Sly and the Family Stone - 1971 - There's a Riot Goin' On

 

One of the great bands, and one so hard to pinpoint. While there were lyrics promoting racial harmony, there was also no shying away from some of the racial shit. A Bay Area DJ who had a lot of problems down the road, but whose body of work has kept him relevant for nearly 55 years now. When I first moved to the Bay Area, Sly and the Family Stone was the soundtrack of that summer at Birch Way. I doubt Nick, Glen or I will ever hear a Sly song without thinking of one another. In fact, Nick just bought me this album over Christmas from Billy Corgan's cafe/record store when he was in Chicago with his girlfriend. He remembered that I liked this particular album because I put like nine of the songs on my Shlep Hates Music mixes, and also, because I love the album cover.  It is that juxtaposition of the flag, with the title. It is a statement, bold as hell.