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Sly Stone’s Dark Vision of America Will Change How You See Riots

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Back in the swinging ’60s, I was eagerly anticipating a concert by Sly and the Family Stone at Grant Park, Chicago. Unfortunately, as the band was making their way there, rumors spread like wildfire that our unpredictable rockstar might not show up. The crowd, growing restless, began to hurl bottles and rocks onto the stage, which only escalated tensions. In response, the police charged into the crowd, swinging nightsticks. Chaos ensued as the infuriated crowd surged out of the park, shattering windows, overturning cars, and leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Tragically, three people were shot, and over a hundred more were injured, but it remains unclear who was responsible for the gunfire.

In stark contrast to a Sly concert the previous year at Woodstock ’69, where the band’s performance was electrifying and inspiring 400,000 enthusiastic fans into the early hours, the atmosphere had significantly changed. The optimism of the Summer of Love had faded, replaced by disillusionment and anger. Sly Stone, feeling this shift deeply, later wrote in his memoir, “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” published in 2023, that a shadow was descending upon America. He believed the spirit of hope was dwindling, leaving the nation depleted.

Sly Stone, who passed away on June 9 at the age of 82, managed to draw greatness from hardship. He transformed the Grant Park riot and broader national tensions into his iconic 1971 album, There’s A Riot Goin’ On, a work now recognized as one of the greatest albums ever made. This swampy collection of funk rhythms and whispered chants mirrored a sociopolitical undertone that America had been reluctant to acknowledge: an amalgamation of exhaustion, pain, resilience, and persistent joy emerging from the country’s overlooked communities. As America faces a new wave of turmoil, there are few albums produced today that encapsulate the unyielding spirit that still runs through the nation – one of tenacious individualism and collective civil disobedience.

Future Utopias

Initially, Stone embodied the vision of a more tranquil, harmonious tomorrow. Amidst the mid-’60s when segregation laws were persisting in numerous states, he established Sly and the Family Stone, one of the nation’s pioneering racially mixed mainstream bands. As Greg Errico, the band’s white drummer, explained to Rolling Stone in 2015, “There were racial tensions escalating with riots happening. For us, combining a group with both genders, blacks and whites seemed completely ordinary, trendy, and relaxing, but it conveyed a message that was undeniably challenging to some.

The band’s diversity extended beyond appearance and encompassed their music as well, blending funk, rock, soul, and psychedelia into high-energy anthems imbued with powerful, inspiring messages like “Stand,” “Dance to the rhythm,” and “Everyone is a shining star.” Their vision of America was one that transcended traditional barriers; they symbolized the continuous march towards justice.

In 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy were tragically assassinated. During a tour, the band encountered difficulties when they stopped for gas in a Michigan town under curfew. Guardsmen accused one of the women in their group of being with a black man (using a derogatory term), attempting to provoke them into resisting. According to Sly’s memoir, they managed to escape without significant trouble, although he notes that the situation was far from peaceful.

In the tumultuous years of the Vietnam War, as chaos within the nation escalated, I found myself becoming progressively disenchanted with our country’s direction. It was a time when freedom didn’t feel like it could be shared equally; it seemed to sway with money, power, and racial bias. I vividly remember expressing this sentiment later on, saying, “Freedom should not alternate between the majority, wealth, skin color, or any other factor.”

My celebrity status was a double-edged sword during these times. While it brought me recognition, it also came with unrelenting expectations, clinging fans, and a sense of exploitation by the industry. This led me down a dark path of drug abuse and excessive drinking.

The riot begins

Stone funneled all these tensions into the album “There’s a Riot Goin’ On“. This was a stark contrast to its predecessor “Stand!“, which called for vigilance and action. Instead, “There’s a Riot” was not militaristic but rebellious. It did not aim to impress, but compelled the listener to adapt to its slow pace, its distorted sound, its Blackness. Sly’s persistent layering and alteration of the recording tape gave it a gritty texture. On the record, he could be heard gasping and murmuring, lingering on vague phrases, as if his words were flowing from a shared consciousness of unrest—as he later wrote, “made by no one and everyone, made under the influence of substances and of itself.

The album’s title was symbolic, drawing connections to various significant events: the 1954 song “Riot in Cell Block No. 9” by the Robins, portraying a prison rebellion; Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On,” released in 1971, which expressed concern over war and societal decay; and the Grant Park riot of the previous year. In his memoir, he explained that it also reflected “the internal unrest happening within every individual.” The cover art featured an altered American flag, implying that both small and large-scale disturbances have always been a part of America’s history—and that the country was undergoing profound changes at its core.

Initially met with perplexity by some critics, this album has since been recognized as a timeless American masterpiece. The bass and drum elements in the recording have significantly impacted funk legends such as Parliament Funkadelic, while also influencing pioneering jazz-funk experiments from Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. Its distinctive drum machine beats paved the way for numerous hip-hop musicians. As Andy Beta of Pitchfork put it, “Pay close attention, because a major label will never again release this much raw, unfiltered truth.” The album was ranked as the fourth best of the ‘70s by him.

In an interview with NPR this year, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson stated, “Indeed, it’s the initial funk album. However, for me, it might be 41 excruciatingly documented minutes in a creator’s life…I can hear someone pleading for help, yet due to the music being so incredible and groundbreaking, we often overlook the pain behind it. We tend to admire his artistry without recognizing the agony or understanding that Black pain is stunningly beautiful.

Following the release of his album, Stone’s struggles with addiction, depression, and paranoia deepened significantly, often keeping him out of public view for extended periods. However, despite not setting a good example, he was a “true model” as he liked to put it. Additionally, there will never be another album quite like “There’s a Riot Goin’ On“, an auditory testament of a genius pushing against societal norms; of a restless multitude yearning for liberation; and ultimately, discovering love in the face of despair.

2023 found me grappling with COPD and near deafness, yet I couldn’t help but keep tabs on the happenings of the world, particularly the summer protests. When TIME asked me to compare this season with previous turbulent summers I had witnessed, I pondered. “I continue to follow news stories and contemplate ways to improve America,” I responded. “There are moments when it seems we’re taking steps backwards, that progress is shadowed by setbacks. We need to find a way for black and white, rich and poor, to coexist without causing harm. It’s not an easy task, but it’s crucial.

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2025-06-10 20:07

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