Had no idea Sly was involved there... have had "Stanga" as my ringtone for years (taken from that great Atlantic 4CD rare groove box from several years ago... 'fraid I never looked into the booklet yet :unsure: ).

So that compilation has three of the same four Little Sister cuts? Plus the rest? Guess that would make more sense for me than getting the Essential set - thanks a lot!

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  • 3 years later...

There's A Riot Goin' On is my personal favorite, an album that just keeps on giving.

This is one of these albums that never clicked with me. I discovered one of the tracks ("Luv N' Haight") on a "Funky Friday" playlist on Tidal.

After that I listened to the whole album straight through.

Wow!!! Stone classic.

(uhm, no pun intended :))

Edited by Eric
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