SE 5, EP 16: Sly and the Family Stone - There's a Riot Going On

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It's a listener pick! On this episode we look at one of the most influential musical groups of the twentieth century - Sly and the Family Stone, and their 1970 LP There's a Riot Going On.

By 1970, Sly Stone and his band had already had a huge impact on modern music. It was a mixed-race and mixed-gender band that spoke of love and harmony among all people. Hits like "Everyday People," "Dance to the Music," and "Stand" had gained the band crossover success and spawned numerous copy cats. However, by the time work had begun on There's a Riot Going On, the band was beginning to splinter. Sly was under increasing pressure by militant groups like the Black Panthers to make his music more "black" and he began to find solace in drugs and isolation. 

Forgoing the usual input from his band, Sly wrote, arranged, and recorded most of There's a Riot Going On himself. He brought in outside musicians, such as Billy Preston and Ike Turner to give the songs added dimension. The resulting LP was the big bang for the fledgling  genre of funk and an album that is consistently regarded as one of the best and most influential albums ever made. 

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