There's A Riot Goin' On

J'espère que c'est le dernier album de la semaine avec un drapeau américain sur la pochette. Ça commence à bien faire maintenant.

L'album était sympa mais ne réussit pas à mettre un terme à l'horrible série d'albums moyens offerts par Robert. Ce dernier nous a d'ailleurs pondu un nouvel album de Costello, que nous saurons accueillir comme il se doit. En d'autres termes, on va lui faire sa fête.

Had no idea who the band was so based on the cover thought it would be rap(again). I was pleasantly surprised by very funky soul album. Loved it. I don’t think there’s any misses here! Favourite songs: Just Like A Baby, Family Affair, Thank You For Talkin’ To Me Africa

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

A masterpiece c’mon now

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

Enjoyed. Funky as shit. Family Affair is clearly the stand out track (and the only one I knew before today). (You Caught Me) Smilin’ and Luv ‘N’ Haight are other highlights. Lost me with the yodelling Spaced Cowboy

Nothing memorable on this album.

Decent funk.

No track escapes D Tier, which almost hurts my feelings. “(You Caught Me) Smilin’” comes closest, but still not a song I’m going to ever go out of my way to queue up, unless I’m specifically introducing someone to Sly. And as much as I like funk, this sound is just so dated. From the poor production quality to the choice of synth, it sounds like background music for a blaxploitation flick. The sound does not transcend the era, in my opinion.

Funky

What this lacks in funk it more than makes up for in soul. Would I put this on repeat? No. Would I listen to it again. Definitely. "Poet" and "You Caught Me Smilin'" are the standouts.

Funky! Bin überrascht, dass dieses Album aus den 70ern stammt.

5.0 + I don't know exactly how, but this record seems to just slink into a groove that grips you for its entire 47 minute run. I get an uncanny feeling in my chest that I'm listening to a band that somehow plugged into a transcendent higher power. The only other record in memory that gives me a similar impression is "Astral Weeks." As an aside, while I was listening my two small boys (2 and 4) came into the room at around the midway point and proceeded to dance through the album's entire second half.

Man I really like so much of Sly and the Family Stone. This really didn’t grab me.

Empieza un poco flojo pero va mejorando con cada canción. Hay algunas que me han parecido muy bonitas y el hecho de que Turnstile haga un homenaje a este grupo lo mejora todo (a la canción de cierre de este álbum en la canción de cierre de su álbum, curiosamente, aunque la de este álbum hace a su vez referencia a otra canción anterior del mismo grupo. Mucho Texto, Ana, cállate ya.)

Meh

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

Definitely an album of the 70’s! Not really my thing.

This album was the exact definition of average. The music was fine. The singing was fine. The album was....dare I say it.......fine.

Classic album

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

Funky

This is the 2nd sly and the family stone album that has come up for me. It's super funky and great to listen to. I really enjoyed it. My favorite tracks were family affair and luv n haight. They rule this genre of funk.

Real funky, great bass play. Definitely something to groove to.

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.

in a word, this album was funky. more important than the music on this album was the social commentary it provided. it's clear a lot of thought went into the album creation, and i do admire the title track's length of four seconds long. the american flag is an interesting choice for the album cover, too. it's all very appropriate for its release in 1971. billy preston on keyboards on this album! what a highlight. so many times throughout this album did the keyboards stand out. it may have even been the best part of the album! a lot of this album was real smooth. there was some weirder songs (looking at you "spaced cowboy") but i can appreciate them. and the lyrics are what really hit home with this album anyway.

So I'm not super versed on Sly & the Family Stone, but I guess I was expecting something a little more like "Everyday People" and "Dance to the Music". That said, "Riot" was overall a little bit more soulful funk. While definitely baseline enjoyable, it wasn't quite in my wheelhouse. As far as soulful funk music goes, though, I can see where this is among the best. Happy to experience it and get a little more educated on this type of music, which I know almost nothing about!

Good but a little meandering

The greatest weakness of this album is that the tracks cut too short. Doesn't matter how long the tracks are: 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 9 minutes... I wish they would go longer. After a 20 month break from their masterpiece Stand, they come back this dark, murky funk sound in the followup of the socially conscious What's Going On by Marvin Gaye. It's not a very accessible sound, with unconventional song structures that leave the audience wondering where the payoff is. That's partly why I feel all the songs are too short; even though that's not the case, you know there could be more to it. But it's one of those albums where it's about the journey and not the destination, and you start seeing the insanity behind the music. They're all talented musicians, and Sly gives a performance that I argue even beats James Brown. It makes for a great psychedelic experience. It's deep and complex, with instruments (and vocalists) controlled yet also seemingly doing their own thing. They abuse the overdubs and mixing so much that it can be a very fun and entrancing experience, fitting the genre so well that I wish more psychedelic funk bands existed and followed in their example. There are so many parts of the music to focus on. The intro track "Luv N Haight" is probably the best example of this, with the music almost feeling surreal how chaotic it sounds, instruments overlapping each other and the vocalists randomly coming in and out as if they think they're the spotlight. "Just Like a Baby" is one of the groovier tracks with such a pleasing, dark controlled sound to it. Everyone knows the pop hit "Family Affair", has some great solos and engages with the audience to sing along. By "Africa Talks to You", you're comfortable enough to can sit back and experience the music and pick out something new and strange every time. All the tracks are amazing, but it doesn't feel that way until you pay attention to each of them and see how uniquely strange they all are. We all have our personal favorites, like "You Caught Me Smilin" or "Runnin Away" (love the horns and cymbals!), but deep cuts like "Space Cowboy" and "Time" place me in different surreal settings, like a country yodeler in a sea of funkiness. The high vocal compression and rhythmic bass slapping and drum machine certainly contribute to the psychedelic trance. It's a really fitting closer to end with an extended darker version of their hit "Thank You."

7/4 grooves funked

Very funky and nice to listen to. Doesn't quite reach P-Funk levels but I liked it. Not in the mood to write a lengthy review. If you're in the mood for funk this is a good place to start.

I hear what many people say about this being quite a challenging listen, with pop soul highs only really there on the singles and some quite angry grooves forming the bulk of the album.

This was perfectly listenable and enjoyable but nothing jumped out to me. In fairness I was also working and this perhaps wasn’t the most work friendly album. Would listen to again in a more relaxed setting

Background music. Couldn't get into it - probably something to listen to again when I'm in a funkier mood. Also, I hate talking about "production and mixing" because it makes me look like this emoji -> 🤓, but the production on the Spotify version is kind of outdated I think - a remaster would be nice!

The album starts with a lovely mood, and these funky songs sound nice to me. However, while the music kept going in my ears, I was gradually losing interest in what I was listening to. Maybe my mood was decreasing, but I can't rate it with more than three stars.

Funky

Love my family (stone)

Delightfully funky.

Not the best sly...

Don’t remember much. Rating: 2/10

Get your funk on!

You can definitely hear some of the beginnings of hip hop in the record. Or at least some things that influenced the beginning of hip hop. I usually associate Sly with more upbeat tunes like "thank you for letting me be myself" and "everyday people" but this record is a little slower and darker. Spaced Cowboy however is just not good. one of the weirdest most out of place songs i've heard on any album possibly. didn't add any songs to spotify

Ne pro mě

Produktivno? Jako kvalitetno. Na prvo slušanje mi je samo okej. Nažalost. Bit će prilike za ponavljanjem.

Nice 70s era album. Certainly a solid

legalzinho , soul dançante e tals

Very good, funky and real. Female vocals are outstanding.

I couldn’t get into it, first song was very energetic but after that I’m not sure why the songs felt like background music nothing really grabbed my attention. On to the next one!

First 5/5, whole album was lovely and has infinite replayability i feel

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

Can’t really say anything special about this album. Could be good to use for sampling though

Nice closing track. Decent chill listen.

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.

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

This is arguably the strongest lineup the Family Stone has featured, including but not limited to such big names as Bobby Womack, Ike Turner and Larry Graham. The sound of this album hangs in the air, like a cloud of weed smoke on a hot, humid evening. It oozes soul. It massages your nerve endings. It'll sweep you away into it's abstract vision of a concrete jungle, down alleyways filled with stoners, mothers with infants, children playing, couples making out, hustlers hustling, and all the while demand nothing but a slight bop of your head along the journey.

Best Song: Family Affair. The male and female lead voices provide the perfect contrast for one another. The female vocalist in particular has such fantastic intonation on the line "it's a family affair" that I'm glad it's the last the thing the song leaves you with as it fades out. Worst Song: Just Like a Baby. Too slow for my taste. The vocal scatting which seems to imitate a baby's cry at times is impressive in how it's able to scrape something musical out of such a non-musical thing, but it's a lot of cleverness for not much payoff. Overall: A long, meandering jam album that takes its time to hit all its marks. That relaxed delivery somewhat depreciates its value as something to be actively listened to, but makes it a good candidate for background music.

A little bit too funky for my taste but I didn't have trouble enjoying it. It's an energetic and fun album that I'm sure funk/soul fans will appreciate.

What a hot mess! How can someone come up with such brilliance while being totally fucked up? Spaced Cowboy is now my new favourite song of all time. Country funk is even more fun than country rap. This was already a five star album, but the last three songs belong in the stratosphere. I always thought that Parliament/Funkadelic had released the weirdest, and best, funk. But this is next level greatness. I could happily listen to the bass by itself.

Made for a fun, funky time getting ready and cleaning up the house. I forgot how much I missed this kind of funk until I heard it again.

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

pretty good funky sound. Enjoyed it overall.

I was expecting more. The funk feels subdued!

Dark but the yodeling seals it for me. The quietest and probably the best funk/soul project I've heard. Not get-up-and-dance music, but mandatory-relisten music.

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

Marvin Gaye had asked "What's Goin' On"; a few months later, he had his answer. With a few exceptions, this is perhaps the murkiest, most drug-addled, most fucked up form of pop music in the 70s. No depth of hell would or could equate to whatever hell Sly Stone had conjured up from thin air (or whatever air that involved drugs). A defining statement that also became the beginning of the end, There's a Riot Goin' On is Sly's masterpiece.

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.

Pretty good funky stuff! Not really my thing but inoffensive.

Meh

It's an alright album. I don't know if it's my vibe, but it's not bad.

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

Bon les familles de funkers la

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

Dig the funk.

Funky, but good

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 wasn't really in the mood for funk/soul stuff, but it was good nonetheless. Nothing out of the extraordinary, though.

Nice funk soul album, but I heard a lot better within the genre

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

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!

3.5 i can see how this influenced a lot of artists. my favorite songs were "family affair" & you caught me smilin"

Top album en ook redelijk expirimenteel

Du bon funk, s'écoute bien mais rien de sensationnel

Interesting if nothing else by its influence on funk, definately a product of its time. I liked some of the rhythmic tribal beats but otherwise not really my cup of tea..

I was never a fan of Family Affair so the biggie on this album was a negative. It moved well enough as one would expect from Sly but it wasn't as good as the last Sly offering.

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.

Nice slappy bass and funky grooves. Sly was apparently stoned out of his gourd when recording this so his vocals here aren’t his best work, I think Stand was a better record overall but this has some nice moments.

Funky grooves. Really dug Spaces Cowboys

Rythm and blues. No muy de mi gusto

Still looking for a perfect funk record, but this is not it. I’m more in the Parliament camp than Sly or James Brown.

I think this is probably one of those albums that's more important than it is enjoyable & rewarding to listen to.

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

Nice!

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.

It's amazing that such an album exists. Darkly cynical, the grooves a hynpotic and yet you rarely feel at ease.

Perhaps an import record at its time, not a personal favorite.

Listened to on 2/2/22 3/5 Favorite song: Just like a baby, Spaced Cowboy All in all good vibes - very 70s easy listening

An absolute favorite that grooves the entire album. It’s funky and soulful and has inspired so much of the music that I love listening to today. Had multiple songs I liked for future listening.

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

Funky.

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

Oh man, I think I just fell in love... It's funny cause I've listened to this album before and enjoyed it and everything, but for some reason, listening to it tonight, this album just absolutely knocked me out. Maybe it's because we're now two years into a global pandemic, in a time of increased social unrest/polarization, and quite possibly on the brink of World War III, but this album is really speaking to me right now (in a way it didn't a few years ago when I listened to it last). There is so much I love about this album but the thing that impresses me most is probably its casualness and playfulness. It's so loose and laid back that it somehow comes back around to coming across as cocky and confident to me. Like the genius just rolls out of him so naturally and effortlessly regardless of his mood. He doesn't have to be "on" to express the truth. Some real honesty here. And that's the other thing I really appreciate about this album: that it captures these states of mind that are not often put into songs, especially at the time it came out. Really shows you that funk isn't all just feel good party jams and I appreciate that. Another thing that I appreciate is the incorporation of the drum machines. Not only is this album an absolute pillar of funk, but it's the album that pretty much single handedly legitimized the use of drum machines in popular music - so I have to give my thanks for that. All that and the mysteriously murky mix give the album a very distinct sound which, to my ear, keeps it a surprisingly fresh and intriguing listen after all these years.

Funky as fuck. Definitely don't know much of Sly & The Family Stalone but I'm digging it. Poet is really fun. I have heard Family Affair though, honestly it's just ok for me. Unfortunately as the album went on the songs weren't as good for me, which is a same since I really liked a few songs.

I know they have a cult following, but i'm not a subscriber. doesn't sound particularly groundbreaking to my ears

The most obvious of cocaine albums. It's bold and confident, but busy like a big mess. It does not sound good. 1.5/5

4.75

Great funky album. Family affair. Love sly.

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.

Funk is a nice switch up.

Laid-back, slow, druggy groove, tired-vocal sounding but also very funky. Heavy bass mix, crawling, sketchy guitar. One album where you hear its influence on a lot of later 70's funk. Some legendary musicians- Billy Preston, Bobby Womack, Ike Turner. There was a lot of the recording of this album on The Apple TV 1971 music documentary: heavy drug use - Sly unbelievably would record over previously recorded songs, The Dick Cavett interview. Regardless, some incredible music - "Family Affair", "Runnin' Away."

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

fck usa

Absolutely tremendous! Love, love, LOVE it!

A hot chunk slice of 70's funk.

Decent but I didn’t really connect

The transition from soul to funk. A bit outdated, but groovy

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

Some good sounds

I'm a little familiar with Sly and the Family Stone but I've never really explored their discography too much beyond Dance to the Music. I was going in expecting some funky beats. While the beats are certainly funky, that magic touch just isn't there. Reading a little about the making I see there was lots of drugs involves. Also the social setting of the US played a roll too but being 50 yeads removed causes it to hit not as hard.

7 Saf7at Men 3l Bouheli Mte3 Dostoevsky W Sicker Now

idk.mostly ignored.

2/5 - Err not really my thing, didn’t resonate with me

Couple of fun moments

Funk just isn’t my thing

Nice

It was fun to listen to this album. My first Sly and Family Stone album. Love the drum machine and the grooves are really good.

A couple of my fav songs of theirs on here

Ritmos soul, R&B, psicodélica, muy típicos de los 70. Fácil para desconectar y trasladarse a otra época. Sin destacar especialmente, gusta su estilo.

Not my cup of tea.

But was there really

It's alright, he has done better songs before

Funkt und soult. Die Umstände der Entstehung sind fast noch interessanter als das Album.

Funk

Funky (in the best way).

It was kinda nuts to grow up in the late 80's / early 90's listening to rap before all of the restrictions around sampling began. But I listened to CDs all the time in the 90's before I did what most young adults did with their CD collections... That is to buy an external hard drive, spend a week dropping all the music into it and going back to Second Spin, Amoeba or Plan 9 or wherever to sell them back. For a VERY long time, De La Sou's first two albums (3 Feet High and Rising / De La is Dead) were unavailable to stream. You could find a 3-Feet CD on ebay going for like $100 or more. Clearing music samples was arduous, time consuming and expensive for music labels after a court decision in 1991. After that, licensing music to use as samples slowed to a trickle. But during that time where artists recorded with no regard was incredible. Our exposure to obscure artists by way of sampling was amazing because it was everywhere. Unbeknownst to most of us De La Soul, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, 3rd Bass, etc. heavily, HEAVILY used samples in their recordings. Samples of songs we'd never heard or been exposed to. And even today, 40 years later, a song that I just assumed was completely created by an artist I realize wasn't. Like today, when I'm listening to this album for the first time, I get a whiff of "oh! I've heard that beat before" I get super excited and follow it down a rabbit hole. And sure enough, five mins. of racking my brain I come across it. "Three Minute Rule" By the Beasties sampled Brave & Strong and another one... "Poet" sampled by De La Soul on "Description" just makes my day. So, today when I'm listening to There's a Riot Goin' and I think, 'this is old, outdated, has little importance, etc." I'm able to stop and consider its impact on the artists that I grew up with which prompts me to do more. Like ACTUALLY click the Wikipedia link for an album for once. The terms 'apathy' and 'pessimism' leaped out at me and yeah. I get that from this album. There are some good grooves but also a lot of apathy here. https://www.whosampled.com/Sly-%26-the-Family-Stone/Poet/

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.

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.

Funky as hell and I really liked it. Got me into the genre and I am digging the fuck out of it.

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

2021.12.10

5/5. Holy smokes, it doesn’t get funkier.

Pretty good, not one I would have heard without taking on this list. Family affair and spaced cowboy were my favourites. Did not enjoy the instrumental/alternate versions as much

“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.”

Ganz cool für nebenbei

SHAFT! War ok.

This record slapped pretty good! Funky as fuck, total vibe. Great playing, especially the bass.

found it boring, but not awful

Yeah, not bad... not quite as straight-up funky as I remember, but some cool things happening on this album. Not my absolute favorite, but still pretty cool.

Funky

Track 01 - 3/5 Track 02 - 3.25/5 Track 03 - 3/5 Track 04 - 3.5/5 Track 05 - 3.25/5 Track 06 - 2.75/5 Track 07 - 3/5 Track 08 - 3/5 Track 09 - 3.5/5 Track 10 - 3.25/5 Track 11 - 2.5/5 Track 12 - 3/5 Track 13 - 2.5/5 Track 14 - 3/5 Track 15 - 2.75/5 Track 16 - 2.75/5 Overall: 3/5 Album Art: 3.25/5

Already know this 5/5

So amazing

Good chill jam album

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

Eh. Instrumentals were kinda boring. Songs that weren't instrumentals were rather forgettable. It was fine for background if I'm in a funky mood but definitely wasn't my favorite.

6/10

Funky, got a bit samey

i’ve heard of them and I know if you songs by them so I was excited when I first saw this was the album however it was honestly really bored nothing was wrong with it but I just don’t remember any specific part and I didn’t really like it

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

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

Aardig muziekje, maar mij iets te jazzy. ***

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

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

3/5

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.

So I know I've listened to this before but not recently, maybe the other times I wasn't paying real close attention because I never noticed that the "title track" was just four seconds of silence. I was prepared to go on here and warn other Spotify listeners in the U.S. about the track being missing. I'm glad I did a little research because that would have been embarrassing. Anyway, great druggy funk album, one of the best I've heard, five stars.

I never knew how much I'd love funk until 1001 albums so I'm grateful for that. I really dig how comparatively dark and contemplative this album is to the other funk I've heard too. Adding it to the "need on vinyl" list.

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.

Yo adddriaaaaaaaaan

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.

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.

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.

A paranoid and soupy stew. Difficult to decipher, this isn't a favourite, though there are a couple of moments which stand out. Production is *very* strange.

I have no thoughts

Enjoyed it, more mellow than I expected from Sly. On the fence on whether I would give it a second listen.

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.

Pretty old school funk

Not good. Doesn't need to be this long and it isn't very interesting.

Funky fresh Friday fun

A bit patchy and a little too smooth for my tastes. Not as raw and funky as my favourite Sly & The Family Stone.

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.

Not the kind of music I normally listen to, but I felt at home.

Super distinct from Stand, I think both to its benefit and detriment. It's not as fun to listen to, more challenging, darker, and there aren't any songs that grabbed me as immediate hits (can't really get behind Family Affair, unfortunately, though the lyrics are really good). But listen closer (I went through this probably 4-5 times in total) and there's some really really cool choices on this, Spaced Cowboy being one of my favorites. High 3 because I respect this a lot more than I enjoyed listening to it. Saved: Luv N' Haight*, Time, Spaced Cowboy, Runnin' Away

Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Luv N' Haight, Family Affair Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Probably the least fun I've had listening to a funk album, and that's not a diss.

thought i'd love it - didn't.

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.

Funky

Cool

Basis of alot of rap music and many samples.

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.

Favoriete nummers: - Time

Groovy

6/10 funky

Slow Uninteresting Not a fan of the voices or the instruments or the pace Did not enjoy

Amazing funk and soul album.

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

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

Such a great record. As someone like me who isn't well versed in many of the classics, it's a treat to hear some many of the original sounds that are so we'll sampled in today's music. Obviously Sly & Co. have had such an impactful effect on so many of my favorite artists.

Una vergüenza que no haya escuchado esto antes.

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

More my kinda thing ! 3/4 ?

Was a little disappointed if I'm honest.

Nota: 3/5 Hi sento en James Brown i en Prince. Àlbum funk que acaba massa distorsionat. Les últimes pistes se'm fan llargues i repetitives.

Not my kind of bag

It's just ok. Maybe it'll be better if I'm just sitting at home doing nothing.

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.

Really digging the second track on this.

Fine enough

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.

I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to this. Not for me.

Good chilled rock background vibe

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

Ik vond het in het begin nogal veel filler en niet echt iets speciaals maar de laatste nummers gingen hard en hebben wel wat goed gemaakt. you caught me smilin , space cowboy en vooral running away ga ik zeker en vast vaker beluisteren.

What else do you say but, FUNK?!

I don't think I have the full context of musical history to appreciate what was new and exciting about this group or album, however I did enjoy it.

lots of bass slappin on this one

Good Funk album

Nice set of bass tones

It was pretty alright

Excellent

Actually not too bad.

Cynicism, defeat, despair and excessive drug taking never sounded so soulfully funky and appealing.

Mastering is still a little rough. All vocals sound extremely faded, almost distanced from the microphone

meh

good not great. a lot of people have sampled this.

Bin noch nicht so richtig warm geworden damit.

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

It's as if 'running away' and 'family affair' are by a different band. The rest of the album never gets close to that level. Some nice grooves, but too slow and ponderous - it needs an injection of energy.

Excellent funky shit

Repetitive and forgettable

This album is one of the absolute greatest albums of all time, maybe top 50 material. This album changed my life before I ever listened to it. Virtually everything I love about music has some Sly in it in some way or another. Timeless. TIMELESS. Groove. Sex appeal. Funk. Slap bass. VOCALS. Guitars. Melody. Harmony. This album has everything I want in an album.

Funky Funky Funky Funky Funky Funky Funky Funky Funky.

Weird mixed feelings about this one.

A great album that showcases the creativity of Sly

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.

Didn't listen to it all but what I heard was nice

A post-Summer of Love wake up call, I can hear so much of 90's hip-hop in Sly's funky beats. A dark detour from what I normally associate with the band's sound, I really need to listen to this one more.

Funky, dark, and ahead of its time. It’s at once dense and really loose and free. I feel like I need to go back andre-listen a few more times to really be able to assess it — but I’m sure I will. Favourite track: Family Affair

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.

Zooo fkin smooth, gwn lekker achtergrond

Entertaining and funky. Some unusual production too

Nice, but I'd say there are better representatives of this genre.

kind of Funk-Lite. okay, just nothing that really grabs me. 3/5

Aangenaam. De leukere kant van de soul.

De eerste helft van het album vond ik nogal chaotisch. Maar na een tijdje beviel het me wel

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

hirveää määkimistä pääosin...

Too funky for me bro

Vaikea arvioida genreä, jota ei juuri yhtään kuuntele. Ihan letkeetä, mutta ei näin tammikuussa räntäsateen keskellä kuunneltuna lähtenyt.

Feeling a strong 6-7 on this one - solid grooves, shoutout the bot. saxophone go brrrrrrr

poop

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.

Smooth, Jazzy, solid background music - don't know if I'd play it on its own though. 7/10 you are nitpicking and biased. I win. Bye bye! the album is very influential and i hear a lot of it in the contemporary funk/jazz that i listen to today, but it doesn't have any of the initial appeal that i get from modern funk or jazz. the production is very dated and hurts my ears so i have to listen to it at a low volume. 4/10

Lekker, iets te funky voor mijn smaak maar fijn om eens te draaien.

Melkein 4,5 tekis mieli antaa. Hyvin svengaa.

It was a funky, fun album. Hard to tell what they're singing about though. 1RS

Funky, but slower than previous SFS album.

Kende ik alleen van naam, best leuk om eens te luisteren.

Best oké en zeker niet slecht, maar ook niet heel erg blijven hangen.

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

Lekker funky en groovy 🤩

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

Vaikeita valintoja. Osa biiseistä oli menevää kamaa, mutta osa oli semmosta semikamaa. 2-3 tähteä, Arvotaan 3, jos Brian oli 2.

Eipä jäänyt hirveästi käteen tästä levystä. Mikähän tässä on ollut erityistä, että on noussut listalle? Spotifyssakin on Family Affair -biisiä kuunneltu päälle 38 miljoonaa kertaa.

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

Not my thing, wishy washy

Czarny soulowy funk z lat 70, sadzilem ze moze bede kojarzyl, jakies sample, najwieksze hiciory, ale nie nic, czarna dziura w pamieci i nie moge zalapac zadnego skojarzenia zarowno z albumikiem jak i banda, jak sama nazwa wskazuje banda rodzinna, bo doliczylem sie 4 stonow, problemem jest to ze po przesluchaniu mam nadal czarna dziure w glowe, bo ciezko o cos co naprawde zapada w pamiec, mocno psychodeliczne brzmienie i mruczenie na wokalu wcale w tym nie pomaga, ale najwiekszym problmem dla mnie byl mix tej plyty wszystko na maxa w glosnosci musialem podbic zeby przesluchac niektore traki, bo jesli polowa liryki sa pochrunkiwania i mruczenie to glownym punktem uwagi staja sie instrumentale, ktore sie nieraz traca przez dziwny balans glosnosci miedzy nimi, nie wspominam juz nawet o bolaczkach produkcji jak zaszumienie, ktore pojawia sie do bolu, kolejna dziwnoscia plyty jest to, ze trak tytulowy ktory zazwyczaj jest mocnym punktem kazdego materialu i jego twarza tak tutaj ma 4 sekuny i ma byc niemym skitem, jesli dobrze go zrozumialem, chyba ze to odniesienie do tego ze revolucja nie bedzie ztelewiryzowana, ale to pewnie nadinterpretacja, kolejnym punktem do ktorego mozna miec wonty w spotifajowym wypadu jest pierdolnik ktory panuje na trak liscie, edycja z 71 zawiera w sobie traki z reedycji z 2007, 4 nowe traki w tym running away ktory jest najbardziej zapadajacym w ucho songiem jaki tu uslyszalem, glownie za sprawa zenskiego wokalu, oraz 3 instrumentalne traki, ktorych historii powstania nie znam, ale wyraznie slychac lepszy mastering, bo sa o wiele wyrazniejsze w odsluchu, na plejke dodam running away i luv and haight

Amaaaazing!

what the fuck

Funky

Amazing groove, Sly!

“There’s a Riot Goin’ On” by Sly and the Family Stone (1971) Never heard this album, but very familiar with SFS through radio airplay and their “Greatest Hits” album of 1970. This album is very good music qua music. Listen to the LYRICS. Deeply introspective personal reflection plus insightful social commentary without being hortatory. This album represents a development from the popular funk of the early SFS. Excellent, beautiful, soulful funk, executed by extraordinarily talented musicians and vocalists, but much more serious than their previous work (although there’s some great comic relief in “Spaced Cowboy “, where we’re treated to a funked-up country piece complete with Sly Stone yodeling the chorus. Yodeling. I shit you not). Experimental musical sounds and recording technique—very well crafted (although there’s an annoying level of tape hiss due to overdubbing—one of the shortcomings of analog). This is a good demonstration of the art of the studio album. Meant to be listened to without distractions. Not party music. Bass bends and guitar wah unsurpassed. Especially on “Africa Talks to You”. Trumpet and sax understated, but effective coloring. The title track “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” is four seconds of silence. This is so profound for 1971. There were many riots in America 1966-1970. But in May 1970, National Guard troops fired on demonstrators at Kent State University, killing four. Fewer riots after that. The years 1971-1976 were a relatively quiet time for civil unrest in America. Not that there wasn’t anything to riot over. It’s hard to imagine a Daft Punk without SFS funk (listen to “Family Affair” and compare to “Get Lucky”). But SFS is heavier and more evocative. Elaborate vocal stylings, but lacking the endearing ‘silliness’ of their earlier work. “Thank You for Talking to Me, Africa” is a dark reset of their earlier hit “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)", which itself features a pastiche of titles of their previous hits. Sort of an SFS diary entry that reviews previous entries, with a more mature perspective. Africa begins to talk to SFS, and they (and we) are listening. Throughout the album, the lyrics reflect deep levels of meaning, expressing the emerging self awareness of Black America. I’m no expert on this, but it seems that this album should have been a huge influence on young urban artists who would go on to produce the hip hop genre. Here SFS grows into an assertive voice, instead of a merely entertaining voice. Sorry I didn’t listen to this when I was young. Very glad I listened to it before I die. 4/5

Primera presa de contacte amb Sly Stone. Aquest és el darrer disc de la seva època daurada, on donen bona mostra de la seva base funk amb una clara obertura a tota classe de gèneres, des del rock fins al disco (aquí hi ha la primera cançó de la història amb una caixa de ritmes). Variat, inspirat, amb cançons inconformistes, amb bones progressions i una cuidada producció. M'ha agradat per la barreja de sonoritats i estils, però que alhora sona cohesionada. Interessant.

Rock-soul.

Bastante bien como fondo para trabajar.

Not my bag baby

classic

Not a particularly interesting album. Good for background music but nothing more.

Good and funky

Was like one long jam