Small Talk [Import]

Sly & The Family Stone | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 2, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Sony/Epic
• ASIN: B000007WAE
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #498,498 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Small Talk

2. Say You Will

3. Mother Beautiful

4. Time for Livin'

5. Can't Strain My Brain

6. Loose Booty

7. Holdin' On

8. Wishful Thinkin'

9. Better Thee Than Me

10. Livin' While I'm Livin'

11. This Is Love

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite Album of Theirs, September 2, 2002

By 

James Roche "cooljames" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Small Talk (Audio CD)

This is by far my favorite complete album. You can try to compare it to other eras of the Family Stone, but doing so only points out that it's completely different from all the other albums. It's clear that there was a lot of time spent in the studio here. The grooves are understated, but each track features a symphony of vocals. The songs are each so rich, this is not the party music or political anthem album that you're used to from Sly. Here's a track by track breakdown:

1) Small Talk: A lot of the talk around this album cites Sly's own family stone (wife and kid) as the reason for this mellow, humble selection of songs. The album starts with a very quiet track with a nice bass line where his new baby whimpers along. Very cute, very good background music.

2) Say You Will: This is one of the better songs on the record. Definitely the best instrumental performance, and the vocals are like fudge.

3) Mother Beautiful: One of the most intense songs ever recorded. The background vocals ride in and out like a giant snail, leaving their silvery slimy trails throughout the track.

4) Time for Livin': An anthem of sorts, but a good natured one. This is a great song, I think it went top 10 when the album was released. The Beastie Boys made a hard core cover of this on their Check Your Head album.

5) Can't Strain My Brain: Quiet, but dense in meaning. Sort of a personal theme for Sly, but the song speaks volumes. This is another example of a track that's scantly appointed by the band but indulgently iced by the vocals.

6) Loose Booty: Straight Party. Shadrach, Meschach, Abednego.

7) Holdin' On: Sly asks the band to 'yo punch in' at the beginning. This is a great melt of the band and the vocalists. You'll sing to yourself all day long.

8) Wishful Thinkin': This is an inspirational number. Great lyrics and intense feeling in the vocals.

9) Better Thee Then Me: Pretty good, but not great. It has a questionable theme that makes me not love the song, but I don't turn it off if it comes up on shuffle play.

10) Livin' While I'm Livin': The most apostrophes of any song title on the album. This is another fast and busy Sly song. It's a good time.

11) This is Love: This is boring. I don't like this song. It's a better doo-wop song, but definitely the least ear-catching song on the LP.

I got two copies of this on vinyl from a bearded woman that I worked with in the cafeteria of a mental institution when I was 19 years old. She was emptying closets, her husband was ending his career as an amateur party DJ, and I just acquired a turntable from a friend who doesn't pay back debts in cash (I found out too late). I was initially amazed by the "Mother Beautiful" track, and by the number of rap samples I recognized from the album. This really ushered me out of the east coast suburban metal/rap/punk scene I was into, and if I ever find that bearded woman I'm going to give her a kiss on the mouth.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Sly's best albums period, April 16, 2005

By 

Allen Zimmermann (San Mateo, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Small Talk (Audio CD)

Just listen to it. Funky but very hip. Every tune is good. It's cool how he uses the violin to do some of the horn parts. This is probably the best Sly before he disapeared into LA. His songwriting, production and arrangements on this album are pure genius. I have the LP (bought when this originally came out) but found the cd on Amazon a couple of years ago. It is worth the extra money because it was an import from Japan. I think this album is way better than Fresh and Fresh is pretty good.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEAUTIFUL, September 15, 2005

By 

S. Robinson "juice jillion" (Savannah) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Small Talk (Audio CD)

I happened to buy this C.D. on a whim in Yokohama about ten years ago. Prior to seeing it I was unaware of it's existence. What a sweet suprise. I loved it instantly. It is one of my favorite if not favorite albums ever. Though I believe "Riot" to be one of the top 5 albums of all time and I think "Fresh" is a better album I prefer "Small Talk" to both because I feel that Sly exercises an emotional range that finds him higher than "Stand" yet more soulful than "Fresh" however he is never as angry or as bitter as "Riot". The title track "Small Talk" showcases a father's pride for his family. In "Mother Beautiful" Sly shows his admiration for his own mother as well as the mother of his child. "Can't Strain My Brain" and "Wishful Thinkin'" are Sly feeling down but they are oh so beautiful. "This is Love" is a doo-wop song that I initially dismissed as trite. I was wrong about it. This is a song that starts off a bit silly but gains momentum throughout with a chorus that goes little beyond the words "This is Love..." but the words seem to gather more conviction with every verse. The song steadily pulls you in building to a harmonious crescendo and then one day you realize that the reason that he's singing this like he means it is because he does. It may be the most revealing song on the album. There is no doubt that Sly's in love. This album offers the best glimpse of Sly before his final descent into decedence. "Small Talk" is a genius bearing his soul.