Rating:
Genre: R&B
Release Date: 03/11/2003

The Essential Sly & the Family Stone does what a double-CD best-of/career overview should do: it packs a lot of career highlights into a two-disc set for listeners who want more than the basic greatest hits, but don't want every last album. Of course, all of those greatest hits are here, including a few from 1970 that didn't make it onto album releases at the time. As you'd expect, the fattest slice comes from Sly & the Family Stone's late-'60s/early-'70s peak: in fact, most of the tracks from the Stand! and There's a Riot Goin' On albums are here. The fun extras come in the not-too-well-known tracks from pre-Stand! albums and Fresh (which is actually amply represented, with six cuts). This doesn't quite deserve the highest rating, as the post-There's a Riot Goin' On material doesn't keep up the momentum of the rest of the set. Small Talk and Sly Stone's 1975 solo effort, High on You, are wisely lightly plucked, though at least the hits from those albums are the three cuts selected. This deserves better annotation than the cursory liner notes, but otherwise it's an excellent summary of a major rock and soul band.

~Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

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Sly & the Family Stone - Main Performer
Larry Graham - Bass
Steven Berkowitz - A&R
Rusty Allen - Bass
Greg Errico - Drums
Jerry Goldstein - Executive Producer
Jerry Goldstein - Compilation Producer
Jerry Martini - Saxophone
Andy Newmark - Drums
Cynthia Robinson - Trumpet
Sylvester "Sly Stone" Stewart - Guitar
Sylvester "Sly Stone" Stewart - Keyboards
Sylvester "Sly Stone" Stewart - Vocals
Sylvester "Sly Stone" Stewart - Original Recording Producer
Freddie Stone - Guitar
Freddie Stone - Vocals
Rose Stone - Keyboards
Bob Irwin - Compilation Producer
David Redfern - Photography
Howard Fritzson - Art Direction
Vic Anesini - Mastering
Fred Lombardi - Photography
Fred Lombardi - Sleeve Design
Patti Matheny - Artist Coordination
Kyle Wofford - Artist Coordination
Glenn Stone - Executive Producer
Darren Salmieri - Artist Coordination
Abe Vélez - Packaging Manager
Lisa Buckler - Project Director

Inspiration Information
    Shuggie Otis / CD / 1974
Song Review: A Greatest Hits Collection
    Stevie Wonder / CD / 1996
The Best of Buddy Miles
    Buddy Miles / CD / 1997
Game, Dames and Guitar Thangs
    Eddie Hazel / CD / 1977
Finest
    Funkadelic / CD / 2005

Release Date: 03/11/2003
Genre: r&b