March 15, 2023 Playlist

Sly & The Family Stone "Life" (1968)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Sly & The Family Stone "Life"  1968 (USA)
Today is the 79th birthday of Sylvester Stewart a.k.a. Sly Stone! His classic run of albums began with his 1967 debut and lasted until the mercurial and underrated 1973 album Fresh. He made about four more albums after that, each with fewer and fewer members of the original Family Stone (which had included his brother Freddie, sister Rose, cousin Larry, and eventual baby-mama Cynthia). By the 1980's his career was washed up, and the long-promised comeback never really happened (in the 2000's he did short tours of Japan and Europe with members of the original Family and made a weird and brief appearance at the Grammys one year.) The last I heard was that he won a lawsuit over embezzled royalties and was to receive a pile of money (a few years before that it was reported that he was living in a van.) Anyway, all of the classic Sly albums were already inducted into the Weekly hall of fame except this one - last to join is the third album Life, which is the odd one out among his classic albums. It includes no big hits (like the album that preceded it), and compared to the first two albums the songs are much shorter and tighter while the psychedelic studio tricks have been replaced by intricately arranged grooves and vocal interplay. The themes of the lyrics are moving away from Black pride / soul power topics to more universal flower-powery hippie concerns, which would reach their pinnacle on the best-selling Woodstock-era follow-up Stand! (1969). After that, the music got darker and the early seventies were probably the heighth of his genius - but also the beginning of escalating personal problems (drugs, marriage and divorce, and not having money because of the drugs and divorce.)
(N) = New Release
   
Artist Song Album Year Country
The Ides Of MarchAire Of Good FeelingVehicle1970USA
ChicagoIntroductionThe Chicago Transit Authority1969USA
U.S. Girls Only DaedalusBless This Mess (N)2023 (4AD)USA/Canada
Bobbie Lovesong Inner SeaOn The Wind (N)2023 (Woodsist)USA
Negativland No ExcuseSpeech Free: Recorded Music For Film, Radio,
Internet And Television (N)		2022 (Seeland)USA
Tropical Fuck Storm The Golden RatioSubmersive Behaviour (N)2023 (Joyful Noise)Australia
 
 
Guided By Voices PocketsLa La Land (N)
2023 (GBV Inc.)USA
Quiz Show Pom Pom BoyQuiz Show (N)2023 (Magic Door)USA
Quasi Rotten WrockBreaking The Balls Of History (N)2023 (Sub Pop)USA
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets Lava Lamp Pisco (live)Levitation Sessions (N)2022 (Reverberation Appreciation Society)Australia
Mint Field No Te Caigas
   --> Ojos En Al Carro (live)
("Don't Fall / Eyes On The Cart")		Levitation Sessions (N)2022 (Reverberation
Appreciation Society)		Mexico
   
 
Sly & The Family StoneLifeLife
 CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		1968USA
Sly & The Family StoneM' LadyLife
 CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		1968USA
Sly & The Family StoneJane Is A GroupeeLife
 CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		1968USA
Sly & The Family StoneI Want To Take You HigherStand!1969USA
Kool & The GangHigher PlaneLight Of Worlds1974USA
The Isley BrothersClimbing Up The LadderGo For Your Guns1977USA
   
 
Graham Central StationWaterAin't No 'Bout-A-Doubt It1975USA
Jimi Hendrix (Band Of Gypsys)We Got To Live Together (Sly Stone pastiche - live)Live At The Fillmore Eastrec. 1970, rel. 1999USA
Herbie HancockSlyHeadhunters1973USA
Funkadelic
(with Sly Stone)		Funk Gets Stronger (Killer Millimeter Longer Version)The Electric Spanking Of War Babies1981USA
Joni Mitchell
(with Wayne Shorter)		JerichoDon Juan's Reckless Daughter1977Canada
Weather Report
(with Wayne Shorter & Joe Zawinul)		Surucucú (Wayne Shorter)
   --> Directions (Joe Zawinul - live)		I Sing The Body Electric1972USA/Austria/
Czech./Brazil
   
 
Jiro Inagaki & Soul MediaWoodstock (Joni Mitchell)Woodstock Generation1970Japan
Jiro Inagaki & Soul MediaWandering BirdsWandering Birds1971Japan
Jiro Inagaki & Soul MediaTwenty OneHead Rock1970Japan
Jiro Inagaki & Big Soul MediaBy The Red StreamBy The Red Stream1973Japan
   
 
Dempagumi.inc Girametas Dempa Stars
   / Senshu Banzai! Dempa Ichiza! (live)
("Shiny Metal Dempa Stars
   / Go Team! Dempa Troupe!")		DenDenDenDenDenDenDenDenDen!!!!!!!!! + DenDen!!
In Hibiya Open-Air Music Hall (N)
("E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-Energetic!!!!!!!!! + ZAP!!")		2023 (Meme Tokyo/Toy's Factory)Japan
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