There's A Riot Goin' On

There’s a Riot Goin’ On is emblematic of a comedown. A comedown from the high optimism of the 60’s. A comedown from the spiritual awakening. A comedown from the sexual revolution. A comedown from the creative union that had reached its zenith in Woodstock, 1969.

No one personified that comedown like Sly Stone. Sly and The Family Stone had been one of the most politically outspoken bands of the late ‘60s. Their previous album Stand! is a racially charged but uplifting message of defiance and unity.

By 1970, Sly’s optimism had turned to cynicism and his psychedelic tendencies had turned into a full-on addiction. There’s a Riot Goin’ On was recorded between 1970 and 1971 in the throes of a dependence on cocaine and PCP. The album was recorded and produced almost entirely by Sly Stone, often in the confines of his own bed.

It sounds like no other funk you've heard before. The sound, style, and subject matter are so different from anything that came before. Is this, dare I say, post-funk? Excessive overdubbing gives the album an ultra-dense feel, warm like Sly’s bed. The words are often incomprehensible but that doesn’t matter anymore. Sly creates a feeling. It’s all about the feeling.

The bass is thick, electric organs weep throughout, and Sly uses a complex mix of drum machines and live drumming which add to the album's erraticism. His defiance has withered. He is resigned to racial inequality, no longer angry, just tired. On tracks like "Family Affair" he sings like a beaten down old man, his voice cracks, on the verge of tears. "(You Caught Me) Smilin’" is the mask he puts on to hide his pain inside.

Unlike the other misrepresentations of America at the time, Sly was a voice for the downtrodden and the hopeless. Not everyone thought they could change the world like Marvin Gaye. Many were disillusioned, apathetic, and wanted anything that could lift them from the harsh reality of bitter American life. Sly called out America for what it was. A junky waking up after a party looking to reach that high. He knew it, because he was it. This is an all-American comedown. Has a comedown ever sounded so good?