Average user rating:  |
| Sly and the Family's near masterpiece. |
| To me, nothing represents the true essence of funky R&B like Sly and the Family--except mebbe some of that early Parliafunkadelic thang. This was Sly's last entry in what was known as his "Trilogy of Funk"; the first two albums were "Stand" and "There's A Riot...". Superstar bassist, basso profundo (barotone profundo?) Larry Graham went on to do his own thing, Andy Newmark replaced the original drum guy, and Sly was maybe gettin' a little bit too snowed in for his own good...but nevermind all that, listen to how great this album is. The band was as tight as Dick's hatband. Sly's vocals were somewhere between a church preacher's fire and brimstone rantings and the friendly neighborhood drunk everyone knew--like everyday people. Although mebbe some of the cuts were too inaccessible for radio play, but I remember hearing "Frisky"--the album's not-too-well-hidden-double-entendre-d(!?!)piece on pop radio at that time. The most recent Epic records release of the album on CD has outtake mixes, rather than the final product I remember hearing in '73-74, but that's ok, too. That's one of the things that makes "Fresh" very compelling--from the gospel-blues tinged Doris Day classic,"Que Sera, Sera" to the confessional grooves, "Thankful and Thoughtful" and "In Time". A near masterpiece. |
| Oh Th Ass And Da Funk Sugar |
| My God. DT Here again from the Ghettos Of Horsforth. What can I say bout this album. How do you follow an album like RIOT? This is how. Loose Larry Graham ( Who Da Man By The Way) and write basically a solo album of the most accessable amazing funk ever. Not even the Metres " Rejuvanation" can match this for pure enjoyment. The album explodes from the start with "In Time" one of the most complex rythmic songs I ever did Hear ( Sept for Beethoven) what a groove. Listen to the drumming and the vocal performance. Woooooo. You got " If Ya Want Me TO Stay" next the groovest Pop funk song ever. Killa Horns. Too me one of the highlights of the album is the next song. The short but amazing " Let Me Have It All". Killa Killa groove and lyrics and vocals that sum up Slys destructive genius. The rest is just perfect and to me Slys best song ever, "Skin Im In" just shows the genius of the guy. Hell I miss the guy. Wheres Da Sly now??????? |
| all-time great |
| i won't bore you. i've listened to a lot of music from the last 80 years of recording and from all over the world. i know i ain't heard it all, but i've heard a lot. this record is one of my all-time favorites. i'm talkin' about top three recordings EVER. not just sly, not just funk, not just american music... i mean everything that ever got recorded. this is one of the best. echos and aftershocks of this record still vibrate in good music all over the universe. word. |
