With the previous S&tFS album on this list 'Stand!' it was such a brilliant and immediate record that I ended up going out and buying a copy after listening; this album is a bit more difficult.
This abum seems like another case of the glow of the 60s giving way to disillusionment. The hopeful attitude that had been building around the civil rights movement was starting to sour due to a lack of progress and Sly's own mental and emotional state had been going downhill. The result of this malaise seems to be a less cohesive album, that still has some funky grooves, but with all the players fighting for space. There are live drums on top of drum machines, guitars, keyboards and horns all seeming to muddy each other instead of complementing. Miles Davis was rumoured to have played on the album, though whether you can spot him is another matter.
The album finishes strongly though, "Thank you for talkin' to me Africa" is a funky groove that just won't quit (almost literally).
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