Stand!

What’s wrong with wall to wall funk?

Okay but 13 minutes of random noises called 'Sex Machine' should not even be a thing

My hope were high when this album popped up, and more so when i realised everyday people was on it. Unfortunately i found it a bit dull and EP was definitely the stand out track and horribly i actually prefer the Arrested Development version

Today's album, as reviewed by my teenager (minus the track full of the n word which I deemed for grown ups only):

"It sounds like hold music"

"It's not awful for some background noise, but they should have hired new lyricists"

"There was absolutely no need for a 14 minute song with no lyrics: absolutely awful"

"This sounds like Alvin and the Chipmunks"

I don't disagree. I like the funkiness, and Everyday People is a classic, but all in all:

2/5

Super album! Production value off the charts. Some beautiful guitar, rhythm and vocal work throughout and just always keeps you interested!

A groovy party record, packed with good vibes. I prefer the arrangements and general atmosphere than the compositions themselves. That said, Everyday People is an obvious single and has a life of its own beyond the LP.

I've had both Sly albums now and I've both times been left underwhelmed, and slightly confused as to why I didn't enjoy them because I usually like this sort of stuff.

I preferred the other album to this one. I think the production on this was an issue for me, plus it didn't quite hit the same spots that other funk does for me.

I can't appreciate it's influence however, and we definitely wouldn't have had some good music if it weren't for these guys.

What a great funk album, love it start to finish.

*Everyday people is a banger
*Lots of good energy and funk sound but some got repetitive over the album
*Loved the band backing the vocals

Now THIS I dig. Excellent songs front to back with great playing. Great grooves and vocals. Had me dancing in my office chair. RIP Sly Stone.

Some good songs on here but I probably wouldn't listen to this album again.

Stand! by Sly & The Family Stone was a really enjoyable listen. The album strikes a great balance between funk, pop, and psychedelic rock, blending genres in a way that feels both fresh and timeless.

The lyrics are thoughtful and purposeful, often carrying a strong social consciousness. I particularly enjoyed Everyday People—a standout track with a powerful message about unity and acceptance.

There are so many great songs on this album. From a musical standpoint, tracks like Soul Clappin’ and My Brain showcase the band’s funky instrumental flair. Lyrically, Somebody’s Watching You and Sex Machine stood out for their depth and creativity.

Favorite Songs: I Want to Take You Higher and Everyday People are definite highlights.
Least Favorite Song: Honestly, there isn’t a bad track on this album.
Album Artwork: A cool, vibrant cover that fits the spirit of the music perfectly.

Absolute cracker of an album spoiled by one song. And not because of the title or the lyrics - after all this was the 1960s. No this one song was all-round bilge.
Where the hell did it come from? How can a guy write and record such a bunch of good tunes and then shit this one out? I'd have given the album a 5 otherwise.

Nice solid album with great songs! Nice extra Homage to Sly Stone today 4/5 #Musicsky #albumsky #musicchallenge

This was exactly the kind of thing I needed to start an overcast Monday. This was fun and an easy listen, while still feeling a little edgy (see track two). Plenty of hits on this one, so I’m sure a lot of white people bought this and got a little bit of a surprise when they dropped the needle. Ya love to see it. This isn’t a genre I spend a lot of time with, but if I had this record, I think I’d play it semi-regularly.

A lot of noise and not a great amount of substance.

At least I was a little familiar with Sly and the Family Stone before frontman Sly Stone's passing earlier this month. They were such an eclectic group, combining elements of funk, soul, and psychedelia to create socially charged music that had bounce and audible impact. One of the best examples to illustrate their sound is this album here.

Stand is stacked to the brim with grooving call-and-response tunes with direct lyricism empowering individuals. The title track, "Everyday People", "Sing a Simple Song", "I Want to Take You Higher", "You Can Make It If You Try", all these songs oozed with attitude and positive energy as Sly and his siblings sang with such conviction. There are moments where the social commentary became more confrontational such as on "Don't Call Me N-----, Whitey" and "Somebody's Watching You", but those tracks felt complimentary with the overall empowerment vibe of this record. Even the 13-minute instrumental jam "Sex Machine" with individual band member solos felt at home here, giving everyone a platform to showcase their skills and lift themselves.

Stand is a classic record that proved to be a breakthrough for Sly and the Family Stone, a poignant album that epitomized mutual support for each other, against the odds. Rest in Power, Sly.

"Family Stone" is a weird compound word order, right? It's giving Sloop John. It's giving court martial. You get the picture. Anyway, this album isn't my genre of choice, but I do know it is a classic (at least according to the metric of "I listened to the best 500 songs as decided by Rolling Stone in high school and a few of these were definitely on there"). It is wild to see the n-word just in a title, uncensoredly (by the by, supposedly the euphemism "n-word" didn't come about until 1995!!! and now we've got r, b, c, f, gay f, simply all kinds of -words.) I like that there are multiple vocal-and-instrumentalists. I feel like 'Everyday People' would be a song I liked if only it weren't in a commercial I saw 50x/day at a critical period. Still, "I am no better and neither are you" is a linguistically interesting line. For that matter, so is "and they know what you're sayin' makes sense at all"! Did they not have negative polarity items in the 1960s?

Non-NPI highlight: the line "games are to be played with toys, et cetera".

What a coincidence to recieve this album the day after Sly Stone passed away. This album is a cumulation of everything that made 60's music great while simoultaniously predicting what a lot of the 70's would sound like. The album is filled with great songs and there are some incredibly hard grooves on here.

This is some great stuff! I wouldn't say this is Sly's masterpiece, that's *probably* There's a Riot Goin' On, but this is a really excellent listen regardless. This is a really great soul and funk album that captures a lot of the tension of this era. Stand! has its fair share of both optimistic and pessimistic moments, reflecting the uncertainty of the times, as the hippy movement started collapsing and the Civil Rights movement was embroiled in a bitter fight. This album doesn't mince words, Sly says what he means. The 2nd track here, whose title I do not feel is for me to reproduce, is a really bold example of this. There aren't a lot of different lines here, but there doesn't need to be. The song's confrontational simplicity serves its purpose, and conveys Sly's righteous anger over a driving funk rhythm. But on the other hand, this album's biggest hit, Everyday People is an empathetic call for unity and understanding that truly seems to believe in a better future. This all balances out, the optimism here isn't blind, and the pessimism isn't nihilistic. The cumulative effect is an album the feels real and honest, with a message driven home by its energetic performances and great songs. The Soul songs here are impassioned, and the funk songs powerful. I will say, I like the nearly 14 minute jam, Sex Machine, but its probably not making it into my rotation, and I think it harms the pacing a little bit. That being said, This is still pretty awesome from start to end.