Sly Stone: Crossword Puzzle and Who Do You Love
From: High On You [Epic, 1975]
Sometimes it’s difficult blogging about the music you love. There are some artists that I rate incredibly highly whose output is so well known that it seems pointless to feature them. Near the top of that list would be Sly & The Family Stone. While I did blog about one of their better known efforts back in my Evigan days I’ve been itching to post more about one of the artists I feel changed the musical landscape for ever.
It’s taken me a while to get round to it but fortunately, considering the hectic pace of life right now, it occurred to me that I could always focus on their lesser known/widely trashed later efforts. Although it’s undoubtedly true that the quality of the output slowly deteriorated as the seventies rolled on it’d be a foolish music aficionado indeed who blanket ignored the albums that followed Fresh.
The example I have for you is Sly’s High On You which seems like a rather ironic title considering the state of the man’s mind at the time. However, there’s lots of goodness stashed away behind that ingeniously trashy cover photo.
The album also has the distinction of being the only release to be credited to Sly singularly (possibly down to his claims that he played “everything”).This raises the big question: how does Sly working alone affect the sound? The Answer? Not a jot. While the album is very much from the party period in Sly Stone’s career, when enjoyed for what it is it’s nigh impossible not to appreciate the quality music he was still producing.
Crossword Puzzle is a stomping piece of party funk, bubbling with energy from it’s highly recognisable horns to it’s popping bass line. What took me by surprise on first listen is Sly’s vocal delivery on this album. Gone is the mumbling drawl of Fresh replaced instead by a crystal clear and emotionally connected Sly, reminding me why I rate him so highly in my list of soul singers.
Who Do You Love? is another quality piece of Stone music. From the rise and drop of the chords to the treatment of the whole track as one elongated chorus it’s a great uplifting piece of funk that, while breaking no new ground, speaks volumes about the talent Sly could bring to any project.
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All of Sly's records from this one on, worked for me as complete experiences even more than Fresh and Small Talk. High On You – a masterpiece. Heard Ya Missed Me – masterpiece. Back on the Right Track – masterpiece. All of his stuff was inspirational, even as he mired himself in a terrible funk, and we aren't talking about that funky kind of funk.
PS – Junior, you know everything you post has a connection to P-Funk. Will you play funk quizzo and tell me what records Sly appears on by P-Funk and which tunes he noteably sings lead on ??
cHUCk, if I can help you, I have posted a video of Parliament featured Sly Stone… Enjoy !
http://loadedtothegills.blogspot.com/2006/08/push-your-hands-yo.html
Adlib – MORE COWBELL PLEASE!
Anyhooz .. yes, I have that video. Amazing vid.
Still do you know the two P-Funk albums with Sly on them ??
Funk quizzo answer time running out.
Best, fONk
Yo, you guys have been straight killin' it for the last four posts. props. keep it up. you've been my favourite mp3 blog for a minute now (with apologies to soul-sides).
Hey Chuck, I know, no matter what I do I always come back to the P-Funk!
I know Sly performed on The P-Funk All Stars Urban Dancefloor Guerillas album. Could this be the link?
I just receive a newsletter about Sly Stone this morning.
http://www.haloscan.com/comments/factory/115747114970424681/#110283
Funk Quizzo Over:
Selected works of Sly Stone with P-Funk:
Electric Spanking of War Babies (Funkadelic, Double LP, 1980)
Too Funky in Here (P-Funk All Stars, 7 and 12 inch, 1982)
Urban Dancefloor Guerillas (P-Funk All Stars, LP, 1983)
Who in the Funk Do You Think You Are (Re work of Sly Song, P-Funk All Stars , Unreleased, 1983)
Maceo, For All The Kingsmen (Maceo, CD, featuring Bootsy, 1990)
I'm sure there are more writing credits but those are actual collabs with Sly vocals on it.
this gusting praise about this album and the two that follow, needs to be placed in context of the times they were released. I purchased "High On You" the day it was released in 1975, and realized shortly after the needle drop, that Sly was getting "High On Me". The magic was gone…
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Anything from Sly comes through his site:
http://www.phattadatta.com/
I can't really see him posting lyrics?
Thanks for the blog on High On You, appreciate it.
Wonderfully funky album! Genius! De La and Prince Paul must have this wax in the crates.