Sly and the Family Stone - the Essential Sly and the Family Stone

You would have to have been stranded on a desert island for the last 4 decades or so to not be familiar with this incredible, ground-breaking band. This multi-racial, multi-gender group merged rock, soul and r’n’b into a fantastic, danceable stew that forces you to groove along with them.

Sylvester Stewart was a San Francisco-area DJ and record producer who worked with hit bands such as the Beau Brummels before deciding to shake things up by putting together this assemblage. The first album, the aptly titled A Whole New Thing, was widely ignored, but this changed dramatically with the release of the 2nd record, Dance to the Music. The title song started a huge string of hits that rivals just about any other performer.

Sly’s classic albums have now been reissued with bonus tracks and excellent packaging, but I went the economical route and got this 2 CD compilation. Every album is well worth the price, but this is a super selection of his best tunes and is a perfect starting place for the novice or for those who simply want a CD to take with them while leaving their vinyl at home!

Check out Sly's official web site and My Space page