There's A Riot Goin' On

nice grooves on this soul classic stands the test of time as well

Funky, but I start to drift after a while. Nah fuck that this rocks

Solid Sly album

gwoovy

easy to listen to.

Hørt på i stua sammen med mamma 04/01/26. Perfekt søndagsplate for en helt rolig ettermiddag, legges i rotasjonen for morgenkaffe-lytting.

Very funky Makes you wanna get up and bust a mf move!

That little bit of growling bowow yodeling is icing on the cake.

Nice and groovy! Just enough for a good time, an uplifting album I think. I think my only complaint is that its not a long of songs. 7/10

Smooth, awesome as a complete album. Not sure I’ll be revisiting the individual tracks though.

Very funky and psychedelic with a tripped-out hazy sound, notes and melodies floating over the rock-solid rhythms. A little hard to grasp at times, but I liked it. Best song: Family Affair

First couple of songs are a bit of a slow start, and the last song isn't a strong end but everything in the middle is absolutely great. The album carries a very laid back calm, disco groove. I really enjoyed it. Favorite song: family affair (close 2nd poet)

Good funk.

Always funky and interesting, maybe a little weird. Not my fave from Sly but still an undeniable groove.

Luv N' Haight - 4.5/5 Just Like A Baby - 4/5 Poet - 4.5/5 Family Affair - 4.5/5 Africa Talks to You ("The Asphalt Jungle") - There's a Riot Goin' On - N/A Brave & Strong - 4/5 (You Caught Me) Smilin' - 4/5 Time - 4/5 Spaced Cowboy - 4.5/5 Runnin' Away - 4/5 Thank You for Talkin to Me, Africa - 4/5 A very good selection of darker funk from this group. Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" definitely had an influence changed from the psychedelic era of the 60's to the more politically charged early 70's. That mixture of eras really makes this work as a whole. Overall: 4/5 Favorites: Luv N' Haight, Poet, Family Affair, (You Caught Me) Smilin', Spaced Cowboy

- Shrek song!!! - Runnin' Away #1

Been a fan of family affair for years but never listened to the full album. It’s funky, delightful and soulful. Love the vocal tones and creamy guitar sound.

Sly Stone trades exuberant funk for a murky, claustrophobic masterpiece. Its brilliance lies in its radical restraint; the minimalist arrangements and hushed vocals create an eerie, hypnotic tension. While it lacks the polish of earlier hits, this stripped-back vulnerability captures a haunting, beautiful disillusionment. A brave, essential experiment.

Good soul.

I noticed a lot of influential rhythms and melodies across the record. I liked the unique groove of each record and catchy lyrics. I just downloaded this album a few weeks ago to start exploring Sly and and the Family Stone and this is a great introduction to their creative style of music and fusion.

I dont like 70s funk at all. This had a lot of different things on it though. I didnt love it but I can really appreciate it.

Made me dance in my kitchen while making breakfast tacos. People should dance more.

A bit scary

Counting or not counting gang violence

Bay Area legend

No single song stuck out to me - but with this band, the total is greater than the sum of its parts. Such a vibe and such a great sound. Groovy and funky and awesome production.

I think I might actually like this album more than Stand!, though I’m not entirely sure why. “Africa Talks to You” especially stood out to me — the bass is amazing, the guitar has a great crunchy tone, and in the last minutes there are these really deep, thumping bass notes that I loved. I still can’t quite explain the reason, but this album just hits me differently.

86% Best: Luv N' Haight; Poet; Family Affair; Brave & Strong; Time; Thank You for Talkin' to Me, Africa

4.5/5

I love Sly and the Family Stone. Grooves always hit, vocals are always great and layered great. That being said I think this album is a little disjointed and is missing a bit of a sense of cohesion to me. Still a great album that I really enjoyed

This is really good stuff. I've not heard this before today and there is a ton of variety with some nice funk all the way to a weird western song. Some songs are higher energy and some are pretty laid back. It's also kind of long compared to albums from this time period. I'm going to add this to my favorites since I can see myself listening to it many more times.

more of that oh-so-sweet jazzy funk music that the '70s was known for, released in a period around the time of the civil rights and black power movements. many songs loosely discuss these events from the perspective of the band... it's a bit of a common theme with sly, and i'm really not surprised at this rate. this is the kind of kitschy funk music that wouldn't be out of place in a 1970s blaxploitation film. many of the songs are generally full of funky foundations and toe-tapping beats... i would rate it higher if songs didn't get repetitive quickly, and if there were more lyrical content and less screeching. nevertheless though, this album is great, especially if you're looking for something grimy and mysterious...

I love how weird Sly & The Family Stone is. Whilst also being funky. I guess that's kind of the whole point.

Sly, Sly, Sly. Always need some Sly in your life.

I like to think of this record as "the hangover from the 60s". Great album.

Sonically, this reminds me a lot of Funkadelic's Maggot Brain, though the sound here is a little less consistent and the production flaws are more pronounced. Super groovy with the opener, Luv N' Haight, despite the slightly dated production (the sound gets a little blurry whenever anything loud happens – and this is true of all tracks on the record). Great interplay between all the different instruments, and though the chords are very simple, everything riffs up and down a blues scale, and you can't really go wrong with that. Family Affair is another straight-up banger of a track. Chorus is catchy, singing is very strong, and the female vocal is a great addition to riff off Sly's lines. Another strong contender for best track is (You Caught Me) Smilin', which, along with the excellent secondary vocal in the chorus, also has possibly the strongest guitar and bass lines on the album. (Seriously, that bass is spanking.) Spaced Cowboy is a standout track for being the most, well, distinctive. It doesn't fit in with the other tracks at all, but at least that means S&FS is showcasing some variety. Yodelling and harmonica. Weird. Just Like A Baby is fun enough, boasting some really good falsetto vocals. It's more of a slow-dance track than a "banger", and doesn't feature any distinctive hooks, but it more than makes up for that by maxing out the soulful-meter. The four-second title track is incredibly dark if you really think about it. There's a riot going on, and what's the response (presumably from the authorities, the government, the top 1%)? Radio silence. Not that it's inaccurate, it's just a surprisingly bold musical statement. Just goes to show how insanely power-packed the year 1971 was for musicians. 4/5 Key tracks: Luv N' Haight, Family Affair, (You Caught Me) Smilin'

Good funk, though a lot more chill than I expect from the genre. There's some pretty good moments in here. Fun album.

Gostei.

Couple months later and I’m finally back! A nice return here. It doesn’t get much cooler than Sly. Funky stuff.

Funk, stank, drum machines mixed with live drums, politically charged (and sometimes incypherable) lyrics, roaming bass-lines and screaming vocals, laying down the blueprint for funk, hip-hop and soul for years to come. A funky mess, and I mean that in the best possible way. 4.5 stars.

Sly and the Family Stone is another band I felt I missed out on. One reason was that they were at their height before I was born, but it was only a few years ago that I listened to some of their music. I’m not sure I listened to There’s a Riot Goin’ On, but this is an album that most people think invented funk and it only took heroin, cocaine and PCP to create it. And it sounds like it. Sly Stone was way into drugs at this point in the band’s career. It’s believed he was using drugs because the fame kind of freaked him out a bit and what was going on socially at the time was causing him anxiety. He made great, happy, pop music, but some of his Black Panther Party friends thought he should be recording more music to help the cause of Black America at the close of the 60s. There’s a Riot Goin' On was much darker with serious lyrics than previous albums. Was Sly Stone kind of bending to being more social or was it just the drugs? I think the funk created by heroin as it was lower and slower than past albums. Sly Stone, by this time, 1970, had built himself a home studio in his house and he enjoyed heroin so much, he put a bed in the studio and recorded his vocals lying in bed. Incredible. It fills you with wonder at the creative genius he was, but also fills you with sadness at how much of a grip drugs had on this man. Sly Stone played most of the instruments on the album as well. Members of the Family Stone were used more for overdubs. Sly Stone also called in hired guns to help record the album, including Billy Preston, Ike Turner and Bobby Womack. So, there was a lot of chaos going on, and I don’t mean C.H.A.O.S., but that was going on too. Anyway, you can tell by the first song you're in for a doozy as it’s called Luv & Haight, which I assume is meant as Haight-Ashbury, the area that birthed the countrculture in the 60s in San Francisco. Though, at this time, that spirit was dead or dying. Here is the chorus for Luv & Haight: Feel so good inside myself, don't want to move, Feel so good inside myself, don't need to move. There are other lyrics on the album about drugs and more songs about social issues, making this album the band’s most political. The title track, There’s a Riot Goin’ On is just four seconds of silence. In explaining the song, Sly Stone said, “I felt there should be no riots.” Byond all the drugs and social issues, the album produced a number 1 single, Familiy Affair, of which only one member of the Family Stone was included in the recording. The album was also the number one album in the country when it came out. The album also used some early drum machines, which later inspired hip-hop. George Clinton said this album is what inspired him to create Parliament and Funkadelic. The album also pushed jazz artists like Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock to move toward a jazz-funk sound. Like James Brown, some of the songs are more like chants than lyrics, but the music is so good. It may take you a listen or two to really see how amazing this album is. It wasn’t as widely praised when it was released. I'm sure the change in style threw people for a loop, but over time, it’s gotten its due. I’m glad it was on the 1,001 list so I could discover the music and the story behind the album.

Funk, soul, and synths!

There’s a Riot Goin’ On is a harder turn from the optimistic, psychedelic 1960s as Sly and the U.S. crash and burn in the early 70’s - a comedown in the literal and metaphorical sense. It’s dense and dark and druggy, funky but downtrodden with an experimental, home recorded/DIY feel. “Riot” definitely earned its place on this list. 4⭐️

3.75

I've come to appreciate funk so much more through this project and was able to get into this album much more quickly than I may have earlier on. This is an important album in the genre and an interesting walk through the musical, political, poetic mind of Sly Stone.

Sehr gut, gefällt mir!

Pretty good

Man, I really love myself some funk from time to time. Very cool album overall, really enjoyed it. The first song of the album stood out, and it just kept on delivering. No particular hit that stood out that much, but it was overall a nice experience. Red Hot Chili Peppers is a band I'm a big fan of, and you can tell they took quite a lot of influence from here.

Light funk album featuring some good vibes. I don't know how long There's A Riot Goin' On will stick with me but it was a nice listen for today.

This is so groovy and chill and I really dig the vibes. Family Affair and Spaced Cowboy were my faves, and I have a special spot in my heart for Thank You too. There’s nothing flashy here, just cool and funky, and I’m all for it.

One of the finest funk albums of all time. The yodeling track isn't great though.

Very very good album. Can see why this is so highly regarded, enjoyable from start to finish

Fun album

Yes.

A bit more mellow than I was expecting, but the instrumentals are tight and make for an easy listen. Funk has a high place in my heart so it was always going to be an enjoyable album for me. This is an album that you must read the lyrics alongside listening. You can almost hear the forthcoming funk albums from other artists that this one inspired. It is not traditional funk, and that adds a lot to why this album stands out. I read that this album was made during a period of heavy drug use by the members of the group, and influenced by increasing tension from the Black Panthers to create more overtly political music. On the drug use side, you can kind of "hear" it. Funk is repetitive to a certain extent, but there are portions of this album that loop in a way that feels similar to the way a thought gets stuck in your mind when under the influence. Spaced Cowboy was the standout track for me. Both lyrically and sonically, it is the best representation of the goals of the album as a whole.

It's a shame, I was excited when I saw today's Album of the Day. Unfortunately, there were a few tracks on this rather extensive album that got on my nerves. So I didn't enjoy it throughout. 4/5

Didn't like the yodeling on Spaced Cowboy, but the rest of it was great.

Funk and soul equals people

first listen super super solid

Solid Sly album. But if I recall from the doc this is the album that was the album where poor old sly succumbed to his addictions, became recluse and stopped being a member of the family band and turned this to a solo project. Insightful, conscious, robust and funky. Love it. Keep Sly in your thoughts for all of 2025. Rest in Power king.

"Stand!" Is the more well known album (as far as I'm aware) so it's hard not compare the two. While that album felt like an invitation to dance, "There's a Riot Goin' On" is more of a call to action. Sure you can dance to much of it, but it's the politically charged lyrics that really make an impact here. Spurred by progressive (and justifiably angry) calls for racial justice, Sly and the Family Stone clearly got more serious with this album. Musically, it's a bit sparser than "Stand!" but that works to help underline the message.

Genre: Funk Sly and the Family Stone wasn’t always political. There was once a time where they played more Soul Pop stylings, and they made their way to the forefront with a vibrant, dance-heavy sound. This here record, though, dark, funky, with a smart, conscious and thoughtful underbelly. Really great stuff, and such an interesting change of pace from their first few records. Loved this. 4/5

Always love funk, and Sly was one of the best.

Bring the funk with Sly & the Family Stone!

6,5/10. Está bastante bien, si te mola el buen funk muy instrumental. Perfecto para una chilleada de domingo ambientando la casa. No le pongo más nota porque echo en falta más líneas de voz. A mí me gusta cantar lo que escucho.

Thank you

great instrumentals, many of the songs go on for far too long but i wouldnt mind hearing this in short bursts of one or two songs at a time

Funky

C'est un des albums que je me suis retenu d'écouter avant de me le faire générer. Ça a beau être un album funk qui sort du moule du à son côté plus sombre et gritty, j'aime quand même mon funk plus dansant et groovy. Appelez-moi conservateur et traditionaliste, mais... vous savez quoi? Appelez-moi juste pas, j'ai assez de scam chinois dans ma boîte vocale

Really good, want to hear more from them

Pretty fantastic

Wah, wah and more wah! Some songs were a little thin while others were more than I remember. A fun ride

Love Sly, so funky

Это фанк и соул, детка!

decent album, very funky

own

kinda great, eh?

Solid funky jams, really enjoyed it! It felt a biiiiiit repetitive by the end but very strong

A great album from the 70s

Smooth funk. Nice.

This has that messy, double album energy. As such, it's one that I like but not one that I REALLY like. However, on repeated listens it starts to seep into you.

Not my taste in Music, but a lot of pleasant songs - Very groovy

This very much does what you expect but to a high standard.

I hadn't ever heard of Sly & The Family Stone before this but was pleasantly surprised. Solid album.

oh SMELL yes bro. SMELL YES!!!!

Yes! I liked quite a bit. Great music and good vibes.

AFRICA DOES TALK TO ME

Er zijn rellen aan de gang, maar dat verhindert niet dat het allemaal weer lekker relaxt klinkt, deze funkmuziek. Koortjes, wah-wahgitaar, basloopjes. Ik lees op d'n wiki dat deze plaat zou uitpuilen van apathie, pessimisme en desillusie, maar als het daar dan toch over moet gaan, doet u het mij dan maar op deze manier.

We krijgen weer eens een ouderwets funky soul plaatje. Ik word altijd wel blij van funk. Het is regelmatig uptempo, maar ook als het wat langzamer gaat, vind ik het fijn om te luisteren. Vooral de basloopjes geven prominent de ritmes aan en de drums en de gitaar (of piano) kunnen daar speels omheen bewegen. Dat Ome Sly zijn neus diep in de cocainedoos had gestopt kun je wel horen, maar stoort me verder niet. Als er mooi gezongen moet worden, zijn er altijd nog een stel gospelzangeressen. Waar sommige stijlen zijn oververtegenwoordigd in de lijst, mag dit soort funky soul er van mij wel vaker in. Al zit aan alle stijlen een max natuurlijk. Elke keer als dit soort muziek voorbij komt, word ik toch een beetje blij. En dat is wat je wil met muziek. Een vrolijke 4 sterren.

Listened to it right after he died, very funky, and holds up well, except for the yodeling in spaced cowboy

I like to think that this album encapsulates the age. Shambolic, ethically unsound (y’all know the story about why the sound quality is so muddy, right?), but ultimately endearing.

4/5

Pretty good! Sly is great, though this didn't feel as awesome as their other albums

Luv n' Haight 4 Just Like a Baby 3.7 Poet 3.8 Family Affair 3 Africa Talks to You 'The Asphalt Jungle 3.6 There's a Riot Goin' On n/a Brave & Strong 3.7 (You Caught Me) Smilin 3.5 Time 3.5 Spaced Cowboy 3.6 Runnin' Away 3.4 Thank You for Tallkin' to Me Africa 3.8 Score: 3.6

Off the cuff remark: I listened to this twice. Once in the car and once at home in sweltering heat. It made different kinds of sense both times. Not a genre I listen to much at all, but I definitely enjoyed it. Standout track: Brave & Strong Revisit?: I think I'm going to surprise myself by deliberately coming back for more.

I think this is a great album that's very smooth, soulful, a little funky (less than I thought), and consistently good throughout. However, nothing really blew me away. It was just a nice ride that was calmer than I was expecting but something I will listen to again.

Unique sound of pure groove.

I dig it.

I only really know the hits but listening to this all of the way through I really enjoyed the drum machine featured on some of the tracks. Seems like a big deal for 1971. I googled and found out its and MRK-2 and it just had preset rhythms. It fits in really nice with these tracks, I especially like the songs that have the drum machine combined with a real drummer.

First things first, R.I.P to Sly who passed just a few weeks ago. This was a lot more melodic and darker than I thought coming in, especially as it went on. 7/10

Really great, upbeat, endlessly enjoyable political funk. I just wish they removed Africa Talks to You because it is so dull.

Album 803 of 1089 Sly & The Family Stone - There's A Riot Goin' On (1971) Rating : 3.5 / 5 Quite the coincidence to get a Sly Stone album the day after this death. Very good album. Probably a lot more going on lyrically having to do with social and political turmoil that can't be captured in one listen. This one goes on the save and repeat list. Uniquely Sly. Soulful funk.

Just Like a Baby // Family Affair // Runnin’ Away //

Thanks for speaking to me Africa, Spaced Cowboy

A killer Sly record that distills the essence of ‘70s disillusionment

A lot darker and grittier than I was expecting and I love it for that.

Alle sangan høres ut som outroen på en sang dem glemte å spille, så æ like det for så vidt, men det kommer liksom aldri ordentlig i gang, og det e litt rart når du høre hele albumet i et jafs. Æ tror nok også funk e en sånn ting æ like, men ikke på den måten at æ vil høre på det i album-versjon, men som soundtrack til nokka eller ispedd anna musikk e det en fryd.

Good album ( last song has a helluva funky bass line )!

-Strongest point are the bass lines throughout -Above average enjoyability -Best Songs: Family Affair, (You Caught Me) Smilin', Spaced Cowboy -Worst Songs: Luv N'Haight, Poet, Time -Overall Rating: 8/10

Dad- 9 Mom- 8 Mike- 8 Lori- 8 Michael- 9 Miles- 7 Cole- 8 Avg- 8.14

Holy shit

84/100. The album balances its funky rhythms with a darker, more introspective tone, making it a bold and iconic statement in both sound and subject.

RIP Sly...

Having a great run of funk and soul albums at the moment. Larry Graham’s bass man, nothing else like it. Compressed into a squawking, clucking buzz, but those grooves are unmatched. Sublime.

Pretty good funk & soul ablum.

The opening track sets out the stall: washed out and moody, punctuated with funky, major key moments of relief - the lyrics too are strangely schizophrenic and almost mumbled (Sly "doesn't want to move", while the backing vocals urge us to do exactly that). Legend has it that washed-out sound is due to Stewart inviting girls to sing on the record, only to later scrub what they had contributed and replace them with other girls who had taken him up on his offer to "take part in the session". Hmmm. It is, however, soul with a social conscience, it's as bleak as it is groovy, and a couple of tracks get lost in their own, admittedly funky, rut for just a little too long. The singles, and a handful of the album tracks, are all top notch though. Listening on headphones is a joy, there is so much going on, but it never feels cluttered, with an in-your-face bass sound driving the whole thing throughout, the ensemble of supporting musicians never get in each other's way, nor do they tread on the toes of those layered vocals. It truly is a lesson in arranging and layering music. Overall, maybe not a perfect long-player, but it's pretty close.

Great funk

I liked this quite a bit more than I expected… 3.5 rounded up to 4

This was definitely a Sly and the Family Stone Album —- and I liked it. Every now and again I would think “who sampled that?, I know I have heard that snippet somewhere else!”

Pure groove. Love the use of panning on this one.

I thought I knew this album but I didn’t. I think I was confusing it with another Sly Stine album. This is great! Not exactly chock full of hits but a great “vibe” and I could totally feel the influence on jazz fusion, and other stuff I like.

What a band, what an album….

Slinky soulful

Hell yeah.

Funk for funk's sake. One digs thoroughly all the looseness of the layering, and the letting it all hang out hangs together just enough. Did it take such extensive tinkering to make it seem so tossed-off. First few songs set the tone beautifully and "Family Affair" slows it down a touch and deepens the vibe, distilling the coolness. "Spaced Cowboy" is proof that we can all be more fun and productive when on drugs. The closer is great, a wide-open, slow-burning panoramic breakdown / exploration of an all-time hook from a previous hit. That it doesn't sound as sour or angry is as it is alleged to have heard is perhaps a function of one's listening in times as uncertain – okay, bad – as when this was recorded.

solid album very leon bridges

mega pedrada

ou, quentíssimo esse, hein. funk baixo astral refletindo a situação social dos eua pós década de 60. curti bastante. btw family affair é fortíssima pqp

Yes, have some.

funky & smooth, robust & bold 4/5 good coffee

The mix is dirt but it’s good dirt. This is darker funk and I really like it. I’ll definitely be listening to this whole thing again. A solid 4/5 from me

Funky stuff. Sly and band are quite the musicians. Saved: Africa Talks to You ("The Asphalt Jungle") (You caught me) Smilin' Time Spaced Cowboy Runnin' Away I have to listen to Peter fucking Gabriel after this. Lucky me.

Get up for the down beat

A classic album with loads of interesting stuff going on, and although I am not a funk-kind-of-guy, it's tough not to be carried away by songs like 'Family Affair' and the closing track.

Sly - part genius, part drug freak. Tapped into something here. I can still feel it. Four stars.

This was both enjoyable and stimulating. To my uneducated ears it sounded like a step forward in soul music. It took a more relaxed and spacious approach that allowed mire subtelty to come through. It was less 3 minute pop song and more jazzy and packed with ideas. And there are still some bangers on it.

arms down down... alas pliis pliis rauhaa.. rauhaa maailmassa pliis.. nykynuorison lempitanssia ovat diskojytä ja beat-tanssi jotka tuottavat erityisesti vaikeuksia aikuisille, johtuen tästä liikkeestä -> (panoliike) tässä täytyy päästä oikeaan diskofiilinkiin että tämmä onnistuu.. polvet menee eteeenpäin lantio menee taakse ja suoraksi kädet lyö alaspäin ja hieman eteen hartiat liikkuu ja pää liikkuu tämä on siis tärkein perusliike diskotanssissa -> (panomis liike/panoliike) poet

funky as hell!

Stand! is also on this list and that record is pretty much perfect. As such, I had to give this one four stars. There are some great tracks on here (Runnin Away and Family Affair are personal highlights), but all in all this one hits with a little less power. Still great!

The dark side of the funk, but thank you for letting me be myself, again...

This was funky - love it

Wow.

Not their best work but still grooves. Just Like a Baby held me well

At first listen this seemed like a bit of a mess. Kind of a drag, even. Reading up on it, that's at least partially intentional! 😆 It's sadly an entirely appropriate vibe for February 2025. 😞 Fave tracks - "Family Affair" is the one I was most familiar with going in. Enjoyed the silliness of "Spaced Cowboy". "Runnin' Away" is perhaps my overall top pick...

3.5. Needs a relisten at some point.

Funk at its finest.

goooooood stuff

The 1001 has definitely encouraged me to rethink my opinion of Sly & The Family Stone. Good stuff!

Meget groovy og tungt, lyder ikke som om nogen af de her gutter havde det specielt godt i 1971!

Maybe not as visceral as say 'Stand!' or some work by Funkadelic from around this time like 'Maggot Brain'. But 'There's a Riot Goin' On' is about as tight as a psychedelic funk record can get, in presentation and attitude. The songs are slow and structurally non-linear and each groove is composed of this pile of colorful noises. On 'African Talks To You' and its sister 'Thank You For Talkin' to Me, Africa' the meticulous changes to the groove are so subtle that I didn't really notice *what changed*, but I did very well feel the movement. The movement in all these tracks is strong. I love how clumped-up and bubbly the instrumental of 'Family Affair' is. The slow ballad 'Time' and the following 'Spaced Cowboy' have hat-driven beats that almost feel proto-techno given how fast they were mixed here with those kicks. 'Time' is easily the most striking track here, especially as that synth clips in and out in volume in the second half. The yodeling on 'Spaced Cowboy' was another striking moment here. While the album as a whole has a lot of personality, no individual track stood out from the others. No one song tries to shift the vibe or mood set here, it all feels very static in that sense. It's a careful record. This, alongside the psychedelic nature of everything, created an almost hypnotic effect, one I couldn't shake, not even when I was done listening. It's an insanely consistent record. And also just really damn good.

Some great cuts on this album and the band is/was incredible but its got hits and misses. A great fusion of soul and some serious rock riffs.

So much vibier than I expected! This is a great band as capable with mellow grooves as funk. Cool stuff on an otherwise extremely uncool day.

Bon petit album, quelques fulgurances, et beaucoup de drogues quand même.

Solid funk, all the way through... 'The recording was dominated by band frontman Sly Stone during a period of elevated drug use and intra-group tension...' No joke!

This is interesting. They start by singing “feels good, wanna move” but quickly after a couple of songs we get to “my only weapon is my pain”. Sly and the Family Stone is a name I’ve heard, but not anything I’ve ever listened to. To be honest, funk isn’t really my type of music and I didn’t know what I’d get and if I’d like it. Overall it’s been a good surprise. Interesting and varied arrangement, soulful singing and a funky rhythm throughout. What’s more interesting is the juxtaposition of the musical material and the lyrical themes which sound darker. Some discussing personal struggles, other talking about black liberation. Very cool.

Really great Groovy Funky Sounds so good Easy 4

Favorite track: Family affair other picks: just like a baby, time, thank you for talking to me africa

Fun listen.

so groovy, so funky , getting dark and heavy late 60s early 70s??? no m'ho crec

This album really helps a Monday out.

Day 74 - Dec 7th, 2024 Me and the boys are ready to shoot someone. 4/5

Five stars to the Wikipedia entry for this album. On its own, the record is some excellent and influential Funk music. Having some context and background information adds a great deal to understanding and appreciating it beyond what is already heard. Minus a half-star because this thing could really use a remaster. The clipping of both vocals and instruments is a distraction from their intentions. The recording sounds more amateurish than the work deserves.

The last 3 songs are all bangers, bumping this up to a 4.

11/28/24. Really liked this one, essential funk here.

Great funk album!

Dense, dark, yet funky record with driving basslines. Sly Stone giving his all in his composition and in his voice, sometimes to the point of sounding hoarse and accompanying the resignation of the 1960s' decline. Standout Tracks: Thank You for Talking Africa, Family Affair, Time, (You Caught Me) Smilin' Again

✊🏿

Truly epic music. So, so grand and so, so good.

Damn this group is consistent as hell

beautiful and powerful and so fun!

groovy

I was hoping for a little more rage. Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5

I love funky music like this, but I felt something was missing. Cant put my finger on it, maybe them playing around with different genres?

All of the movies with a shady scene and funky soundtrack have this album to thank. It perfectly set off another revolution in funk in the 70's that it didn't all have to be happy and smiley. Love the depth and color provided by the album

Sly is always an instant green.

Whoa, this is my album for Election Day in the US in 2024. Update: Fuck

oh my god that's the funky shit

Very enjoyable album, very funky and great vocals. Not much to say about this one, just a solid album. Mid 4.

I saw these guys live at Seattle Center in the 70's. They were an hour late starting and only played for 40 minutes. And it was the most jamming, energetic, outrageously funky, best concert I ever went to! This album is a bit more tame than that but Family Affair and Thank You for Talkin' to Me are classics, and I really enjoyed this listen!

It's interesting to me that this is apparently generally considered their best; I enjoyed Stand! a decent bit more. I still dug this, however, and perhaps it will reveal itself to me more on subsequent listens. 3.5/5 EDIT: On second listen, yeah, I “get” it much more. Still inferior to Stand!, but pretty damn great. 4.5/5

its difficult to tell which substance had a greater impact on the recording of this record between Cocaine and Utter Disillusionment. im glad that ive already heard Stand and a bit of Life because without the context of their earlier Brighter Livelier Idealistic material i dont think this hits quite as hard (which makes the discrepancy in number of ratings on this website a lil sad but its fine lol). slightly nightmarish and always wholly enveloping with arrangements it feels like u can never reach the bottom of, and bizarre musical ideas are somehow finessed in such a half-lucid state that they start to feel magnetic and inevitable. my only potential complaint is that they rly dont sound like a Band that much on this one at all,,,iir a lot of parts are just sly himself either from the start or in overdubs, but even this kinda adds to the fucked-up atmosphere cuz theres so little room to breathe and no direction to move except down. sly in general is one of the great unsung mega-influences on all popular music that came afterwards, the amount that goes back to his work is unbelievable, and his music is rly incredible too which is always nice!

3.54

'There's A Riot Goin' On' is darker and deeper than their previous, more psychedelic and funky albums. It's more experimental/avantgarde funk, as well. I liked it overall, it's a strong album.

How can you argue with this?

Stand is better but this one is fine

Sly and the gang prove why they were one of the most influential funk bands of all-time. Heavy grooves and soulful vocals, with lyrics that reflect the social consciousness of their time.

So funky, so important

Great album all around. Perfectly produced and nothing at all bad to say about it.

smooth

Get the funk out! Wicked fun! Definitely an album that's been sampled to death

I've vaguely intended to listen to Sly & the Family Stone for a while, so this was a welcome selection. I wasn't too taken at first - it was fine, but nothing special - but I was definitely into it by the second half, and will for sure listen again. Great stuff!

I liked this, but it was hard to discern the lyrics because of the overdubbing. I'd listen to this again but I didn't like it as much as yesterday's album, C'est Chic, which was a similar genre.

So much goodness. I can’t tell if it’s more groovy or funky.

Something very slick about this. Easy to listen to.

Funkiest album ever made

Family Affair is a perfect song. Classic 4.5 star case where there’s excellent and a slightly softer back half.

funk and soul goodfathers of the late sixties! Love -- Peace

Incredible instrumental and vocal performances but the songs don't exactly get the point across that there is a riot in progress.

groovy

A reflection of not just the tension in the band, but the tension in the country. Still timely.

Not exactly up my alley, but I think of so many artists influenced by this.

Funky, chunky, and brilliant. Super cool and great music. The Sly Stone sound can taste a little burnt after a while in my ears, but still awesome in moderate doses. Four stars.

recording was dominated by band frontman Sly Stone during a period of elevated drug use and intra-group tension…and yet still pretty good and funky.

Just dripping with pure, unadulterated F U N K

Very good summer vibes. Sometimes I wish the tracks developed a bit more instead of riding out the same groove, but other times it’s nice to just ride along (3.5/5)

fabulous funk

really good

The lyrics are deceptively simple here (and hard to hear at first, due to the way the album was produced), but offer some interesting commentary on the times. The music is an interesting fusion of funk, soul, and a lot of other sounds (including cowboy-style yodeling). I had never heard that version of "Thank you" before, but really enjoyed the slow groove, which suited the lyrics.

Funky!

funky as hell, love it when an album really sounds like it should be on this list

Sly and the Family Stone just has a consistently great sound. This album is deeply funky, and the lyrics float effortlessly between socially conscious material and slice of life material. Sly's bass glues it all together 4/5

Made me feel like I was a 1970s detective on the mean streets of Los Angeles. Too old for this shit. The boss thinks my methods are too drastic but goddamn it if I don't get results.

I'd listened to this again recently When Sly Stone died. Love how dirty everything sounds. A shame that inventing slap bass would lead to so much shit music by others in the future. They can't be blamed

While I enjoyed their prior album, Stand! I was still anxious that I wouldn't "get" this album, being as I don't consider myself a funk version at all, I openly admit that, and my partner, who admittedly has not heard Stand! is not a fan of this release. However, I'm happy to say I quite like this release, and while I'm sure I still don't "get" it fully, I do at least enjoy it quite a bit. The groove within the grooves of the vinyl don't always get me funking, other than some great bass playing, but what I truly appreciate here is the melodies. See, my issue with someone like James Brown was always that I felt every song tended to feel like a carbon copy of the last, but here you can tell songs apart extremely well, and I'd even say there's some tracks here that focus mostly on being catchy pop tunes, such as Smilin' and Runnin' Away, and do an incredibly good job of adding a solid chunky texture to these songs to really make them stand out, and I think it rounds out the album marvelously. It does still have my usual qualms with this sort of stuff such as some of the tracks going on too long (this could easily be a flat forty minutes) or just the fact like songs like Family Affair don't hit the same as they did some fifty years ago, but they're more nitpicks than anything, and I totally get why this would be considered a vital part of the music canon.

Bueno

It’s a Funky psychedelic treat with darker, gritty and mellow tones. Very enjoyable and would love to dive more into it.

Sweet

Very funky as you would expect, perhaps a bit more laid back than the exuberance of Everyday People or Dance to the Music. Family Affair and Runnin Away the stand out tracks. I would happily never hear Space Cowboy again!

Pretty decent, I'll put this at the same as the last Sly & The Family Stone album as I feel like they're both really solid.

This is your funk on acid.

sounds like it was recorded with a 3ds but outside of that its great. 8/10

whoa such a jam!!! morning is a blast with this album!! 4

Great Grooves!

Prima!

Love Sly&TFS’ layered grooves here. Wish some of the songs were a little more fully formed but when the funk rolls for awhile, I can’t really complain!

GOOOOD

Of course I the more idealistic music Sly and company have made, but somehow I dig this stuff a lot more; the stuff inspired by drug use, paranoia, and the death of the 60's idealism that influenced their earlier music. It's some hard-ass funk music about riots that are, unfortunately, still going on.

Something very infectious about Sly

A beautiful sloppy mess. It feels like the wheels are about to fall off but I love where it’s headed.

Dang the list serves up another classic! Love the experimentation of this album. Part of me wishes it was more focused and part of me loves the random jams that go into weird places. Either way, definitely great.

Another group I'm familiar with.

Great band back in the 70s? Like many of their songs.

Favorites: Luv N' Haight, Poet, Spaced Cowboy

Swing gosto, deixa a vontade de experimentar mais.

This was a really interesting one, and a huge departure from their previous album "Stand!", which came out only two years earlier. "Stand!" was super funky and generally pretty positive and upbeat, which "Everyday People" kind of captures well. This one is still pretty funky, but it's a lot darker and moodier. Sly seems to have developed a bit of a drug habit at this point and this also seems to be picking up the changing political landscape as the civil rights movement peak was wearing off a bit. I generally try to ignore critics' reviews of albums, but I liked this one a lot, "Christgau wrote in 2007 that the "temptations and contradictions" of commercial stardom consumed Sly Stone and resulted in "the prophetic 1971" album, "its taped-over murk presaging Exile on Main St., its drum-machine beats throwing knuckleballs at [Miles Davis] and [James Brown], it was darker than the Velvet Underground and Nico and funkier than shit, yet somehow it produced two smash hits, including the stark, deep 'Family Affair'." It's a really solid album overall. It's not one that I see myself coming back to frequently, but there's a lot of good stuff in here and it seems to capture a moment in time well. Favorite song: Family Affair Other: Just Like a Baby, Poet, (You Caught Me) Smilin', Time, Runnin' Away, Thank You For Talkin' To Me Africa 2/15/24

I love sly. A pretty easy 4.

Favorite Tracks: Family Affair Runnin’ Away Luv N’ Haight

Varmaan monien mielestä suurin funk-klassikko ja ei ihme. Moni biisi ihan 5/5, mutta omaan makuun jälkipuolisko vähän hiipuu ja olkoon 4/5.

Very funky. Nice album. One or two album fillers towards the end (eg Spaced Cowboy). First song kicks off the mood in funkalicious style.

Bangin, funky

Groovy & Funky

Well, this one is better than Stand! I like the vibe. Still not really my thing though, but it was nice experience!

Incredible stuff, really captures the vibe of 70s funk perfectly

I listened to this song while playing elite dangerous for hours on end so although I listened to it multiple times I probably still didn’t get the full experience. However, I’m not too worried because the experience I did get was a pretty fun soul/funk album that all ran together without many standout songs except family affair and maybe luv n haight.

Very good

What a funky way to start the day! Thoroughly enjoyed this.

This is some good time funk and then some right here. Also proof that good drugs will never go out of style. Reminded me a lot of Prince, namely the Sign O The Times album and songs where the Purple King would let Wendy and Lisa sing. It seems like we don't hold Sly Stone up as high as we do Prince, although that might just be my generation. Shame on us.

Nice funk and soul.

I prefer the joyous groove of Stand! But the groove on Riot is incredibly gritty and raw. Always loved Running Away as well as the muddy Family Affair. That muddy production irritates me, but nonetheless an important record, even if it documents Sly's mental breakdown.

Forgot about the jams.

Why don't I listen to more Sly?

Our second from Sly, and it's another throwback to the early days of the list, as Stand was in our first five. My impression was that this was the more famous or impactful album, as this is the one I'd heard of prior, but it's not hitting as hard as Stand did. Still, some great tracks, and it's amazing how much Gambino's Awaken, My Love! sounds like Sly reincarnated, that becomes more evident with each album I hear. Favorite tracks: Luv N' Haight, Family Affair, Africa Talks to You, Runnin' Away. Album art: A flag, at first glance seemingly an American flag, but these stars are different. Apparently a custom flag made for the album, not sure what is meant by the change from stars to suns (reminder that all stars are suns, and "sun" is effectively a pet name for our star based on proximity). 4/5

A great album that makes a lot of all the musical talents involved in this. It also shows greatly how rocky funk & soul can be. I still prefer some Curits Mayfield and others of the said genres.

So much better than my image of what this group was. I was wrong.

3.7/5 Best track: (You Caught Me) Smilin'

Not something I'd typically listen to, but great grooves and love the song that has country influence added

man this record is so dense and spooky it would be a solid 5 but sometimes it feels like a bad trip

Such a fun and eclectic mix of sounds and influences. Really ended up loving so many of these songs. Favorites - Luv n Haight, Family Affair, Brave and Strong, Smilin, Spaced Cowboy. Will definitely be coming back to this one.

Real good listen, full of funk and soul. Perfect for some background music while I get homework done. Favorite tracks: Family affair Just like a baby

Makes me want to smoke all the funk.

Un de mes albums préféré de funk.

Sly is awesome.

Now this is funk. Little dark lyrics but I like the juxtaposition with the bouncy instrumentalism.

Nice

This is groovy! Really digging Family Affair. So cool!

Honestly it was really enjoyable: I love a good old funk album and this served straight up what I needed. It jumped straight into the first song which took me off guard but from start to end the strong bass lines and funky guitar never failed to feed that want of some solid funk music which so far hasn't really been there.

3.5 - Maybe I need a relisten down the line. I feel like I gave it my attention though. I think this was absolutely transformative in its time, however it doesn’t quite stick with me. Good. The first half of the album is what shines. It’s explorative and creative, the soul shines through in places, but the keyboard jams can get a bit repetitive, maybe that’s just the extended version? The female backing vocalist is superb.

One of the grittiest sounding albums I've ever heard from an established mainstream act, and while that's why it's taken a bit for me to come around to this album (and I don't think I'm still fully there yet), that's what I love most about it too! favs: Family Affair, Thank You for Talkin' to Me Africa, Time least fav: There's a Riot Goin' On

It's funk. It's soul. It swings. It's good.

Mega funk!

A messy murky brand of funk. Hard to decipher and hard to listen to at points, overall it highlights a dark time in American history that also corresponded with a dark time in Sly’s personal life. When it works, and it does quite a bit, it works so well. Side A is excellent, with the classic Family Affair and Luv N Haight and Poet. Second half has some weak spots. Overall a borderline classic for me.

Was really shocked by the yodelling

27th July 2023 Listened during the day while not working from home. Life admin day, car seat etc. Dad desk, fajitas and devil wears prada in the evening. Soulful and funky with some serious political heft behind it as Sly was going through his things.

Sweet bass lines

definitely gonna revisit

a very fun album but I wouldnt usually listen to the genre

Funky, dark and smoove. 4/5.

Good stuff

Good background music for work 4

Listened Before? No Luv N' Haight is a fuzzed out funk jam. Unsure if the fuzz was a design choice or a resource limitation, but it works great here with the screechy vocals. Just Like a Baby strips everything back for an exposed R&B style groove. Vocal distortion still present; almost certainly a choice given the cleanliness of other aspects in the recording. I'm groovin, though this song takes on a more sinister tone. Reading up on the Wiki page, this album has an interesting history, where Sly and co were being pulled by record execs and Black Panthers. This album sounds like it was largely born out of isolation and extended drug use by Sly Stone. Reading on how everything was mixed and overdubbed, it makes sense that vocals are buried and scratchy for the most part. Doing some repetitive tasks and kind of zoned out, but the intro to Brave & Strong immediately caught my attention from its sampling in Beastie Boys' 3 Minute Rule. I kind of zoned out after that, but I enjoyed all of the sounds that I'm hearing here. This is a soft 4 from my side. Different from the bright and poppy Sly hits that I know in a big way, but still damned enjoyable. 4 / 5 Added to Library? Yes

I felt bad about dismissing the last couple funks on the list as Weather Channel music, so it was really refreshing to draw this and be reminded that there's good stuff out there that is both unmistakably funk, and able to transcend that association. Still, I'm really itching for "Maggot Brain" to show up on the rotation, because so far no other group has matched how big and bold Funkadelic went with "One Nation Under A Groove"

Love me some psychedelic funk. Sly and the Family Stone rips

très funky, très bon

I thought this was really great! There was a couple of tracks I really loved ("Time" and "Just Like a Baby"). It really needs to be heard on good stereo speakers.

Hell yeah. Funky, psychedelic and DARK. What a mix. The lack of joy on this album in contrast to their earlier work makes this a much more compelling listen for me personally. There is yodelling on this album too. Crazy stuff.

I love the way this album felt. The musicianship was simultaneously technical and organic. The themes are something I can't feel the way the musicians did. It's a very cohesive album, like an opera with suites.

Really enjoyable album, I found that there weren't too many standout moments though.

ok actually me gustó bastante 8/10

Good background music for working

Impactvol album van R&B band Sly & The Family Stone. Cynische compilatie over de roerige vroege jaren '70 voor zowel de band als Amerika. Ietwat pessimistisch maar kwalitatief erg sterk en klinkt lekker. leukste nummer: Luv N' Haight Album titel(song) is een reactie op Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On?". "There's A Riot Going On" is vier seconden stilte als protest tegen rellen; de band werd beticht er een te hebben gestart met een optreden.

Classic album of course, and I did enjoy it, but overall, the songs felt a bit directionless. Running Away and Thank You for Talkin' to me, Africa were my favourite tracks by far.

Very groovy old school funk album

I mess with this album, hard. First of all, funk is one of my favorite genres and Sly and the Family Stone one of my favorite groups besides. This album is deeply funky in a darker, grittier way than their earlier work. The lyrics are deeply introspective and insightful (sad to say much hasn't changed since then!). This album is very well-crafted and is a great example of a solid studio album, meant to be listened to in one go without distractions. It's an experience, a funky ride through the civil unrest of the time period. It's not party music like their earlier, somewhat poppier music. It's mature, introspective, and meant to be savored. Also, “Thank You for Talking to Me, Africa” is a clever, dark reset of their earlier hit “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)."

Unfortunately I wasn't able to give the listen it deserved. But I'll say that, in general, I've found Sly & The Family Stone to be heavy on the groove and short on the song. I wasn't feeling that on this record. Everything I heard was really killer, from composition to performance. My gut tells me it's a 4. And I listen to my gut. Time for a sandwich.

Sly & the Family always get me in the groove. This album is slower & darker than their other earlier albums, but sometimes you need this! And so many parts of this has been sampled and covered.

I don't usually like most funk albums, but this was a noteable exception. I really liked Africa Talks to You and Spaced Cowboy.

Really good! Funky and soulful with great lyrics and vocals.

Only one real standout song. Rest of the album is good, but not memorable.

Nice old school funk

It sounds like this album was poured over itself several times to generate the layered, murky funk. You can’t exactly tell what is being said on a lot of the tracks but damn me if they aren’t funky as hell. Family Affair is definitely a stand out, and I love the artifice of doing something like the track There’s A Riot Going On, a zero second silent song whose inclusion only brings speculation on the purpose of its existence. The yodeling on Spaced Cowboy is very funny. Runnin’ Away is very catchy. Thank You for Talkin’ to Me, Africa is a great outro, incredible vibe. PS from late in the day, been listening to this artist all day, killer