Reviews (page 7 of 8)
What riot? I didn’t hear any riot.
I kind of expected more from an album with such status. But then again, the status it is afforded seems to be based more on its contribution to civil rights rather than it's musicality. It is a very unremarkable soul/funk album. It's alright, but it's nothing mindblowing. Once you've heard one fiddly little guitar line or horn blare then you've heard them all. So much of it sounded like filler or background music. I was completely underwhelmed and confused as to how this album had built up such a legacy. I guess what they had to say regarding civil rights was important, but they could have said it with a less monotonous, less bland album of throwaway music. The bass lines are excellent, however. It's just aside from the subject matter, the songs lack any sort of substance, it's very loose and ramshackle, it feels like the whole album was improvised on the spot with the occasional vocal ooooh or aaaahhh thrown in wherever.
Yeah I guess, I kind of felt nothing as I listened to this
Of course, Family Affair is a fantastic song. I love the funky Bass, and I really wanted to like the rest of the album. The rest of the album is kind of monotonous. It would make good background music if you were in the mood.
I do like several of their songs but this album was a bad recording and didn't really grab me.
Wanted to like
Bruh
itas okay but not for me
meh
2/5 Best Song: Poet Worst Song: Family Affair Weirdest Song: Spaced Cowboy Honorable Mention: None There'a a boring album goin' on. Desperately needs more instrumental solos. Not much to write home about.
Decent
Not my taste in music but some songs were enjoyable and bought me back to the 70s. An ok listen for me.
I enjoyed this when I was out walking Bart, but wouldn’t throw this on on my own. Partially cuz I hear this genre everyday at work
Very funky, but not really my thing.
When this one popped up, I was pretty excited. Wasn't familiar with the album, but a big fan of funk and really dig what I'd heard of them previously. But this one just didn't cut it. Felt like an emotionless zombie walk at times, or at least a cheap imitation of the other material is heard from them. Still a 2.5/5, but rounded down out of disappointment.
Variety: 2 Adequacy: 3 Listenability: 3 Uniqueness: 2 Emotionality: 2 = 2.4 rounded down to 2 "I'm so tired, I haven't slept a wink / I'm so tired, my mind is on the blink." Think I might only be familiar with the one song off of this. The group has a lot of good stuff, but I think I've mainly experienced them via radio and compilations. The hits are great, but honestly don't have much of an opinion otherwise. THE TRACKS Side one "Luv n' Haight" - A lot going on here, but nothing really captured me. Enjoyable enough in the moment, but nothing too hooky or memorable when it was over. "Just Like a Baby" - This opens up like a depressed Stevie Wonder wandered over to the keyboard and decided to half heartedly fiddle around, and it never really leaves that arena. Fine, but again nothing too memorable. "Poet"- Yikes. Three very middle of the road tracks in a row. Starting to worry about this one. "Family Affair" - Here we go. Nothing bad to say about this other than I was surprised at how short it was. Been a while since I heard it, and in my mind it's like pushing 6 minutes. Sly's delivery is very low key and almost languid throughout, but he never feels tired or exhausted. "Africa Talks to You 'The Asphalt Jungle'" - This lazy river ride of a track showcases some fine playing, but found my interest waning about halfway through. "There's a Riot Goin' On" --- Side two "Brave & Strong" - This is a move in the right direction, and more of what I was expecting to hear on this album. Strong funk number, but not sure if it's enough to bring us up out of the deep well. "(You Caught Me) Smilin'" - This was nice as well. It felt much more like a whole composition, and not just a jam session. "Time" - And the doldrums return hard and heavy here. This isn't awful by any means, but damn, man... Either shit or get off the pot. I'd much rather hear this as a full throated soul barn burner. But instead it feels like an afterthought. "Spaced Cowboy" - On an album full of stuff that sounds like improvised ham sessions, this feels the most like that. "Runnin' Away" - Light breezy upbeat bit of cotton candy with a dark, despairing center. Almost kind of nihilistic vibes here. Nothing matters, and you're going to fail a everything, but at least the sun is shining and the bluebirds are singing. "Thank You for Talkin' to Me Africa" HIGHLIGHTS - "Family Affair" - "Brave & Strong" - "(You Caught Me) Smilin'" - "Runnin' Away" MIDLIGHTS - "Luv n' Haight" - "Just Like a Baby" - "Poet" - "Africa Talks to You 'The Asphalt Jungle'" - "Time" LOWLIGHTS - "Spaced Cowboy" FINAL THOUGHTS Overall this just felt kind of lifeless and downbeat compared to what I was expecting. Kind of half baked, like Sly had some top tier musicians, but not enough material for them. Would be very interested to read more about the production of this. I may be WAY off the mark. Go listen to Stand! instead. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Just the highlights FURTHER LISTENING - Stand! by Sly & The Family Stone - Cabbage Alley by The Meters - Last Days and Time by Earth, Wind & Fire - Maggot Brain by Funkadelic - The Wild Tchoupitoulas by The Wild Tchoupitoulas
I spent most of my time hating the sound quality of the vocals on this album. I enjoy the funk/soul vibes but I couldn't get past the poor recording quality and sometimes just uninspired lyrics.
finding this pretty boring
Not sure why this is considered a classic. It’s full of half baked ideas and drunken noodling from the greatest period of sly’s drug and alcohol use that killed the band. Easy to see why. ⭐️⭐️
A lot of pointless, meandering songs. Very annoying, to be honest. 2/5
The overall sound is cool but like with the other Sly album I’ve done from the list, no songs really stand out. It’s like a great improvisation group were asked to record stuff. Lots of small cool parts but nothing that makes me want to put the album on.
meow
I guess there's no need for me to guess where this album comes from, huh? The genre is a different story. Where the album cover firmly instills the image of a hard rock album, the title makes me think of something more along the lines of folk. Guess I'll go halfway and hedge my bets on blues. Here goes. Funk. Soul. Oh well - I was more or less there. This was a dull listen. I give the oldie genres the fairest shakes that I possibly can, yet I always wind up being disappointed by 'em. What more can I say? Funk just isn't my style. That being said, I suppose I respect this. The rumbling, bassy sound is decently engaging, and its paired well with that slow, methodical vocal style. The music is competent - it just becomes unengaging after a while due to how pedestrian it is. For that reason, I was somewhat bored while listening to this album. Book time. Reflective of the 1960s civil rights movement. The frontman took a lot of drugs while making this album. Miles Davis supposedly contributed his trumpet to this album. A pivot within the band's sound. "...a bruised, funky howl of soul under pressure." Wikipedia says this album garnered a mixed reaction from critics at the time of release, but has since received a glowing reappraisal. It also topped the US charts and performed decently in Canada and the UK, but nowhere else. Outside of Stevie Wonder, I'm pretty sure this is the first funk album I've listened to on the list. For that reason, I'm keen to let this one go through. I cosign this inclusion.
Got this two days after What’s Going On It’s not much better
Before my local pub shut down when its lease expired, it had open decks nights where amateur DJs would bring their record collections along and play them in one hour slots. I heard so much Sly Stone and Funkadelic during those evenings and it was... just fine. Listening to this on headphones today without a few beers inside me, and it's... just fine! Just without beer.
Not my cup of tea.
Don't really get the point of this? Feels lazy.
This was generally boring. More than I expected. One big hit.
Didn’t like this one very much unfortunately
One that washed over me.
There’s A Riot Goin’ On got some decent seventies funk goin’ on. Well known songs are Family Affair and Thank You for Talkin’ to Me (which aren’t that good.) Best song is Africa Talks To You followed by the two instrumentals at the end of the Expanded Edition. List worthy album, like Sly and his Family Stone more after the listen. (
I prefer a slyer Sly and more gemstones from the family. There's a Riot Goin' On may be influential and daring for the time it was released but did not bring the impact intended when listening today. I get that any album may lose that as it ages, obviously times change. For me, Africa didn't say much. Some long songs with not a lot of content. Darker, drugged induced Sly ain't for me. I like the earlier, fun stuff. This record is getting a low 1.55 stars this go around.
Not sure what the hubbub is about Sly & The Family Stone. I always hear about them as a flagship soul/funk band. If this is some of the best they have to offer I don't feel like I've been missing out really. There's A Riot Goin' On is some pretty basic soul/funk jams with limited vocals and variation as far as I could tell. Maybe it works if you are chilling in the living room on a quiet weeknight with nothing else to do I guess. Family Affair was probably the best song but even that was pretty forgettable as soon as I got through it. I imagine this is credited with paving the way and influencing future acts but it did little to convince me to come back to Sly well at all. Maybe I'm missing something here but this was mostly a miss for me dog. 1.84 stars
Sly and the Family Stone's "There's a Riot Goin' On" is one of the most powerful unintentional anti-drug statements in music history. Sly Stone's drug use ruined the band and this album.
Background music
Didn't change my mind about funk. 2 stars
Boring
Not bad enjoy the funk. Some pretty dark lyrics.
Not sure on this one tbh. I can respect it, but it sounds pretty dated now with all the wacka wacka guitar. Not really enjoying it. 2
Funky, but insufficiently purposeful.
Better than I expected but it’s not my taste, to be honest.
just faded to the edge of my hearing, background noise very uninteresting.
Took 2 attempts to listen to this, and neither time did I pay attention. It quickly became background music. It does mean that equally there's nothing bad nor good about it. Solid meh.
Nothing here I want to hear again.
This was sort of a slog for me, probably because I spent yesterday listening to A Day To Remember and Rosalía (i'm a true vaas now), so lo-fi funk was just not engaging enough for me to really enjoy it. A relisten in the right mood would likely bump this to a 3, driven by songs like Family Affair and Runnin' Away. But today, this is a 2.
Jamiroquai inspo? Hört sich gut an aber nicht spannend. 2 würd ich sagen
From the concert and album title I was expecting punk rock, instead I got the chillest of funk. This all sounds like backing tracks that would feature in a montage in a blaxploitation film where a detective goes into a bunch of stores and asks if they've seen a car or a girl or something. It's not bad, but it does feel like listening to muzak.
Funk, but this one kinda fell flat for me. Not much to it.
There wasn’t much I liked about this album. It was dated and two repetitive and just not enjoyable.
No es mi estilo
2.5
Groovy but lacks the momentum of other Sly songs like Renegade.
Felt like it might improve with repeated listening, only just scraped a 2 to be honest.
Aika kokeellista funkkia. Kappaleet tuntui tosi sekavilta, eikä sillein kauhean miellyttäviltä. Levyn erikoisuus 0 sekuntia kestävä hiljainen kappale. Parhaat: Thank You for Talkin' Me Africa
I can appreciate that there is probably something great here I just really did not hear or feel it. It was rough to get through this one.
The instrumental performances and the production are great, but the album felt like a series of disjointed funk jam sessions interrupted by silences, rather than series well structured song arrangements building into a singular album. While I liked the vocal harmonies, I felt they the lyrics were being more cryptic than clever. "Family Affair" was the only redeeming song for me even if it was a bit too lyrically repetitive.
Did not appreciate this sound very much.
Verses are way too long for my liking. Not even my taste.
Tolerable
WTF! Where's the riot? Weed music.
81/1001 First listen. Not my vibe. 3/10
Meh. Normal music, I could tolerate it playing in the background
Jeg fandt ikke referencen så albummet har ikke fanget mig som jeg håbede.
I think Stand is one of the greatest pieces of pop music in the history of Western music. So Riot, regardless of context, will and must suffer in comparison. Running Away, Brave and Strong and of course Family Affair are great. But the rest of it feels muted, like Sly stopped having fun. Methinks the drugs got in the way, I know that is easy to say, but there is something not quite right with this record. And getting rid of Greg Errico was a big mistake. It's an ok record, nothing like the genius of Stand.
Really good luv n haight and family affair both go crazy
60s-70s Funk? Not really my thing
I don’t have the music vocabulary to describe this properly, but it felt like a lot of the instruments blended together in a way that made it feel flat. That’s something I really don’t like in music for whatever reason.
il je dosadno il je naporno, većinom potonje. predzadnja i zadnja pjesma nešto podnošljivije, al prekasno je tad. prekmično za mene sve u svemu
Ich habe wirklich versucht, es zu mögen, aber ich fand es ziemlich langweilig... und da war ein Cowboysong.
Funk isn’t really for me
1,5
Cool album, great sound. Couldn't get into it and sounded a bit samey after a while
I was surprised I didnt enjoy this more. Not many hits, a lot of songs that were more cutesy than I wpuld have thought. Not bad, but no real standouts. Overall- fine. 2.5/5
Funk ist etwas für GTA Soundtracks und Tarantino Filme. Aber nichts für mich
I like some of Sly's big hits, but this was pretty sleepy.
Inte min kopp te.
Good first song, but the rest kind of ran together.
alright-ish but not especially exciting to me. sometimes funk stuff hits for me (but I'm never wild for it), and sometimes it misses.
Creo que el Funk definitivamente no me gusta, no implica que sea racista, pero creo que no estoy en esa iglesia. No
I was hoping for some more uptempo groovy songs and was left disappointed.
Thought I was going to enjoy this more
Ok
meh, 2/5
Things that could be described as "funky" that I enjoy: coffee, sour beers, blue cheese. Music is not one of them. I did not like this. Don't make me pick a favorite song. 2/5
2.5 Look I appreciate and recognize Sly’s talent and artistry, but damn, there’s barely a hummable tune, a catchy hook here. I don’t really like any of the songs on this album! More than any other album on this list, this album sounds depressed. Sly seems like he’s going through something here. It’s emo funk. The last song is literally just a downtempo version of one of their biggest hits from another album.
2-3
I'm sure for funk fans this was a life changing album but I don't see me listening to it much - glad I had the opportunity to listen
Musta tuntuu että tää oli jotenki merkittävä mut en ihan tajunnu sitä. Ei oo oikeestaan valitettavaa mutta kesti monta päivää kuunnella. Sanoisin että hyvää musiikkia, mutta ei aivan mun makuun.
It's okay. But sort of too meandering for my taste.
еще один ничем не запомнившийся мне альбом((( музыка надоедает
I can appreciate Sly for what it is, but it isn't really my go to. 2.5/5
it's definitely a funk album of all time
still no music for me to listen to for an entire album
The Good: It’s a family affair! The Bad: It’s a family affair… The Ugly: Family affairssss… I never understood what the big deal is with Sly and his stone family… This album did nothing to change my mind… I listened to it. I feel like I didn’t accomplish anything meaningful by doing so… funk is overrated, as far as I'm concerned—unless Stevie Wonder does it! So, emblematic album, yes, should someone listen to it, yes, and am I breaking grammar rules by placing all the previous in one sentence, yes! 2 1/2*
First real surprise disappointment. I didn’t connect with this really at all. I even listened twice! I know I love some of their music.
I can't stand funk and soul
Nada acontece, o disco não decola. Como fica explicitado em suas duas faixas mais longas: "Africa Talks To You" e "Thank You For Talkin' To Me Africa", onde a melodia curta se repete infinitamente, sem nenhuma progressão ou mudança de tom. Mas o pior mesmo são os vocais repletos de gemidos e grunhidos. De positivo a bateria acústica, tentando seu espaço entre as baterias eletrônicas e o baixo se sobrepondo, embora um pouco agudo (estalado) em demasia.
Ik snap de omschrijving funk. De basiselementen zijn aanwezig. Maar de funk-ervaring heb ik zelf niet. Soms is het te chaotisch, soms te gemaakt. Maar de zang leidt mij het meeste af. Zoals bij de hit Family Affair. Eerst een dame die prima op een latere eurodance-plaat terecht had kunnen komen. Dan de rauwere man, die nauwelijks zingt en zijn stem wat laat overslaan. En dan wisselen ze af in het refrein. Niet om aan te horen. Ze trekken het volledig uit elkaar. Het is vast bewust met een diepere reden. Een reflectie van familierelaties of iets dergelijks. Prima, maar geen reden om het na vandaag nog eens aan te zetten.
..
2/5 Niet echt mijn smaak maar best goed Rip Sly
Not a fan. I think all of the songs just fall flat for me. The main reason is the production, especially the drums which sound so thin and empty on most songs. The bass tone also has so much high end so it takes up no space in the mix. I think the songs are missing a clear direction and instead they just drag on without much purpose. My favorite track would have to be Runnin away because I think it's fairly well written, the guitar tone is pretty good, and the horns sound nice.
Thought it was more interesting to read about than listen to, sounded...ok...didn't feel the energy to want to go back though
I like that this record exists, I just don’t really want to have to listen to it. I can enjoy stretches of it in the right mood, but it’s the kind of record I’d rather read about than actually listen too. Spaced Cowboy was a right shocker though - yodelling should be left to Focus, or better still, just left.
This album good, but everything I was hearing about the record told me it was gonna be great. And if I’m being honest, I just couldn’t see it in a GREAT light. I thought that the record would be very clean and well put together, but I felt like it didn’t hold up to that standard. It he vocals were very hard to hear and the mix wasn’t very smooth. Some songs were better than others, but I felt like it could have been a lot better than people were saying it was gonna be.
It wasn't unpleasant, but it was kind of boring. I feel 2 stars is fair.
Sly is a legend, but I just couldn’t get into this album
sounds a bit too aged to me and is not really my jam.
Ihan kivaa jammailua, mutta juu, jammailua. Bassot on vallan mukavia. Mut kaipais jotain hendrixmäistä koukkua. Runnin’ away on hyvää poppia vaihteluksi. Mutta vähän haukotuttaa kuunnella tätä enemmän kuin puoli tuntia.
A disappointing experience. Plenty of rhythm, noodeling and repetition. Not what I hoped for considering the cast, neither what I like.
i preferred the other record from this group more than this one. felt a little meandering to me personally.
Good early funk, and a solid listen. I liked Stand! a lot more than this one. 2/5
Just because there are nice grooves doesn’t mean that it’s that much more listenable. Songwriting matters.
Ik had gister (of eigenlijk eerder, maar toen pas geluisterd) die broertjes Alleman, die dagen lang aan 1 snaar konden plukken en dit voelt een beetje als de soul variant daarvan. Sommige liedjes blijven maar duren en duren en duren met als hoogtepunt dat er een aantal man maar wat loopt te mompelen. Semi-onvoorbereid, vul ik even in. Ik noem een 'Africa Talks to You' van 8 minuten. Ik zal niet zeggen dat ze geen muziek kunnen maken, want het is zeker goede muziek gemaakt door mensen die hun vak beheersen, maar man man man wat kan ik me soms vervelen bij zoiets. Als album is dit voor mij veel te veel van het goede en dat ligt helemaal aan mij. Spotify probeerde er ook stiekem weer een bonusversie van een uur plus in te fietsen. Wat dat betreft moet ik waakzaam blijven. Ik geef 2 sterren ook al is dit zeker geen slechte muziek.
okay vibes but i didn't really fw it
I thought this was a cool album, but parts of it really put me to sleep. With just a smidge more energy it wouldv'e been an awesome listen, but it just did not do it for me
He was funkin towards the begining but the second half lost the funk.
A little disappointed with this one after really liking “Stand”. Felt a little slow.
I just don't get it, lots of glowing reviews on here but this one isn't for me
Nah. It's whatever, I suppose. It's supposed to be funk, but it's like, elevator music funk. There's a couple funky bass lines, but it's not that deep down, dirty, nasty, STINKIN' funk. Kind of boring, to be honest. I don't hate it, I just don't want to ever listen to it again.
Funky bass lines but generally not my groove
Another album which manages to revive bad memories. Primarily Thursday nights at the local Mecca Club where music on this album and similar would be played. Fortunately at that time I would be normally drunk so would generally have enough confidence to dance to it in the hope of attracting a young lady. But as these Thursday nights were billed as “Grab a granny night” you can possibly understand my reasoning for bad memories. That aside the music itself I could put up with as a means to an end at the Mecca but in the sober cold light of day I classed it just as bad as the headache and sketchy recall of the events the previous night which involved a ‘beautiful’ eight pinter. 2/5 11/12/24
Mehh not my style
Just not my thing man
could not get into this could i write poetry to this? n
Not for me. There were some bits that had a fun groove. I like Sly's voice. Overall though nothing at all in this album grabbed me for more than a few moments
I didn't hate this album, I just didn't think it was very good.
It's been over a year since I reviewed Stand!, but I've been looking forward to this album quite a bit. Stand! wasn't really my jam, but I thought it was a really good album from a critical standpoint, and I gave it four stars. I know that this album is supposed to be even better, so I have pretty high expectations. Let's get political and militant on a Saturday morning! This album was a pretty big letdown for me. Musically, it was fine; the funk sound was done well, and it was pleasant enough to listen to. However, it did get pretty boring and repetitive, especially on the two longer songs. Also, the I felt every minute of this album's 45 minute plus runtime. This album felt like it just limped along the whole time, which was really disappointing given its reputation. For an album with riot in the title, it felt more like a campfire sing-along. Lyrically, I expected something with a straightforward approach to social and political issues, but the lyrics on this album were pretty abstract and didn't really say much in my opinion. For all of the hype surrounding this album, I was pretty disappointed and bored.
It seems like I should like this one more, but I'm afraid funk doesn't intrinsically work for me in large doses. I don't have any particular criticism of this album, but it wasn't for me. Maybe if I had listened to it on a different day... 2.4
Certainly a lot going on throughout. But I did lose interest a bit, despite everything seeming to be thrown in. Am not an expert on this genre ... but I found the vocals odd at times, and the music just a tad jarring. Actually, the more I listened the less stars I felt inclined to give.
Groovy and groovy. Oh wait.. if I can’t think of more than one word to describe this album, it can’t be all that good.
At its best, it’s fairly boring funk. At its worst, it’s a directionless jam with some weird musical choices like yodelling? Not sure about this. Luv N’ Haight & Runnin’ Away were the only tracks I enjoyed really.
Sly & the squeezing of the family stones. 90% of this album is someone peeking a microphone while making noises that I can only describe as guttural. The backing music instruments while nice but are a bit generic and kind of forgettable. All I could hear from the drums was that they were using drum machines which is kind of crazy for 71’. Another background album to background music too. 4/10
Surprisingly mild.. I expected more energy in either a positive of negative directions here (considering the group was having many internal struggles at this point). The album ends up just being kinda repetitive and not all that interesting. 4/10
Dont really listen to soul or funk so not for me. The yodling on Spaced Cowboy was a surprize
Not for me. The funky elements were fun at first, but most songs felt dragged out and messy. Had a hard time focusing on the groove and just got a headache :(
Sly & The Family Stone are the biggest disappointment of this entire project. 2.3
Just thought it really dull
Okay sounding funk, but a mostly uneventful album that felt like it took too long
Jam band stuff isn't quite my thing, but if it was, this album would blow my socks off. The band is loose but tight all at once and there's an immediate vibe to the record. I get it why this is on the list. My one quibble was the singer had tons of swagger but not much voice to back it up and I'm curious if that was a result of the intense lifestyle the band was reportedly living at the time. Anyway, this was good! Glad I finally got to check out what's the big deal about Sly and the Family Stone.
This album was funky, It was OK but nothing more. It couldn’t keep my concentration and became a background sound. This is not one I would listen to again Favourite song: Family affair Least favourite: The instrumentals towards the end of the album Album artwork: American
It was okay
Weak in relative terms (doesn’t hold a candle to Stand!(per the write-up: for obvious reasons)); strong in absolute terms (it’s good!)
I like Sly and the Family Stone. I picked the wrong day to listen to it and wasn't feeling it. I like though that this album at least tended to put as much emphasis on the music as it did the lyrics and singing.
This one wasn't a hit for me. 2/5
First listen. Ok.
some solid instrumentals just goes on wayy too long and gets stale
Not bad but really my taste
Might be a seminal album for the funk genre but it felt kind of meh listening, like I’ve heard it all before. Also a little cringe, especially with family business 5/10
This one is just okay. Sly (and his family) are fun, but this can't be their best album.
Basic funk
Just not my thing
Thought I'd love this then I got a bit bored tbh
The music was good but the lyrics were odd
I get why people like this but I don't
Thought I would like this more than I did…oh well!
Don’t like it
actually hated everything. the music, the vocals, the lyrics appreciate historically tho YNN
Great band, shit album 3/10
Enjoyed it slightly more than the other Sly album I got a few weeks ago…
In my memory they sounded better. Is it me?
Honestly nothing stuck out to me about this album. Perhaps I didn't listen closely enough, but nothing really stuck out to me.
No está mal. Debería volverlo a escuchar. Me ha sorprendido Runnin' Away, pero no puedo decir que sea imprescindible para mí.
Very much of its time, and most of the songs didn’t really hold my attention.
Some songs sound so terribly low-quality that they’re almost unlistenable. Basically missing everything that you want from a funk/soul album.
Funky. Packt mich aber nicht.
I didn’t like as much as I was hoping to. Not quite as funky not quite as soul as expected. A couple tracks were kind of just… weird.
Þetta er mest megnis slappt, fyrir utan náttúrulega aðal bangerinn, Family Affair.
Spaced Cowboy was my favorite track. That's not saying much.
I like Sly. I like what they did for Music during the 60's and 70's. But this album is a snoozefest.
Expected more, kinda dull album
Schwer aushaltbarer Psychedelic Funk.
Ok, I liked the funk element.
Its really not as good as you think its going to be.
A bit boring if I'm being honest.
получше, но в целом всё равно залупа
Folksy and fun. Not really my style, but I can see why they're famous.
2.5/5
Este disco condensa y resume los años 70. Otra cosa es que te se resumen sea necesario. No te miento, este disco huele raro. Como a plástico, laca y sudor.
real soul & blues
Funky album but not a genre I'm really into.
Bit bland, not really for me
s'ok
meh
Meh
Not bad, but nothing stood out to me. An amalgamation of sound that, to me right now, doesn't quite work. Worth another listen in the future.
Funky. Somewhat repetitive. This was definitely more enjoyable than previous funk albums I've been subjected to on this list (I'm looking at you, Parliament). It was fine, but didn't necessarily blow my mind either.
I think you had to be born at the right time to have a soft spot for this kind of funk. This is only marginally better than Parliament. Two stars... Will never listen to again.
Musically, I didn't enjoy this at all
Very funky but a lot of the same. Can see how it’s a classic album, but not that great. Hoping other albums have more punch.
Beetje vreemde, donkere, wazige soul/funkplaat. Paar hits (Family Affair, Smilin') en de afsluiter is ook heel nice (Thank You), maar naar 't schijnt veel door Sly zelf gedaan in eindeloze coke-overdubs en komt de groove niet altijd ten goede. Tof, heeft bepaalde sfeer, maar niet mega ofzo. 2,5 sterren zou ik 't geven, dus ik rond af naar 2, want JB live at apollo toch beter.
Not for me
du funk, sans le funk... pretty dull 5/10
Plutôt ennuyeux. "Family affair" à la limite. Je n'ai pas trop supporté le yodel de "Spaced Cowboy", ou certains morceaux interminables "Africa talks to you" c'est 8 minutes 45 secondes, et tu regardes ta montre au bout de 2 minutes !!! A partir de 4 minutes on sent limite un malentendu entre les musiciens qui ne savent plus trop pourquoi ils continuent. Il aurait suffit qu'un dise stop. C'est funky groovy, je ne dois pas être funky groovy
Sagde mig Intet. Føltes som nogle meget monotont funk.
Not great. I like a lot of other similar stuff but for some reason just didn't really get into this album.
Banalotto
Funky but not as fun enough for me
Kinda flat, funky but not amazing
an odd one.
There's a Riot Goin' On is the fifth album by American funk and soul band Sly and the Family Stone. This psychedelic deep funk album contained edgier rhythms and a dense mix of sounds for a more challenging and darker experience than previous albums. This change in themes could be a result of multiple sources including drug use, the civil rights movement at the time, and political turmoil due to war and assassinations. The album was a commercial success on release and has been certified platinum in the US. Critical reviews were mixed at first, but this album is now regarded as an influential work impacting funk, soul, jazz, and hip hop genres. This was not an easy album to listen to. The music is muddied, overdubbed, and has many rifts akin to scatting. In fact, I thought a lot of the tracks sounded too similar, but still good enough overall to pass as a decent funk album. This would be an album to turn on when you want to tune out and let the world pass by with apathy sapping your consciousness. It was an important album at release because one could argue it was the soundtrack for all the things going on - specifically in America. It's a somber number about the death of the 60's. Please give this influential funk album a listen and think for yourself about what Sly & The Family meant by this historic piece of music.
This started off great, but I found the aimless noodling a bit distracting after a while. The more focused singles here are highlights. The rest seems a bit 'loose' for my tastes. Good, but not great.
This is a very tired and spaced out recording. You don't say. The songwriting sounds like an afterthought to the vibe that the band are trying to create. It sounds more like a disjointed jamming session. Family Affair is the stand out. It doesn't really fit the mood of the rest of the record. A disappointment.
Man, I was hoping to like this, but I was bored most of the time. It felt like nothing was happening for a lot of it. The only time my interest would pique was whenever the female vocalist sang. I respect it, but not my thing. My favourite song was Runnin' Away.
I don’t really know what this is but I don’t like it
Funky soul from the masters - pure 1970's nostalgia. Noted for it's title track and their number one single "Family Affair".
# 46 : I hate Punk, and Funk, and Junk, and this album did not change my mind. Influential sure, but not a very good listening record. 1.5 Stars. Family Affair was the best I could find on this.
BEST SONGS: -Just like a Baby -Africa talks to You
Some tracks were ok others not so much
Funky. Not bad, I just kept waiting for this one to end
Not at all my thing but sure. Good stuff and well made.
I didn't realize that this was a real band. Had never heard anything by them. Big meh.
Meh!
Sly and The Family Stone have some really good songs but not all of this album hit it for me. Family Affair is solid single, but the slower songs don't really do it for me.
Such good bass and guitar, with boring melody lines. Needs more variety, this album drags because it's just so samey
Me fait bcp ressembler à Jamiroquai en terme d'acid jazz, funky pop. Un peu style musique d'ascenseur, en moins pire. Par contre, c'est pas tant venu me chercher. U peu oubliable. Mériterait une seconde écoute pour se faire une meilleure idée.
Some pretty chill grooves overall. Nothing I'd listen to again, but an interesting listen regardless
All for a good jam album, but this one lacks in character and content to sustain its runtime. There’s plenty of funk, it’s just so repetitive that the genre’s presence can’t be appreciated
I still don‘t like funk
It's pretty chill. What I expected to hear. Obviously very funky. Funkalicious. Funkadelic. Funktastic. At times it just feels like they're jamming. It's like a funk jam. Liked "Africa talks to you", but it didn't really grab me, but watching the lyrics is fun "Timber Whoah, Timber" etc. I can only assume they were very high when the idea for spaced cowboy was conceived. Did enjoy runnin' away. Wouldn't add it to my collection, but wouldn't object if someone else played it. Don't think I'm funky enough.
just couldn’t get into this and I don’t know why. It’s not bad but it all kinda blended together. best tracks: luv n haight, spaced cowboy, runnin away
Was expecting to like this one but it really fell flat for me.
Unfortunately not a great funk/soul album in my eyes (ears). This another album where I can appreciate that it was kind of a ground breaking new sound and way of producing, however, I just couldn't get into it at all. Best: Family Affair Worst: Time
This is exceptionally boring to me.
Not bad but slow songs and funk don't really go together for me.
This wasn't for me. Apparently hugely influential but I didn't feel it in the slightest.
Quite a dull riot, really. Started out quite funky, but got very repetitive very quickly and really feels like it's lacking in energy. It's soul without the really good vocals, funk without the oomph, and it goes on too long (both overall and at least half of the individual tracks). 2/5.
a lot of meandering breaks and very few actual songs
This reminded me of my issues with the last S&TFS album we had: basically, the rambling funk instrumentals just bored me. At least on 'Stand!' these were mostly offset with some great songs; the songs on here are a step down, for me. I've read the wiki entry to try and discover what it is the critics heard in this album that I don't, and concluded that either the societal context at the time was *very* important to appreciating it, or they all gave a rather generous interpretation of drugged-up, meandering songwriting.
Not really my thing but I can see why it appeals to some people
Apparently I streamed "Everyday People" twice in 2016. Random fact of the day. Not my thing.
I feel like I should be watching porn. Talk about a genre of music that hasn't aged well.
An overreliance on studio effects and production techniques drowns out the actual music and vocals, making the sound muddied and unclear. The slower, more experimental tracks drag on too long and make the album feel tedious, which ultimately detracts from the overall impact of the lyrical content.
Not a funk fan
couple of good ones
Funky... 2/5
Okay, I’ve always liked “Family Affair.” And I appreciate the base on “Africa Talks to You.” But the vocals on “Spaced Cowboy” are just yodeling. And “Runnin’ Away” sounds like a bad 70s sitcom theme (I dare you to disagree with me). The best track to me is “Just Like a Baby” and I would listen to that again. But overall this is just way too funky for me.
2 A weird record, but not that bad Why the hell they just start yodeling out of a sudden
I wanted to like this one more, but just felt it was very flat and boring.
I thought I would like this better but it just didn't grab me.
2.5 Luke here - My dad somehow put his rating under my account, so putting mine under his. Anyway, I only knew the songs Everyday People and Thank You (Faletetinaegiaoenagabmicefaeslfkaes) going into this, but being a fan of both, I was excited to see what this album had to offer. And it was a fine funk album. Nothing objectionable, but also nothing reaching the highs of the aforementioned songs... even when they did a reprise of the latter on the closer. Supposedly this is a very politically charged album, but I'm not sure that came through for me on my listens. Really dug Family Affair, but not much else stood out. While I think I need to listen to more before I make this determination, I’m getting the vibe Sly and the fam might be a "Greatest Hits" kind of listening.
It's a funk album. It is not noteworthy.
Empieza muy bien pero después pierde coherencia. Para el final perdió mi interés y lo que prometía terminó decepcionando. Y no me quedan muchas ganas de escuchar de nuevo este disco ni conocer más de la banda.
Pos un poquito decepcionante el Funk. Cada rola empieza sintiéndose que puede ser excelente, pero luego se vuelve laaaaaaarga y repetitiva y tediosa y me pierde. Obviamente tiene grandes cosas en la instrumentación y detalles aquí y allá, pero no es un disco que se vuelva memorable.
Meh
Pretty forgettable.
I just don't really care about funk
This has a really high average score for an album that pretty much sucks. What's THE DEAL with that? haha dw, I know. 2/5.
Meh.
Some strong moments, but overall not amazing.
Nothing memorable on this album.
Decent funk.
Man I really like so much of Sly and the Family Stone. This really didn’t grab me.
Meh
I found the Audio quality lacking, specifically the layers of static in the first few tracks of the album. I liked family affair, time, smilin’, and the instrumental tracks at the end. I was surprised listening to “thank you Africa” to learn they sampled their own song for another.
I forgot to take notes on this one and don't remember any specific thoughts through the weekend, but I know I didn't really like it.
Ne pro mě
Can’t really say anything special about this album. Could be good to use for sampling though
On voit qu’ils essaient de marquer un tournant. C’est moins dans le mood « on va danser » et plus « réfléchis sur ce groove ». Ça donne beaucoup de pièces où on sent qu’ils se retiennent pou ne pas y aller à fond, mais plutôt garder ça vaporeux. C’est bien pour l’exploration. Ça l’est moins pour le party.
Pas tout à fait le genre d’album auquel je m’attendais. Ce n’est pas mauvais, mais c’est un peu lourd à écouter. Tout le contexte entourant l’album semble bien important pour l’apprécier comme il faut. Je vais devoir y revenir. Est-ce que l’album a sa place dans la liste? Tout à fait.
I was expecting more. The funk feels subdued!
Meh
Bon les familles de funkers la
Well i’am don’t really like this sort of music nothing personal… The album starts off with the song luv n haight its alright it has a good intro but it’s too repetitive anyone who praises the albums lyrics… I don’t see it yet. Just like a baby actually has some very good instrumental parts the few lyrics feel quite weirdly pasted on and still no real passionate lyrics. Poet doesn’t say too much but the lyrics are at least a little passionate, the instrumentals alright just got some annoying funk bits but what are you to expect. Okay, family affair is probably the best written song so far but the instrumental is a bit annoying. I will have to say although I don’t like the funk bits pasted on them the keyboard work is solid especially in Africa talks to you ( the asphalt jungle) I think I just don’t like funk vocals to be fair, but wow these lyrics are good, at 8 mins though I did get bored. Theres a riot going on is just useless… why? The first bit of brave and strong has great lyrics, the saxophone work is a bit unnecessary but the songs okay. You caught me smillin’ is dull annoying and repetitive with some nice keyboard work to cover for it. Time on the other hand is quite good a much slower track nothing too overdone like the rest of the album and songs like this with passionate lyrics kinda makes up for the mess that feels like the majority of the album. Strong cowboy is has good lyrics but I hate everything else about it. Running away is surprising good, I can really see the appeal of this song it’s still a bit bloated but it’s fine. Thank you for talkin’ to me Africa serves as a good closer but that intro is unnecessarily long the lyrics are great and while it’s not really my kinda thing. Good closer. It’s half enjoyable but it’s really not for me!
Rythm and blues. No muy de mi gusto
Because I listen and am a fan of this genre, I was expecting something more but I was let down. It wasn’t anything special, for me.
Funky.
Decent but I didn’t really connect
2/5 - Err not really my thing, didn’t resonate with me
Couple of fun moments
Funk just isn’t my thing
Not my cup of tea.
Funk
They say "There's A Riot Goin' On," but I'm not sure where it is? This came out in 1971, after several very tumultuous years. So I figured "Riot" would be filled with anger, turmoil, intensity, at least passion? But that was missing throughout. "Brave & Strong" gave me a little bit of a feeling of the times, but most of the rest felt dull and low-energy, with much of it feeling like unfinished experiments in songwriting. This time I waited until I was mostly finished listening to look up the history of the album. And now it makes more sense. I knew Sly and the Family Stone were well-regarded and influential. But it's not for this album, which had too little family and too much Sly and too many drugs involved in the production.
This album is a sequence of backing tracks. Something one finds on YouTube to practice lead guitar over. That’s a bit harsh as there is a little more than that here, but it’s not far off. I was expecting a funktastic adventure. Instead I got a great album to put on at bed time.
“At first I hated it for its weakness and its lack of energy and I still dislike these qualities. But then I began to respect the album's honesty.”
SHAFT! War ok.
found it boring, but not awful
6/10
I'm conflicted on this one. On the positive side - I like a lot of Sly & The Family material, and in general love a lot of early 70s funk/rock. So there's an immediate connection here. But... I've never been able to get into this specific album. There's very little of the band cohesion and unpredictability of their best work and there were reasons ... drum machines dominate this, which give a cold/sterile feel to most of the songs, and Sly's vocals overall tend to reflect who/where he was at the time: often in bed and on drugs :P - literally recording some vocals from bed. Even the hit single "Family Affair" should have been so much better; to me it comes across more like a great demo. e.g. "Africa Talks To You" goes on and on and never goes anywhere - but so many times it's so close. You hear constant echoes of Sly vocal melodies and some keyboard riffs here and there but ... that's the song. Like a collection of musical phrases patched onto a repetitive chord/beat. Definitely focusing on the negative which isn't entirely fair - there are some great grooves on this record which to me is sort of the bare minimum for a Sly record. I respect the wide (eventual) acceptance and praising of the album due to it being an accurate portrayal of the seeming betrayal of the 60s and entering the grime and fading dreams of the 70s. But honestly who cares. Am I or am I not drawn into the music... or at least entertained? I am not. It's a frustrating and hollow 2 stars because I've always wanted to like this album but there's just a solid disconnect that I'll never get by. p.s. Graham Central Station were better. 5/10 2 stars
I don't like this. Too different from Stand! in my opinion.
Really disappointing compared to Stand... Meanders along without much purpose or direction, and crappy production. Shame
Nothing too interesting to me in here, maybe it was more impactful at the time it came out. I also think the production got in the way, it was way to quiet and flat sounding.
well, this wasn't a riot at all. it wasn't funny OR violent...it was just super 70s funky. only...i still didn't like it. i don't know what else to say, besides that i don't seem to like them very much in general.
This is shite. Yeah, I'm bored. Robert Plant's favourite from this is Just Like a Baby. He eats placentas.
I've tried hard with this album over the years, it feels like it should be something I really like but I just don't really get it. It wanders into aimless, hookless meandering nothingness far too often for an album with such a massive reputation.
Not good. Doesn't need to be this long and it isn't very interesting.
thought i'd love it - didn't.
Funky
Didn't do much for me. Had a Parliament album the day before and loved it. Hadn't heard of either before listening. This lacked that Parliament BDE.
Slow Uninteresting Not a fan of the voices or the instruments or the pace Did not enjoy
I was really looking forward to this album, and it turned out to be a weak fart. The yodeling attempt did not work. Best track: Family Affair
Was a little disappointed if I'm honest.
Not my kind of bag
It's just ok. Maybe it'll be better if I'm just sitting at home doing nothing.
Fine enough
Weer leuk voor op de achtergrond; lekker relaxed. Voelde alleen wel weer wat te lang..
2.5 ik voel het gewoon niet man, als het op de achtergrond opstaat wil je toch meer aandacht aan besteden om dan uiteindelijk teleurgestelt te zijn. its a no for me
Mastering is still a little rough. All vocals sound extremely faded, almost distanced from the microphone
Repetitive and forgettable
I started out liking it and thinking "well, this is interesting". But after the first two songs the quality and my interest dropped off. It has its moments, but on the whole I didn't enjoy it.