Fresh (Sly and the Family Stone album)

Infobox Album | Name = Fresh
Type = Album
Artist = Sly & the Family Stone


Released = June 30, 1973
Recorded = 1972 - 1973
Genre = Funk
Length = 39:18
Label = Epic
KE 32134
Producer = Sly Stone
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:pl508qctbtx4 link]
*Review-Christgau|A|album=3193
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/slythefamilystone/albums/album/121732/review/5941812/fresh link] ‎
*ThisIsRealMusic.com Rating|5|5 [http://www.thisisrealmusic.com/tirmpicks/classics/fresh.php link] | Last album = "There's a Riot Goin' On"
(1971)
This album = "Fresh"
(1973)
Next album = "Small Talk"
(1974) |

"Fresh" is the sixth album by American funk/soul/rock band Sly & the Family Stone, released by Epic/CBS Records on June 30, 1973 (see 1973 in music). Written and produced by Sly Stone, "Fresh" is more upbeat than its predecessor, the landmark "There's a Riot Goin' On", but still retains much of "Riot"'s dark, funky feel.

History

The album's biggest hit was "If You Want Me to Stay". Other notable tracks include "Frisky" and "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be),", a cover of Doris Day's Academy Award-winning song from Alfred Hitchcock's "The Man Who Knew Too Much", sung here by Rose Stone. "Que Sera, Sera" is notable as the only cover song issued on an original Family Stone album. The cover photo is by Richard Avedon.

As with "There's a Riot Goin' On", Stone held on to the "Fresh" masters well beyond the record's official release, constantly remixing and re-recording the tracks. [Selvin, Joel (1998). "For the Record: Sly and the Family Stone: An Oral History". New York: Quill Publishing. ISBN 0-380-79377-6. pp. 164-167.] As a result, alternate and significantly different versions of at least ten songs from the album are known to exist. In 1991, Sony Music, by then owner of the Epic catalog, accidentally issued a sequencing of "Fresh" on CD featuring alternate takes of every song except "In Time", which remained unchanged. Sony allowed the alternate version to remain in stores to be bought up by fans and then later issued the standard 1973 version of the album. However, the mix-up sparked debate among fans over which release was superior. When Sony BMG reissued "Fresh" in CD and digital download formats for Sly & the Family Stone's 40th anniversary, five alternate mixes were included as bonus tracks. These tracks are extremely similar, if not identical, to the alternate, accidental 1991 release. The alternate version is known to be very accessible in Japan, while it is very scarce in the U.S..

"Fresh" is considered to be the last "big" album by Sly Stone, and is regarded among the most essential funk records. Music legend Miles Davis was so impressed by a song from "Fresh" that he made his band listen to the track repeatedly for a full 30 minutes. [cite web | title= Drummerworld: Andy Newmark| publisher= Drummerworld| language= English | url= http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Andy_Newmark.html]

George Clinton, who has listed "Fresh" as one his favorite albums, later convinced the Red Hot Chili Peppers to cover "If You Want Me to Stay" on their second album, the Clinton-produced "Freaky Styley".

Track listing

"All songs written by Sylvester Stewart, and produced and arranged by Sly Stone for Fresh Productions, unless otherwise indicated."

ide one

#"In Time" – 5:48
#"If You Want Me to Stay" – 3:01
#"Let Me Have It All" – 2:56
#"Frisky – 3:12
#"Thankful N' Thoughtful" – 4:41

ide two

#"Skin I'm In" – 2:55
#"I Don't Know (Satisfaction)" – 3:51
#"Keep on Dancin'" – 2:23
#"Qué Será, Será (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" (Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) – 5:23
#"If It Were Left Up To Me" – 1:56
#"Babies Makin' Babies" 3:38

Personnel

* Sly Stone: vocals, organ, guitar, bass guitar, piano, harmonica, and more
* Freddie Stone: vocals, guitar
* Rose Stone: vocals, piano, keyboard
* Cynthia Robinson: trumpet
* Jerry Martini: saxophone
* Pat Rizzo: saxophone
* Rusty Allen: bass guitar on "In Time", "Let Me Have it All", and "Keep On Dancin'"
* Larry Graham: bass guitar on "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" and "If It Were Left Up To Me" (uncredited)
* Andy Newmark: drums
* Little Sister (Vet Stone, Mary McCreary, Elva Mouton): vocals

amples

References