Customer Reviews

Sly & The Family Stone: The Woodstock Experience (2CD)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Sly & The Family Stone's "The Woodstock Experience" presents the full 50 minute performance of the band at the legendary Woostock Festival in the summer of 1969 for the first time anywhere. And what a show it is! This is truly a classic live set by one of the greatest bands of the Rock & Soul era. The group was at it's peak at the time with their fusion of funk, hard rock & soul and the live versions of "You Can Make It If You Try", "Dance To The Music", "Sing A Simple Song", "Music Lover/Higher" & "Everyday People" are fantastic. I'm only giving this set four stars because I feel that Sony shoud've relased the live show on it's own (rather than packaging it as a two CD set with the "Stand!" album). However, this set is highly essential if you're a Sly & The Family Stone fan.

If this concert had been released in it's entirety (probably with edits) on vinyl back in let's say 1970 or 1971, it might have been one of the most classic live albums of it's day! Listening to it now, it's hard to believe this set has languished for 40 years! I'd say it's downright criminal. But we have it now at least. This is a 5-star live album and paired with their 1969 masterpiece "Stand!," which is also a 5-star album, makes this set a 10-star release! So you don't get the few bonus tracks that were included with the '07 reissue of "Stand!" Are you really going to be THAT disappointed? You've got the ULTIMATE bonus tracks included here with the Woodstock set which starts off full throttle with "M'Lady" and ends with a double funked out encore of "Love City" and then "Stand!" "Stand!," the album, goes without saying of course. It's one of the greatest albums of 1969, the '60s, and the entire funk genre itself. From the title track to "You Can Make It If You Try," it's a funk trip that doesn't let up the entire record. Great musicianship, great lyrics, and great production, guaranteed to put yo spine outta place! So grab a copy of this double slice of funk greatness while you can and get "HIGHER!"

It was really late when Sly and the band hit the stage, and I was starting to nod off--I just couldn't work up the energy to go to my tent (and besides, I had a spot quite close to the stage, and I didn't want to lose it). But when they started, the whole place caught fire. It was like somebody stuck my finger in a wall socket. I don't think I've ever experienced a more electrifying performance anywhere. All 500,000 of us were on our feet screaming. To this day I have an indelible image of them doing "I Want to Take You Higher," with the whole band jumping up and down and the whole audience jumping up and down with them. And this recording really captures that moment vividly. I expected the sound to be pretty awful, but in fact it's terrific, and it brings me back there completely, with all five senses on overload. Thank God somebody finally released this. I've been waiting 40 years.

The two CD set of SLY & THE FAMILY STONE: THE WOODSTOCK EXPERIENCE is worth it for the "live" Woodstock CD alone. It was a magnificent performance--you can witness the group performing one of the songs on Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music Director's Cut (40th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition with Amazon Exclusive Bonus Disc)--and it's all captured here live.

I wish the audio was slightly better with the audience but you can definitely hear them, especially on the sing-a-long. The one thing that's slightly different from the film version is that the song "I Want To Take You Higher" is actually performed after the sing-a-long and speech. Sly invites the audience to sing with the group on track 6- "Medley: Music Lover/Higher," and whips the Woodstock crowd into a frenzy; then they launch into "...higher" after a short break (it's reversed in the movie thanks to clever editing).

Even if you aren't a huge Sly & The Family Stone fan, the Woodstock performance contains some popular hits like "Sing A Simple Song," "Everyday People," "Dance To The Music," and of course "I Want To Take You Higher," which I'm sure you'll recognize. Even though I'm not a big fan, I was really blown away by their performance when I saw the movie of Woodstock and just had to have this CD. And the rest of the set does not disappoint. They groove and rock and you can't help but move with them. Almost as good as being there, minus the mud!

According to the CD sleeve--the two CDs are housed in mini-album replica covers with sleeves and in a larger cardboard package--Sly & The Family Stone hit the stage at 3:30 in the morning and where still able to get the crowd on their feet. Truly electrifying.

The set comes with a replica mini-album CD of Stand! but it doesn't contain the extra-tracks that were issued on the stand alone import CD.

OK so you don't get everything, I'm not sure why they didn't just include the import version of Stand!, but the real gem is the Woodstock CD and the sound quality is really good too! This set also comes with a fold out mini-poster featuring on one side Sly and on the other the beautiful audience.

Get it you won't be disappointed!

Ok First off - "Stand!" the album is an absolute classic - no doubt about it.

I would like to focus on the Woodstock performance.... let me first say that this is the best set of the "Woodstock Experiences" out of the 5 that are out there now

The others have missing parts/dialogue and some of the music is either missing or shrill.

No doubt that this set may be missing "something" - especially tune-ups what have you...but performance wise it is killer.

If you are a S&TFS fan, definately check this CD out if you haven't already.

Worth the $ just for the "Everyday People" > "Dance To The Music > "Music Lover > "Higher" Medley, "I Want To Take You Higher" and "Love City" material.

But the rest of the set is stellar too.

A++

As it is said to be limited, do not miss out. One of the greatest 60's bands, Sly fused funk, r&b, rock and gospel better than anyone before or after (OK, P-Funkadelic also at the top of this list). I always wondered why there was no live album from them. This will do.

Though short (50 minutes), the band starts in its groove and never loses it. Most of the set is from Stand (a must own studio release). As I said, the set smokes from the outset, and builds to the classic Dance to the Music - Music Lover - Higher medley. 1/2 million people in the church of Sly doing a shout out and everyone just absolutely getting into the moment.

I agree with another review, this immediately goes fairly high on my list of greatest live albums ever (um, cd that is). I am feeling very greedy now - I want more live stuff from them. There must be shows in the archives somewhere? But any fan (or fan of this genre) should pounce on this before it potentially disappears...

To anyone interested in hearing the finest total performance of the festival this is where you want to be. Sly had the crowd horse while shouting "HIGHER" and flashing the peace sign ( I did it again when I spun this for the first time when I bought it).
With the intro of the band and the first beats of the bass, then those voices breaking into "M'Lady", the listener is transported instantly back to that wonderful evening in the hills of Bethel NY.
I know you can't see his pearly white smile on the cd, but you sure as hell can feel the joy this man and his wonderful band gave the crowd that night.
Whenever anyone asked me "which band was the best of the festival?" I always said Sly! Now here's the proof!!
I don't care about genre's or titles people want to hang on musical tastes, this music was pure Woodstock! It brought the entire crowd, no matter what color or creed we were, we all funked out with Sly and he loved it. We all "Danced To The Music" that night, and now it has FINALLY been released!
Thank you Sly and the Family Stone, for those moments, and thank you Sony for giving us this wonderful treat!

Two days after the show was done, and I made it back home to some very worried parents, I cleaned off the mud and laid down with a perpetual smile. As I drifted off to a long satisfying sleep, I thought back to this performance.
Yeah, Canned Heat was great, and Cocker-Ten Years After-Santana-CCR-CSN-Joan Baez- Arlo-Janis-Jimi-The Who-Melanie-Richie Havens-The Band-Jefferson Airplane-and Johnny Winter were all outstanding, but Sly WAS WOODSTOCK!!

"sing out Higher and flash the peace sign, it'll do ya no harm"

I had an old Woodstock triple CD which was basically the soundtrack to the movie without the narration. My initial impression of Woodstock came from watching the movie about once a year when PBS would show it, and my CD. I think it had "Everyday People" and "Dance to the Music" as the only 2 Sly and The Family Stone songs on it. I thought those two song were among the highlights of the album, so when I found the rest of the set, I had to try it out. As an extra bonus, it came with the studio album, "Stand!". Either one was worth the price for me because I never have listened to an entire album of Sly and The Family Stone before and am grateful I did! Better late than never I guess. I guess the AOR stations I grew up on in the 70's and 80's didn't play enough of this stuff.

Truly a remarkable album. Not many live performances cross over well to audio. But this Band was at their peak and Sly had the Woodstock audience in the palm of his hand. Just makes you wonder where the camera guy was during the entire set because this would have been a nice CD/DVD package that would sell even more. Bottom line the Family Stone just FUNKED UP the joint and the fans dug it like crazy.

I have only listened to the live set. It is 5 star awesome from start to finish the fun and funk don't let up. If you remember Sly get it if you don't know Sly get it. Whatever you do don't let your funk be without it.