Sly & The Family Stone - Stand! Album

Sly and the Family Stone's 1967 Stand! album shows that Sly and peeps have really discovered their own unique style and strive to create something new for listeners. There are two things going on here: first, there's a new openness typified by the single "Everyday People" which is light and breezy with an irresistible chorus. The second thing going on is a sort of dense funk that redefined the genre. This is evident in the songs "Don't Call Me N*gger, Whitey" and the 12 minute jam "Sex Machine"-- a dark, bleak sound that doesn't lend itself to open structure but somehow maintains the same irresistibility that the rest of the material has. All and all, this groundbreaking work from a classic funk band.