SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)

Audience Reviews

View All (6) audience reviews

Kevin L Questlove has been doing impressive work for a great many years now as a musician and band leader, but now he's showing himself to be a tremendous documentarian as well. "SLY LIVES!" is excellent. All the video clips, photographs, and clippings tell so much about the history of the man and the band he fronted that was such a driving force for the future of popular music. Then there's all the interviews with prominent musical figures, social analysts, Clive Davis, and his peers talking on Stone and the band's art. This leave no doubt about the breadth and significance of the work, and it's lasting impact. I've loved the music of Sly & the Family Stone for decades. It's music of remarkable depth and range. This was some of the very finest dance music of its time, but also pop music with a real electiric charge to it to go along with some lovely ballad type pieces, and the socio-political works that spurred others (Gaye, Wonder, Scott-Heron, Simone) in their own work. I'll leave it to each viewer to make up their own mind about Stone/Stewart's ultimate legacy, but for me he'll first and foremost be a brilliant musical mind and a fierce spirit for joy on stage and the wonders of the recording studio. 4 stars Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/27/25 Full Review Morris N First of all hip hop owes a lot to this man. Sampled up the wazoo. He is an absolute genius. As a 7 year old I remember my uncle playing Riot all day. This is must see. Shoutout to Quest Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/18/25 Full Review K W My only weapon is my pen, I'm a songwriter - Sly Stone Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/18/25 Full Review Garry A I recognized a couple of their songs but knew very little if the band's history and cultural impact. It felt like this documentary left no stone unturned! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/18/25 Full Review Samuel H Good for what is was, could have been much longer, similar to the book didn’t tell us enough about the man himself and his lived experiences. Certainly a genius. Would be 4 or 5 star if Sly was involved, maybe unable to be so because of illness. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/16/25 Full Review joanie j I loved every minute of this film. I grew up on Sly and the Family Stone, but when they fell off the radar in the mid 70's I never really knew what happened. This film shows the meteoric rise of an artistic genius whose music resonated with people of all kinds. Not an easy thing to do today and near impossible back then. The tragedy of Sly's self-destruction is difficult to see but overall this movie shows us all his gifts and his human flaws and perhaps gives us better understanding of the man behind the music. Another A++ film by Questlove. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/15/25 Full Review Read all reviews

SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Most Popular at Home Now