The Essential Sly & the Family Stone (2002)

"There are two types of black music: black music before Sly Stone, and black music after Sly Stone" - Joel Selvin

I don't know what I can possibly add to that. So if you'll excuse me, I'm off for some hot fun. All the squares, go home.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: Tracks:

CD1	Song	Album	Pop	R&B
1	Underdog	A Whole New Thing (1967)
2	I Cannot Make It	A Whole New Thing
3	Dance To The Music	Dance To The Music (1968)	8	9
4	Are You Ready?	Dance To The Music
5	Fun	Life (1968)
6	M'Lady	Life
7	Life	Life	93
8	Love City	Life
9	Stand!	Stand! (1969)	22	14
10	Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey	Stand!
11	I Want To Take You Higher	Stand!	38	24
12	Somebody's Watching You	Stand!
13	Sing A Simple Song	Stand!
14	Everyday People	Stand!	1	1
15	You Can Make It If You Try	Stand!
16	Hot Fun In The Summertime	Greatest Hits (1970)	2	3
17	Everybody Is A Star	Greatest Hits	1	1
18	Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)	Greatest Hits	1	1

CD2	Song	Album	Year
1	Family Affair	There's A Riot Goin' On (1971)	1	1
2	Luv N' Haight	There's A Riot Goin' On
3	Poet	There's A Riot Goin' On
4	(You Caught Me) Smilin'	There's A Riot Goin' On	42	21
5	Runnin' Away	There's A Riot Goin' On	23	15
6	Brave & Strong	There's A Riot Goin' On
7	Just Like A Baby	There's A Riot Goin' On
8	Thank You For Talkin' to Me, Africa	There's A Riot Goin' On
9	In Time	Fresh (1973)
10	If You Want Me To Stay	Fresh	12	3
11	Frisky	Fresh	79	28
12	Skin I'm In	Fresh
13	Babies Makin' Babies	Fresh
14	If It Were Left Up To Me	Fresh
15	Time For Livin'	Small Talk (1974)	32	10
16	Loose Booty	Small Talk	84	22
17	I Get High On You	High On You (1975)	45	11

I listen to disc 1 more than disc 2, but that doesn't mean that disc 2 is bad, just a little different. It's difficult picking favorites among these funk/rock classics, but I'd be hard-pressed to find a funkier groove than that found in Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin).

Note: "Special Limited Edition" continues to be readily available more than ten years after release. Hmmm... But they got it right when they claim the music is "Spectacularly Remastered" because these songs sound fantastic.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Purchased to replace my greatest hits compilation.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Different Strokes by Different Folks (2006)
Fresh (1973)