The Best Of The Later Period
Mr. K. Sinclair | leeds, w yorks United Kingdom | 05/28/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"After comparing this album with Sly's other albums (post Fresh) I have to say that this is easily the best. Recorded in 1978/79 you'd be forgiven for thinking that his mid 70's stuff would be better, but unusually this is not the case.
To me (and many others) it seems that Sly's ego and his paranoid delusions of granduer and omnipotence got the better of him after 1970.
Part of the problem was that 'The Family Stone' had left him in '73 and any creative input and boundaries that they may have been able to put in place were overtaken by more than a modicum of self indulgence and obstinance.
This lack of focus meant that Sly spent most of his time with his head in the clouds after the number 1 single 'Thankyou Falletin Me Be Mice Elf Again'(1970).
On this album though Sly captures some of his earlier form. It is also not ruined by the 'diaphonous' master tapes that would be re-recorded over many times, for numerous and often unsavoury reasons. (think of the album There's A Riot Going On)
With members of the original band back on board and with some kind of monetary focus the awful sound quality that is present on There's A Riot has been completely eliminated.
There are certainly more than 2 good tracks here. I'd wager that ALL the tracks here are above Sly's 'own' average.
My only gripe is that many of the songs are under 3 mins and the album clocks in at less than 30 mins in it's entirity.
I think that this was a ploy by either the record company, the band, or Sly himself to try and condense the studio work into some kind of chart success. This, unfortunately was not to be and the album was a failure of sorts. Whilst it didn't perform in the charts it is certainly worth reconsidering if you are looking for something to compliment the 'Greatest Hits' packages.
Regardless, this is the only album really worth hunting out after 'Fresh', or possibly 'High On You' and as such, in many ways, marks the end of a distinguished career of a flawed genius.What a shame though that the sound quality and coherence of the music on here is so absent from the releases that should have marked his glory days, after 1970. Sly only has himself to blame though."
Sly's last really good record - almost up there with Fresh
mangoid | CreatioNation | 07/01/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I'm a nearly religious devotee of Sly, but certainly not blinded by the light. While his late 60's stuff was raw and funky and his early-mid 70s stuff (most notably Fresh and Small Talk) were the absolute pinnacle of positive funk, most of his later efforts reek of chronic burnout and disco sellout.Not so the aptly titled Back on the Right Track, which is a rare gem in his late career. While it's not quite as funky, creative or soul-stirring as Fresh-era Sly, it's a solid record full of short and simple but really tasty grooves... and for those of you who tune into Sly's higher frequencies, he feels more spiritually present on this record than he did on most of his mid-to-late 70's recordings, back in the positive groove that made us love him. The highs on this record aren't his highest, but it's consistently cool and there isn't a lame moment on the record. My Sly favorites: Fresh and Small Talk, and immediately after those i would rank Anthology ('cause it has most of the best of Sly's earliest stuff), High On You and this disc, in no particular order. If you dig Sly at all and the sample tracks don't turn you off, you'll probably be very happy with Back on the Right Track. If you're new to Sly, then buy Fresh, Small Talk and (if you're down with 60's soul) Anthology first."
This album is funk at its finest
T. Imperato | 09/08/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"this album is but a vague memory in the music world for most, but..
but damn, sly was the man."
Track Listings (8) - Disc #1