Post by The Curmudgeon on Apr 23, 2009 3:46:48 GMT 2
Whatchoo talkin' about, Willis?
Let's get this out of the way first - Sly and the Family Stone are one of the greatest bands of all time. A band that, sadly, I didn't "discover" by myself, but more through getting into Prince, who it was written in a few books was inspired by them.
So, Curious George that I am, I went out and bought a few Sly Stone records, not really expecting much. From the opening bars of "I Want to Take You Higher" I was hooked, with "Everybody is a Star" I was floored by its simple, understated beauty, and by "Stand" I was damn-near having a heart attack. If everyone could discover this band in that way, the world would be a better place.
Because, tragically, some people will "discover" Sly & The Family Stone through this wretched record. Similar to the earlier Michael Jackson abomination, where two ton pop turds like Will.I.Am and Fergie helped destroy the Thriller album with a bunch of updated (read: ruined) versions of MJ's songs.
But, wait, maybe I'm being too quick to judge. After all, Prince is an obvious Sly fan, maybe guys like him and Stevie Wonder and MJ could help bring the music to a new audience? Oh, wait, better idea - let's get Moby, Joss Stone, Maroon 5 and (surprise surprise) Will.I.Am instead. Awesome.
While it would be unfair to not mention the welcome appearance of the likes of Steven Tyler, Chuck D and Isaac Hayes, they are outweighed by the sheer number of "what the hell are they even DOING here?" guest vocals. Wait till you hear Will.I.Am rapping over "Dance to the Music" - if you haven't ripped a chunk of your hair out after 20 seconds, you may want to ponder if you actually have a soul.
I refuse to believe, especially in today's climate where music has never BEEN more accessible, that this is the best way to get a new audience into a band. I just don't buy that. I read about this group, walked into a store, bought the record and it blew my mind. That's how it works. I didn't read about a band, walk into a store and look for watered down production line "tributes" that sound like any other sampled piece of MTV garbage out there.
The REAL music is out there, and more to the point, its remastered and repackaged to look and sound better than ever before. In short - no-one needs this record. But everyone needs to own at least one Sly Stone record. Sly Stone is a recluse now, but in his day he was a funny, passionate, defiant (check out "Don't Call Me Ni**er, Whitey" - that's still powerful stuff) - and as mad as a bag full of Hatters. And he made some of the greatest music of all time.
Discover that. Forget this.
