Sly & The Family Stone - 1974 - Small Talk

Sly & The Family Stone

1974

Small Talk

01. Small Talk 3:22

02. Say You Will 3:18

03. Mother Beautiful 2:01

04. Time For Livin' 3:17

05. Can't Strain My Brain 4:09

06. Loose Booty 3:47

07. Holdin' On 3:39

08. Wishful Thinkin' 4:26

09. Better Thee Than Me 3:35

10. Livin' While I'm Livin' 2:58

11. This Is Love 2:54

Bonus Tracks

12. Crossword Puzzle (Early Version) 3:47

13. Time For Livin' (Alternate Version) 3:59

14. Loose Booty (Alternate Version) 2:05

15. Positive (Instrumental) 2:14

Sly Stone – vocals, organ, guitar, piano, harmonica, and more

Freddie Stone – background vocals, guitar

Rose Stone – background vocals, piano, keyboard

Cynthia Robinson – trumpet

Jerry Martini – saxophone

Pat Rizzo – saxophone

Sid Page – violin

Rusty Allen – bass guitar

Andy Newmark, Bill Lordan – drums

Little Sister (Vet Stone, Mary McCreary, Elva Mouton) – background vocals

Small Talk is a terrific little album, full of a new bounce to the material that also proved to be, IMO, Sly's last great album. Although it starts with the slightly annoying baby sounds (which apparently expectant mothers are not too fond of!) a quick skip on to track two reveals some of Sly's best writing in years. Moreover, the band seems revitalized after the (don't get me wrong, also excellent) dirge-like quality of RIOT/FRESH. Watch clips on youtube of the band from this era, always identifiable by the presence of Sid Page on violin, but also by the seemingly revitalized band as they take on new and old material. Thanks again to the internet for providing such joys to me

So me and Small Talk have had a long history, the first copy I remember scoring probably ten years ago now. Still it is very fresh in my mind, always. Skip that first song, and off we go with Say You Will, the first of a couple of shoulda been hits. I have sung the praises of this album on many random websites, but that's because formerly, it wasn't the easiest album to find. I have many copies now, as it turns out. They all have slight differences in the mix/mastering that always makes things interesting - and like his previous few records, it is always interesting to revisit these albums because they are constantly revealing new layers. I even have this album in a quadrophonic mix, and even though I don't have the right kind of system to play it on, there are additional parts (organs, vocals) that come out that are present in no other mix I've heard. Also with the newest remastered edition, there are alternate mixes, a new version of Crossword Puzzle (one of the few highlights on Sly's last hurrah, his far inferior solo album High on You), all of this adds to the excitement and collectibility of this era of the Stone. Anywy, other highlights include the single, Time for Livin', the sprawling jam Can't Strain My Brain and a beautiful ballad entitled Wishful Thinkin'. The rest of the album does not offend, and while I use to think that maybe This Is Love was perhaps a trite bit corny, I love the piece now with its last glance back at the doowop era and Sly's message of love and peace, however contrived, remaining partially intact. Much like his brain I suppose, by this point. At any rate, very much enjoyed and always recommended for the simple pleasures it promotes (look at how relaxed he looks in that bed on the back cover!) - no matter what, I will always consider it the great unrated album of his career

Also be sure to catch Funkadelic's The Electric Spanking of War Babies for Sly's stellar contribution on two tracks, a fitting coda for a musical genius