Sly and the Family Stone – Stand!

Stand! is the fourth studio album by the American soul, funk, and rock band Sly and the Family Stone, released in April 1969 by Epic and Fontana Records . The album features a diverse and innovative blend of musical genres, such as funk, psychedelic soul, progressive soul, funk rock, and psychedelic funk, as well as a rich and dynamic orchestration that includes horns, strings, keyboards, percussion, and vocals .

The album contains some of the band’s most well-known and influential songs, such as “Sing a Simple Song”, “I Want to Take You Higher”, “Stand!”, and “Everyday People”, which were all released as singles and became hits on the Billboard charts . The album also features some of the band’s most adventurous and experimental tracks, such as “Sex Machine”, a thirteen-minute instrumental jam that showcases the band’s improvisational skills .

Stand! was a huge success upon its release, selling over 500,000 copies in 1969 and reaching number 13 on the Billboard 200 chart . It was also acclaimed by critics, who praised its originality, diversity, and production quality . The album has since been recognized as one of the greatest albums of all time by various publications and institutions, such as Rolling Stone magazine, which ranked it number 119 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time in 2020 , and the Library of Congress, which selected it for inclusion in the National Recording Registry in 2015 . The album has also influenced many artists from different genres, such as David Bowie, Radiohead, Prince, Public Enemy, and Red Hot Chili Peppers .

Stand! is a masterpiece of soul, funk, and rock music that showcases Sly and the Family Stone’s unique vision and talent as a band. It is a must-listen for fans of Sly Stone’s eclectic and groundbreaking style, as well as for anyone who appreciates innovative and timeless music.