Life (Sly and the Family Stone album)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]
Austin Chronicle	^[2]
The Guardian	^[3]
Pop Matters	^[4]
Rolling Stone	(Favorable)^[5]
Rolling Stone	^[6]
Robert Christgau	^[7]
Stylus	(B)^[8]
Uncut	^[9]
Yahoo! Music	(Favorable)^[10]

Life is the third studio album by funk/soul band Sly and the Family Stone, released in September 1968 on Epic/CBS Records.

Music

Unlike its predecessor, Dance to the Music, Life was not a commercial success, although it has received mostly positive reviews from music critics over the years. Many of its songs, including "M'Lady", "Fun", "Love City", as well as the title track, became popular staples in the Family Stone's live show. A middle ground between the fiery A Whole New Thing and the more commercial Dance to the Music, Life features very little use of studio effects, and is instead more driven by frontman Sly Stone's compositions. Topics for the album's songs include the dating scene ("Dynamite!", "Chicken", "M'Lady"), groupies ("Jane is a Groupee"), and "plastic" (or "fake") people (the Beatlesque "Plastic Jim"). Of particular note is that the Family Stone's main themes of unity and integration are explored here in several songs ("Fun", "Harmony", "Life", and "Love City"). The next Family Stone LP, Stand!, would focus almost exclusively on these topics.

Much of Life has been heavily sampled for hip hop and electronica recordings, particularly Gregg Errico's drum solo on "Love City". The opening riff on "Into My Own Thing" was sampled for Fatboy Slim's 2001 hit "Weapon of Choice".

Track listing

All songs written by Sylvester Stewart, and produced and arranged by Sly Stone for Stone Flower Productions.

Side one

"Dynamite!" – 2:46
"Chicken" – 2:14
"Plastic Jim" – 3:31
"Fun" – 2:23
"Into My Own Thing" – 2:15
"Harmony" – 2:52

Side two

"Life" – 3:02
"Love City" – 2:44
"I'm an Animal" – 3:20
"M'Lady" – 2:46
"Jane Is a Groupee" – 2:50

CD bonus tracks

1995 limited edition CD reissue
- "Only One Way Out Of This Mess" (3:51, added for 1995 compact disc rerelease)
2007 limited edition CD reissue
- "Dynamite" (mono single version)
- "Seven More Days" (previously unreleased)
- "Pressure" (previously unreleased)
- "Sorrow" (previously unreleased)

Personnel

Sly Stone: vocals, organ, guitar, piano, harmonica, and more
Freddie Stone: vocals, guitar
Larry Graham: vocals, bass guitar
Rosie Stone: vocals, piano, keyboard
Cynthia Robinson: trumpet, vocal ad-libs
Jerry Martini: saxophone
Greg Errico: drums
Little Sister (Vet Stone, Mary McCreary, Elva Mouton): background vocals

References

Sly and the Family Stone

Sly Stone Freddie Stone Rose Stone Cynthia Robinson Greg Errico Jerry Martini Larry Graham

Studio albums	A Whole New Thing (1967) Dance to the Music (1968) Life (1968) Stand! (1969) There's a Riot Goin' On (1971) Fresh (1973) Small Talk (1974) High on You (Sly Stone, 1975) Heard Ya Missed Me, Well I'm Back (1976) Back on the Right Track (1979) Ain't But the One Way (1982) I'm Back! Family & Friends (Sly Stone, 2011)

Live albums	The Woodstock Experience (2009)

Compilations	Greatest Hits Ten Years Too Soon Sly & the Family Stone Anthology Who in the Funk Do You Think You Are: The Warner Bros. Recordings Rock and Roll The Essential Sly & the Family Stone Different Strokes by Different Folks Higher! The Collection

Singles	"Underdog" "Dance to the Music" "Dance à la Musique" "Life" "Everyday People" "Stand!" "Hot Fun in the Summertime" "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" "I Want to Take You Higher" "Family Affair" "Runnin' Away" "(You Caught Me) Smilin'" "I Ain't Got Nobody" "If You Want Me to Stay" "Frisky" "Time for Livin'" "Loose Booty" "I Get High on You" "Le Lo Li" "Crossword Puzzle" "Blessing in Disguise" "Family Again"

Additional personnel	Vet Stone Mary McCreary Elva Mouton Gerry Gibson Rustee Allen Pat Rizzo Andy Newmark Bill Lordan Vicki Blackwell Jim Strassburg

Related articles	Awards Discography Sly Stone solo discography Members Little Sister

Book Category

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