There's a Riot Goin on [Import, Original recording remastered]

Sly & The Family Stone | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 9, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import, Original recording remastered
• Label: Sbme Import
• ASIN: B00005QVHK
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #367,098 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Luv N' Haight

2. Just Like a Baby

3. Poet

4. Family Affair

5. Africa Talks to You "The Asphalt Jungle"

6. Brave & Strong

7. (You Caught Me) Smilin'

8. Time

9. Spaced Cowboy

10. Runnin' Away

11. Thank You for Talkin' to Me Africa

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Dark Underbelly of 1960's Idealism..., February 15, 2006

By 

B. Bowman "Double B" (Jersey, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: There's a Riot Goin on (Audio CD)

This is one of my favorite CD's of all time. If you are considering buying this do yourself a favor and get this version (the import) rather than the U.S. version available for $9.99. Sonically I didn't notice too much of a difference between the two, but it's worth the extra few bucks for the packaging alone: this edition has a glossy cardboard case with the original cover, photos, and liner notes. The other version has an alternate cover (a live shot of the band onstage) and NO information of any kind offered aside from the track listing. This album has a famously muddy sound. I've heard several theories as to why, most seem to center around Sly Stone's increasing drug use at the time this album was recorded. However, the dark quality of the production fits the music and never affected my opinion of the album. I was not alive when this was released in the early seventies, but I can imagine the shock that listeners must have experienced upon absorbing this release as a whole. The optimistic anthems of Sly's music in the sixties were replaced by grinding funk with a bleak and bitter tone. As one looks back at the period in which this music was recorded, the sense of disillusion was not just Sly's; a general sense that many of the ideals of the 1960's had died with the end of the decade was prevalent among many of the "flower power" generation. (As far as Sly's drug intake at this point was concerned, I'm sure that didn't help either. I read that he sank over a million dollars into building his infamous "Pit", the creation of which was to give users a place to use and hang out.) Regardless of the circumstances, this disc is addictive. Every song is bass heavy and funky, which often makes me forget about the bleakness of the lyrics altogether. The unbelievably heavy bass line on "Thank You For Talkin' To Me Africa" (a slowed down remake of "Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin") would probably blow the speakers out in your car stereo if cranked to the max. (I never had the guts to try.) And only Sly could write a song as weird and desperate as "Just Like A Baby" and still keep my foot tapping. This disc has been in my car for the last 15 years and will stay there for good. Many theorize that this album began the slow and sad decline of the creative force that was Sly Stone, but I also enjoyed later releases like "High On You" and "Small Talk", which are worth searching for if you like this one.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Regarding the infamous sound quality, February 7, 2006

By 

James M. Harrison "jashart" (Columbus, OH USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: There's a Riot Goin on (Audio CD)

This essential Sly & The Family Stone recording, as has been noted elsewhere, has muddy sound that defies the usual crisp remastering (in other words, this is as good as it gets.) The reason? Mr. Stewart invited a long series of wannabe-singers (all young and attractive) into the studio to add backing tracks, and from there to thank him for the opportunity. Once they were gone, he wiped their tracks. The result of running the master tapes (!) through the machines dozens (if not hundreds) of times is the dull sound quality evident even after remastering. AND YET! It is an indispensible slice of the early 70's popular culture, reflected even in the sound of progressive musical genius compromised by the usual vices.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sly's Riot Goin' On...It Was the Drugs...Man..., August 17, 2006

By 

mvconsults (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: There's a Riot Goin on (Audio CD)

Kapke74's 10/03 review here hit it on the head: Syl's "There's a Riot Goin' On" indeed has a relaxing, hypnotic, totally narcotic quality to it.

The heavy bass, slowed down drugged out jams...tempos and melodies...it's like being on drugs without taking them yourself. The musical freestylin' indulgence...just jammin' man...

A note about the sound. The import version indeed has a very good sound quality to it. It may not be "a 20-bit SuperAudio remaster," but one might attribute it to something much simpler:

Perhaps it's just a better Master Tape. My CD copy was Made in Germany and we all knew that the UK/Euro/Japan versions of vinyl pressings were always clearly superior to the US version, so why not the CD product? But back to the review...

The hits here were of course "Family Affair," "(You Caught Me) Smilin'" and "Runnin' Away"...pretty autobiographical stuff if you know Syl's story and can read (& snort) between the lines.

Sorry I just had to write that.

Still the genius prevails. Sly & the Family Stone's first foray into the dark side of the '70s...the post-Summer of Love/end-of-the-'60s hangover thang. Dig it.