Sep 5, 2015

RhoDeo 1535 Grooves

Hello, as the march of refugees swells to uncontrollable numbers the country that's directly responsible for this mess -the US is shrugging its shoulders not our problem, and once again Europe can pick up the bill for the US 's incompetence. I mean its not as if we're not used to their multinationals ripping us off, but as far as i am concerned we should dump at least half of those allah worshiping, breeding like rabbits fellow human's on Miami beach. After all they are more than used to gun violence and will integrate there far more quickly.
The one good thing coming from this is that Brussels incompetence is there for all to see, these arrogant know betters are beyond belief stupid! Putin should annex Ukraine now, to at least stabilize that part of the world. In fact the threat of nuclear war may stop the refugee crises..thank you Putin ! Seriously i fear this wil be the end for the EU. All because US soldiers are not allowed to die and killer robots not yet good enough to wipe out the demon men from Isil.

Today more from San Francisco, a band active from 1967 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music. Headed by singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist Sly Stone, and containing several of his family members and friends, the band was the first major American funkrock band to have an "integrated, multi-gender" lineup.  ... N'joy

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Sly & the Family Stone harnessed all of the disparate musical and social trends of the late '60s, creating a wild, brilliant fusion of soul, rock, R&B, psychedelia, and funk that broke boundaries down without a second thought. Led by Sly Stone, the Family Stone was comprised of men and women, and blacks and whites, making the band the first fully integrated group in rock's history. That integration shone through the music, as well as the group's message. Before Stone, very few soul and R&B groups delved into political and social commentary; after him, it became a tradition in soul, funk, and hip-hop. And, along with James Brown, Stone brought hard funk into the mainstream. the Family Stone's arrangements were ingenious, filled with unexpected group vocals, syncopated rhythms, punchy horns, and pop melodies. Their music was joyous, but as the '60s ended, so did the good times. Stone became disillusioned with the ideals he had been preaching in his music, becoming addicted to a variety of drugs in the process. His music gradually grew slower and darker, culminating in 1971's There's a Riot Going On, which set the pace for '70s funk with its elastic bass, slurred vocals, and militant Black Power stance. Stone was able to turn out one more modern funk classic, 1973's Fresh, before slowly succumbing to his addictions, which gradually sapped him of his once prodigious talents. Nevertheless, his music continued to provide the basic template for urban soul, funk, and even hip-hop well into the '90s.

Sly Stone (born Sylvester Stewart, March 15, 1944) and his family moved from his home state of Texas to San Francisco in the '50s. He had already begun to express an interest in music, and when he was 16, he had a regional hit with "Long Time Away." Stone studied music composition, theory, and trumpet at Vallejo Junior College in the early '60s; simultaneously, he began playing in several groups on the Bay Area scene, often with his brother Fred. Soon, he had become a disc jockey at the R&B station KSOL, later switching to KDIA. The radio appearances led to a job producing records for Autumn Records. While at Autumn, he worked with a number of San Franciscan garage and psychedelic bands, including the Beau Brummels, the Great Society, Bobby Freeman, and the Mojo Men.

During 1966, Stone formed the Stoners, which featured trumpeter Cynthia Robinson. Though the Stoners didn't last long, he brought Robinson along as one of the core members of his next group, Sly & the Family Stone. Formed in early 1967, the Family Stone also featured Fred Stewart (guitar, vocals), Larry Graham, Jr. (bass, vocals), Greg Errico (drums), Jerry Martini (saxophone), and Rosie Stone (piano), who all were of different racial backgrounds. The group's eclectic music and multiracial composition made them distinctive from the numerous flower-power bands in San Francisco, and their first single, "I Ain't Got Nobody," became a regional hit for the local label Loadstone. The band signed with Epic Records shortly afterward, releasing their debut album, A Whole New Thing, by the end of the year. The record stiffed, but the follow-up, Dance to the Music, generated a Top Ten pop and R&B hit with its title track early in 1968. Life followed later in 1968, but the record failed to capitalize on its predecessor's success. "Everyday People," released late in 1968, turned their fortunes back around, rocketing to the top of the pop and R&B charts and setting the stage for the breakthrough success of 1969's Stand!

Featuring "Everyday People," "Sing a Simple Song," "Stand," and "I Want to Take You Higher," Stand! became the Family Stone's first genuine hit album, climbing to number 13 and spending over 100 weeks on the charts. Stand! also marked the emergence of the political bent in Stone's songwriting ("Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey"), as well as the development of hard-edged, improvisational funk like "Sex Machine." the Family Stone quickly became known as one of the best live bands of the late '60s, and their performance at Woodstock was widely hailed as one of the festival's best. The non-LP singles "Hot Fun in the Summertime" and "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" b/w "Everybody Is a Star" became hits, reaching number two and number one respectively in late 1969/early 1970. Both singles were included on Greatest Hits, which became a number two record upon its fall 1970 release. While the group was at the height of its popularity, Sly was beginning to unravel behind the scenes. Developing a debilitating addiction to narcotics, Stone soon became notorious for arriving late for concerts, frequently missing the shows all together.

Stone's growing personal problems, as well as his dismay with the slow death of the civil rights movement and other political causes, surfaced on There's a Riot Goin' On. Though the album shot to number one upon its fall 1971 release, the record -- including "Family Affair," Stone's last number one single -- was dark, hazy, and paranoid, and his audience began to shrink slightly. During 1972, several key members of the Family Stone, including Graham and Errico, left the band; they were replaced by Rusty Allen and Andy Newmark, respectively. The relatively lighter Fresh appeared in the summer of 1973, and it went into the Top Ten on the strength of the Top Ten R&B hit "If You Want Me to Stay." Released the following year, Small Talk was a moderate hit, reaching number 15 on the charts and going gold, but it failed to generate a big hit single. High on You, released in late 1975 and credited only to Sly Stone, confirmed that his power and popularity had faded. "I Get High on You" reached the R&B Top Ten, but the album made no lasting impact.

Disco had overtaken funk in terms of popularity, and even if Sly wanted to compete with disco, he wasn't in shape to make music. He had become addicted to cocaine, his health was frequently poor, and he was often in trouble with the law. His recordings had slowed to a trickle, and Epic decided to close out his contract in 1979 with Ten Years Too Soon, a compilation of previously released material that had the original funky rhythm tracks replaced with disco beats. Stone signed with Warner Brothers that same year, crafting the comeback effort Back on the Right Track with several original members of the Family Stone, but the record was critically panned and a commercial failure. In light of the album's lack of success, Stone retreated even further, eventually joining forces with George Clinton on Funkadelic's 1981 album The Electric Spanking of War Babies. Following the album's release, Stone toured with Clinton's P-Funk All-Stars, which led him to embark on his own tour, as well as a stint with Bobby Womack. The culmination of this burst of activity was 1983's Ain't but the One Way, an album that was ignored. Later that year, Stone was arrested for cocaine possession; the following year, he entered rehab.

Stone appeared on Jesse Johnson's 1986 R&B hit "Crazay." The following year, he dueted with Martha Davis on "Love & Affection" for the Soul Man soundtrack; he also he recorded "Eek-a-Bo-Static," a single that didn't chart. Stone was arrested and imprisoned for cocaine possession by the end of 1987, and he was never able to recover from the final arrest. Stone continued to battle his addiction, with varying degrees of success. By his 1993 induction to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, he had disappeared from public view. Avenue Records gave Stone a recording contract in 1995, but nothing would be recorded.

A Sly and the Family Stone tribute took place at the 2006 Grammy Awards on February 8, 2006. The original plan, to have been a surprise for audiences, was to feature a reunion performance by the original Sly and the Family Stone lineup as the highlight of the tribute. That sadly ended in chaos. The band did do a decent show at North Sea Jazz in 2007

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Fresh expands and brightens the slow grooves of There's a Riot Goin' On, turning them, for the most part, into friendly, welcoming rhythms. There are still traces of the narcotic haze of Riot, particularly on the brilliant, crawling inversion of "Que Sera, Sera," yet this never feels like an invitation into a junkie's lair. Still, this isn't necessarily lighter than Riot -- in fact, his social commentary is more explicit, and while the music doesn't telegraph his resignation the way Riot did, it comes from the same source. So, Fresh winds up more varied, musically and lyrically, which may not make it as unified, but it does result in more traditional funk that certainly is appealing in its own right. Besides, this isn't conventional funk -- it's eccentric, where even concise catchy tunes like "If You Want Me to Stay" seem as elastic as the opener, "In Time." That's the album's ultimate charm -- it finds Sly precisely at the point where he's balancing funk and pop, about to fall into the brink, but creating an utterly individual album that wound up being his last masterwork and one of the great funk albums of its era.



Sly & The Family Stone - Fresh  (flac 296mb)

01 In Time 5:45
02 If You Want Me To Stay 2:39
03 Let Me Have It All 2:13
04 Frisky 3:26
05 Thankful N' Thoughtful 4:49
06 Skin I'm In 2:45
07 I Don't Know (Satisfaction) 3:33
08 Keep On Dancin' 2:42
09 Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) 5:12
10 If It Were Left Up To Me 1:55
11 Babies Makin' Babies 4:19
Bonus Tracks
12 Let Me Have It All (Alternate Mix) 2:19
13 Frisky (Alternate Mix) 3:27
14 Skin I'm In (Alternate Mix) 2:48
15 Keep On Dancin' (Alternate Mix) 2:44
16 Babies Makin' Babies (Alternate Version) 4:20

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A new bass player and drummer signaled a toned-down Sly & the Family Stone sound. Partially in keeping with changes in much of popular music in the early '70s, and maybe the result of marriage and a child, Sly became more introspective, quieter, and calmer, even employing a string section on various cuts. A less exhilarating album than earlier efforts, there is still much of merit here, including the Top Ten R&B hit "Time for Livin'."



Sly and The Family Stone - Small Talk (flac 279mb)

01 Small Talk 3:22
02 Say You Will 3:18
03 Mother Beautiful 2:01
04 Time For Livin' 3:17
05 Can't Strain My Brain 4:09
06 Loose Booty 3:47
07 Holdin' On 3:39
08 Wishful Thinkin' 4:26
09 Better Thee Than Me 3:35
10 Livin' While I'm Livin' 2:58
11 This Is Love 2:54
Bonus Tracks
12 Crossword Puzzle (Early Version) 3:47
13 Time For Livin' (Alternate Version) 3:59
14 Loose Booty (Alternate Version) 2:05
15 Positive (Instrumental) 2:14

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The Texas International Pop Festival was a music festival held at Lewisville, Texas, on Labor Day weekend, August 30 to September 1, 1969. It occurred two weeks after Woodstock.

In the late summer of 1969, just a few weeks after they'd played Woodstock, Sly & the Family Stone performed at the Texas International Pop Festival. This is a 50-minute CD bootleg of their performance, and while the sound isn't quite up to official standards, it's not that far off. As such, it's a pretty good souvenir for major Sly & the Family Stone fans, though the average listener might find it a bit superfluous. The band is in good form as it navigates a nine-song set that includes some of its most popular '60s material ("Stand!," "Everyday People," "Higher," "Dance to the Music"), as well as a few less overexposed tunes ("You Can Make It if You Try," "M'Lady"). It also gives you a good idea of how adroitly they combined and flowed into different songs on-stage, and shows them stretching out the numbers from their more concise studio renditions, particularly on "Dance to the Music" and "Higher." The band is close to its peak performance, and material, on this set, and it's likely you'll want it if you want any unreleased Sly & the Family Stone at all.



 Sly and The Family Stone - Texas International Pop Festival (flac  402mb)

01 M'Lady 7:25
02 Sing A Simple Song 5:15
03 You Can Make It If You Try 6:14
04 Everyday People 3:00
05 Dance To The Music 4:24
06 Music Lover 3:49
07 I Want To Take You Higher 2:44
08 Stand! 3:03
09 Fun 4:56
10 I Want To Take You Higher 7:43
11 Stage Announcements 1:39
Bonus tracks - location unknown
12 Intro 0:08
13 Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) 5:34
14 M'Lady 4:32
15 Sing A Simple Song 5:13
16 Stand! 5:14
17 Dance To The Music 4:09

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hey Rho

Can you please re-up these two Sly & Family Stone albums?

Many thanks