Customer Reviews

Different Strokes By Different Folks

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

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.

"Different Strokes By Different Folks" is a decent way to introduce a new generation to the genius of Sly Stone. However, it's only a good introduction if you then go out and buy any of the original Sly & the Family Stone albums. If you stop here, you're selling yourself short.

The individual tracks range from interesting re-interpretations of the original song to uninspiring, nearly note-for-note remakes. Highlights include The Roots' best track since their "Things Fall Apart" album, Star, which samples (obviously) Everybody is a Star. Other highlights are You Can Make It If You Try, Love City, and I Want To Take You Higher.

However, there are a lot of songs that didn't appeal to me at all, including will.i.am's version of Dance to the Music (Does anybody else realize that he's trying really hard to be this decade's Wyclef Jean, or is it just me?), the Big Boi produced tracks (Smilin' and Runnin' Away), and The Wylde Bunch's take on I Get High on You. These tracks are forgettable.

The biggest problem I have with the album is the glaring omission of some of Sly's greatest songs, most notably Stand, M'Lady, and Are You Ready? Why these songs were left off the album is beyond me, because it would have been nice to have heard some modern takes on those classic songs.

I will say that I bought my copy of the CD at a Starbucks shop when it first came out, and it's only 12 tracks instead of the 14 track version I see listed here on Amazon. So, I haven't heard the John Legend or Janet Jackson tracks, although I'm very curious about them.

All in all, it's an interesting way to rethink some classic Sly & the Family Stone tracks. Since we'll probably never get an album of new material from them, this might be as close as we ever get. Soak it in, and take it for what it's worth...

Sly was one of the greatest music artists that needs no reworking or tampering with.
The music stands by itself.
The amazing grooves he laid down and his major influence on so many of his contemporaries is cheapened by this reworking of his music by artists whom may be his grandchildren but did not learn anything from the purity and authenticity of the soul and excitement Sly laid down.
Isaac Hayes, you may be older now but man, stick to the grace of your "Black Moses" sound when you were an original voice...Aerosmith singing Sly? Come On...Moby? your music is so far removed from the soul,funk,vibes that Sly created it is a perfect wonder that you are on this CD at all...I can see a posthumous tribute but this is not the way to experience the man when his recordings sounds so vital and fresh even today.
Get the near perfect Essential Sly or the classic 1 cd Greatest Hits and you will see what I mean...

"Tribute" my arse! This CD is an absolute disgrace. Will.i.am, Joss Stone, John Legend, Moron 5, and the rest of those fools (except Isaac Hayes) will never ever in their lifetime possess the talent, imagination, originality, and musicianship of Sly & The Family Stone. Sly's classic songs were blatantly butchered by these new so-called artists who brought nothing new to the table and were only interested in making an extra dollar. If this was a real tribute, then the songs would've sounded close to the original. If Sly was such an influence to these artists, I fail to hear it these days on FM radio. Do NOT get this CD at all- you hear me? And if you can't appreciate real music, then I see no reason for you not getting this catastrophe of a tribute. Other than that, skip this trash at all possible costs and get the original songs by Sly that are perfect the way they are and do not need "reworking" or an "extra twist".

Do not allow the negative critiques of this cd deter you. Sly's music is great no matter who is doing it. If you are a die-hard Sly Stone fan and have been wishing for a new album from this very reclusive star, then jump on this one. It's a complete re-working of his masterpieces and the great thing is that they have incorporated Sly's original music and vocals into the mix. I have EVERY Sly Stone cd in his discography and it was interesting to hear different twists on his compositions. Just listen to Buddy Guy on You Can Make It If You Try or Scar/Cee-lo/Big Boi & DJ Swiff on You Caught Me Smilin' and you'll know what I mean. Of course they aren't as great as the originals, but, we've heard them all before.
This is one of the most intriguing recordings I've heard. It's fresh, new, and very innovative. And most importantly, it was not only PRODUCED by SLY STONE... but, he had much input in the final product.

No, no, no! Who's idea was this? Why did you take music that was made with "all natural ingredients", and remake them with "artificial ones? Surely, Sly is getting sick to his stomach...

I can totally see a logical link between Big Boi and The Roots, and the original material (and it's not a racial one), but most of the other artists involved seem to fall into the following categories:

-Fake Soul / Plastic Soul: Joss Stone, a TV talent show winner; Maroon 5, airbrushed, pitch corrected, charisma-free purveyors of bland fake-funky pop. Josh Stone is here in an attempt to sell more of her records, whilst Maroon 5 are here in order to sell this record.

-Out of date musicians who haven't done anything reasonably worthwhile in years: See Isaac Hayes, Stephen Tyler (who has never done anything worth a damn), and Moby. They are presumably featured here because their names are easily recognised and may add some form of credibility (and may push up sales).

Basically, this album is a totally wasted opportunity: an ill-concieved and poorly excecuted sales exercise, and an appaling testimony to the lack of recognition of Sly Stone's awesome talent and legacy to music.

I can name a thousand bands who could have contributed something truly different and worthwhile to this collection. "Thank You Rhythm Nation 1814"? What the hell?

If you are even slightly interested in Sly Stone, go and buy either the 2 disc 'Essential' from a few years back, or the 'Greatest Hits' from the early 70's, or any of the inspirational and unbeatable albums he released between 'A Whole New Thing' and 'High On You'.

Sly Stone has inspired countless musicians from an enormous range of styles and backgrounds. To present a narrow range of pop singers performing shabby, unimaginative versions of his greatest hits is both disrespectful and despicable.

The recent tribute to Prince "If I was Prince" was patchy, but it was worth a thousand of these.

Durante mas de una decada, Sly Stone habia desaparecido de la escena. Algo vergonzoso en el caso de uno de los innovadores del funk, cuyas canciones han sido sampleadas por gran cantidad de rapers. La solucion, "Different Strokes By Different Folks". Es un tributo, un recopilatorio, una coleccion de remezclas? Las tres cosas. Sly autorizo el uso de sus masters originales como base para nuevas versiones a las que se anadieron voces e instrumentos. El resultado: una puesta al dia de los exitos de Sly & The Family Stone.
En esta coleccion de "clasicos reimaginados" participan artistas de todo pelaje. Algunos se limitan a anadir pequenas variantes, como will.i.am en "Dance To The Music", Maroon 5 en "Everyday People", o Devin Lima en "If You Want Me To Stay". Otros, a pesar de mantenerse fieles, les dan un nuevo caracter, como Big Boi en "Runnin' Away", Steven Tyler y Robert Randolph en "I Want to Take You Higher", y John Legend, Joss Stone y Van Hunt en un "Family Affair" de voces esplendidas. Y unos pocos, llevan las canciones de Sly a su terreno, como The Roots en "Star", Moby en "Love City", Buddy Guy y John Mayer en un "You Can Make It If You Try" blues y, sobre todo, Chuck D, D'Angelo e Isaac Hayes en el trallazo de rap funk "Sing A Simple Song".
"Different Strokes By Different Folks" es un tributo bien merecido, pero seria preferible que Sly Stone nos sorprendiera con nuevo material en lugar de recurrir a los refritos.

You shouldn't tamper with great music. These renditions really kill the feel of "real groove" music. It sounds like someone was playing with samples on a Casio keyboard and a digital recorder.

I bought this CD because I am an old school funk girl from the seventies. Not since Earth Wind and Fires tribute album Interpretations have I been so pleasantly surprised. This is a great album with many great guests. John Legend, The Roots, Chuck D, Dangelo, and Steven Tyler are just a few worth taking note. Although I still like EWFs Interpretations better, this is a great album.