Stand!
Sly & The Family Stone
1969
Album Summary
Stand! is the fourth album by soul/funk band Sly and the Family Stone, released on May 3, 1969. Written and produced by lead singer and multi-instrumentalist Sly Stone, Stand! is considered an artistic high-point of the band's career. Released by Epic Records, just before the group's celebrated performance at the Woodstock festival, it became the band's most commercially successful album to date. It includes several well-known songs, among them hit singles, such as "Sing a Simple Song", "I Want to Take You Higher", "Stand!", and "Everyday People". The album was reissued in 1990 on compact disc and vinyl, and again in 2007 as a remastered numbered edition digipack CD with bonus tracks and, in the UK, as only a CD with bonus tracks. The album sold 500,000 copies in 1969 and was certified gold in sales by the RIAA on December 4 of that year. It peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for nearly two years. By 1986 it had sold well over 1 million copies and was certified platinum in sales by the RIAA on November 21 of that same year. It then went on to sell over three million copies, becoming one of the most successful albums of the 1960s. In 2003, the album was ranked number 118 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, 121 in a 2012 revised list, and number 119 in a 2020 reboot of the list. In 2015, the album was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for inclusion in the National Recording Registry.
WikipediaYou can picture Sylvester Stewart leaning back, head on the pillow of his own fro, finger connecting with James Brown's 'The Creation of Adam' style. Truly, he was touched by the divine during his period of artistic fecundity (roughly 69-73) got underway here. The music he produced was so unspeakably great that were I a musician looking for motivation it would kill my aspirations on the spot. I mean, Stand! wasn't even his best album, yet 62.5% of it would show up on any all-time best list. Those songs would reappear on Greatest Hits a year later. That was my glorious entry point to Sly, followed by the mindbending There's a Riot... and ineffable Fresh. But I've always steered clear of Stand! after reading a warning against it. Well, I thought I'd read one. I realise now I must have dreamt it. It's obvious after listening to this that no one could possibly have written it for real.
Now we're talking! This is exactly the kind of album that belongs on lists of great albums (coming from Album Guy, that means a lot). Sly & the Family Stone is one of those bands that I know I've heard, but I hadn't listened to any of their albums. Playing this album, I recognized a handful of tracks, which speaks to the ubiquity of their brand of funk. This is an American cultural milestone, without question. It works really well as an album, too. I could see myself putting this on and listening all the way through any time. I hear traces of Childish Gambino's "Awaken, My Love!", which was obviously influenced by acts like Sly and Funkadelic (and on that note, I can't wait to listen to Maggot Brain again because there's no way it's not on this list). Sign me up for more albums like this! Favorite tracks: I Want to Take You Higher, Everyday People, Sex Machine. Cover art: Honestly, not good. The album's biggest weakness. Granted, it was the '60s, but what are we even looking at? Like multiple projections of photos on a wall of boxes? Admittedly, it's the sort of thing that would've turned me off from listening to this on my own. I would've opted for a Sly album with a better cover (like There's a Riot Going On). 4.5/5 [Ramones S/T = 3.5/5, Station to Station = 4/5]
Wow that's a lot of iconic pop in one place. The level of creative originality is incredible.
A great album that shows Sly and the Family busting out tons of funk classics that can all stand (heh) tall when separated. I will say that, whilst I do kinda prefer the versions of the songs done during their segment of the Woodstock concert, as they had a fire that’s not captured in the album. This isn’t to say the album versions aren’t good, they’re still excellent and showcase the psychedelic side that the songs have.
Big fan of this compared to “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” actually. Not that that album is bad, but it just never lived up to the hype for me. The lyrics are pretty direct & simple, especially compared to the more obscure Gil-Scott Heron and Eugene McDaniels stuff, but I think it fits with the live jam quality that the music has. And I guess that makes sense considering that Sly & the Family Stone was the band that made the mold for most soul music that followed. Ultimately, this is really good.
One of a few brief forays into a joyous, jovial yet biting Family Stone, this is one of the more impactful albums that came of the late Sixties and most of the blueprint that soul and funk offered in the eventual decade can be traced to this album. Indispensable.
This one started out rough but, by track 4, it finds its literal groove and starts bringing the deep funk that one expects from a Sly joint. That's not to say that the first few tracks are bad. From a songwriting perspective, they're solid and drop you neck deep into some serious social commentary. They're just rough... and not very funky. Still an absolute crusher of a band and a really good album with some of their most recognizable hits on it ("Everyday People" and "You Can Make It If You Try" being the biggest).
worth for Everyday People alone but there's so much more under the apparent joy of these songs
Funky and feel-good music with amazing grooves. Definitely a product of 1969. Features a few of their big hits.
I can't help think that groups like Arrested Development were strongly influenced by this. So good. So creative.
I get the feeling it's difficult to rate this 'objectively' because this set the standard for so much music to come. All funk bands still sound like this. It's easy to forget that Sly & The Family Stone were there first. I like it because it is punchy and heavy and to the point (well, except for that 14 minute track on side 2). 7/10
Funk album that's got a lot of variety, seems like everyone in the band gets their own vocal track or at least a lot of shifting around. Some major hits on here people should recognize, a couple of songs I couldn't really get into, but overall thought it was pretty good. Added a few songs to the playlist off of this one.
Aww, I've been waiting for a Sly Stone album to come up. Not the one I exactly wanted to see (which would be There's a Riot Goin' On), but this one is always a great listen. This band of delightful weirdos, I love them. Sly & The Family Stone is one of those bands whose songs are so familiar and embedded in the musical firmament, that we have to remind people of how significant they are. An interracial, gender mixed band that blended funk, soul, pop and psychedelic rock... in 1969? Sign me up. They were musical revolutionaries whose influence can still be found in any number of genres today. And oh, they're also just so much fun to listen to. That's a party you really want to be at. The album takes a few songs to heat up, but when it gets there, look out. The funk is strong with this one. The tone is exuberant and joyful. You can tell they are having fun here. The music is soulful and groovy and a little hectic with more than a hint of psychedelic flavor. Lyrically, Stone hints at social commentary without really going incredibly deep with it. It’s more of a feel good activism he embraces in songs like “Everyday People” and “Stand.” That said, "Don't Call Me..." is probably even more jarring on the ear than it might have sounded in 1969. It is really a time capsule from another era, not to mention just kind of a musically weird song. Even with all the stone cold classics on this album, today I'm digging "Somebody's Watching You," which is the sleeper track of the album. “Sex Machine” is some kind of marvelous, funky musical odyssey that really stands out from the others. Love it. Must have been a blast live. Fave Songs: I Want to Take You Higher, Sing a Simple Song, Everyday People, Somebody's Watching You, Stand, You Can Make It If You Try
None of them really stood out to me, and I actively disliked a few. Expected to like it more
Love it. Classic album. Hadn't listened to this all the way through before.
Great album! I've never listened to Sly and The Family Stone much but recognise several of the songs as they have been covered/sampled by other musicians
Кажеться неплохие песни на уровне земфиры. Но не более. Еще женский REM.
So many well known songs it almost felt like a greatest hits album. I also really enjoyed the long jam on "side 2". A triumph of an album.
Hey do you love bitchin jams and drum solos and funky funky bass? Sly and his family got the hook ups.
Powerful grooves. Music with a message that you can dance too. Influential and oft sampled. I love it
Massive tunes all round, James Brown may have started funk but this is funk done proper, quality.
Very good funk soul album. The stereo mix really needs to be listen to with headphones on or a good speaker setup
I always appreciated when I heard Sly on the radio, but never got any of their albums. This is good 1970s pop-rock!
Everyday People is a song that never fails to make me feel better. Pure pop perfection
"Stand!" is such a great achievement for a band that, until this release, was struggling to reach the spotlight of american popular music. Maybe that's the reason why this is such a frenetic mix of soul and funk, with a lot of psychodelia and a rawness in the lyrical themes that shows a band working on it's political views in a way that would be more clear in future records, with equality and peace as the main themes. It's a breakthrough album that enbodies the zeitgeist of the time with near perfection. "Stand!", "I Want to Take You Higher" and, specially, "Everyday People" are the highlights.
I thought this would be overly funky but it was just a great album start to finish.
Sly & The Family Stone's fourth album and their first to reach the Billboard Top 200. A much more focused album than their subsequent "There's a Riot Goin' On", taking nothing away from the brilliance of that album. This is a band effort with multiple leading and backing vocals laying down a great funky groove. The overarching feeling is one of optimism and hopefulness addressing issues such as racial and social injustice. And, one of those albums the Library of Congress included in the National Recording Registry for its aesthetical significance. The album includes their great song and #1 hit "Every Day People" which apparently popularized "Different Strokes for Different Folks." Good to know. A lot of highlights: The blues vibe and endless great groove of "I Want to Take You Higher", the optimism and great backing vocals of "Stand!" and the funky psychedelia, distorted keyboards and wah-wah guitar of the 13-minute long "Sex Machine." This album has to be one of the high points (if not the high point) of Sly & The Family Stone. My favorite for sure.
A classic. Everyday People is too short, Sex Machine is too long (or maybe the right length for sex?@!?), but the rest is glorious. If you can, check out the documentary The Summer of Soul to see them in their prime.
There's lots to enjoy on this album; a mixture of vocal styles, swirling keyboards, stabbing brass, funky bass lines, Latin drum rhythms and psychedelic effects. I love the extended nature of some of the tracks and there's a few familiar hits present ('Stand', 'I Want To Take You Higher' and the absolute classic 'Everyday People'. Other highlights include the summery vibe of 'Somebody's Watching You' and the groovy 'Sing A Simple Song'. All in all, it's a very accessible (and danceable) counter culture record. Groovy baby!
“Stand!” is a perfect distillation of a band at the height of their powers: here, Sly and the Family Stone stride between funk, soul and psychedelia, influencing generations of musicians across all three areas and more. There are the phenomenal makings of a Greatest Hits compilation here, and all of the shorter tracks shine in their own way. While “Everyday People” is my all-time favourite for its buoyant singalong refrain, the other songs crackle with the same level of life and optimism. The title track and “You Can Make It If You Try” bookend the album with positivity, serving as anthems for the underdogs. (Also, “Stand” has a killer funky outro that hits harder than anything else here). “I Want to Take You Higher” is a barrage of heavy soul, while “Somebody’s Watching You” cleanses the palate with a sunnier, twee-without-being-naff melody. Finally, “Sing a Simple Song” manages to sit a “doh-reh-mi” major scale singalong in the middle of a rip-roaring funk track… without derailing the whole thing. Inspired. The remaining 19 minutes of the album is devoted to two tracks: “Don’t Call me N****r, Whitey” and a THIRTEEN MINUTE instrumental jam to “Sex Machine.” Both of these songs retain spunk and aggression, but also give way to extended, hazy jam sessions. They may showcase the band’s live power, but they aren’t quite as compelling on record. There’s also a heavy reliance on the talkbox here, which takes some getting used to. It goes without saying that to make it all work, the musicians are on absolutely splendid form, though drummer Greg Errico deserves a special mention for his controlled chaos at the end of “Sex Machine” and for elevating “I Want to Take You Higher”… well, higher. If “Sex Machine” had been half as long, this would have been an easy five stars. As it is, it teeters right on the edge… but I’m rounding up anyway. It’s just too much fun. (On a side note, Questlove’s 2021 documentary, “Summer of Soul”, showcases Sly Stone and co. at their peak, with earth-shattering renditions of “Everyday People” and “Sing a Simple Song”. After I saw this film and realised what a powerhouse the band must have been live, “Stand!” solidified itself as an absolute classic.)
Stand! - 10/10 Don’t Call Me Nigger, Whitney - 10/10 I Want To Take You Higher - 10/10 Somebody’s Watching You - 10/10 Sing A Simple Song - 9/10 Everyday People - 10/10 Sex Machine - 10/10 You Can Make It If You Try - 10/10 Soul Clappin’ II - 9/10 My Brain (Zig Zag) - 5/10
Only knew the album with Family Affair on it. Loved this album, high on energy and brilliant grooves.
I can't wait to play track two at dinner parties and wait for people to go "wait - did he just say....!?!?" Anyway - this is funky - some James Brown inspired goodness. And - the surprising origin of 'Everyday People'. The only track that wasn't really enjoyable was the 13 minute log 'Sex Machine' - purely because it didn't really go anywhere over those 13 minutes. But other wise - this was some good stuff - enjoyed alot of this...
The 2nd Sly & The Family Stone album and this was a huge improvement over the other one (which is the follow-up to this record). Obviously in the follow-up they moved away from this sound, but this is the sound I love a lot. Super funky and just a blast.
Banger after banger after banger. This is a mighty funk soul rock record. Title track just edges it as best song.
14th November 2022 Listened in the morning while working from home and fixing the blocked sink. This seems to capture life, walking down the street, having lunch at a family members, sex, everything. And done with verve and heart.
Love me some Sly et al., and this album didn't disappoint. "I Want to Take You Higher" might be my second-favorite Sly song (the first being "If You Want Me to Stay"), and "Everyday People" is arguably their most well-known. There's plenty more to like here, and it feels a little ahead of its time. The album sounds (to my mind) like it's straight out of the mid-'70s rather than 1969. I'd probably go with a 4.5 if I could, but I can't, so I might as well round up for Sly & Co's general awesomeness.
Ma-la-de. Sing a simple song est un des groove les plus puissants que je connaisse. Impossible qu’il n’y ait pas une partie de moi qui bouge quand ça part. Il y a certainement quelques trucs qui sonnent datés, comme certains fuzz qui agressent un peu, ou certaines harmonies vocales. Autrement, cet album est génial.
oh, hell yes! Here's a record that got a LOT of play in the first share house I lived in; this and Greatest Hits (1970), which has about a 50% overlap with Stand! This mix of funk, soul, R'n'B and rock is infectious and exhilarating, even more than 50 years since its first release. I won't deny that Sex Machine is 13 minutes of filler on an otherwise tight and catchy 41 minute album. And the songs are _so_catchy. Stand!, Sing a Simple Song, I Want To Take You Higher, Everyday People and You Can Make It If You Try are all classics. Many have become standards. Within a year of the release of this album, songs have been covered or referenced by Jimi Hendrix, Ike and Tina Turner, Miles Davis, Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Jackson 5, the Meters, Booker T. and the MGs. The songs on this album have been sampled hundreds or possibly even thousands of times, which makes their influence continuous to today. Prince was clearly influenced by the multi-racial, diverse gendered, and multi-genre approach of the Family Stone. The influence of this record was both instant and long lasting, and permeates much of what we do. Even down to the way that Larry Graham is laying the foundations for what funk bass playing should be. He is just starting to develop slap bass, brought to its early peak on Thankyoufalletinme (Me Mice Elf Again) the following year. You can see how important Sly & The Family Stone were at the time. Their appearance at the Summer of Soul Festival is clearly the high point of the festival for the audience, and you can see where they are pushing black music and musicians. If you watch the Summer of Soul documentary (highly, highly, highly recommended), you can see that many bands are still wearing matching suits and playing in an R'n'B style, although the beginnings of funk are starting to appear. And then out come the family Stone in their funky freak clothes, and tearing it up with their mix of rock and soul and funk. Some audience members talk about how they threw away their wardrobes and bought new clothes after seeing Sly & the Family Stone. You can see the influence they have on Hendrix and Stevie Wonder and P.Funk and the Motown bands and everyone. Their music, their fashion, their attitude, their arrangements, their inclusiveness. And the songs, those amazing songs. In 2012, I was in New York for a few weeks, when I saw that Larry Graham was playing a free lunchtime gig in a park in Brooklyn. I dragged the family down there, and he tore it up! At the end of the set he played a bunch of Sly songs, and those songs still have the power to raise the roof (even in an outdoor venue). Look at the sober, lunchtime crowd reacts to I Wanna Take You Higher. Still one of the greatest shows I have even seen. You can see some highlights at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuWUfI0z51U Here's another video, where at 1:35 you can see Ed and Alfie (briefly) onstage dancing with the band https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u_b-yv9h7Q Good times!
I first heard Everyday People on the radio in late 1968 & copied it onto my reel-to-reel tape recorder. It had been released as a single 6 months before this album was released. In the meantime, the band were the highlight at Woodstock. But I did not get this album until after I bought the Woodstock 3-lp set & then saw the Woodstock film, which was released in 1970. When I look at Sly’s Woodstock set-list, 5 of the 8 songs they performed were from this album. No wonder. This is a truly amazing album. And to think that Sing A Simple Song was the flipside of the Everyday People single & I Want To Take You Higher was the flipside of the Stand single. What value. The band closed their Woodstock set with Stand. What shocked me when I finally got the album was the title of Track 2 - you just didn’t hear the n-word in those days. What thrills me when I hear the album now is Sex Machine - I’m lost for words (& the band didn’t need any). Stand is one of the great 60’s albums.
Right, first thing have a listen to the verse in Stand, then put Jack and Jill by Raydio into your cassette player and I think you will find that perhaps Ray Parker Jnr has listened a little too closely to Stand...Second thing...I think Rocky Mountain High enjoys a cosey relationship with Sex Machine (and maybe a bit of Frampton's Do You Feel Like We Do)...but what do I know...anyway...I think a LOT of musicians were listening very closely to this album back in the day. This album represents what I thought the 1001 was going to be all about; amazing music, great song writing and brilliant musicians. Jesus Mary and Joseph this is a phenomenal record, every track. Melody and rhythm flows out of every fibre of Sly's being, he's pulled together every Black music tradition and fused it with the best elements of White music to create something unique and special. What a band, what an ensemble, all are players and all can sing, the blend of voices, Rose, Fred, Cynthia, just sublime. And what can we say about Greg Errico, not many points of reference around for what Sly wanted but he got it, pretty fly for a white guy. And I think it would be worth getting Don't Call Me Nigger Whitey played more, it will greatly help the maturity of the discourse out there right now, he got that one absolutely right. And I wonder what Gene Allison thought of Sly's take on You Can Make It, we are a long way from 1957 Toto.. Easily one of the greatest records of all time.
This album slaps. Got some cracking good stuff on it. Would recommend.
Banger after banger after BANGER. This is one for the history books for sure.
The amount of pure musical information in old funky recordings never fails to impress. Some of the instrumentals end up feeling a bit noodly, but that's quite a small complaint.
Nice Album to listen to. A familiar band but had not listened to a lot of music from them. I could work and listen to this album. Now Spotify is giving me similar music. I will continue listening to the suggestions of Spotify for today I think.
Good background music when I am working around the house. It's amazing that Forty years after this album was made some of the songs are still relevant.
Je pense que c'Est important de remettre l'album dans son contexte historique. En termes de musique funk du début 70, je trouve qu'ils ont fait un excellent cd. Personnellement je trouve que les vocals sont très importants à leur musique, Les chansons avec seulement de l'instrumental me paraissait longue. Mais je savais très bien que ce serait bon quand j'ai vu la photo d'un musicien noir, un peu trop maigre, en sueurs, avec un bracelet autour du biceps et je n'ai pas été déçu. Mon hit: I want to take you higher.
Now here we go! Starting off with a song that is the title of the album is bold. Making that song only three minutes is just right. But I do see a 13-minute Sex Machine coming so I am sure Freddie Mercury would approve of that length. Very upbeat so far, I have not listened to this album before but a few of the songs. The second track was longer but felt very short and that may have been them repeating the chorus quite a bit but it was still a strong message. I Want to Take You Higher is a total classic, I’m trying to remember what movie I heard it in, but I’m sure it was football or sports related. It’s interesting that this album is seven years older than the prior two but it feels better produced. The sound quality is better and the vocals are much clearer. Enjoyed Everyday People and the undertones of a lot of these songs commentating on what was going on in the country around this time. I’m not sure off the top of my head if this was the first Sex Machine or if James Brown was first but like I said earlier, 13 minutes is very bold for a song. Seven minutes in and not a single word but this grove is funky. I’m starting to understand the meaning behind the song title. The way it ends with the drums feels like a rock song so this is a highlight of the album for me. Great ending on You Can Make It If You Try, a great message to all. My favorite album so far that’s been reviewed!
Quite the combination of funk & rock. It's very much a sixties sound while still being very different than other bands in the sixties. The "hits" are classics and I love the title track which I may have heard once in my life in the seventies. I would have given this a higher mark if not for the needlessly long and repetitive Sex Machine.
Great stuff this. The birth of Funk right here, mixed in with some Psych-rock guitars and bold baselines. Will be exploring more. 4/5
Very fun! Gave off both a hippy vibe and socially aware movement vibe. Nice n funky :)
So funky! My parents had a few of these songs on the family iPod when I was little so the nostalgia probably contributed. I think Everyday People and Sex Machine were my favorites
The 1960s optimism in the lyrics has not aged terribly well, which is why I liked the long noodly one the best. I really like the incorporation of psychedelic stuff into soul and funk. Would be 3.5 from me
Excellent. Brilliant pop songs and fantastic long, deeper funk tracks.