There's A Riot Goin' On

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

Great musicianship across the board, and some fun songs. Not every album has to have a catchy tune, but I think this album would have more staying power (for me) if I could latch onto one song.

A very creative and dark album that feels ahead of it's time. You can hear it's influence on more contemporary artists such as Sault and D'Angelo. 4+/5

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Family affair, Smilin

Very funky and enjoyable to listen to. It's so groovy and the bass makes it all sound sort of sexy. Fave track(s): Just Like a Baby

my 16 year old self, discovering this on vinyl after reading about it, as a massive Prince and 60s fan - wow, blown away. Going back at 52 after too many years away, that opening groove - man - sensational. Can do without the odd sesame street vocal singalong moments, but otherwise...

I really like this album. On the surface it's a fun, easy going funk album but the lyrics definitely touch on more serious topics. I didn't have enough time to really dig into the lyrical content as much as I'd like because I listened to this one while working but I'll definitely spend some more time listening to it. Love the album artwork of the alternate flag Sly created as well. Standout Tracks: Luv N' Haight, Poet, Family Affair, Africa Talks to You ("The Asphalt Jungle"), Brave & Strong, Spaced Cowboy, Runnin' Away, Thank You for Talkin' to Me Africa

Fantastic album.

Loved this.. Funk for my soul!!!

Here's what I'm here to say. This is absolutely some of the tightest playing I've heard on any funk record period. This is the album that should be referenced as what playing in the pocket sounds like. Everything, from the keys, bass, guitars sound like one machine. And most of it was played by one person! Insane. I'm not getting any of the lyrics on this listen, and they're hidden, darkened, almost like the singer is trying to confess something but is somewhat timid to say. But supposedly the lyrics cast a long cynical shadow on the record. And the dark, dull, supposedly heavily overdubbed recordings add to that flavor... the record feels a little dour, even as it's some of the catchiest and funkiest playing you'll hear. I'm totally onboard. I think it's only a 4 for me because I wish the lyrics took these instrumentals to that next level, and really dug their heels in. But I'm definitely playing this album a bunch more times. It's a weirdly cozy, Sunday afternoon pleasant record to put on, dark as it is, and I'll be putting it on many more times.

It’s the Tree of Life of funk. It’s also difficult to follow, impossible to understand, and makes me think I need to take mushrooms to be on the same planet. I liked it!

Sly man, funky grooves and love from above. Deep messages and voices

Family Affair is great. The rest of the album is good, could be shorter, not quite a 5 star album for me.

Outstanding funk. 4/5

Funk has been the highlight of this album generator so far

var inte imponerad första gången ja hörde dehä men med varje nya lyssning blir det lite bättre

Honestly? Banger. Shoutout to Sly Stone not understanding the title of ”What’s Going On”

Gäng

Solid.

Funky and chill. For the first half of the album, I thought that there were a lot of sections that felt passive and weren’t as engaging, like background music. But as it went on I started liking it more. I thought the second half was great.

Fire

Solid

Funk 101

Always happy to wake up and see Sly & The Family Stone on the docket. This one is a little less upbeat and optimistic than their earlier music but still great. 4 stars.

Detta var bra! partaj tjoho.

The singles are solid gold of course. But there's more cruft and noodle on this album than I was expecting. A bit baggy and on the wig-outs, frankly a bit dull...

Classic album and still so so good

4 I really dig funk music. It just feels so cool and smooth. Sly and the Family Stone prove they are among the best in funk. When I listen to Soul/Funk I always listen to the drums and bass first and in both cases they’re on fire throughout. This also has the blown out soul fried vocals that I love. Varied enough to stay interesting and cool enough to get me to listen again. Favorites: Luv N Haight, Poet, There’s a Riot Goin On, Time, Space Cowboy

funky i like

Yeah

So FUNKY. Loved a lot of this. Also got to talk to the kids about what funk music is.

I was slightly surprised, but not totally, to learn that this was kind of a response to What's Going On. I don't think it's as good, but the passion and fury here is undeniable. Really worth spinning. B+

Dark political funk which is leaning heavily into PCP and if that's not a great combination I don't know what is. Best Tracks: Just Like A Baby; Family Affair; (You Caught Me) Smilin'

Really cool. That's it it's just really cool.

Very good early 70s funk album dripping with late 60s influence. My favorite track by far is the closer - Thank You For Talkin’ to Me, Africa. Such a fucking groove on that one!

Great funk. Amazing musicians. This is music that gets you moving.

Love the sound of Sly & The Family Stone. Love the commentary in their songs even more.

Funky

A real fun soul funk album. Plus has the best and possibly only yodelling funk song ever written in it.

Very nice, I really enjoyed it.

There is some really good music here, a little too funky for me to listen to regularly, but it's very good. Some meaningful music.

Sex

7/4 grooves funked

Love my family (stone)

Delightfully funky.

Very groovy funk stuff. Favorites: "Poet", "Family Affair", "Runnin' Away"

That is just some good shit right there. Soulful, funky, groovy,, and even some quality yodeling! Neat.

A band starting to decline, but still a solid album with some outstanding tracks.

pretty good funky sound. Enjoyed it overall.

Very groovy, did not find it as depressing as the Wikipedia page said it would be.

2nd listen- Time, Family Affair, the opening & closing tracks, stand out to me. Wish I didn’t relate as much to the, uh, retreat-into-oneself-in-the-face-of-societal-unrest themes

Out of my comfort zone, this was great

7/10. Alright

I never like this as much as I think I should. It always ends up a bit low energy for my taste. Still a solid album. 8/10

Never knew funk could be so dark. Truly a beautiful genre.

El funk en la seva forma més punyent. No basant-se només en la forma i el concepte, com Clinton i Funkadelic i tants d'altres en els anys que havien de venir, sinó prioritzant les cançons, i les lletres, acompanyant-les d'uns ritmes endiablats o seductors com poques vegades més s'ha igualat en el génere

il me faudra réécouter car quelques péripéties ont perturbé l’expérience

I enjoyed this, but it is bleak and loose. There are some pop gems on there and some very dark stuff too - it feels like 50 years on it's very relevant all over again, as the civil rights gains of previous years are once again under threat and the world seems scary again. It's not going to be on heavy rotation for me - it's a 5 for important and a 3 for enjoyable here! Also, there is one dreadful track of yodelling. Don't do drugs, kids.

Well, I've listened to Stand! a few times and liked it a lot, but I was surprised to see how this one is different, especially considering it only came out two years after it. Riot is much more hypnotic than Stand!, it's also more serious. I'm used to hear funk that's uplifting and optimistic, but this one's feel cynical, and that gives the album an emotional depth that I've rarely heard in that genre before. This is a unique album that is fully deserving its spot in this list.

I had never heard an album so funky and groovy, but at the same time so smooth and executed with restraint. A very nice discovery for me and I hope to find this one on vinyl.

First time listening to a Sly album, this one is very good, so much funk and grove but also so dark. This album has clearly been sampled a lot and inspired so much of the hip-hop music that was to follow so many years later. A great dark funk album

Top album en ook redelijk expirimenteel

This LP is definitely murkier and less punchy than "Stand!". It has that greasy sound that Exile on Main Street had, like they all got high and started jamming, though that's not possible here since the instruments were recorded separately. There's a free-form jazz influence, lots of keyboard solos and some real plucky bass playing. I guess I can presume that's Larry Graham, though Sly plays every instrument at one point or another. The longer jams I could do without and it would be a lower mark from me, if not that Family Affair is such a unique song. There was nothing before or after that sounded anything like it. In fact, Sly and the Family Stone have never sounded anything like it - maybe because he had guest musicians brought in. "Running Away" is another song that sounds nothing like the rest of the LP with it's sixties Burt B-type trumpet line that I like. "Spaced Cowboy" is cute.

An unholy and totally groovy mess. Sounds like late night sessions, alternately mellow and angry and despairing. 3.8

Nice!

2/27/22 I think this album would be great study music. For me, it feels like background kinda music, but I’m going to give it a four because I would intentionally play it again. I also really liked the use of the trumpets. Lead singer has a very groovy voice. Favorite song: Family Affair

Fantastically funky grooves. Does get a little ramble over the duration of the album.

4.75

Oh, shit yes! This is some funky stuff as I recall. Much darker and introspective than “Stand!” which is probably Sly Stone’s magnum opus- I actually prefer “There’s a Riot Goin On” because it has an edge. This is some seriously funky stuff. The lineup on this album is absolutely spectacular, it’s like a 1970s “Who’s Who” of funk legends.

2/18/2022 Today's Album: "There's A Riot Goin' On" by Sly & The Family Stone - Score: This is an incredibly groovy and bass heavy album that captures a lot of great African intrumentation, tunes, and melodies. The bass and guitar playing throughout the album is incredibly impressive and the production really brings everything to life with different percussive and funky hits appear throughout the mix. The performances are next level. These songs are extremely expressive and just about every track has a very strong aspect to it. The vocals are really great and in some instances they are brought really forward in the mix and sound really cool, like on the track Family Affair. I feel a lot of R&B and soul influence as well, with some production choices that indicate a more nuanced understanding of Black music from across a few generations. There isn't too much to say about this album outside of that. It sounds absolutely fantastic, super warm, and very very expressive. Give it a listen if you like funk, African percussion, soul, rock, or honestly just want something groovy to have on in the background. 8.5/10 Grooooovy Highlights: Just Like a Baby, Poet, Family Affair, Africa Talks to You ("The Asphalt Jungle"), Spaced Cowboy, Runnin' Away, "Thank You for Talkin' to Me, Africa", Spaced Cowboy, My Gorilla Is My Butler - Instrumental

absent the historical context, this is a great record with one too many instances of an adult man making baby sounds.

7 Saf7at Men 3l Bouheli Mte3 Dostoevsky W Sicker Now

Funky (in the best way).

I never thought I needed yodelling funk in my life, and after listening to Spaced Cowboy by Sly and the Family Stone, I realise that I was totally correct. The rest of the album, thankfully, is much better.

This album played a role in my pre adolescent burgeoning live for music. My older sister had their greatest hits album and I played it over and over again. Came to There's a Riot Going On much later and again every song is excellent. Not exactly overflowing with hits still the feel of the album makes it a classic. 4.5 🌟

Funky and disillusioned

funkadelic

Great rhythms. Lots of fun

Good chill jam album

Looking forward to getting my copy of the 50th anniversary reissue!

This put me in a pretty good mood. Helped create a chill & relaxed atmosphere, while maintaining an insane amount of musical energy.

Good tunnnneezzz. Can't decide between 4 and 5. Favorite track is probably Thank You for Talkin' to Me, Africa

Pretty good. I was expecting it to make me feel like the whitest man alive, but it didn't. So either I'm woke or I'm turning black. I really really really hope I'm not woke.

Now this was the sort of thing I was hoping for from this generator, something that fills in some of the large gaps, something I probably should have listened to by now. With that drumming, fat bass and the wah guitar, you know within 20 seconds that it's going to be a classic, even before anyone sings. The female vocals are what makes it. Some songs are better than others, I lost a bit of interest in the middle but pretty good overall.

Very cool sounding, ages well too

I liked this one. Had a lot of songs I'd already heard before, but never consciously new were by them or from this album.

Funky fresh Friday fun

Who knew funk, nihilism, and a dash of yodeling would end up as such a winning combination?

Now this is tasty, something you can really bop your head to for a while. It is a high four, as I have trouble imagining putting it on as often as a five would suggest.

This album feels very gentle, that's all that I could say about it. Soul, RnB, a bit of rock - everything comes down to a nice mix.

Amazing funk and soul album.

Some good funk goin' on. Spaced Cowboy was a weird additional.

sí me gustó :) favs: luv n haight y runnig away

Solid album. This album was made during a period of tension within the band and escalating drug use. This album is more moody than joyful, and represents a change in direction for the band. Within a few years the rhythm section would be replaced.

A fantastic musician from the 70's. Sly was just the coolest dude.

Enjoyed this one a lot. I thought it sounded quite ahead of it's time.

Good chilled rock background vibe

Good Funk album

Nice set of bass tones

It took me a minute, but I was really into this one.

Funky Funky Funky Funky Funky Funky Funky Funky Funky.

Larry Graham Jr inventor of the slap bass! Poet has a nice vibe to it and Africa Talks is a great track. Feels somewhat less upbeat than his earlier hits but super funky. Sounds like they may be using some type of drum machine which I'm not a fan of. Great album though.

Aangenaam. De leukere kant van de soul.

Very easy listening at the beggining but getting more and more into it from "Africa..." Space cowboy made me enjoy the walk to an appointement in spite of the rain. Belle découverte as we say in French

Geiler scheiß was ist das links, rechts liberal taugt auf jedenfall. Nur die Flagge auf dem Cover turnt mich komplett ab und macht mir Angst.

Melkein 4,5 tekis mieli antaa. Hyvin svengaa.

Not bad until the yodelling. First few songs were pretty good and ‘family affair’ is a classic.

Best funky. Hier wil ik meer van horen! Die bekende plaat over familie juist erg gezapig.

I've always liked Sly - he's got a unique sound.... tragic life story though

Amaaaazing!

Amazing groove, Sly!

Bastante bien como fondo para trabajar.

classic

Good and funky

Funky. I like it. 4/5

Funky, groovy

I've listened to a bunch of Sly in the past, but probably never a full album in its entirety. Brought me back to my days of trying to play bass like Flea from the RHCP and all Flea's influences, including Sly and the Family Stone.

Great.

A fun album, super funky, and I liked the whole album not just the hits.

Not quite the level of Stand! A view that might change with repeated listens, other than the two obvious standouts a lot of this just hopped along in the background.

Pretty good! Not exactly my thing but a good version of the thing it is.

Funky

If any album was need to show that the happy go lucky, love to all 60's were well and truly dead and buried it is this dark, funky, dirty, muddy album. Mixed to be almost unintelligible at times, this album ushers in the 70's predicting the tough times ahead. Brilliant.

Really liked this music.

Funky funk kinda album. Nice lil listen.

Lækre oprørsmelodier, 70’er, nationalitet, funk, groove, elguitar

Funky beyond belief

Wea nice

I can't say I'm too huge a fan of the production on this, but the songs are great. I know Sly/The Family for more the upbeat songs, but this definitely has a darker edge. Favorite tracks: "Africa Talks to You", "Family Affair", "Smilin'"

Another strong 4. Verry groovy, a couple 5-8 minute jams on here. Standout Tracks: Just Like a Baby, Africa Talks to You, Time, Thank You For Talkin' to Me, Africa

Very funky

Not too riotous

Soul, jazz funk, and even some yodelling thrown in. Family Affair is familiar, much of the remainder not. Enjoyable enough but a bit repetitive after a while.

A few stand-out tracks, but quite a lot of rambling (ed:drug fuelled?) stuff that's hard to lock in to. A disappointed 3*

Ahhhhh

Bit too much funk for me

Mid tabke

Soul and funk are not really my jam but I can see the appeal here

ar vusmendi

Sly and the Family Stone — There's a Riot Goin' On I genuinely don't understand the enormous reputation surrounding There's a Riot Goin' On. For an album so highly regarded in funk and soul, I found it astonishingly lifeless. What I hear is a collection of half-formed ideas drifting past one another, with very little sense of purpose, momentum, or payoff. The production doesn't help. The vocals are buried so deeply in the mix that they often feel almost incidental, and the lyrics don't provide the substance I expected. I went into this expecting sharp social commentary, powerful observations, or some kind of meaningful statement about the turbulent period in which it was made. Instead, I'm left with a jumble of slogans, phrases, and fragments that rarely connect into anything coherent or particularly insightful. The album's two side closers are probably the closest thing to worthwhile listening: extended funk jams that run around eight minutes each. But even those feel like missed opportunities. They meander without developing into anything especially exciting, inventive, or memorable. There's no great groove that locks you in, no particularly compelling musical idea, and no sense that the extended runtime is being used to take the music somewhere interesting. Maybe there's something historically important here that I'm simply not connecting with, but judged purely as a listening experience, There's a Riot Goin' On was a huge disappointment. I kept waiting for the album to reveal the brilliance that its reputation promised, and it never happened. Instead, I heard a murky, subdued collection of underdeveloped ideas that rarely come together as songs. For an album that is so frequently celebrated as a landmark of funk and soul, I honestly find it difficult to understand what everyone else is hearing. I'm at a loss for words as to how poorly this album comes across to me.

According to this site, funk is my favourite genre. However, I can't really get on with this slower, more laid back style. There's a Riot Goin' On is nice enough, but it doesn't do much for me.

I enjoyed this, but there was definitely a shadow to it. I read that Sly Stone was really in the throes of substance abuse for this album and most of the others after it, and it does have moments of eeriness and paranoia, as I saw it described on the album's Wikipedia page. It didn't make me feel paranoid, it made me sad. BUT there are also so many fun rhythms and catchy melodies that I really enjoyed! I appreciated the complexity here and may return to a few songs.

Luv n' haight - 3 Just like a baby - 3 Poet - 3 Family affair - 3 Africa talks to you (the asphalt jungle) - 3 There's a riot goin' on - na Brave & strong - 3 (You caught me) smilin' - 3 Time - 3 Spaced cowboy - 3 Runnin' away - 2 Thank you for talkin' to me africa - 3

Created "during a period of escalated drug use and intra-group tension." Has a musical group ever been sober and kind to each other?? Questions questions. Good just kinda whatever. Nothing's really sticking out to me. Ok I read the background and I like it more now. The context makes it better. Very funky very groovy. Why's he yodelling. Do cowboys yodel? Runnin away to get away. Would imagine that's the case. Really liking the guitar. Favourite: Time Least favourite: (You Caught Me) Smilin'/Runnin' Away

Creo que la primera impresión es muy buena de este álbum bastante interesante, movido el bajo es muy bueno tiene momentos donde es muy repetitivo, pero en general bastante interesante

Was fine, okay for background music.

Ight

Enjoyed the listen. Several song stand out, others are mid. I’d say 3.5 overall, but I’m rating down to a 3.

revolutionary

It’s all vibes and lost momentum in this album. While the music is great, the structure is doing it a disservice by making the whole thing feeling dragged out

3.5

3.5/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/sly-and-the-family-stone/theres-a-riot-goin-on/ I'm not a funky guy, so this rating should be taken with a grain of salt. I expected to dislike it a lot more than I did. There's a good groove (obviously) and quite some songs are actually truly cool. I might even enjoy this even more if I give it some more chances.

Pretty good. Funk was ace but the moody slow stuff didn't grab me at all

I have heard of this band before but only their most famous songs and none of them are on this album. So the songs themselves are completely new to me. The album is pretty much what I expected, smooth funk and soul with some really good instrumental parts. The songs weren't really that catchy though, none made me want to go back for second or third listens and I would have loved a few songs that had a bit more energy to them. As a whole the album is good but not great.

Me aburrió un poco la verdad, pero no es malo. 3 de manual

I was underwhelmed by listening to this after knowing of this album's reputation. "Family Affair" is the only song that I knew before pressing play, and while I enjoyed that song's relaxed vibe, I was hoping that the rest of the album would pick up the pace. I've been impressed by the funk albums that I have come across by doing this project, but this felt rather laid back and nowhere as near exciting and explosive as what you would find on a Funkadelic LP. The focus on this feel like it is on the politically charged lyrics and they seem to forget to make a record that will make you want to get your hips moving. "Spaced Cowboy" might have an excellent title, but the yodeling by Sly Stone is anything but. Album closer "Thank You For Talkin' To Me, Africa" is a repetitous tune that has been called one of the first dub tracks, but I found it most interesting that Turnstile seemed to have lifted their uplifting chant from the lyrics of this song over 50 years later. I understand how influential this was to the genre, but I felt it fell into background rather quickly.

Some nice funk on this album, although the production feels off; the slap bass in particular sounds a bit too compressed and often muddled for me, which might as well be a cardinal sin for this genre. 7.5/10.

6/10

I really wanted to like this more, but the muddy mix really ruined it for me

Ok.

Legal

Best Track - "Family Affair"

Vibes: 4 Instruments: 4 Production: 3 Emotional Value: 4 Storytelling: 2 Album Cover: +0 Stand Outs: Africa Talks to You, Poet Overall Rating: 3.4/5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I can just feel the relevance this album has, and how it has influenced modern music.

Deliciously funky. The recording still sounds like it was recorded in the way back times and hasn't been retouched.

Blind album, know the artist. Generic funk soul to me. Nothing caught my attention aside from the start. Slow fizzle.

Thought I would like this one more than I did. There’s some cool, funky grooves going on here, but a lot of it felt very unstructured and unfocused. Many of the lyrics were literally repetitive, almost to the point of annoyance. The album is OK, but I felt like it could have been much better. 3/5

Not bad...

Fine to have on as background music

I liked this. Just funky enough.

The app takes me to the expanded edition. Not doing that. Luckily Spotify has a standard release that is a half hour shorter. No surprises here. You know what you’re getting. I wasn’t moved in either direction.

Between not living through the Civil Rights or Vietnam War era and knowing nothing about funk and soul, I don't feel qualified to review this album. I like it well enough, though not as much as it's contemporary, "Maggot Brain". Not sure what else there is to say that someone more qualified wouldn't say better.

I know this is a really well regarded album and it sounds great on a technical level. I just couldn’t get overly into it.

#984. Not my favorite. Not terrible though. 3/5: fine.

Good jams I’d never heard before other than a couple. Would Relisten…

groovy! not what I expected.

Groovy. 3 stars

Is fine

Groovin

Groovy.

It was a pretty decent album, not anything I was super excited about but I liked it overall.

а не можна хоч шосб не американське??? шо за популізм

not totally my thing, though i did have a good time with it overall! i thought the pure instrumentals were a little weak and felt kind of aimlessly jammy to me.

idk what it was but this one just didn't grip me like most other funk albums do. the music is fine but didn't feel particularly groundbreaking, even after repeated listens. it's really just family affair + filler. i even thought i liked just like a baby but after hearing it a few times, it's more just annoying than anything. sorry sly favorites: family affair, runnin away

I love Sly. This didn't hit me like Stand did, but it's still masterful stuff by incredible artists.

Man, this thing is funky as hell!

Is the recording of this off? It almost sounds like my speakers in my brand new headphones are blown. I know it’s not the headphones in case you can’t read between the lines. It’s the high notes, specifically when the woman or the young kid is singing high. This is decent but it lacks the rush and excitement of Funkadelic.

You can smell the drugs when you listen to it. Its honestly a super depressing album but thats not what gives it three stars in my opinion. It feels like it was when the drugs ran out, and as we know, thats when things get bad. It runs on slightly too long everywhere on this record, and whilst im really struggling to word this right, it didnt sit with me. Maybe a relisten and a regrade in the future.

Pretty good album! I could groove to it

The funky souly vibe was cool, but this didn't stand out as an amazing listen.

Thoughts before listening: I feel like this is Sly Stone:s most rock album, but I might be wrong about that. Regardless, I've enjoyed everything I've ever heard from Sly so I'm sure this will be great. Review: Actually, this is less of a rock album and leans much more into funk and soul styles. Lots of deep grooves going on here in these songs, but I am missing some of the psychedelic rock of the other albums I've heard. Some of the songs get a little out there, which seems to be largely attributed to Sly's drug use at the time. I'd say I like this, but it's not my favorite from Sly...or from the genre for that matter. 3-stars

I felt this was kinda un even. Some great amazing grooves and instrumation but the song felt they were missing something and lacked direction. Reading the history of the album it's understandable why, but still can't take away it's good too listen too and has some great funk and soul to it.

Algo relajado, bueno para una reunión de amigos.

Funky soul, is always cool, but for some reason this felt kind of underwhelming. Some very neat bass playing though

Kind of underwhelming? I feel like it would’ve been better if I had really sat with the lyrics but on a first listen it just felt like something was missing. I did like a lot of the instrumentals though, very funky

this is the most non-threatening riot I've ever heard they shouldn't even be allowed to call this a riot

I can see why this album is considered important, but it doesn’t do that much for me personally. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘢 𝘙𝘪𝘰𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘪𝘯’ 𝘖𝘯 has a very distinctive sound — murky, weary, and almost deliberately worn down. That gives it a character of its own, but it also makes it a harder listen than I expected. There are moments where the atmosphere really works, yet as a whole the album never fully pulls me in. I don’t dislike it, and I can appreciate what it’s trying to do, but by the end I’m left more impressed by its reputation than by the music itself.

It’s really good but I wasn’t really able to get into it

Meh

Well, I can now say I’ve listened. Nothing bad about it. It’s just not my thing.

Nice to get another Sly & The Family Stone album in the collection, although I'll admit that it doesn't add much to "Stand!", especially without any breakout hits. On the other hand, outside of "Family Affair" the entire album was new to me, and while they're not as funk-tastic as George Clinton's various projects (especially so on this album), it's still a strangely compelling album overall despite generally muddy mixing/production. My favorites were probably "Family affair", the odd pairing of "Time" (with a painful attack on "Everyday people") and "Spaced cowboy", and "Thank you for talkin' to me Africa", the bleak riff to their earlier (and perhaps slightly more optimistic) "Thank you" single. I particularly like it that the album was renamed from "Africa Talks to You" to its current title as a reaction (and answer) to Marvin Gaye's just released "What's Going On"; I guess the increasingly strung-out, paranoid and estranged Sly didn't feel as optimistic as Gaye (or else he was just pissed at being blamed for a "riot" in Chicago at Grant Park).

Cool! I would throw this on in the background to create a chill, funky and low-key atmopshere. Production felt intentional and well executed. Favorite Tracks: Luv N' Haight Just Like a Baby Runnin' Away

Some solid songs for sure but as a whole I thought it was just alright.

This was a fun vibe to have on in the background

I like

Liked it.

It's ok. There are some good moments when they the band locks in to a groove. But too often goes on for too long without really doing anything different.

There's a Riot Goin' On has interesting funk rhythms, emotional songs, and a special atmosphere. However, the slow pace and muddy sound make some tracks harder to enjoy, so the album feels more important than entertaining despite its lasting influence and several memorable musical ideas throughout.

Come

Not a fan of funk, but was positively surprised. Still not my favorite record but good nonetheless.

I find it’s a good album but is not my 100% style!

Sly & The Family Stone made some really great songs. But except for Family Affairs this album - in my opinion - is not so very interesting.

Spaced Cow-boy 🤠 bons morceaux

Good casual grooves

Je comprends un peu les thèmes, l'impact culturel. Ce que j'aime moins c'est le côté jam un peu informe. Beaucoup de tounes qui sont monoriff et un peu longues/monotones. Sly c'est tout qu'un chanteur par contre J'ajouterais que la toune Spaced Cowboy avec le yoddle c'est assez buzzé merci Bon finalement j'ai commenté et jugé trop vite, il y a des tounes avec formes plus structurées à mesure que l'album avance ex Runnin away

When I first saw that this would be Sly & the Family Stone, I was excited! But this album was a little slower than I was anticipating.

got a good funk. on the fence but the worse songs brought it down.

I liked Family Affair. Had a nice vibe to it. Brave & Strong got some cool funk vibes to it. And (You Caught Me) Smilin’ caught me at the perfect time so it was a real good vibe. Just the right amount of funk weird energy to make me happy.

Wasn’t a huge fan at first, but then the end of the album Lwk fire. Very groovy instrument work.

Not bad, a pretty fun listen.

Fav song - Family Affair Very groovy, vocals have old recording artifact sound.

It’s ok

Some good songs here. 3.5

I can see how this is an iconic album and it is definitely easy on the ears, I just prefer music with more lyrics.

Funky

Generally liked the overall funky, groovy vibe. And while some songs were great, others definitely didn't hit with me.

Drug addled funk going on

Funky bass lines always slap. Well I guess only sometimes they're slapped ;)

I may have heard this before, I liked the fuzzed out sound, but some of the longer tracks overstay. Might be missing something on this one, or could just be this listening. 3.5 rounded down Heard before? Some Owned: No: 68/274 (24%) Will I get: Maybe

Kinda cool but I probably wont return to anything on this

A good album, but one that washed over me a bit. A more downbeat funk is interesting, and certainly responds to the context of the U.S. in 1971. Family Affair is of course a classic, but it became a bit too samey for me. With a livelier sound that would have detracted less, but when there’s less vitality to the album it did impact my enjoyment more. Worth a listen, but didn’t grip me.

The one I listened to was silent, but im into the vibes of their other songs!

I enjoy a good funk record.

This was ok. Not as funky as I was expecting it to be.

very funky

I thought I would enjoy this album much more than I did but it just didn’t quite hit the spot. Still enjoyable enough though.

Psychedelic funk, avant-soul, avant-pop, deep funk, psychedelic soul.

This is perfectly pleasant 70s music with some Music FM bangers but it definitely drags a bit.

Funky soulful album, enjoyed it as a soundtrack to the train journey home

I wanted to like this more than I did. Plenty of it was good, but there was some stuff on here that really felt like a downgrade compared to the rest (Spaced Cowboy was probably the worst track for me). As a whole, it was a bit weird and felt almost disjointed. It's hard for me to put my finger on any specific reason for not loving this. It has a lot of things that I like: it's got funk, it's got groove, it's got some compelling material presented honestly. But it just falls a little short for me. I still thought it was good, just not much more than that. Overall: 2.9/5

This was fine it didn't really grab me

Preddy good!

This was an interesting listen. It was pretty hard funkin’ but with a bit of a psychedelic edge to it. These guys are kind of like the Grateful Dead of funk music but maybe more of a rough and tough version of P-Funk. They have a lot of great songs in a lot of different styles and you can tell that when played live these songs have the potential to be stretched out quite a bit. I saw these guys open for Prince in the early 2000’s and enjoyed them a lot. After listening to this album I feel like I understand them better now.

Funky music for vegetarians. No meat on it at all.

Good to chill out to.

maybe have to listen again at night

2026.04.21-22.

5.5/10

This was exactly what I expected - a fun, funky ride on Easter Sunday. While nothing really stood out for me, it was a solid album. Lisa said 4. I’ll remain at 3/5

Bra, men inget mästerverk. Ofta överskattad i tidningar och listor över bästa album.

3 out of 5. That's some good funk.

Good music from that time

Le funk, très peu pour moi. Je distingue très mal les différences entre ça et Parliament par exemple. Et comme musique de fond c'est bien, mais sans plus.

Good album , lost me in the finale tracks, but generally i had fun. 3.5/5

Album 77 Top 3 favorites off the album: Family Affair, Spaced Cowboy, Runnin' Away Good people, I have returned! I can't guarantee I will be as good about listening as I was before, but I will try. It's been a while, so bear with me. The change in vocal and guitar quality towards the end of Just Like a Baby was a nice break from what was becoming a repetitive, albeit not unpleasant, listen. The added roughness was nice. I really started getting into it around Poet and Family Affair. I enjoyed the instrumental break in the middle of Africa Talks to You; the layering was interesting. I got a little lost in it for a minute. A lot to pick apart there sound-wise. Spaced Cowboy had just enough harmonica. Perhaps I need to go back and hate on Bob Dylan's amount of harmonica just a little more... the jury's still out on that one. Overall, the groove is excellent (duh). I had a hard time picking my top three this time around. I spent a lot of time rearranging my ranking. Right up until posting this, actually. That came as a surprise because... ...the beginning of my original review for this was something to the effect of, "it's good as background music." Coming back with fresh ears has made this a lot more fun. Each song has a unique character that I appreciate more than I did a few months ago. I'm glad I took a break. I would give this album an extra half star if I could. Life updates prompting my return: I have gotten into grad school with a job that covers tuition and pays a small stipend, and I'm hoping to have housing figured out in the next week or so (otherwise, it's the cardboard box deluxe suite I'm afraid). Unfortunately, this now means I have Senioritis: Working Adult Edition where I have two more months of work before I move.

No przyjemne to. Ale znowu - przyjemne i nic więcej. Lekkie, wesołe, unosi nad ziemię, łagodzi troski, ale tylko na chwilę. Wiem, że ta muzyka ma głębie, rozumiem to, ale do mnie ona nie dociera. 6.5/10 równane w dół.

3 - decent and funky but felt lacking

I was going in expecting to like it more than I did. Not sure why but the mix and the tempo seemed "off" somehow, even on the songs I know. I must have heard a different remix which I liked better than was on this album. Just OK

Honestly liked it more than I thought I would. I'm not really into funk, and kind of ambivalent towards the songs I already know by Sly & The Family Stone, but not only does the band transcend funk, blending with R&B, soul (AND COUNTRY), as well as 'classic rock', culminating in something a bit more fun and fancy free than I was expecting. There's A Riot Goin' On is definitely a relaxed sunny day album. Good vibes all round, however I don't know how often I would return to it. Highlights: "Spaced Cowboy"

Good background listen but not a ton stood out.

Funky, but fails to hold my attention. Whilst that may be more a reflection of my terrible attention span, nothing in this album really jumped out at me. Always do like funky vibes though.

Some of the loud noises are HARSH. That costs them a point. Otherwise a good album. Spaced Cowboy was quite silly.

Por fin un álbum psicodélico que no solo logré terminar, sino también que no odié tener que escucharlo en el proceso. ↑: Luv N' Haight; Just Like a Baby; Time; Thank You for Talkin' to Me, Africa ↓: Spaced Cowboy, Runnin' Away

hay canciones que me gustan mucho más que otras, igual está piola el álbum en general.

I like this album but maybe not as much as I expected to. It's good solid funk and soul but it just kind of lacks something. I do appreciate that it is a little darker and more serious but it kind of lost something else, I can't really explain what. It's got some nice grooves and the lyrics are great and the musicianship is top notch. It just seems like there's something missing, although there is some...yodeling. What the hell? 3.5/5 and rounding down because it lacks whatever it is that would make it rate higher.

Too funky for me. ★★★