riot riot fifth studio album american band sly family stone released november recorded california sessions dominated band frontman period drug use inter group tension album embraced darker challenging sound psychedelic soul style group previous records making use hard funk rhythms primitive drum machines unconventional mixing techniques originally intended issued africa talks record retitled riot response album going released months riot entered charts number release album lead single family affair topped pop singles chart sold million copies certified platinum recording_industry_association_of_america riaa received release album praised greatest influential recordings time ranked near publications best album lists ranked number rolling_stone_magazine list greatest albums time background having achieved great success album stand performance submitted album new recordings group creative head multi missed recording worrying cbs executive greatest_hits album released eighteen month stretch band released new material relationships band deteriorating friction stone brothers bassist epic executives requested product stone associated demanding music militant reflective black power movement replace black replace manager moving los_angeles california late stone began use cocaine heavily recording music time released single thank mice everybody star issued december star positive song vein previous hit everyday people thank featured darker political theme stone erratic moody missing nearly band concert dates hired friends personal managers enlisted stone assigned individuals handle business dealings find drugs protect considered enemies staff rift developed sly rest band led drummer departure early speculation arose release new studio material december article rolling_stone_magazine journalist wrote stone intention darker conceptual work influenced drug use events writer called death political police brutality decline civil rights movement social according slowed sly quest post stardom identity mirrored black america quest post purpose recording production sly stone worked riot studio built known california home studio air mansion lie bed record vocals wireless microphone system according members album performed drum machine band members contributed sly instead playing family affair selections stone enlisted musicians including instead female vocalists omitted final mix album muddy gritty sound mixing techniques nearly drowned sounds stated sly family stone album songs open interpretation hand hardly hear saying album like kid recent time mix record complete words stone felt rhythm box unrealistic sounds designed resorted drum sounds manually contributing difficult mix fall stone delivered final mixes offices relieving worried cbs issued family affair single band nearly years fourth final number pop hit somber electric piano based record sung sly sister sly delivering low relaxed tone earliest hit recordings use drum machine probably sly stone production somebody watching music lyrics stone reworked thank single slower closing track thank talking africa according allmusic blues gospel influenced examination urban tension end 1960s frightening recording dawn 1970s capturing drama decade come feel africa talks minute funk jam written response sly stone backlash estranged fans friends record industry associates media according biographer lyrics portray fame cold perceived insanity chorus reflects sly feelings cut prime like tree forest hymn getting high introduced slow soul sounds like drifting distant radio wrote voice sweet sly horns bassline come stepping sly voice gets heavy places deliberately delicate keyboard lines pocket voice contained minimal instrumental break tune suddenly fades emerged album title track silent listed zero minutes zero seconds long years speculated cryptic track listing title album referred july riot chicago illinois blamed band play free chicago crowd restless band began started rioting people injured including police officers reason given press band late refused perform original jacket featured photo picture band shell photo police car sly stone said riot track running time simply felt riots artwork original cover art riot featured red white black american flag place stars text titles appear cover epic executives added featuring hit single family affair commercial viability identification purposes director took photograph custom flags created sly album later reissued conventional cover featuring photograph sly concert titles text interview explained album cover concept stating wanted flag truly represent people colors wanted color black absence color wanted color white combination colors wanted color red represents thing people common blood wanted instead stars stars imply searching like search star stars world sun looking right best thought better outer album sleeve features photo artist depicting american cultural images early 1970s featured color photos black whites capitol boy pants american flag peace sign place stars twin towers chicago caution sign piece address tail end gas drummer soul musician bulldog anonymous smiling faces sly pit bull gun reception riot met divided reaction fans music critics album sound lyrical content los_angeles_times writer expressed mixed response band stylistic change songs everyday people hot fun stating little album worth attention major music publications praised new direction review rolling_stone_magazine music journalist wrote hated weakness lack energy dislike qualities began respect album honesty cited important fucking albums year new urban music dancing music streets getting maybe dying flashes ironic laughter bright stretches death oddly attractive columnist magazine gave riot favorable review stated album lot makes sly person rave consumer guide village_voice critic robert_christgau gave riot later revised noted expressed complimented subtle production techniques song compositions citing rare albums actually exceed sum parts riot included music publications end year lists critics polls including village_voice albums list number seven album achieved commercial success hit singles debuting number chart book mystery train images america rock roll music published years following album release music critic writer called riot finger trigger legacy riot viewed critics greatest influential albums wrote sly stone contradictions ate result riot recorded year stone didn know difference taped exile drum machine beats throwing miles darker shit produced smash hits including stark deep family affair retrospective review popmatters called riot challenging listen times plain uncomfortable episodic moments pop greatness found viewed radical departure band previous work riot going ranked number soul albums described album unlike heard black music article rolling_stone commented sly family stone created musical group men women blended funk rock positive sly stone ultimately discovered brilliantly tore thing riot joy earlier music addition featured near major publications best album lists riot ranked number rolling_stone list greatest albums time entries included list second highest band entries preceded greatest_hits followed stand fresh pitchfork_media named fourth best album 1970s influence critical recognition riot considered instances funk music later popularized similar acts riot follow ups considered best examples matured version funk music instances sound 1960s work album sound influenced crossover jazz funk riot songs extensively covered sampled artists covered reworked songs riot include pop gwen funk music genre general great influence pioneering hip hop acts magazine said album sounds unique ironically view vast influence sly employed unconventional possibly entirely original technique mixing live drums time primitive drum machine introspective political lyrics hard dirty funk grooves inspirational depressing songs elements come influence peers like generations rappers paid homage sly vision making samples beats essential backbone innovations sly riot book riot author described riot retrospect powerful haunting albums inspire hip hop movement track listing original songs written produced arranged stone flower productions like baby poet family affair africa talks asphalt jungle riot brave strong caught time spaced cowboy away thank africa reissue bonus tracks epic legacy limited edition compact disc reissue title track originally time placed seconds reissue accompanied previously unreleased bonus material away single version butler instrumental know instrumental pretty clean instrumental charts album singles personnel musicians bass backing vocals drums drums guitar guitar guitar sly stone arrangements drums drum programming keyboard programming synthesizers guitar bass keyboards vocals keyboards tenor saxophone trumpet vocals keyboards backing vocals production
There's a Riot Goin' On