You would be hard pressed not to hear the music of Sly and the Family Stone all over the radio in the late 1960's, and by the time of the Woodstock Music & Art Fair in August of 1969, the band was riding high on the release of Stand!. Their sound had mass appeal at the time, combining elements of rock, funk, soul, blues, jazz, and gospel, and the Stand! album contained numerous hits, including the title track, "Everyday People", "You Can Make It If You Try", and "I Want to Take You Higher". The band were almost an odd fit at Woodstock among the hippie acts, hard rockers, and psychedelic groups, but their funky music and elaborate stage costumes and antics certainly resonated well with the fans in attendance as well as those who witnessed the film of the festival.
The band cranked out most of the strong tracks from Stand! in their live Woodstock performance, as well as their staple "Dance to the Music", the ultra funky rocker "Love City" an the famous rendition of "I Want to Take You Higher", in which Sly got the few hundred thousand to sing along and 'dance to the music'. Plenty of tasty guitar licks, funky keyboards, tight rhythms, and horns adorning these cuts, and the band obviously were having a blast playing somewhat of a spoiler role at this festival. If you really want to hear the instrumental abilities of this outfit, check out the near 14-minute jam "Sex Machine" over on the studio album, filled with plenty of wah-wah guitar solos, bouncy electric piano, and Larry Graham's finger popping bass lines.
The late 60's were not just about acid rock, folk, and psychedelic music. Sly and the Family Stone brought the funk, and this hot set at Woodstock was a prime example of what they brought to the table. Now you have their hit album, remastered, and the landmark live set, all together in one package, thanks to SONY Legacy.
Track Listing
CD 1-Stand
1. Stand! 3:07
2. Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey 5:57
3. I Want To Take You Higher 5:22
4. Somebody'S Watching You 3:20
5. Sing A Simple Song (Single Version) 3:55
6. Everyday People (Single Version) 2:21 9
7. Sex Machine 13:46
8. You Can Make It If You Try 3:38
CD 2-Live at Woodstock
1. M'Lady (Live At The Woodstock Music & Art Fair, August 16, 1969) 7:46
2. Sing A Simple Song (Live At The Woodstock Music & Art Fair, August 16, 1969) 5:13
3. You Can Make It If You Try (Live At The Woodstock Music & Art Fair, August 16, 1969) 5:36
4. Everyday People (Live At The Woodstock Music & Art Fair, August 16, 1969) 3:15
5. Dance To The Music (Live At The Woodstock Music & Art Fair, August 16, 1969) 4:28
6. Medley: Higher/Music Lover (Live At The Woodstock Music & Art Fair, August 16, 1969) 7:50
7. I Want To Take You Higher (Live At The Woodstock Music & Art Fair, August 16, 1969) 6:43
8. Love City (Live At The Woodstock Music & Art Fair, August 16, 1969) 6:04
9. Stand! (Live At The Woodstock Music & Art Fair, August 16, 1969) 3:20
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