I Want to Take You Higher: The Life and Times of Sly and the Family Stone (27 page)

Listened to now, it's hard to tell why Life was so overshadowed by
its predecessor, because in many ways it's a brighter record. "Fun,"
"Life," and "Love City" were as catchy as "Dance to the Music," with
even more of Sly's "message" lyrics. "M'Lady" was a catchy valentine. And there was much humor and delight in "Chicken," "I'm
an Animal," and "Jane Is a Groupee." The group continued to
showcase its broad, confident embrace of R & B, funk, psychedelia,
and pop dance music.

(1) Stand!; (2) Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey; (3) I Want to Take
You Higher; (4) Somebody's Watching You; (5) Sing a Simple
Song; (6) Everyday People; (7) Sex Machine; (8) You Can Make It
If You Try; Bonus Tracks: (9) Stand! (single version); (10) I Want
to Take You Higher (single version); (11) You Can Make It If You
Try (unissued single version); (12) Soul Clappin'; (13) My Brain
(Zig-Zag)

Sly Stone-vocals, keyboards, guitar; Rose Stone-keyboards,
vocals; Freddie Stone-guitar, vocals; Cynthia Robinsontrumpet; Larry Graham-bass, vocals; Jerry Martinisaxophone, vocals; Greg Errico-drums

The grooves laid down on earlier discs became stronger and more
sophisticated on Stand!, and Sly's mastery of pop poetry proved
unmatchable and irresistible, resulting in four hit songs within one
dynamic album. Aside from the hits, there was the forthright,
somber sound of "Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey," a precursor of
Riot, and the blue psychedelia of "Sex Machine" With more message than perhaps any other rock record outside the folk/rock
genre, Stand! was also a paradigm of arrangement and production.

(1) I Want to Take You Higher; (2) Everybody Is a Star; (3)
Stand!; (4) Life; (5) Fun; (6) You Can Make It If You Try; (7)
Dance to the Music; (8) Everyday People; (9) Hot Fun in the
Summertime; (10) M'Lady; (11) Sing a Simple Song; (12) Thank
You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)

Sly Stone-vocals, keyboards, guitar; Rose Stone-keyboards,
vocals; Freddie Stone-guitar, vocals; Cynthia Robinsontrumpet; Larry Graham-bass, vocals; Jerry Martinisaxophone, vocals; Greg Errico-drums

This compilation served well to get a lot of the band's best music
to date out to a lot of people, and also to fill the elongated gap
between new albums. Included were two songs, very different from
each other, that didn't appear on any other album: "Hot Fun in the
Summertime" and "Thank You." The first was an atypically jazzy
laid-back groove, the second a funky jump with shady lyrics, both
ahead of their time and ultimately influential on music to come from other artists. The rest of the album constitutes a showcase of
the Family Stone's most upbeat material.

(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 & Strong; (8) (You Caught Me) Smilin';
(9) Time; (10) Spaced Cowboy; (11) Runnin'Away; (12) Thank
You for Talkin' to Me Africa; Bonus Tracks: (13) Runnin' Away
(single version); (14) My Gorilla Is My Butler; (15) Do You Know
What?; (16) That's Pretty Clean

Sly Stone-vocals, keyboards, guitar; Rose Stone-keyboards,
vocals; Freddie Stone-guitar, vocals; Cynthia Robinsontrumpet; Larry Graham-bass, vocals; Jerry Martinisaxophone, vocals; Greg Errico-drums; Bobby
Womack-guitar; Billy Preston-keyboards; Miles Davis, Herbie
Hancock, Ike Turner, Jim Ford, Joe Hicks-miscellaneous
contributions

The dissolution of the original flesh-and-blood Family Stone and
Sly's shift of focus toward himself and toward the drum machine
were readily apparent on this iconic album, as was a generally
darker and funkier approach to the music suggestive of the impact
of harder drugs and personal strife. The rhythms, human and electronic, were often artful and suggestive of what would later be
heard from Sly and other musicians, notably Stevie Wonder and
Prince, but the melody lines were much narrower and the song list
less diverse than on the Family Stone's earlier albums. There are
moments of lyrical strength and humor, notable on "Family
Affair," Riot's chart-topping single, and on "Spaced Cowboy."
Among the bonus tracks are three instrumentals, which show
more about how Sly was working deep in grooves and forming up
his funk.

(1) In Time; (2) If You Want Me to Stay; (3) Let Me Have It All;
(4) Frisky; (5) Thankful N' Thoughtful; (6) Skin I'm In; (7) I
Don't Know (Satisfaction); (8) Keep On Dancin'; (9) Que Sera,
Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be); (10) If It Were Left Up to Me;
(11) Babies Makin' Babies; Bonus Tracks: (12) Let Me Have It All
(alternate mix); (13) Frisky (alternate mix); (14) Skin I'm In
(alternate mix); (15) Keep On Dancin' (alternate mix); (16)
Babies Makin' Babies (alternate version)

Sly Stone-vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass; Rose Stonekeyboards, vocals; Freddie Stone-guitar; Cynthia Robinsontrumpet; Rustee Allen-bass; Larry Graham-bass; Jerry
Martini-saxophone; Pat Rizzo-saxophone; Andy Newmarkdrums; Vet Stone, Mary McCreary, Elva Mouton-backing vocals

Without ever achieving the antiheroic landmark status of Riot, this
album was arguably more user-friendly, engaging, and wider
reaching than its predecessor, while continuing to probe the
potential of funk and electronically manipulated rhythms and
editing. Tracks like "In Time" were sophisticated, "Let Me Have It
All" made soulful use of its Little Sister female chorus, and "If You
Want Me to Stay" was as alluring and personal as anything Sly had
ever laid down. The surprising (and spuriously controversial)
cover of"Que Sera, Sera" evoked Sly and Rose's sacred roots. Overall, this seemed a brief reprise of good sounds, if not good times.
The bonus tracks are reflective of Sly's increasing involvement in
studio retakes, striving toward some private standard of satisfaction; they're all good, but what ended up on the album is better.

(1) Small Talk; (2) Say You Will; (3) Mother Beautiful; (4) Time
for Livin'; (5) Can't Strain My Brain; (6) Loose Booty; (7) Holdin'
On; (8) Wishful Thinkin'; (9) Better Thee Than Me; (10) Livin'
While I'm Livin'; (11) This Is Love; Bonus Tracks: (12) Crossword Puzzle (early version); (13) Time for Livin' (alternate version);
(14) Loose Booty (alternate version); (15) Positive

Sly Stone-vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass; Rose Stone Bankskeyboards, vocals; Freddie Stone-guitar, vocals; Cynthia
Robinson-trumpet; Rustee Allen-bass; Bill Lordan-drums;
Vet Stone-vocals, keyboards; Jerry Martini-saxophone; Pat
Rizzo-flute, saxophone; Sid Page-violin; Kathy Silva, Sly Stone
Jr.-background vocals

Technically this was the last Sly & the Family Stone album, but
there was little left of the original group's sound, most of whose
members had either departed or had been placed in subsidiary
roles. Although some of the newer players were musically talented,
the material Sly gave them for this project had little of his familiar songwriting sparkle, and the layering in of strings did little to
dress up the lackluster arrangements and the quirky production.
Rustee Allen helped perk up the livelier tracks, "Loose Booty" and
"Livin' While I'm Livin;' and "Mother Beautiful" suggested an
upbeat approach to family life, in a mode that Stevie Wonder
would later borrow. The alternate version of "Time for Livin"'
sounded rather ragged with the syrupy strings fading in and out,
but on "Positive," you can hear drummer Bill Lordan making good
use of what he said Sly taught him about funk.

(1) I Get High on You; (2) Crossword Puzzle; (3) That's Lovin'
You; (4) Who Do You Love?; (5) Green Eyed Monster Girl; (6)
Organize; (7) Le Lo Li; (8) My World; (9) So Good to Me; (10).
Greed

Sly Stone-vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass; Freddie Stone-guitar,
vocals; Cynthia Robinson-trumpet, vocals; Jerry Martinisaxophone; Dennis Marcellino-saxophone; Rustee Allen-bass; Bobby Vega-bass; Gail Muldrow-guitar; Bill Lordan, Michael
Samuels, Jim Strassburg, Willie Sparks-drums; Bobby Lyles,
Truman Thomas-keyboards; Dawn Silva, Elva Mouton, Vet
Stewart, Rudy Love-background vocals

Epic dropped the Family Stone name from this album, though
some of the band's members continued to contribute, alongside a
host of others. The material itself harkened back to the message
mission of the Family Stone classics, on tracks such as "Organize,"
"Le Lo Li," and "Greed." Sly's vocals retrieved some of their liveliness and mischief, and at times he's every bit as good as any contemporary offering by Smokey Robinson or Marvin Gaye.
(Smokey's chart-topping "Cruisin'," from 1979, sounded a lot like
this album's "My World," from four years earlier, though Sly's song
was prettier.) The high spirits and artful arrangements on this
album deserved the kind of recognition that Sly may not have been
in condition to follow up on, aside from the fact that his declining
public image overshadowed the album's quality and uniqueness.

(1) Heard Ya Missed Me, Well I'm Back; (2) What Was I Thinkin'
in My Head; (3) Nothing Less Than Happiness; (4) Sexy
Situation; (5) Blessing in Disguise; (6) Everything in You; (7)
Mother Is a Hippie; (8) Let's Be Together; (9) The Thing; (10)
Family Again

Sly Stone-vocals, keyboards; Cynthia Robinson-trumpet;
Dwight Hogan-bass, vocals; Anthony Warren-drums; Joseph
Baker-guitar, vocals; John Colla-saxophone; Steve Schustersaxophone, flute; John Farey-keyboards, trombone; Armando
Peraza-percussion; Lady Bianca-lead and background vocals,
clavinet; Dawn Weber, Virginia Ayers-percussion, background
vocals; Vicki Blackwell-violin; Peter Frampton-guitar

In its overall sound and happy tone and in the look of the backcover photograph, this project was evocative of a '60s or '70s musical along the lines of Hair or Jesus Christ Superstar. From the
opening title track on, there was much involvement of the chorus
and relatively little of Sly's solo voice. An exception was "Nothing
Less Than Happiness," which showcased, more than just about any
other song in his canon, Sly's mastery of vocal phrasing and texture; it was a homage to doo-wop and early rock that was fabulously well written, arranged, and performed. Among the
musicians drawn to the making of this album were veteran
conguero Armando Peraza and rock guitarist Peter Frampton, riding the crest of the hits he'd scored that year. As with High on You,
the disc did not have as strong a draw on record buyers, but both
albums are worth the price of the imported CDs, which is pretty
much the only way you'll get them now.

(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); (5) Shine It On; (6) It Takes All Kinds; (7) Who's
to Say?; (8) Sheer Energy

Sly Stone-vocals, keyboards, harmonica; Freddie Stone-guitar,
vocals; Joseph Baker-guitar; Hamp Banks-guitar; Cynthia
Robinson-trumpet; Keni Burke-bass; Alvin Taylor-drums;
Walter Downing-keyboards; Mark Davis-keyboards; Ollie
Brown-percussion; Pat Rizzo-saxophone; Steve Madaio, Fred
Smith, Gary Herbig-horns; Rose Stone Banks, Lisa Banksbacking vocals

Sly seemed to have left much of his tunefulness behind, at least for
the time being, when he departed the Epic label and made this first
of two albums for Warner. In his lyrics, he retained some of his
cleverness and his telegraphed insightful messages, most creatively
applied in fine funky fashion on "The Same Thing" and "It Takes
All Kinds." The sound was evocative of James Brown and predic tive of Prince, and at its worst was still better than much of the
rock and R & B from this and the following decade. Sly's one-time
mentor and long-time associate Hamp "Bubba" Banks was credited as associate producer and guitarist, and Rose, Sly's sister and
Bubba's wife at the time, provided backing vocals alongside her
daughter, Lisa.

(1) L.O.V.I.N.U.; (2) One Way; (3) Ha Ha, Hee Hee; (4) Hobo
Ken; (5) Who in the Funk Do You Think You Are; (6) You Really
Got Me; (7) Sylvester; (8) We Can Do It; (9) High, Y'All

Sly Stone-vocals, keyboards; Pat Rizzo-saxophone; George
Clinton-miscellaneous contributions

This proved a somewhat better showcase of Sly's eclectic talent
than did the earlier Warner effort, but the overproduction rather
quashed the superior quality of the songs. The lush arrangements
evinced what was being borrowed from Sly by groups like Earth,
Wind & Fire, and "Who in the Funk Do You Think You Are"
sounded almost suited to the catchy, repetitive mode of disco,
which had "died" a couple years earlier. The album could have used
more of the sort of fun and funk abounding in Sly's imaginative
cover of the Kinks' "You Really Got Me." The two Warner releases
were the last to bear the Family Stone moniker (so far), though the
band had no apparent connection with the final album other than
the involvement of its former leader.

What's precious here are some of the raw elements and skills that
Sly assembled while working as an in-house songwriter, arranger,
and producer for San Francisco's Autumn Records in the early 1960s. Assembled and meticulously annotated by Alec Palao, the
singles, not all of which made it onto finished LPs, feature the
singing and/or playing of Sly, siblings Freddie and Rose, George &
Teddy (Jerry Martini's sometime employers), Billy Preston, and
Autumn star Bobby Freeman. Sly deals easily in R & B, early soul,
and pop modes, at one point laying down a bit of jazz scat. Just as
Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page drew on his former life as a session guitarist, Sly's audible technical and musical discipline would go gold
with the Family Stone.