For the Record 4: Sly & the Family Stone [Paperback]

Dave Marsh (Author)

Book Description

Series: For the Record | Publication Date: June 1, 1998

There are two kinds of black music: before Sly Stone, and after Sly Stone. He shook the foundations of soul and turned it into a brand-new sound that influenced and liberated musicians as varied as Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock. His group, consisting of blacks and whites, men and women, symbolized the Woodstock generation and crossed over to dominate pop charts with anthems like "Everyday People," "Dance to the Music," and "I Want to Take You Higher." The music changed pop history, but we've never known much about the people who made it. Not until now.

Joel Selvin weaves an epic American tale from the voices of the people around this funk phenomenon: Sly's parents, his family members and band members (sometimes one and the same), and rock figures including Grace Slick, Sal Valentino, Bobby Womack, Mickey Hart, Clive Davis, Bobby Freeman, and many more. In their own words, they candidly share the triumphs and tragedies of one of the most influential musical groups ever formed-"different strokes" from the immensely talented folks who were there when it all happened.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dave Marsh was a founding editor of Creem and an editor at Rolling Stone, where he created The Rolling Stone Record Guide. He is a music critic at Playboy, publisher of Rock & Rap Confidential, and a prolific author of books about music and pop culture. His Before I Get Old is the definitive biography of The Who, and Glory Days and Born to Run, both about Bruce Springsteen, were bestsellers. He lives in New York and Connecticut.

Product Details

• Paperback: 228 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (June 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380793776
• ISBN-13: 978-0380793778
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #294,158 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating subject, not a lot of insight, October 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: For the Record 4: Sly & the Family Stone (Paperback)

I have long believed that Sly and The Family Stone are quite possibly the most under-rated rock band ever. They may be enshrined the RnR Hall of Fame, but their records are now unfairly viewed as nothing more than oldies radio fare.

In their time they were revolutionaries who broke down the barriers between "black music" and "white music"; in the process, they were instrumental in creating what later became known as "Funk".

When I found out about this book, I was thrilled. AT LAST---some insight into WHY the band made the music that they did!

No such luck here.

Crammed with lurid, voyeuristic, tales of excess and decline that sadly became the band's legacy, For the Record offers little insight into just what went into creating the music and records.

While readers might have loved to have found out something about Sly's inspiration for There's A Riot Goin' On, beyond "he was taking a lot of drugs"---that's about all that's offered here.

No doubt, the fact that drug casualty Sly was not available to offer his insights made the author's task more difficult(impossible?), you gotta believe that there had to have been SOME people with a little more insight into THE MUSIC of Sly Stone, rather than just the ugliness that went on behind the scenes.

It should have been better.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Decent book., January 11, 2002

By 

Bradley A. Barkett (Falls Church, Virginia, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: For the Record 4: Sly & the Family Stone (Paperback)

I thought this was a decent book with some good anecdotes and stories. One thing to consider--even though it may not be a literary masterpiece, it IS a book about Sly, and it does cover a lot of his activities, both as a DJ and then as the perenially F*d up bandleader for probably the funkiest band in history. That fact, in and of itself, makes it worth reading. To me, an average book about Sly is always better than a great book on lesser topics.

By the way, isn't Sly still alive? Doesn't that exempt him from technically being a "drug casualty?"

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insight into the Man, July 6, 2005

By 

William P. Charowhas Jr. (Marble Falls, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: For the Record 4: Sly & the Family Stone (Paperback)

If you have an interest in Sly Stone, the man, then this book is a must read. It is a compilation of thoughts by many of the people who worked for him and with him, and a few observers. It is a masterpiece, for what it is. If you are interested in the creation of his music, there is a little of that, too, but that is not the emphasis of the book. It is an Oral History by everyone else; Sly made no contribution to the book.

I had been curious about his "disappearance" from the world of music. This book documents, through the words of others, the collapse of a creative, innovative musical genius, as he surrendered to the dark world of narcotics. This is all spoken about by many of the individuals interviewed for the book. It seems as if he didn't appreciate his great creations in music, so he never acquired an authentic sense of self esteem. From a hard-working, apparently happy maker-of-music and performer-of-music to an unreliable, physically abusive, withdrawn addict... It is all very,very sad.