Sly & The Family Stone - Fresh

Whilst discussing bass playing the other day I named If You Want Me To Stay as my favourite bass playing on a tune ever: super-funky, understated but really clever. Unfortunately, I’d given Larry Graham the credit, but it turns out he’d been given the old heave-ho from the Family Stone just prior to this album being recorded and replaced by Rustee Allen. Perhaps it would have been a completely different track had Graham played on it. Incidentally, Rustee’s name is spelled incorrectly (Rusty) on the sleeve.

When I was about 18, my mate gave me this album. It had been given to him by a local smackhead in payment for giving them a lift and, as it had been robbed from someone’s car the previous evening, my mate didn’t want the bad karma and wanted to pass it on. I had no such karmic-qualms.

This is a really subdued funk album, which is surprising considering Stone had got stuck into the gak with considerable enthusiasm. You’d think it’d sound more coke-y.

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