LP Review: Fresh
Previous LP: There’s A Riot Goin’ On (A+)
Next LP: Small Talk (C+)
Released: 1973
LP Charts: #1 R&B (3 weeks), #7 pop
Know when a movie is excellent and a blockbuster success? And then Hollywood executives make an obligatory sequel that fails to capture the magic of the original film?
Yeah, this ain’t it.
Fresh is a supremely worthy follow-up to There’s A Riot Goin’ On (A+). Some of the spontaneity may be gone, but there’s definitely more clarity in this sequel LP as Sly & the Family Stone refine their sludge funk.
The album opens with a trio of Grade A funkiness: “In Time”, “If You Want Me To Stay”, and “Let Me Have It All”. The lyrics of “In Time” are borderline nonsensical, but the groove is monstrous. “If You Want Me To Stay” (#3 R&B, #12 pop) is predictably about a rocky relationship… set to another monstrous groove of course. Sly’s weirdly pitched vocals on this track definitely were an inspiration for Prince. Lastly, “Let Me Have It All” is, you guessed it, another monstrous groove. A rather insidious one, too.
Next on the docket is “Frisky” which has a whirling synthesizer and more nonsensical lyrics. This motherfucker was high as a kite writing this album:
Put a little tickle on the Jones' head
Turn off the lights and go to bed
Have you ever ever stopped a rainbow?
I don't think so at least
To the fog and Frisky, afternoon feast
At least “Thankful N' Thoughtful” is straightforward as is the rolling “Skin I’m In” where Sly declares that if he “could do it all over again” he’d do it all again just the way he did it. No regrets from him about his race, beliefs, or threads baby.
Okay, now we get to maybe my favorite song on the album: “I Don’t Know (Satisfaction)”.
What puts this song just a slight step above the other funk jams on this album are the backing vocals from Little Sister—a female trio fronted by Sly’s sister Vet Stewart. They did backing vocals on this album and on There’s A Riot, but their performance on “I Don’t Know (Satisfaction)” just find the perfect spot. Also the rotational groove of the electric keyboard, the sloppy bass, wah wah guitar, and vocals is hypnotic.
Now for the actual best song on this album is a cover of “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)”. For the first time since Stand! (A-) Sly shares the lead vocals—his sister Rose Stone gets the honors. She fucking nails the song with an understated, quiet performance that fits right in with the mellow guitar, keyboard, and organ work.
I would pay good money to see Doris Day’s reaction to this version.
Whoops, I skipped a song. In between “I Don’t Know (Satisfaction)” and “Que Sera Sera” is “Keep On Dancin’”. That’s essentially a sludge funk remake of “Dance to the Music”. It is vastly inferior to the original and is the weakest song on the album.
And what do you know, “If It Were Left Up To Me” is a leftover late 1960s recording. That means the departed Larry Graham’s bass is heard here. As good as the bass playing is on the rest of the album, Graham’s bass is sorely missed as you hear it thump away on “If It Were Left Up To Me”. Also, this two-minute ditty has those classic Family Stone harmonies. Those are also sorely missed… much as I love this contemporary iteration of the band.
ALBUM GRADE: A
Enjoy the hell outta this album cuz it’s the last classic from Sly & the Family Stone. The albums hereafter may be good (or bad), but they wouldn’t be “fresh”. It’s recycle city from here on out. People and bands only have so many new ideas. Sly & the Family Stone had way more than most, but even they had their limit.
Song Scores
In Time: 9/10
If You Want Me To Stay: 9/10
Let Me Have It All: 9/10
Frisky: 8/10
Thankful N' Thoughtful: 7/10
Skin I’m In: 8/10
I Don’t Know (Satisfaction): 10/10
Keep On Dancin’: 6/10
Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be): 10/10
If It Were Left Up To Me: 8/10
Babies Makin’ Babies: 8/10
Previous LP: There’s A Riot Goin’ On (A+)
Next LP: Small Talk (C+)