Sly and the Family Stone created the blueprint for funk's direction in the late '60s; a sound dense, sophisticated, and complex on one hand, spacious and rhythmically elemental on the other, a style that seemed loose and open, yet demanded musical precision. In the early '70s, Sly left behind the churning, up-tempo anthems to brotherhood and positive thinking to develop a darker, more introspective sound that focused ever more intently on the subtle interaction of rhythmic elements. The result, as heard on 1971's THERE'S A RIOT GOIN' ON and 1973's FRESH, proved Sly's artistic apex.
Though lesser known than RIOT, and featuring cleaner, brighter production values, FRESH is no less astonishing than its predecessor. The first five tracks alone, including the shifting pulse of "In Time," the almost religious "Thankful N' Thoughtful," and the unendingly listenable "If You Want Me To Stay," are enough to make this disc a classic. Add to these the bubbling groove of "Babies Makin' Babies" and a definitive cover of "Que Sera, Sera," and FRESH becomes a document of meticulously constructed, high-minded soul music at its finest. Don't be misled by the corny, dated cover photo--this is one of the greatest funk albums ever.
Sly & the Family Stone: Freddie Stone (guitar); Rosie Stone (piano); Rusty Allen (bass instrument); Pat Rizzo, Andy Newmark, Sylvester "Sly Stone" Stewart, Jerry Martini, Cynthia Robinson.
Personnel: Sylvester "Sly Stone" Stewart (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Rose Stone (vocals, piano); Little Sister (vocals, background vocals); Freddie Stewart (guitar); Pat Rizzo, Jerry Martini (saxophone); Cynthia Robinson (trumpet); Andy Newmark (drums).
Additional personnel: Little Sister.
Rolling Stone (4/11/02, p.106) - Ranked #11 in Rolling Stone's "50 Coolest Records". Rolling Stone (12/11/03, p.136) - Ranked #186 in Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time" Rolling Stone (8/2/73, p.46) - "...FRESH is Sly's new direction for 1973, a potpourri of styles, new musical attitudes and futuristic black trances...the stonedest record I've ever heard, and one of the most repeatedly listenable..." Q (p.124) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "1973's FRESH was his last great record, more upbeat than 'There's A Riot Goin' On,' and full of silky foul-funk..."
Joy and Sadness Fresh is a mesmerizingly funky and soulful album. Sadly, it also marks the peak from where Sly fell. It's a shame that Sly slowly succumbed to his despair and addictions. I'm sure all of Sly's fans hope and wish that he will rise up like a phoenix from the ashes of the past and wow us once again, but it doesn't appear it will ever happen. Submitted by wjhatch72 (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Heart Break Although there would be tracks from other CD's that I love...This CD is my all time favorite to just listen....The social / political commentary is just beautiful to hear...I miss ya Sly. Submitted by Tor (Boston, MA, USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
What it means... What it means if you don't have this in your CD collection is... your CD collection ain't. Submitted by prhbrh (NY, NY) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo This review is for a different format.
how can i there is notyhing to listen to. how about thelma houston album-any way you like it.i think you should put it in your data base.chocolate milk-we're all in this together,side effect-portraits.there are so many songs missing from your system. Submitted by lillemorgan (united states) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo This review is for a different format.
Joy and Sadness
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