Sly & The Family Stone: Fresh (Remastered + Expanded) CD Track Listing

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Sly & The Family Stone Fresh (Remastered + Expanded) (1973)
Fresh (Remastered + Expanded)\n2007 Epic/Legacy\n\nOriginally Released June 30, 1973\nCD Edition Released July 1, 1991\nLimited Deluxe Edition Collector's Box Set Released March 20, 2007\nRemastered + Expanded CD Edition Released April 24, 2007\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: Fresh expands and brightens the slow grooves of There's a Riot Goin' On, turning them, for the most part, into friendly, welcoming rhythms. There are still traces of the narcotic haze of Riot, particularly on the brilliant, crawling inversion of "Que Sera Sera," yet this never feels like an invitation into a junkie's lair. Still, this isn't necessarily lighter than Riot -- in fact, his social commentary is more explicit, and while the music doesn't telegraph his resignation the way Riot did, it comes from the same source. So, Fresh winds up more varied, musically and lyrically, which may not make it as unified, but it does result in more traditional funk that certainly is appealing in its own right. Besides, this isn't conventional funk -- it's eccentric, where even concise catchy tunes like "If You Want Me to Stay" seem as elastic as the opener, "In Time." That's the album's ultimate charm -- it finds Sly precisely at the point where he's balancing funk and pop, about to fall into the brink, but creating an utterly individual album that wound up being his last masterwork and one of the great funk albums of its era. [The 2007 reissue of Fresh includes bonus tracks.] -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine\n\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: (Collector's Box Set) Sly & the Family Stone: The Collection contains the seven albums the group released on Epic Records between 1968 and 1974 (which were recorded between 1967 and 1971). Sony BMG has simply packaged these discs -- A Whole New Thing, Dance to the Music, Life, Stand, There's a Riot Goin' On, Fresh, and Small Talk -- all of which have been completely remastered and contain bonus material and liner essays, all in a slipcase box. They've all been released separately in digipack, so there isn't anything additional to be had. The price point isn't really different either, and given the wildly varying quality of some of these sides, buying the box is for a very specific kind of fan or collector. -- Thom Jurek\n\n\nAmazon.com Editorial Review\nComing as it did on the heels of the utterly whacked There's a Riot Goin' On, 1973's Fresh surprised a lot of Sly fans by actually living up to its name. The weariness and paranoia of Riot are totally missing in action, replaced by a relaxed optimism that seems to shine from every note of tracks like "If You Want Me to Stay" and "In Time." The band--newly buttressed by the rhythm section of Rusty Allen and Andy Newmark--plays it loose and funky, and Sly's oddball sense of humor resurfaces on a cover of Doris Day's "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)." Sadly, Sly would never again make a record even half as fresh as Fresh. --Dan Epstein \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nOne of the great ones, August 27, 2002\nReviewer: A music fan\nIt's the same low-to-the-ground funk that "Riot" was built upon, but with a little more forward motion. Almost as idiosyncratic, though, what with Sly's lucid-dreaming spiel and grooves that stay out of your face while driving maximum head-nodding. The current Epic release contains the original mixes and versions from the '73 LP release, by the way; the original 1991 CD had the "wrong" ones, but was quickly pulled. A must-own, and one that nearly 30 years later still seems to be ahead of the future. "Tell your mama and the drummer."\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nLarry Graham is one hard man to replace, August 23, 2001\nReviewer: TUCO HUMILITY "BABYLON13" (Los Angeles, CA)\nThe 4 stars are only 4 when compared to "There's a Riot Going On," the greatest and purest Pop-Rock-Funk record of the '70s, and my all-time favorite thoroughly transcendent popular music achievement after Hendrix's "Band of Gypsies," Peter Gabriel's "Security," and the 1972 opus "Close to the Edge" from Yes; compared to almost everything else though an easy 5 stars. \nThe main problem is the absence of Larry Graham, one of the baddest cats to ever play the bass guitar. Rusty Allen does a competent job in his place, but competent doesn't cut it: since Graham's style is personality driven through the technique as much as Jack Bruce's or Jaco Pasorious's. In fact, without Graham's influence Jaco Pasorious, Alphonso Johnson, Stanley Clarke, Ralphe Armstrong, and all those other super-technical funk-based bass players of the '70s would've lost maybe half the main licks that form the basis of their playing. Everything funky in the '70s came directly from Graham who opened up what the bass players in James Brown's bands did all the way through and adapted it to the much more complicated Sly compositions. \n\nWhat many people don't realize because the music sounds so 'natural,' is that Sly was actually a trained musician. He studied music for 3 years in college in the early '60s and had a comprehensive knowledge of all types of music which he drew on. The stuff he composed, as 'natural' as it sounds, is way more sophisticated and subtle than what most jazz players of the period did: string a few interesting chord changes together and improvise over it. Not that improvisation can't be called composing: but only at its absolute best. No wonder Miles Davis started playing fusion in this period! Sly and Hendrix and all the other brilliant rock acts of the period forced him to. It wasn't any type of 'sell-out,' it was an artistic necessity. How can you not want to keep up in some way when revolutionary records of pop-culture sophistication are being made all around you? And there's no purer form of pop-culture sophistication than the dense miniature universes of Sly's tunes from the heydey of the Family Stone: Prince sure had a good model to strive towards when he started his bands. \n\nGraham had had enough of Sly's ego-tripping eccentricities, and Sly had had enough of Graham's, in fact, they bitterly hated each other at this point and both had bodyguards to protect them and intimidate the other, sort of like some gangsta rap stars these days! After a particulary hairy incident described in Joel Selvin's book on Sly and the 'Family," Graham left forver to form his own band Graham Central Station. This very scary, thoroughly drugged-out period of the band's demise is documented in Selvin's book through conversations with members of the band and those around them, the only one to deal honestly with the mysteries of what happened. Some 10 years after this period Sly and George Clinton were busted together for drug posession, though according to some reports in the early '90s Bobby Womack had helped Sly get clean and yet another 'comback album' was in the works. At the Rock 'n' Roll hall-of-fame induction, Sly did not speak to any of the other former members of the band present, including his brother and sister. This was maybe the saddest irony of all, that the most unifying, barrier-transcending band of the '60s should even now after 25 years only exist as yet another tragic demonstration of alienated fragmentation. Sly's 'comback' albums have all been either disappointing or just plain embarrassing, and the latest project supposedly entitled "Phuture Phunk" has been 'in the works' since 1997. Judging by his output in the past 20 years, I wouldn't hold my breath that it'll drop anytime soon, nor that it would match the Grahamless but still excellent last gasp of a once awe-inspiring group: "Fresh." \n\nAnd, it goes without saying that anyone out there who likes this kind of 'dated' and superior-as-hell 'old school' music from the '70s, should check out the reissue of "Inspiration Information/Freedom Flight" by Shuggie Otis, Sly's label-mate, one of the great forgotten masterpieces of the '70s.\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nAptly titled, October 4, 2000\nReviewer: A music fan\n"Stand" and "Riot" are better known and arguably more "important" albums. But "Fresh" is in some ways Sly's loosest and most accessible album and might be my favorite. It's certainly the one that sounds the least dated today. All the tracks have an easy funkiness to them, though I must admit I still can't quite get into his bizarro cover of "Que Sera, Sera." Sly would never again make an album this good, due in part to the drug problem he cleverly refers to here ("I switched from coke to pep, and I'm a connoisseur") and the fact that the group was falling apart.\nIf you really want some fun, seek out the rare alternate version of this disk, which Epic mistakenly pressed when the album was first put on CD. They quickly recalled it, but there are still copies out there. All the songs but "In Time" are different in some way - generally they seem to be in earlier stages of production or have different arrangements. Many have VERY different vibes as a result. They all sound great, though, and fans of this album will love the alternate takes.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nSly and the Family's near masterpiece., October 27, 1998\nReviewer: A music fan\nTo me, nothing represents the true essence of funky R&B like Sly and the Family--except mebbe some of that early Parliafunkadelic thang. This was Sly's last entry in what was known as his "Trilogy of Funk"; the first two albums were "Stand" and "There's A Riot...". Superstar bassist, basso profundo (barotone profundo?) Larry Graham went on to do his own thing, Andy Newmark replaced the original drum guy, and Sly was maybe gettin' a little bit too snowed in for his own good...but nevermind all that, listen to how great this album is. The band was as tight as Dick's hatband. Sly's vocals were somewhere between a church preacher's fire and brimstone rantings and the friendly neighborhood drunk everyone knew--like everyday people. Although mebbe some of the cuts were too inaccessible for radio play, but I remember hearing "Frisky"--the album's not-too-well-hidden-double-entendre-d(!?!)piece on pop radio at that time. The most recent Epic records release of the album on CD has outtake mixes, rather than the final product I remember hearing in '73-74, but that's ok, too. That's one of the things that makes "Fresh" very compelling--from the gospel-blues tinged Doris Day classic,"Que Sera, Sera" to the confessional grooves, "Thankful and Thoughtful" and "In Time". A near masterpiece.\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nOne Of Sly Stone's Last Great Albums!!!, August 14, 2004\nReviewer: Brandon Ousley (Chicago, Illinois United States)\nLet's get one thing straight about Sly Stone's 1973 classic, "Fresh". It was Sly's last great album. The record, itself, brighten up the dark and progressive funk of his 1971 masterpiece, "There's A Riot Going On". "Fresh" wasn't innovative like "Stand!" and "There's A Riot Going On". But, it was probably an attempt for him to find more positive and uplifting music, so it wouldn't be bitter, dark, and too political. Almost every song on this record was funky and pleasant. Sly doesn't sound too bare and dislocated like he was on his 1971 release, "Riot". On here he sounds loose and fun. The opening, "In Time" is an electricfying, funk groove with catchy and sophisticated rhythms. It's really optimistic, lyrically and musically. The song is mainly about everything happening in time. "If You Want Me To Stay" is really the song that stands out the most on this album. This catchy funk-pop tune is an apology. To me, it was an attempt to get Sly's fans to feel sorry for him and what he had done. Sadly, it was Sly Stone's last number one hit. The next song, "Let Me Have It All" is a sexy and soulful cut with wailing organs, sophisticated background vocals, and fresh drum beats. "Frisky" is a personal favorite of mine. It's a mellowed-out, funky tune with edgy lyrics. I really like how the horns were mixed on this song. It has very hip rhythms. "I Don't Know (Satisfaction)" is an enjoyable, optimistic cut with inspirational lyrics. "Thankful 'N' Thoughtful" is a gospel-inspired tune. The song, itself, is downright funky, but in some parts, it can be somewhat confusing. "Skin I'm In" is another one of those innovative classics. It's a socially conscious tune with gripping lyrics about race- our actions, our fashion, and our life. "Keep On Dancin'" really didn't excite me that much. It's a more hip and up-tempo sequel to his 1967 hit, "Dance To The Music". The song does have some amazing basslines, though. "Que Sera Sera" is an odd cover song of Doris Day's original version. I mean, it has blues music fused with low-tempoed soul. Sly sounds a little stoned on this record. He lets one of his background singers sing the whole song, while he sings the chorus of the song. Really strange, but beautiful. "If It Were Left Up To Me" sounds like it should've been on one of his earlier records like 1968's "Life". It's kind of corny, but it's also soulful. The last track, "Babies Makin' Babies" is another funky, social conscious tune with Sly singing about people in the younger generation having babies. The lyrics in this song are kind of stubborn, but at least they have a positive message in them. In my humble opinion, "Fresh" is a great, above-average funk album. But, I still feel that it was recorded in a big rush. Ultimately, it marked a new and improved direction for Sly and it proved to be his last great album, before his decline started in 1974 with the "Small Talk" album. The new Family Stone line-up sounded great, but sometimes they sounded kind of lazy and boring, on most of the tracks. The album, itself, strays away from the dark and heavy funk of There's A Riot Going On. It's a 70's funk classic. A 5-star must buy. A+\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nGoin' out with a blast - - A Timeless Funk Classic !, October 13, 2001\nReviewer: Eddie Landsberg "jazz organist and Jazz/Soul music buff!" (Tokyo, Japan)\nFRESH pretty much marked the begining of the end for Sly, \nyet at the same time a FRESH and new sound and hints of things to come by the 'soul children' - - the countless musicians who would pick up the reigns of funk from the master and keep the music alive.\nFRESH definitely is a different album... it is neither your typical early '70s funk or soul album, your mid '70s disco cross over... and it definitely isn't a "Doobie in your funk" situation (to quote from you know who !)... FRESH is distinctly Sly, but a very different Sly... you can feel his genius, yet the lyrics are much deeper and at times much more cynical than his previous works - - you definitely get the impression that he's doing a bit of soul searching. He's taken you from Woodstock to the ghetto. Even the groove is a bit different (much more "urban") - - Most distinct about this album though is the studio technology he's using, from the subtley layered overdubs within the to the clever incorporation of drum machines (with the actual live drummer.) - - To this extent, its an album that's very funky, yet in some ways a bit "spaced out" (like Sly probably was when he recorded the album) and its definitely way ahead of his time.\n\nFRESH was one of the first funk albums I ever got, and if you've read some of my other lists and reviews, I'm sure you know, I definitely got into the funk, so to that extent it means a lot to me... I've been listening to it on and off for 17 years, and still MOVE when I hear it. - - I've even started doing a funked up version of IF YOU WANT ME TO STAY with my organ trio. Whatever the case, it definitely isn't your typical funk or Sly Stone album, but it definitely is timeless booty shaking funk and message music. - - Get this album, and if you haven't heard his GREATEST HITS CD or "the classics", go for them (and Graham Central Station) as well. Sly lives!\n\n\nHalf.com Details \nProducer: Sly Stone \n\nAlbum Notes\nSly & The Family Stone: Sly Stone (vocals); Freddie Stone (guitar); Pat Rizzo, Jerry Martini (saxophone); Cynthia Robinson (trumpet); Rosie Stone (piano); Rusty Allen (bass instrument); Andy Newmark (drums).\n\nAdditional personnel: Little Sister (background vocals).\n\nSly and the Family Stone created the blueprint for funk's direction in the late '60s; a sound dense, sophisticated, and complex on one hand, spacious and rhythmically elemental on the other, a style that seemed loose and open, yet demanded musical precision. In the early '70s, Sly left behind the churning, up-tempo anthems to brotherhood and positive thinking to develop a darker, more introspective sound that focused ever more intently on the subtle interaction of rhythmic elements. The result, as heard on 1971's THERE'S A RIOT GOIN' ON and 1973's FRESH, proved Sly's artistic apex.\nThough lesser known than RIOT, and featuring cleaner, brighter production values, FRESH is no less astonishing than its predecessor. The first five tracks alone, including the shifting pulse of "In Time," the almost religious "Thankful N' Thoughtful," and the unendingly listenable "If You Want Me To Stay," are enough to make this disc a classic. Add to these the bubbling groove of "Babies Makin' Babies" and a definitive cover of "Que Sera, Sera," and FRESH becomes a document of meticulously constructed, high-minded soul music at its finest. Don't be misled by the corny, dated cover photo--this is one of the greatest funk albums ever.\n\nIndustry Reviews\n...FRESH is Sly's new direction for 1973, a potpourri of styles, new musical attitudes and futuristic black trances...the stonedest record I've ever heard, and one of the most repeatedly listenable...\nRolling Stone (08/02/1973)\n\nRanked #11 in Rolling Stone's 50 Coolest Records.\nRolling Stone (04/11/2002)\n\nRanked #186 in Rolling Stone's The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time\nRolling Stone (12/11/2003)\n\n\n\nROLLING STONE REVIEW\nSly Stone rose like a rocket in 1968 and 1969, offering supremely funky psychedelic soul, social commentary and instantly classic phrases such as "different strokes for different folks." But around 1971, things began to change. There's a Riot Goin' On was a rambling, rambunctious, rock-funk symphony that begged listeners to dislike it. His concerts were a mess: He showed up hours late (when he showed up at all), performed for a short time and left fans murmuring. \n\n1973's Fresh seemed to herald a new course. The gay set of percolating mid-tempo grooves took direction from James Brown, children's rhymes, gospel, Miles Davis' jazz-soul experiments and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It recalled the funky little band in the Baptist church down on the corner; it was so gentle and socially aware it could've replaced Free to Be . . . You and Me in some grade-school classes. \n\n\nBut Sly's music was just that: sly. Alongside songs he could've played in church, like "Thankful n' Thoughtful" ("Something could have come and taken me away/But the mainman felt Sly should be here another day"), and songs for the juke joint like "Skin I'm In," there were bass, trumpet and sax notes that bent and twisted in midair, notes that seemed to make their point then immediately get stage fright and turn tail. The twenty-nine-year-old clear-eyed philosopher contemplated life and society, urging social responsibility on songs like "If It Were Left Up to Me" and "Babies Makin' Babies." He also spoke of his life: In the first song, "In Time," he says, "I switched from coke to pep and I'm a connoisseur." Meaning the teacher who brought this album to her class would soon be unemployed.\n\n\nAt the time, no one could imagine that Fresh would be Sly's final great statement, that the ensuing years would see a trickle of increasingly embarrassing records, and, eventually, metaphoric exile. Sly even seems to have goodbye on his mind on Fresh. On the first single, "If You Want Me to Stay," he sang, "You can't take me for granted and smile/ Count the days I'm gone/ Forget reaching me by phone/Because I promise I'll be gone for a while." Then, like Bobby Fischer, the soul genius slowly dropped off the grid, still thumbing his nose at a world that places him alongside James Brown, Marvin Gaye, George Clinton and Al Green on the Mount Rushmore of soul. (RS 826 -- Nov 25, 1999) -- TOURE
This rock cd contains 16 tracks and runs 55min 39sec.
Freedb: f50d0910
Buy: from Amazon.com

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