Stand!

The title track of this album was a great way to go into it! It was so much fun, so soulful. Don’t call me… was one of the funniest things I’ve listened to in a while. I don’t think it was meant to be but there was just something about it. It has some very great guitar at the end though. I want to take you higher had a great groove to it! I thought it was fantastic. Somebody’s watching you was also quite good. I liked the horns. Sing a simple song was anything but simple, but it was good. Everyday song was alright. Sex machine, apart from being egregiously long, had some good music. You can make it if you try was a good track. Nice and laid back. Overall 3/5 ⭐️ 141/1089

Fantastic record. 4.5 Star

I legitimately thought the title track was going to be a Stevie Wonder cover at first. It turns out it is a pure Sly original and a fantastic opener. The vocals on "I Wanna Take You Higher" are absolutely great and bring pure energy. "Sex Machine" was a super nice instrumental change of pace too. And of course, "Everyday People" is on here, which is obviously an all-time classic that never gets old. From my perspective, this album is a masterclass in how to fuse pop hooks with deep funk and heavy social commentary. The way the band trades vocals between Sly, Freddie Stone, Rosie Stone, and Larry Graham gives the whole record a massive community feel. Favorite song: "Stand!"

Accomplished musicianship and nice grooves but I found it quite uninteresting at best and annoying at worst

Fire! Groovy as hell

start of funk really good

This man is a goddamned legend. Rushmore tier legend. Fortunate to have breathed the same air legend. This album is incredible. I don't know that I'd done it straight thru before. Not consciously anyway. And I was coming in with the prepared "it's great but it's not my fave" remarks because I already knew that other one was my fave. But I'll be goddamned this one just might be my new fuhkn fave!! It's incredible! You want feel-good sing-a-longs? It's got it. You want psych jams? Got it. Funk for days? Oh you better believe it's got that. Legend! LEG-END. legend.

Astounding - Sly is Stone cold grooves.

Like it but wouldn't listen again

I forget how many of these I know and love. I understand why this is on the list.

Pretty sure this is one of the albums that the word "groove" was invented for.

I am a Sly fan, but haven't heard this record. This is great, as expected.

I like it. I had never heard of it. Best track: sex machine

That mix of soul and funk will always put a big smile on my face, especially when it’s handled with as much care as it is here. I was immediately impressed by the variety of guitar effects, which really made the sound stand out and gave the album a great sense of energy. I would often get lost in the melodies, which reassured me that things would be alright and work out in the end. Maybe it does get a bit repetitive at times, but it feels more like an intentional groove than a lack of ideas. The standouts for me were "I Want to Take You Higher" and "Sex Machine".

So good. I'll say 4.5 - round up.

I enjoyed this for the most part, it is awesome. I did have to skip part of Sex Machine as it was going goblin mode in my ears a bit.

Sly and the Family Stone are great and this album is no exception. The n-bombs caught me by surprise but given the band and context, I get it.

Just alright for me. Leaning towards positive, especially for Everyday People, but overall it was fine.

Love this album, but more love the genre it is with.

4 stars just for Stand and Everyday People. Otherwise closer to 3 stars for me

fun

Great classic funk! Knew some of them

Sex Machine is a jam and a half but the album as a whole doesn't really hit. It's fine. Thanks Drake's uncle for inventing slap bass, I really like that

Fun funk

Would I listen again: a couple of songs I really liked stand and I want to take you higher. It was nice overall, 2nd song was certainly something to listen to in the car

Not the biggest fan

Absolute perfection. Everyday People had to be one of the best songs ever written.

Nice enough funk and most tracks have a good message. I just couldn't see myself ever coming back to this though.

Fun and energetic, soul/funk with I feel like some disco style beats on some songs. I dont love it, but can understand why this was influential when it came out in the late 60s

Won't be listening to this one again. I couldn't get through the album. Didn't find it particularly special.

Terrific blend of rock, soul and funk.

Not bad, but not my fav.

es una genialidad, tiene los mejores solos del mundo. la musicalizacion un 10.

Nobody beats Sly.

Just listened to this after a car accident has put two family members in the ER a couple hours ago and their condition is still unknown. This album is funky and uplifting enough to keep me in a good mood, but not over the top enough to contrast with the current situation enough to make it feel ironic. Good vibes, good album, I'm a fan.

4,5/5

Funkay. And very good.

Some of these songs are really good - might bump this up to a 4 later.

Buenos ritmos

Un grupo mas o menos entretenido, la verdad que no pude escuchar todo el album porque me aburrió un poco

I have to be in the mood for Sly and The Family Stone, but I do like this album. Been a while since I heard it though. Like “Riot…”, this is perfectly good for what it is. Sex Machine is the highlight for me. Solid 3.

A little too funky for me. Very 60's. "Everyday People" was pretty enjoyable.

Pretty good, sounds like they had fun Makin it.

3.3/5

enjoyed this sounds

Not bad, lots of classic sounding funk and some stuff I recognized (everyday people being one). Intro sounded super familiar too. Seems like it was very strong/influential for it's time.

Great songs. Felt like 60s (I was born mid90s). SEX MACHINE is fiiiiireeee

1. "Stand!" 2. "I Want to Take You Higher" 3. "You Can Make It If You Try"

This album is nuts, and one of the most important ever. So so funky, great mix of pop hits, jamming, and serious lyrical content. Sly is a monster on the guitar and I love how it sounds

Given the quality of the recent albums of the day I've gotta give Sly & The Family a 3. I might have given it a 2 but Stand!, I Want to Take You Higher, the drum solo on Sex Machine, Everyday People, ... there is enough goodness on this to rate a 3 even if the album as a whole isn't chock full of it.

Sooo many stone cold classics on top of some challenging but accessible commentary and unique funk/soul

Fantastic soul and funk record.

fun but a bit forgettable

If you asked a random person, say, from the crowd at a concert, to name a funk song, what do you think they'd remember? Maybe Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal," maybe Daft Punk's "Get Lucky," or at the very least, something by Jamiroquai. But none of this would have happened without Sly Stone, who arguably invented the genre. Everything on this album sounds much harsher than that of the aforementioned artists — it's more a blend of black soul and white psychedelic rock, taking the best of both worlds: piercing vocals, rich bass, acidic keyboards, a wah pedal, and, most importantly, a wild, danceable energy. Sly himself worked in the same way, and despite the socially charged lyrics, there was no segregation within the band; both blacks and whites played there. I'd never listened to this album before, but on this warm day it hit the spot.

I was expecting a bit more from this, it was a little disappointing. Definitely not a must listen but something tells me more of their discography will crop up.

Ceci est un chef d'oeuvre

Great album, funky and fun but with some serious lyrics mixed in.

this is the example of a good album 3.5/5

Weird that this album was recommended to me the day the govt got changed in my state. Really introspective, makes you think about where we stand as a society

Favorites: - Stand! - Somebody’s Watching You - Sing a Simple Song

This album made me feel like a midget standing tall.

Interesting album. The second half of the album was objectively way better than the first half and there were a lot of repetitive songs but I would say about 50% of the time I enjoyed the music and the other half I did not.

Album had a slow start and there were a couple long and repetitive songs (looking at you 14 minute instrumental song) but the second half was really good and carried it. A shame the best song is less than 2 and a half minutes but oh well, still pretty good.

Funky soul music of cultural significance. Were it not for the significance of this album and the time of its release, I don't think its music would rate as highly as it does. Aside from Everyday People, most of the album doesn't sound much better than other music from the genre and the singles didn't impress me much. The songs are good, but they aren't 'greatest of all time' good. Still, the instrumental arrangements were pretty darn funky (shout out to the instrumental tracks), and the vocals/backup vocals were all in balance and well executed.

i think maybe i just wasn't in the mood for this sound today. i don't hate it but it was hard to get through. i'll give it another chance some other time.

i’m totally fucked up so why don’t change it to “funked up” today… see, a change in only one letter can flip the meaning on its head! but it could be a little tiny bit more funky tbh. 3.5/5

No me gusta nada

Kinda reminds me of Barry Manilow. 3/5.

Classic rock

7,50/10 Buen album, divertido, se paso rápido sin hacerse pesado. Ritmos movidos y una que acompaña muy bien

War ganz geil

Groove legal pra escutar ao longo do dia sem pensar muito

Couple really great ones on here

Pretty good.

Actually loved this, so fun, so funky and I can’t believe this is 1969. What a vibe, when I’m in the mood for funk and soul big band vibes I’m here for it.

Vet

Good ol' Sly

Standing on this

Pretttaaaaaay pretttaaaaaay good

Good jams

Loved it!

chill but good pacing

Stand! de Sly & The Family Stone es mucho más que un álbum: es un espejo para analizar el mundo… y analizarnos a nosotros mismos. En plena época de tensiones raciales, este disco ya estaba diciendo algo que todavía seguimos aprendiendo: el racismo es real, y mientras sigamos clasificándonos por nuestras diferencias, seguimos dividiendo a la humanidad. Con mensajes claros pero llenos de groove, Stand! no solo denuncia, también invita a la reflexión y a la unidad sin importar el color de piel. Es música con propósito, adelantada a su tiempo y todavía relevante hoy. Un álbum necesario, consciente y humano. 5/5.

Maybe it was good for it's time

Very funky, fun jams.

Another great album… Love Sly Stand! A true classic

Funky. Fun. Easy to dance to and powers a good workout. I swear I have this on vinyl somewhere. Anyway it’s a great listen end to end but gets a little repetitive. Carried by the hits and some hidden gems. Solid

da funk is niet dood...

Wow, Psychedelic Soul-Funk from 1969. I haven't heard a wah-wah pedal being used so much for a long time. A little bit dated perhaps, but a classic example of music from my childhood. I remember their hit "Everyday People", but not much else - it was so long ago.

It wasn't terrible but not really my style

Maybe sit! this one out. 6/10

Muy bueno, aprendí que son pioneros en el Funk que mete letras orientadas a la sociedad La forma en la que manejan los instrumentos me pareció precisa, pero a la vez quisieron asegurarse de conservar la psicodelia Muy interesantes, si el Funk es de sus géneros favoritos, este es un excelente álbum con el cual darse cuenta de donde proviene mucho de ello

8.5/10

When I said yesterday about music being political? This is more what i'm talking about. You've got the light and easy but pointed power of Stand and Everyday People. Stand is a pretty classic “keep your head up” song, and Everyday People does a lot with basically two single chords, the banality of our own prejudices and that big iconic “Aaaaaayyy”. On the other hand, you have “Don't Call Me…” which… well, if Everyday People puts a finger on the Humans are Humans idea, the latter really puts bluntly the vicious cycle of how hatred leads to more hatred. I think it's obvious where it all starts (as a white guy i cannot imagine being offended by being called “whitey" compared to the contempt of “whitey's” epithet), but Sly seems to be digging a bit under the skin of the cycle, not just the bigotry that started it. That's not the only place Sly Stone feels like he is on the edge of something. It's easy to listen back to this and hear proto-funk, but really thinking about it in context… this was early on, this was just a bit before P-Funk even, and it feels like a bridge to get to that from the psychedelic era. That descending riff in “i want to take you higher” is iconic enough to feel like it was born into collective knowledge. “Sex Machine” takes the familiar James Brown funk standard title and births something funky and what may have sounded futuristic at the time. What would early 70s funk be without the extended guitar vamp? Sly doesn't want us to find out. Let's call this a 4*

4/10

Non ho sentito tutto, anzi davvero poco. Ma non si può non riconoscere da subito, che sono fortissimi

Alright, Sly!! 5

An actual musical genius

Undeniably great. Black music of the 70’s (and beyond) owes much of its sound to this guy.

track 2 !!!!!!

This album was not written for me, but I enjoy it anyway. Absolutely bangs.

This album is the definition of funk. So many good songs on this album. For me personally, the only one that was a bit of a miss and just didn't seem to fit was "Somebody's Watching You". Otherwise, the album is packed with amazing music. After listening to it, you can hear how many other musicians - in so many different genres - this band influenced. On the 10th anniversary of Prince's death, I can hear the guitar sounds and funkiness in these songs that I'm sure had a huge influence on Prince. And "Everyday People" is just an absolute classic.

4/10

C'mon now, this is a classic. So many killer tunes. Fucking Stand!

Good range of stuff here from Everyday People to a funky 13-minute instrumental

Love it - Sly is a genius. Everyday people and a few others were familiar. Loved the jam on Sex Machine.

Jamming and interesting though a 2026 lens

What a great album this one is! Initially I thought I would give it 4 stars, but I gave 4.5/5.0 on RYM and really thinking this deserves 5 here. What a great band and what a great sound, we have a few big hits with "Stand!", "Everyday People" and "I want to take you higher", but also some albums tracks shine with "Sing a simple song" and album closer "You can make it if you try". And a surprising discovery with 13+ minute instrumental funk masterpiece of "Sex Machine".

A classic album.

그냥 들었어요.

This was so good! So happy to come across it. Some excellent funky tunes, loved it.

Love this. Very true to its time . Loads of influences in here or perhaps these were the influences for others (my musical history is not that great for this period.

Just a solid all around album but nothing really stood out for me.

Better than Coldplay

Pretty good! The title track was a real standout, brighter, poppier than other Sly records I've heard, has a very classic production style, thin and brash but not in a bad way. I was expecting a little more based on what I've heard before but the records fun and a great arvo play.

nooo lost my notes *again* i need to remember to save these it was a groove, 4/5? 5/5?

A new one to me but very enjoyable. Seriously funky, seriously influential. Really enjoyed reading about and exploring this band.

Oh yes!!! Yeah- I obviously had high hopes for this album. But, no. It really wasn’t that good. There was no reason for sex machine to be 13 minutes! No. And I ended up liking the second track the best. Oh well… it’s Sly and the Family so they still get a 3.

New to me. I get it… 1. I want to take you higher 2. Everyday People 3. Sex Machine

Ta guapens, que me gusta un buen funk

Giving me a headache.

Unparalleled to this day

- funky and fun but i did not devote enough time to actively listening to it - rating: 3/5

really incredible instrumentation cher and future have traumatized me w everyday people im sorry highlights: i want to take you higher, sing a simple song 3.75/4

Funky soul and R&B. I didn't expect much, and it was a pretty nice album to listen to. Good pop sensibilities and approachable. Did not need a 13 minute instrumental.

Just fantastic. One of my favourite discoveries so far.

Awesome classic - makes me regret giving Van Halen 5 stars as this was another level. Some truly beautiful moments, funky fun

I liked this one. It was nice and funky.

Fun listen. Some songs I found boring but still enjoyable in the structure. Will have to revisit soon

Excellent album that unfortunately is as relevant today as it was when it came out. Glad we have lodestars like Sly to turn to in dark time.

Jeg bliver simpelthen aldrig en funky gal.

Soul, Funk,1969->3

I think I get it. Important and on the list because of the cultural and protest vibes to the way things were going in the `60s. It got into some interesting flows, but also some parts (and entire songs) where they repeat the same lyrics over and over (looking at you track 2). It will surprise no one that constant repetition of the same lyrics doesn't grab me, even if they're thoughtful (which they weren't, just defiant and making a stand). it got a bit more party-esk later in the album. Overall it was a fine funky album.

Podia ter dado um 5

idk

it's different from what i'm used to, that's for sure

This was good and may listen again, just short of 4

This was fine but no standouts

soul and funk, inspriational for many that followed in this genre

Very psychedelic soul and funk. This album was very good I’d rate it a 3/5, reminds me of the sinners sound track. Favorite song from the album: “somebody’s watching you”& “everyday people” Least favorite: sex machine. As much as I tried to like it, it went on for too long and it was very redundant

High energy, felt classic maybe just less my vibe

It probably says something that I've never listened to this album, but can sing along to most of the songs. Better than I expected.

Funky and chill, 4/5. Favourite song: Stand!

Pretty cool band. Liked them

High 3

Decent stuff, didn't blow me away.

Ok

3.4

no conocia ni la banda ni el album. me gusto bastante

After the first song I was excited and then it quickly diminished. Nice funky, disco vibe. Some parts got too noisy and some really wack songs that went on too long. Drummer and brass were the stars for sure

Favorite Song: Sex Machine

this was alright some of the tracks were really fun but it wasn’t anything too special

Funky! And Groovy!

Stan!

Funky. 4.5/5

This was enjoyable.

Upeat and wide ranging

very motivational and simple help me get through hard times a bit

goodahhalbum

Worth it for just Everyday people

A great record I had forgotten

The four songs on here are amazing. The acid jams are instantly forgettable. Four great songs = four stars.

This is my shit. Not perfect by any stretch but that's just fine. Funky as hell. Insane energy. Awesome. Love a hand clap, need more of that.

An album so good it made me think that maybe we could maybe solve race relations by all getting high together more.

This album really starts to cook when I Want To Take You Higher plays. I had to stop making breakfast to dance to that one Tight runtime (outside of sex machine, but hey that was a fun blues jam), hits, deeper cuts, great instruments, so many vocals. Easy 5 star for me. Big bummer that the band completely imploded from drug use. Cant believe Sly lived to see 80

I honestly had no idea Sly was such a talented musician - always associated him with wedding dance floors, but this is so much more than the singles. Love the mix of upbeat motown-type songs and more experimental jazz songs that sound like they could be on Maggot Brain. Had to look up what was going on with Sex Machine - Sly is scatting into a distorted microphone? Really interesting. Sounds like they went on to do even more experimental, less commercial stuff later. Need to check that out!

Grate!

Багато чув) Давно хотів послухати)

Kinda groovy.

No. 387/1001 Stand! 3/5 Don't Call Me N****, Whitney 3/5 I Want To Take You Higher 4/5 Somebody's Watching You 4/5 Sing A Simple Song 3/5 Everyday People 5/5 Sex Machine 2/5 (3x) You Can Make It If You Try 4/5 Average: 3,2 Alright to listen to. Not much more to say about this record.

I didn't expect Sly to break out the harmonica and kill it.

Really loved this. I'd never listened to Sly apart from watching Summer of Soul with my boyfriend, but listening to this album immediately transported me to that joy-filled park in the sunshine. (And I listened to it in a corporate slop bowl place so that's no small feat.) Saw this in another comment, so not an original though, but I've rarely listened to a studio album that so effectively captures the live experience. I grew up listening to a lot of slightly more contemporary protest music, so it was cool to hear some of its roots. Excited to put this one in rotation as the weather gets warmer - and god knows we need music like this right now.

Everyday people is such an amazing song. Listening to it as a kid I had no understanding on the meaning of the song, just loved the beat and how it made me move. Love it even more now.

I liked You can Make It If You Try, a couple were repetitive. Overall some fun and interesting music, but I probably wouldn’t listen to the whole thing again. Surprisingly, I liked some of the instrumentals the best!

Really good album, start to end. What a great entry to the list that is more boring than it should be.

Fantastic soul and funk record, with iconic songs and great jams.

13 minute+ Sex machine track just meandering nonsense. Couple of OK tracks here and there, but most wouldn't warrant a second listen from me

I found this pretty tedious to listen to. Quite a few long songs that felt like jams.

Swung wildly in tone, good driving music.

kicks around a bit too late at the party with some of those song lengths, but this is here for the hits clearly

I would probably keep this over at least one of the other albums they have on this list.

Hits and heavy funk power! What more could I ask for. Love those familiar singles - I had no idea they were from the late 60s, really impressive. Really enjoyed the mix of good songwriting, funk feel, and then dirty guitar and experimental elements that feel like they belong in a hard rock record.

Nothing stuck out to me with this album. It was just good.

Увидев "соул" в описании, я усомнился в начале, а тот ли альбом я включил. Такая фанк соул психоделия на стыке всевозможных жанров.

Oh so good. Genuinely deeply enjoyable no matter what. Obviously Stand!, I Want to Take You Higher, and Everyday People are the stand outs. But damn. Good energy and great musicality

Never listened to Sly Stone before having them previously on this list and I really need to go further into their discog. Great album.

Interesting and funky

Some great music

nope

Heard some of their music before. It's a fun album, sure. I guess I'm just not into this vibe today 2/5

Not for me. 1/5

Everyday People is one of the greatest songs ever recorded. Kind of a mixed bag. Generally liked it, but a couple songs just didn't do much for me.

Probably a piece of history, idk. I mostly enjoyed this but I'm just not a huge funk guy. Impressive for 1969.

funky as all hell. although the highs are high i dont think theyre 100% consistent. still very impressive. favorite song is Somebody's Watching You. soft 4

Rating: 8/10 Absolute banger! Psychedelic funky beats with the classic Woodstock feel. Lots of great performances with all these instruments led by Mr. Sly himself. Short and sweet, lots of good tracks and just a well made album. I've definitely heard I Want To Take You Higher before, the long jam Sex Machine was fun. All around one of the best albums from 1969.

Groovy and enjoyable. Feels great for a 60s album 6.4/10

It's Sly. Brings you back to the 60s

HELL YEA!!! It's so funny I'm getting this album now, when I just discover them organically a couple weeks ago! As previously mentioned, I've been getting more into the r&b/funk genre so this band has been an instant favourite of mine! I've already heard a few of the tracks here, but it was a treat to get to listen through the full thing!

un hermoso viaje psicodelico que es increíble como te va llevando cada tema, me replante si ponerle 5 pero tiene un gran error que es sex machine, es de por demás experimental

Hell YEAH this ROCKS I LOVE SLY STONE. Sly Stone is a GENIUS. This record is incredible

Cool and pleasant, not my thing. 6/10

Combining Psychadelic and Soul is a lot of fun. This is pretty good. Sometimes the jam breaks go on for a little long, but this is fun Liked Songs: "Stand!" , "I Want to Take You Higher" , "Somebody's Watching You" , "Sing a Simple Song" , "You Can't Make It If You Try" , "Soul Clappin' II"

First listen

I liked two of the songs on this album, Stand! and Everyday People The rest were kind of a disappointment compared to the two I liked.

Not my cup of tea.

Gott fönk

Bara venjulegt. Nöfnin á lögunum eru toppurinn.

Rhythmic and Energetic, Good

Not really my jam

not for me mostly but still pretty coole

I love it

Meh

Quite fun.

These songs are so familiar from pop culture. Everybody's heard Everyday People. The funk throughout the album is nice to hear and makes up for some really long, repetitive songs. The interplay between the voices is cool, and the lyrics reflect the themes of racism, unity and empowerment.

I loved this! Puts the funk in funkadelic. Lots of classics like “Everyday People” and “I Want to Take You Higher” (Boom shakalaka) And of course “Don’t call me…” In the original Lollapalooza I saw Perry and Ice-T sing this at each other. Very influential too.

The guitar jams are epic funk but I enjoy the influence more than the actual thing

A slew of classic songs, and "Sex Machine" is epic.

This was pretty groovy throughout ... and a few lyrics you should probably not be walking around the streets today, singing out loud!

Never heard of Sly & The Family Stone, so I get to treat my ears to something new today. I want to start by saying that, although musically tight, "Sex Machine" went on for way too long; there has to be more variation, even just in the instrumental vibe without lyrics, for a song to warrant being that long. A shame, because it was great until I thought my app was glitching out repeating the same section. Conversely, "Sing a Simple Song" was just perfect, with Drums and Bass working together incredibly and the vocals filling out the song at a good ratio to instrumentals. "You can make it if you try" deserves similar laurels, but my preference lies with Simple Song. Track 2, as another reviewer put it, was something else. In a way, I loved the sneering delivery of the lines, as if it was some tongue in cheek stab that could believably start a friendship between black guy and a white guy; I can believe something like this has happened over time. Overall, it does nail the funk element perfectly and it shines more than half the time, but those long, repetitive sections - it sounds as if the band is stalling for time while the lead vocalist goes for a smoke break - keep it from being truly great.

Wow. This is incredible. With the title track I was like “is this the Beatles but funky?” Later I was just bopping my head. Then I was like “is this King Crimson? They only released their debut that year!” This is an incredible mix of psych rock, funk and soul. Fun and insightful. All time great. Easy five stars.

Immaculate vibes! Love it

Not my type of funk

Enjoyed the long jam instrumental and Everyday People is an all time. Nothing else on the album really wowed me.

strong 4. Acho que é o trabalho mais consistente da Sly & Family Stone, mistura a diversão e espontaneidade do funk com a beleza do soul, tudo envolto de críticas ao racismo, sem parecer pedante ou exagerado. A produção é bem polida e aproveita bem o lado psicodélico dos instrumentos.

All the best songs but a lot of filler.

Favorite Track: I Want to Take You Higher

I like the socially conscious lyrics but got to admit the music doesn't do that much for me. I listened twice and not that much stuck with me, and the 13 minute instrumental downgraded it from 3 to 2

It's funkie, it's black, it's colorful, filled with unconventional melodies and instruments.

Very good record. 3,8

Meh, no está mal pero tampoco me pongo loco

Really one of the best albums ever.

It's not often that my reaction to seeing what my album is first thing in the morning is "Yes! Let's listen to this RIGHT NOW!", but here we are, listening to Sly and the Family Stone and turning it up just a little too loud for early Monday morning. Last year when Sly Stone died, I heard a lot of these songs on the radio again. They all felt so motivating and forceful that while I remember most of them from when they first came out when I was a kid, they're making a huge impression on me now because of how contemporary they feel. And the music is wonderful too, of course. So many great singles on this record, like "Stand," "I Want to Take You Higher," and "Everyday People." And on top of all that, there's an absolutely brutal 13-minute funk instrumental. Just a fantastic record. 5 stars.

I liked this more than I did the other S+tFS album that has already popped up in my list (are there more?). But still not for me. Definitely a case where I understand the importance of an act and their music, but I still don’t vibe with it. 3/5

Happier times for Sly and a happier listen than There's a Riot Goin' On. A brighter mix and peppier, hookier melodies too. But the funk dilemma remains: when is a groove worn out? Only a fraction of the way into Sex Machine. 2.5 Everybody’s groovin’ on this record, often all at the same time. Amid this joyful clutter of instruments and ideas sat me, the listener, not caring a bit. 1.5/5

Crazy! I thought his albums would be much later vintage (late 70s?!) and that it’d’ve been influenced by Stevie wonder. But instead, it seems maybe this could be a nugget of influence for who Stevie wonder would become after he shed his harmonica man(boy) image for the genius period that he channeled in the early to mid-70s.

Such a phenomenal album except for the second track. Sly doesn’t get enough credit for his impact and his creativity and for paving the way for people like George Clinton and Andre 3000 by being unashamedly himself and expressing himself in any way he wanted.

Heady mix of psychedelic soul and funk. A band at their peak and full of optimism I think. Great horns and some bass slapping. What’s not to like. 4.4

Eclectic and interesting. Fantastic opener.

Always thought Stand is to Theres a Riot what Sticky Fingers is to Exile..it's More rifftastic precursor and a (Sly) Stone Cold Classic.

I’ve always found this to be a fun album, feels like a jam in parts, but remains cohesive. My high point for me is the way the drum pace drops at the end of sex machine. Very unique.

Funky, cool and soulful. Really enjoyed this one, a mixture of great vocals/lyrics and head-bopping funk. 3.5/5.

Maybe it’s just me, and maybe I’ve listened to this album too many times, but every single track hits, and almost every track has the makings of a great single. This has the charm you expect from the Stone but is, for the most part, less experimental than you’ll find them on There's A Riot Goin' On (no freeform yodeling yet). It’s perhaps for this indulgence of pop perfection that I’m drawn to the least radio-friendly track on here, the psychedelic odyssey “Sex Machine” (even if I never got the James Brown interpolation I was waiting for).

Best listened to loudly on a turntable Edit: I've since acquired a first pressing LP and have listened to it loudly on a turntable. My rating has gone from a 3 to a 4

3.5 from me, liked the sound of this album but felt too long in places

The album was a fun vibe.

Funk itsnt really my thing but one of the better funk albums i have heard. Not mad to have listened to it. Not mutch more to say as well.

Old skool funk always is great for my soul. Sly was truly revolutionary for its time and music of today would not be the same without them. It's large influence now laid out, is this record any good? I ask this because in many cases, music might be influential, but not particularly good (cough the Beatles). However I am glad to say, this record stands the test of time. It's funky, soulful with some great messages. Definitely a new favourite and a great pick for the 1001.

An amazing funk album. One of those albums where you can really hear its influence on music as everything feels recognizable, yet still fresh. Definitely one I will be listening to more.

Entertainment jest to zaiste

Jeg kan rigtig godt lidt soul-funk, og tænker, at de fleste numre kunne fungere virkelig godt live med en fadøl i hånden. Men som album skuffede dette mig fælt. Det er den musikalske udgave af en møgunge, der bliver ved med at prikke en på skulderen.

This was an interesting choice for the drive to work today. Although, I’m glad I held off playing it whilst dropping my daughter off at school, when Don’t Call Me N****r, Whitey came on. That would have led to all kinds of awkward questions. I am quite partial to some good 70’s funk and soul, and I’d like to say this album didn’t disappoint, but it didn’t quite hit the spot. It was good, but maybe because I was stuck going through roadworks at 40 miles an hour, I just wasn’t feeling it. Y’dig? Still, give it a solid 3 out of five, and let’s move on to tomorrow’s pick. Standout track - Everyday People

Like

Groovy and generally good though I’ve heard the hits too much

This is a pretty old-sounding album, but it was actually quite chill leaving it in the background while I was doing stuff. Overall, not too bad, so I am not giving it a low raiting, even though nothing really too exciting overall happened throughout the songs.

3/10 meh, I also couldn't find the album

Everyone has heard of Sly Stone and his Family. Everyone has heard some of these tracks. Many people, like me, will never have sat down with an whole studio album of them. Well damn, there are some absolute rippers on this one. It's weirder, and more eclectic than I had expected. There is plenty of funk and soul, of course, but some very poppy melodies are in evidence, along with psychedelic elements, which is to be expected for the late 60s, but still took me by surprise. It's adventurous and uplifting. A lot of people lifted these riffs, sampled these beats, and generally drew inspiration from these tunes, and many established and respected musicians of the 20th century held Sly in high regard. I can see why. I'm not one of these people who complains that all modern music is rubbish, but I do really wish that someone was still making music like this.

This rules

Some wavvvyyy guitars and tunesssssss

that was not good

Not my regular cup of Joe, but this is a really fun collection of sounds and styles I'll be playing this surprise recommendation again

Easy, easy 5. One of the easiest 5s yet. Killer album all the way through, some of the funkiest shit ever. Landmark for funk and soul music. Without Sly, you miss out on so many artists that were inspired by The Family Stone, it is insane. The ripple this group had on popular music, soul, rock, funk and R&B, and consequently hip hop shouldn't be understated.

So vibrant and full of life. Used to have issue with the 13 minute long jam but you have to take it as part of the vibe.

Thought it was enjoyable. I liked a lot of the songs but they often had extra elements that I didn't like as much. Would probably listen to some of the songs again but not the whole album. Fav song: Everyday People Least fav: Sex Machine

Pretty funky but some of the songs just went on a bit of a tangent. Shoutout to sex machine for doing whiplash 45 years early. Specific rating 4.0 Fav song- stand Least fav- zig zag

Why is there a 13 minute instrumental!!! And there's some really weird noises in it so it's not even fun to listen to. Thought the rest of the songs were great fun but that one was a chore. Favourite song: Stand! Least: Sex Machine

Det svinger jo unægteligt, jeg kan bare ikke lide funk Derudover, er det næsten kun Pink Floyd, der må have 14 minutter lange numre 1.9

Fucking Sly! "There's a Riot Going On" is one of my favorite albums but I've never listened to Sly's other music in any depth. I've noticed this has happened to me a lot in my past life. I'll find an album by an artist and I'll love it but I won't bother looking into the rest of their discography for some reason. Sly is one of those for me. - Ok. So I know we all have different tastes. Sometimes very, very different tastes. But I can't help but feel that if "I Wanna Take You Higher" doesn't inspire you in some way, to dance, to bob your head, to make music of your own - I feel like you're missing out on something fundamental, something that makes humans awesome. I'm sorry. I was going to give this album a 4 but after listening to "Higher," "Sing a Simple Song," and "Everyday People," again - it can only be FIVE STARS

Very good and groovy

Stand - dancing at my desk. Funky outro. Sex Machine - sweet jam.

Oh boy, how I regret wasting my time on this. They probably used it to torture people at Guantanamo.

un bon album as a whole, des bons guitar riffs mais jpeux pas dire qu’une chanson m’a particulièrement accroché

Might be a five but it was an inattentive listen. Still funked and rocked.

Something to come back to again, so much fun

8/10

Maybe I’m not in a good mood today, I feel nothing.

great shaking ass

Not as funky as I thought it would be, still great.

Not terrible

Righteous grooves

Acts like Wu-Tang and The Family Stone absolutely highlight the power of great musical group chemistry. In this case, Sly and The Family Stone embody this quality as musicians. They all play off each other's energy with a little riff here, a drum-break, a vocal part that is flexible and showcases the range of the human voice. You know? Like when Freddie/Sly sing high and Larry Graham sings low. That represents something bigger to me. This whole act presented music as a beautiful art form that could be embraced by folks of different colors, different genders, different strokes for different folks. So that togetherness displayed on this record is a powerhouse that would sadly never hit its stride again after this record. I'm not saying their next album is bad or anything. I think Riot is better conceptually, but on that one, the band and Sly were falling apart. So this is the last record where the Family Stone were in full effect 100% of the time. If there's a main idea: Stand is wonderful, but where it stands out best is stating that music is a form of unity. In 1969, people needed to hear these songs. In the big '26, this one stands taller than ever. R.I.P. Sly (10/10, 5/5 on this scale)

A creative album.

Classic mn album

Solid funk and soul. I’ll admit I’m generally more of a greatest hits guy when it comes to Sly, but I enjoyed this today.

I wanted to like this much more than I did, but it just didn't hold my attention

Very funky Standout songs: Stand I want to take you higher Everyday people

Funky and great, would listen again

It was ok 5/10

5/10. Very fun sound. Wild song titles

gostei de you can make if you try it

ITS A BANGERRRR. Didn’t I already rate this one??? Maybe I listened to it bc Sly died, but I could have sworn I’d heard about it from this list. Weird. I think this is what really veered me in the direction of funk and soul.

you wait for ages for a soul/funk album, then 2 come at once !

So good

Strong, soulful, and diverse, 'Stand!' features some rocking ballads and mellow numbers. This is funky fun. Top tracks: "I Want to Take You Higher," "Everyday People," "Stand!," "You Can Make It If You Try"

--Stand!...head-bopping groove. oh ya --Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey...love the guitar sound. otherwise it's plodding --I Want to Take You Higher...funky fresh, then they add the sick horns on top. hell yes --Somebody's Watching You...like the bass walk but this is a little cheesy --Sing a Simple Song...another funky number. this rocks a little, too --Everyday People...ooooh sha sha. lovely --Sex Machine...some interesting things happening but it's a skip --You Can Make It If You Try...funk/soul classic

Some classics but nothing too exciting overall

Now this is what I'm talking about. I love some good funky soul and there's no better than the first to do it like this.

Fun

Highlights: Stand, I want To Take You Higher, Everyday People and Sing A Simple Song.

This album could have been 5 hours long and I’d still give it 5 stars. So good.

Not so bad, lots of instrumentals at the back half of the album