Harlepolis said:

Dee1991 said:

I think. There'a 9 minute version Youtube. The album version is 5 minutes.

Are you kidding?!

Well it's not 9 minutes, but it's different aha

Dee1991 said:

WetDream said:

Absolutely. I don't think you will match Fresh to be honest. There may be better funk albums, but they don't exactly sound like Fresh and above all it's subjective. For example, i think Betty Davis's 4 albums are the funkiest albums i've ever heard, but they don't sound like Fresh (and technically, Fresh is better).

Prince takes the cake for me because he took all that came before and elevated it to the highest ever, all the while being an original. That man's done it all, he's unmatched. If anything, i reckon he also finished what Sly set out to do.

It's great you're just getting into these albums, by the way.

Oh and i agree, Mike Douglas '74 was sublime.

Exactly. Yesterday I bought the Ohio Players' Honey album because some people were saying it was kind of Sly influenced. I dug the album, but I didn't hear Sly to much. Being 20 and finding all of these funk albums are cool, I get to talk to the "old funk heads" now. AHA

Do you know of any underrated soul/funk musicians? Shuggie Otis status. With some Sly type music.

I can give you a new one. It ain't always healthy to look at the oldies all the time, there's many people today attempting to keep this thing alive, but they're forced to be classed as underground.

Try a fave around here - Jamie Lidell.

Highly influenced by both Prince and Sly. He attempts to make new sounds with the old school funk.

Albums to check - Multiply / Compass. The latter is very Sly inspired.

Also, check whom i mentioned before if you haven't already - Betty Davis.

We could list you many, many albums.

^^^ Van Hunt is another one.

Harlepolis said:

^^^ Van Hunt is another one.

He is indeed. Thought i'd mention Jamie above all though because of his attempts at innovation.

Let us not forget D'Angelo. The man who studied the old school to death and carried Riot Going On around with him like it was the bible when he was making Voodoo.

But, as said, we would be hear all day name dropping.

WetDream said:

Harlepolis said:

^^^ Van Hunt is another one.

He is indeed. Thought i'd mention Jamie above all though because of his attempts at innovation.

Let us not forget D'Angelo. The man who studied the old school to death and carried Riot Going On around with him like it was the bible when he was making Voodoo.

But, as said, we would be hear all day name dropping.

The sound of Voodoo is like the long lost brother of There's A Riot Goin' On. Prince's Sign o' the Times is a remarkable exploration of the sound Sly was going for that time as well. If "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker," "Strange Relationship," "If I Was Ur Girlfriend," and "Forever In My Life" doesn't remind you of the dark and murky grooves of TARGO, I don't know what else will. Van Hunt is another one that you gotta check out. His first two records are excellent.

There is one other masterpiece that we don't really touch on when we're talking about both Riot/Fresh...

The history with this masterpiece is so engrossing, as it was recorded in the same atmosphere as There's A Riot Goin' On. Much of Communication was recorded at Sly Stone's home studio in Bel Air. Bobby was hangin' out at Sly's place on a daily basis while the king of the castle was recording the epic There's A Riot Goin' On. Womack's guitar is all over that disc, and his raspy vocals are plainly evident on "Just Like a Baby". But despite being recorded in the same paranoid atmos, 'Communication' is far less darker than its Family Stone counterpart. This is mainly due to Womack's own more upbeat posture, but the inclusion of some unorthodox material to cover must have played a part as well. Nonetheless, it shares some of the production values as Riot. The title track is like Bobby's own "Family Affair."

^^^

Pam Grier sang on the record as well, didn't know that till I read her book. In fact, she sang back-up in one of Minnie Riperton's albums as well.

Not that it matters, but I was surprised when I found out.

Great album nonetheless, and it has THEE best version of "Close To You" with that famous speech in the beginning.

::Commercial!,,,,,,Commercial!::

My favorite Sly album. Just so raw and funky.

Harlepolis said:

^^^

Pam Grier sang on the record as well, didn't know that till I read her book. In fact, she sang back-up in one of Minnie Riperton's albums as well.

Not that it matters, but I was surprised when I found out.

Great album nonetheless, and it has THEE best version of "Close To You" with that famous speech in the beginning.

::Commercial!,,,,,,Commercial!::

Yep. I was surprised when I found that out as well. I can never see a red hot mama like Pam doing background vox on cuts, but hey...it's all good. I definitely concur with "Close To You," even though I have other favorite interpretations of that classic, Bobby's version takes the cake any day. Bobby was a master teacher when it came to monologues.

'Fresh' and 'There's A Riot Goin' On' are 2 of my favourite Sly albums....Faultless dark brooding FUNK. Check out the 'Fresh' follow up album too called 'Smalltalk'. It could almost have been recorded during the 'Fresh' sessions....Not as solid as 'Fresh' but the track 'Loose Booty' is one of the funkiest things I've heard!

"Small Talk" is the sh#t. You can hear how that record influenced D'angelo's sound big time.

The one after that ("High On You") is killer too.

SPYZFAN1 said:

"Small Talk" is the sh#t. You can hear how that record influenced D'angelo's sound big time.

The one after that ("High On You") is killer too.

Agreed. I've grown to put more of an edge to Small Talk over Fresh. Both records are timeless, but Small Talk is one of those records that just knocks me out every time. The mix of violins and hard-hitting soul and funk is earthshattering. The liner notes of the 2007 reissue of this album really puts Small Talk in perfect perspective. Many believe that Fresh was his last hurrah, but that just isn't true. Small Talk just oozes soul perfection in the headphones from start to finish.

That record not only influenced D'Angelo's sound, but alot of Soul II Soul's sound as well. It is a record that reveals something new everytime you play it (kind've like Riot).

I never thought about that but you're right. Soul II Soul did take a lot from "Small Talk" now that you mention it.

I love how the CD has the "fly on the wall" vibe as the songs are being played. It's like you're right there with the band in the studio. And I love "Wishful Thinkin". That should be a jazz standard. "Crossword Puzzle" should have been on there too but Sly saved it for the "High" LP.

My favorite is "Better Thee Than Me".

But I can't lie, I really haven't gave this album a true listen.

The alternate version of Loose Booty is mental The minute I heard, I realized where Prince got the influence of the song "Emancipation" from.

But the shinning moment for me, is when he did that doo wop tribute song "Is This Love". Everytime I hear the climax, my eyes well up. And don't even get met started on "Wishful Thinking".

I gotta say though, it took me years to appreciate this one. I didn't take an instant liking to it like I did to Fresh & Riot, but when I finally took an objective assumptions-free listen to it, I found out that this too is filled with quirks and charm enough to get you grooving to it for a long time.

SPYZFAN1 said:

I never thought about that but you're right. Soul II Soul did take a lot from "Small Talk" now that you mention it.

I love how the CD has the "fly on the wall" vibe as the songs are being played. It's like you're right there with the band in the studio. And I love "Wishful Thinkin". That should be a jazz standard. "Crossword Puzzle" should have been on there too but Sly saved it for the "High" LP.

Yep. Small Talk is easily more coherent than Fresh to me. The alternate version of "Crossword Puzzle" should've made it's way onto Small Talk as well. Too funky. The influence of Small Talk can be heard from many, especially alot of UK funk/soul acts. Jamiroquai, Soul II Soul and Incognito pops in my head immediately.

Dee1991 said:

My favorite is "Better Thee Than Me".

But I can't lie, I really haven't gave this album a true listen.

It'll hit you. Trust.

I was the same way when I heard "Small Talk". I wanted the nasty funk but didn't hear it..so I put it away. But after going back to it I realized that it has it's own nice mellow (but still soulful) vibe to it.

SPYZFAN1 said:

I was the same way when I heard "Small Talk". I wanted the nasty funk but didn't hear it..so I put it away. But after going back to it I realized that it has it's own nice mellow (but still soulful) vibe to it.

Oddly, out of all of Sly's albums, Small Talk sounds like it could've been recorded today. It feels like a brand new album everytime I spin it. That's how scary it is.

[Edited 7/27/12 13:59pm]