Almost a "greatest hits" of greatest hits albums – one of those collections that almost sold more copies than all the full albums by the artist – forever earning Sly & The Family Stone a place in record collections around the globe! All the hits are here, laid out back to back in all their righteous goodness – never a single spot of filler, and all-classics, all the way through! Titles include "Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin", "Life", "Everyday People", "I Want To Take You Higher", "Everybody Is A Star", "Dance To The Music", "Hot Fun In The Summertime", and "Sing A Simple Song". All funky – all classic! CD

That's a young Sly Stone on the cover – looking mighty slick, but not nearly as flashy as during the years of his bigger funk fame – which kind of sums up the excellent sound of this set! The collection features the earliest years of Sly Stone on record – a time long before The Family Stone, but when Sly was energetically working in a variety of studios in the Bay Area scene – cutting bits of soul, blues, and even some early funk – issued under his own name, or that of some key musical partners on these sessions! Even at this early point, Stone's genius is apparent – as, like Ike Turner at the time, he's got a great way of finding the right voices to work with, and really pushing them out with a sharp, gritty groove – music that's definitely more 60s soul than Sly's later work, but which shows that he already had a great ear for a bottom-heavy sound. Titles include "Hi Love", "Suki Suki (parts 1 & 2)", "Honest", "Nerves", "I Ain't Got Nobody", "Watermelon Man", "Don't Say I Didn't Warn You", "Ain't That Lovin You Babe", "Swim", "Life Of Fortune & Fame", "Seventh Son", "Take My Advice", and "I Can't Turn You Loose". LP, Vinyl record album

Almost a "greatest hits" of greatest hits albums – one of those collections that almost sold more copies than all the full albums by the artist – forever earning Sly & The Family Stone a place in record collections around the globe! All the hits are here, laid out back to back in all their righteous goodness – never a single spot of filler, and all-classics, all the way through! Titles include "Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin", "Life", "Everyday People", "I Want To Take You Higher", "Everybody Is A Star", "Dance To The Music", "Hot Fun In The Summertime", and "Sing A Simple Song". All funky – all classic! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest albums ever issued from this all-star group – a 50th anniversary tribute to two classic albums from 1969 – In A Silent Way by Miles Davis, and Stand by Sly & The Family Stone! The pairing is a great one – as Miles was listening to a lot of Sly in the late 60s, and the Family Stone were a key part of the SF scene at the time – but the group here makes the whole thing come across as way more than just a recasting of classics – because, like other tributes to their inspirations, the Collective have a really strong way of making things completely their own! Sly tracks alternate with Miles numbers – and vocals are handled by Martin Luther McCoy, who's worked with The Roots – in a group that also includes Warren Wolf on vibes, David Sanchez on tenor, Etienne Charles on trumpet, Adam Rogers on guitar, and Edward Simon on piano. The vocal tracks are nice and long – with a lot more jazz instrumentation than vocals – and titles include "I Want To Take You Higher", "Sex Machine", "In A Silent Way/It's About That Time", "Everyday People", 'You Can Make It If You Try", "Shh/Peaceful", and "Sing A Simple Song". CD

Classic funkiness from Sly & The Family Stone – an album that really pushed them to the top of their game, and exploded on the late 60s scene like a righteous funky bomb! The title cut's a mega-hit that you'll recognize right away – but the whole album's great, and is filled with the simple, joyous energy that made Sly's groove one of the freshest of his generation – and which helped foist all the great work going on in the 60s underground firmly into the light of a much wider mainstream audience. The messages are subtle here, but the group are already doing their part to change the world bit by bit – and the funky rhythms at the bottom assure that they'll be doing it ass by ass on the dancefloor! Titles include "Dance to The Music", "Ride The Rhythm", "Higher", "Don't Burn Baby", and the 12 minute "Dance To The Medley", with the groovy "Music Lover" passage! LP, Vinyl record album

Killer work from Sly & The Family Stone – hard-grooving, fast-funking, and really setting the scene for countless groups to come! The album's a messed-up funky party, with plenty of short little tracks that have a mix of funk, soul, and rock – perfect for the crossover crowd from whence Sly sprang, and who would become his biggest supporters into the 70s. And almost best of all, there's hardly any hits here – just tight little numbers that are as fresh today as they were back at the end of the 60s – all the kind of righteous funk the group could do better than anybody else! Titles include "Fun", "Plastic Jim", "Dynamite!", "Chicken", "Into My Own Thing", "Life", "Love City", "I'm An Animal", and the seminal "Jane Is A Groupee". LP, Vinyl record album

A Whole New Thing, indeed – the first album ever from Sly &The Family Stone – and a record that would forever change the face of pop, funk, and soul music! Even at this early point, all the group's best energy is firmly in place – a mad mix of raw funky roots with righteous late 60s energy – all served up with a lot more focus than most of the indie acts of the time, with enough of a punch to cross the group over to a much wider audience! Most tunes are short, hard, and tight – and the album features few familiar hits – which almost makes it a new discovery if you've only ever heard Sly's work from a "greatest hits" perspective. Titles include "Dog", "Bad Risk", "Underdog", "Run Run Run", "Turn Me Loose", and "That Kind Of Person". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of second-period Sly Stone albums – all brought together in a single CD set! On Small Talk, Sly's still doing pretty nice for himself in 1974 – with a sound that's perhaps a bit warmer than on the early records, but still nice and soulful – and peppered with a good dose of funk! The groove is really great on the set – bubbling with a more "deep down" feel than the skittish funk of the first few records, and breaking out on some great soul numbers that show Sly to be an even better singer than before – touchingly sensitive at times, in a really beautiful way! Titles include "Loose Booty", which has a wonderful popping bass/hollow drum sound, and a tasty break in the middle – plus the cuts "This Is Love", "Wishful Thinkin", "Time For Livin", "Can't Strain My Brain", and "Say You Will". High On You is a nice little mid 70s set from Sly – one recorded without the Family Stone, but still grooving wonderfully with lots of funky edges! Sly's expanded his sound nicely here – pushing past the shorter funk of earlier years to work in some complicated instrumentation that keeps things really sounding fresh. Great examples of this are the frenetic horn bits on "Crossword", which you'll recognize from its famous Tribe Called Quest sample – or the sweeping strings on the mellow groover "That's Lovin You". The whole thing's great – and other tracks include "I Get High on You", "So Good to Me", "Le Lo Li", "Green Eyed Monster Girl", and "Organize". On Heard Ya Missed Me, Sly Stone's looking like a one-man band on the cover, but the album's definitely got the full-on collaborative vibe of his early records with the Family Stone! The main man himself has plenty of charm, and still has that wonderful ear for a sharp-tinged funky cut – but he's also working in this mode that allows for other voices to come into the mix at times, and plenty of lively funky instrumentation underneath the lyrics – which really makes the whole thing feel like a party all the way through! Titles include "Sexy Situation", "What Was I Thinkin In My Head", "Mother Is A Hippie", and "Family Again". CD

The last major album from Sly Stone – and a great little set that's still very much at the top of his funky soul game! The groove's a bit different than early Family Stone years, but still has a collaborative funky feel that's so much stronger than some of the stiffer efforts on the market at the time – proof that doing things with the right sort of live and lively energy still beats a whole roomful of drum machines and keyboards! Stone's got a way of providing these slinky inflections on his lyrics – sexing up the grooves even more than the instrumentation – and backing from straighter soul singers hole things in place with an old school vibe. Bobby Lyle plays a bit of keyboards on the set – and titles include "Who In the Funk Do You Think You Are", "Sylvester", "We Can Do It", "LOVINU", "One Way", and "High Y'All" – plus one of weirder covers of the Kinks' "You Really Got Me" you're ever likely to hear! LP, Vinyl record album

A real classic – with a sound that never gets old! "Family Affair" is one of those landmark tracks that forever changed the sound of soul, and which opened a door that everyone had to pass through, and could never return! Great stuff, great sound, and a really great hook! The flip's nice, too! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Hard to find a stronger early album by Sly – as this one has him still funking hard, but also getting his soul bag together a bit more, hitting some really righteous vibes that mix together politics and partying in an incredibly seductive way. The album's filled with anthemic numbers like "Sing A Simple Song", "Stand", "Don't Call Me N_gger Whitey", and "Everyday People" – classic crossover material for the heady crowd of the late 60s – and it also includes a very cool 13 minute track called "Sex Machine", which is a messed-up stoner funk number that shows Sly's ties to the Fillmore freakout scene! LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful album from Sly and crew – moving way past the straight funk approach of earlier records, into a complicated crossover soul style that's filled with warmth and righteousness. Despite the political tone implied by the "riot" in the title and the co-option of the American flag on the cover, the album's strongest suit is its warmth and personal soul message – sometimes filled with politics, sure, but always sounding like a sexy love song, no matter how hard it tries to get righteous. Who cares, though – just get with the flow on great cuts like "Family Affair", "Luv N Haight", "Brave & Strong", "You Caught Me Smilin", and "Thank You For Talkin To Me Africa". Also features "There's A Riot Goin' On" – which runs for "0:00" minutes! LP, Vinyl record album

Sly's leaping into the air on the cover of this one – and for good reason too, given the overall groove of the set! The album's a bit more stripped-down and upbeat than the previous few – almost more of a return to the simple funky style of the first albums, but with a slightly more electric sound than before – especially in the keyboards, which almost slide into the mix here with a Stevie Wonder-like quality. The electricity bubbles and brews wonderfully at the bottom of the rhythms – charging things up a bit, but still hanging back with a super-cool, laidback quality that few other groups could muster! There's a great sense of balance here that's brilliant – and which makes the album one of Sly's undisputed masterpieces from the Columbia years. Titles include the incredible "If You Want Me To Stay" – one of our favorite Sly Stone cuts ever – plus "Keep on Dancin", "Babies Making Babies", "Que Sera Sera", "If It Were Left Up To Me", "In Time", and "Let Me Have It All". CD

Killer work from Sly & The Family Stone – hard-grooving, fast-funking, and really setting the scene for countless groups to come! The album's a messed-up funky party, with plenty of short little tracks that have a mix of funk, soul, and rock – perfect for the crossover crowd from whence Sly sprang, and who would become his biggest supporters into the 70s. And almost best of all, there's hardly any hits here – just tight little numbers that are as fresh today as they were back at the end of the 60s – all the kind of righteous funk the group could do better than anybody else! Titles include "Fun", "Plastic Jim", "Dynamite!", "Chicken", "Into My Own Thing", "Life", "Love City", "I'm An Animal", and the seminal "Jane Is A Groupee". CD features 4 bonus tracks – including "Pressure", "Sorrow (inst)", "Seven More Days", and "Dynamite (single)". CD

A wonderful album from Sly and crew – moving way past the straight funk approach of earlier records, into a complicated crossover soul style that's filled with warmth and righteousness! Despite the political tone implied by the "riot" in the title and the co-option of the American flag on the cover, the album's strongest suit is its warmth and personal soul message – sometimes filled with politics, sure, but always sounding like a sexy love song, no matter how hard it tries to get righteous! The flow is wonderful throughout – a very well-thought out album that shows that Sly was singing way past the singles scene – and the record's filled with great cuts like "Family Affair", "Luv N Haight", "Brave & Strong", "You Caught Me Smilin", and "Thank You For Talkin To Me Africa". Also features "There's A Riot Going On" – which runs for "0:00" minutes! CD

The complete Warner Brothers recordings of Sly Stone – and a much-needed look at an oft-ignored side of his career! The set features the full tracks from the albums Back On The Right Track and Ain't But The One Way – as well as 5 previously unissued demos, which have a rough and ready feel that almost makes them the best of the bunch! The work on the albums is surprisingly great – not classic early Sly, but with this warmly compressed groove that extends his sound nicely – and which has a really great mainstream funk appeal. Sly's using the studio as an instrument more than ever before – getting some great sounds out of the way he brings the vocals, drums, and guitars all together in the mix – and reinventing himself a bit, without losing his groove. Titles include "The Same Thing (Makes You Laugh, Makes You Cry)", "Shine It On", "It Takes All Kinds", "Who's To Say", "Sheer Energy", "LOVINU", "One Way", "High, Y'All", "Ha Ha Hee Hee", "You Really Got Me", "Sylvester", "You're The One (inst demo)", "In Other Words (demo)", "Hand Of Love (demo)", and "Get Back (backing track takes 2 & 3)". CD

Fantastic funk from Freddi Henchi & The Soulsetters – an incredible group who've got an energy level to rival Sly & The Family Stone at their best – but with a deeper groove that seems to pick up a bit of Hendrix energy in the mix, then deliver the whole thing with the rawness of a funky 45! The collection is a real treasure – rare singles issued on a number of different labels, brought together with full notes that tell the group's story – all in a package that's as beautiful as the music! This is the sort of set that makes you love soul and funk reissues – and it's overflowing with 21 tracks that include "Under Pressure", "Piranha", "Mr Funky", "I Like Funky Music", "Popcorn Baby", "Come Down", "Biscuits & Buttermilk", and "Soul Train". Also features a bonus video from 1975! CD

Features tracks by James Brown, Sly & The Family Stone, Staple Singers, Dramatics, War, Eddie Kendricks, The Family Vibes, JB, Curtis Mayfield, Lyn Collins, and others! CD

A rare album of funky soul from the Bay Area scene at the start of the 70s – and a set that's every bit as righteous as you might expect from the cover! The group's the creation of singer/keyboardist/arranger Leon Pattillo – hence the name – and you might know Leon from his later famous work in the 70s – including a stint with Santana, and loads of great work with other soul artists. But here, he's a young genius working in the freest, funkiest style of the San Francisco generation – with a vibe that's maybe a more spiritual take on territory explored by Sly & The Family Stone – with an earthier, more indie vibe overall. The group has great interplay – tight instrumentation, but never slick, and with some nice long-haired currents – and vocals are by Leon and a female singer – on titles that include "Confusion", "If I Had The Power", "Sightless", "Back Roads", "This Is The Beginning", and "Mirage". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing look at the early years of Sly Stone – a hip array of rare projects Sly recorded with other artists, plus a few pre-Columbia gems of his own! The package is beautifully put together, and the vibe here is definitely a great precursor to the famous sound of Sly with the Family Stone in the late 60s – a perfect illustration of his early ear for funky rhythms and some of the most righteous soul of his generation! And oddly, even artists who usually sound far from Stone come out definitely sounding a bit Sly-like here – and the package features the usual Ace great notes, to help you understand where all this great music's coming from. Titles include "Danse A La Musique" by The French Fries, "I'm Going Home (part 1)" and "Home Sweet Home (part 2)" by Joe Hicks, "You're The One (parts 1 & 2)" by Little Sister, "Life & Death In G & A" by Abaco Dream, "I'm Just Like You" by 61X, "Underdog" by The Beau Brummels, "Can't She Tell" by Billy Preston, "LSD" by Freddie & The Stone Souls, "Stanga" by Little Sister, "I Remember" by Sly & Billy Preston, "Superfunk" by Freddie & The Stone Souls, and the cuts "For Real (demo)", "I Can't Turn You Loose", "Life Of Fortune & Fame", "You Really Got Me (demo)", and "I Ain't Got Nobody" by Sly Stone himself! CD

A pretty unique take on the rich world of 60s soul – a set that brings together tracks that are all live recordings from the time – maybe no surprise, given that soul music was one of the first genres to really explore the use of concert-based recordings – thanks to early 60s albums by James Brown, Etta James, Gene Chandler, and many others! The work here is from a variety of sources, and really holds up to some of the classic live soul records on labels like Stax, King, and Motown – and the music here spans the space of most of the decade, spread out over a full 4CDs, with 100 tracks in all, by a lineup that includes Eddie Floyd, Etta James, Curtis Mayfield, The Delfonics, Drifters, Garnett Mimms, Freddie king, Major Lance, Lee Dorsey, Kim Weston, Arthur Conley, Betty Harris, Maxine Brown, The Meters, Mitty Collier, Sam & Dave, Sly & The Family Stone, Joe Tex, and many more. CD

The legendary first album by Larry Graham and Graham Central Station – Larry's bold move away from Sly & The Family Stone, and the beginning of a new dynasty in mainstream funk! Larry's bass work really drives the set along – pushing the riffing guitars over the top of the heavy drums in a style that's tight, but never too "easy" – still with enough of the raw energy of his roots, despite the later crossover fame of the set. All tracks are Graham originals – except for a version of Al Green's "It Ain't No Fun To Me" – and titles include "Tell Me What It Is", "Ghetto", "Can You Handle It?", "Hair", "We Be's Gettin' Down", and "People". CD

The second album by Larry Graham and his Graham Central Station – and as powerful a batch of LA 70s funk as you'll ever find! Graham's bass is in the lead, giving the record the same deep punch he gave the work of Sly Stone back when he was in the Family Stone – but the whole group's pretty darn tight, and the album's got some great quirky elements that come through a strongly electrified use of keyboards and vocal processing next to the bass! Think of this one as the blueprint for countless LA funk records to come – and enjoy the original grooves in titles that include "Release Yourself", "Feel The Need", "Today", "Got To Go Through It To Get To It", and the "GCS" theme. CD

Early work from Gwen Guthrie – produced by Sly & Robbie, but with a sweet modern soul sound that's got a lot less of their influence than you'd guess! The sound is much more New York than Jamaica – and that's probably due to some great instrumental backing on keyboards by the likes of Harry Whitaker, Bernie Worrell, and Wally Badarou – all massive talents that bring a nice sweet jazzy sound to the best cuts on the record. There's a definite 80s sing-song groove going on – in that not-yet-top-of-the-charts soul sound that you'd hear on the better small urban stations at the time – moving back and forth nicely, in a strong link between the mainstream and the underground clubs! Tracks include "Hopscotch", "Seventh Heaven", "Oh What A Life", "Younger Than Me", and a nice cover of Sly Stone's "Family Affair". CD features 3 bonus tracks too – "Padlock (Larry Levan special mix)", "Hopscotch (Larry Levan rmx inst)", and "Peanut Butter (Larry Levan special mix)". CD

A seminal album from the end of the 60s – the triple-length soundtrack to the legendary Woodstock Festival in 1969 – pulled from all the many hours of material recorded for the film of the event! The set list reads not just like a "who's who" of hipness at the time – but also expands to show just how wide the range of sounds was in the underground – strands that move past the obvious rock material that you might expect, and which have the record standing as a great memory to the time – with maybe more diversity than some of the more monolithic memories! Features work by Canned Heat, Arlo Guthrie, Jimi Hendrix, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Richie Havens, Santana, Ten Years After, The Who, Country Joe & The Fish, Sly & The Family Stone, Joan Baez, Butterfield Blues Band, Joe Cocker, Jefferson Airplane, John B Sebastian – and yes, Sha Na Na. LP, Vinyl record album

The legendary first album by Larry Graham and Graham Central Station – Larry's bold move away from Sly & The Family Stone, and the beginning of a new dynasty in mainstream funk! Larry's bass work really drives the set along – pushing the riffing guitars over the top of the heavy drums in a style that's tight, but never too "easy" – still with enough of the raw energy of his roots, despite the later crossover fame of the set. All tracks are Graham originals – except for a version of Al Green's "It Ain't No Fun To Me" – and titles include "Tell Me What It Is", "Ghetto", "Can You Handle It?", "Hair", "We Be's Gettin' Down", and "People". CD