Sly & the Family Stone The First Family: Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967
Sly & the Family Stone's The First Family: Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967
Critics consistently praise the set's live energy and gospel-rooted interplay, noting that familiar soul covers are reimagined into something sharper and more experimental. Pitchfork emphasizes the historical nuance and communal church-infused intensity behind performances like “What Is Soul?”, while Mojo celebrates the galvanising, bootleg-rough impact of “Skate Now - Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967” and the breathless rush of “I Can't Turn You Loose”. Rolling Stone frames the release as documentary proof of Sly's early inventiveness, pointing to spirited takes on “Show Me” and the duel-like dynamics of “What Is Soul?” as standout moments.
While reviewers note raw sound quality and archival limitations, the consensus suggests this live document is worth attention for those tracing the band's pre-fame development and the early emergence of funk. The First Family functions as both a historical find and a listenable record of a group inventing its future — a must-read review destination for anyone asking whether The First Family: Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
What Is Soul? - Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967
2 mentions
"the heart and centerpiece of this disc"— Pitchfork
Skate Now - Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967
1 mention
"the vocal breakdown midway through Lou Courtney’s Skate Now anticipates the magic"— Mojo
Funky Broadway (part of I Gotta Go Now / Funky Broadway) - Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967
1 mention
"A closing Funky Broadway, meanwhile, will leave you jonesing for the time machine"— Mojo
the heart and centerpiece of this disc
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
I Ain't Got Nobody (For Real) - Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967
Skate Now - Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967
Show Me - Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967
What Is Soul? - Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967
I Can't Turn You Loose - Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967
Try A Little Tenderness - Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967
Baby I Need Your Lovin' - Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967
Pucker Up Buttercup - Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967
Saint James Infirmary - Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967
I Gotta Go Now (Up On The Floor) / Funky Broadway - Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 4 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
Sly & the Family Stone's The First Family: Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967
Key Points
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The best song is the live rendition of Ben E. King’s “What Is Soul?” because it serves as the album’s heart and centerpiece.
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The album’s core strengths are its virtuosic live energy and the Family Stone’s church-rooted communal interplay that foreshadows later innovation.
Themes
Critic's Take
Sly & the Family Stone's The First Family: Live At The Winchester Cathedral 1967 is celebrated here for its raw, galvanising live energy, with the review singling out “Skate Now” and “I Can’t Turn You Loose” as standout moments. Stevie Chick writes in an enthusiastic, slightly reverent voice, praising the way the band anticipates funk while still steeped in soul, and noting that the sound quality is bootleg-rough yet the impact is brilliantly intact. The piece highlights the vocal breakdown in “Skate Now” and the breathless rush of “I Can’t Turn You Loose”, framing them as the best tracks on the album. Overall the reviewer positions these performances as proof that Sly was already remaking Stax and inventing what was to come.
Key Points
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The best song is "I Can’t Turn You Loose" for its breathless, Stax-reinventing performance.
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The album's core strength is its raw live energy that captures Sly's early synthesis of soul and the emerging funk.
Themes
Critic's Take
Sly and the Family Stone sound like a band already inventing themselves on The First Family: Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967, taking covers and turning them into their own batty, propulsive language. Matos revels in how they "take them over, and sometimes even run them over," especially on spirited readings of “Show Me” and the duel-like “What Is Soul?”. He frames the record as documentary proof that these performances point toward the leaps the group would soon make, and positions the live set as one of the best tracks-on-album arguments for Sly's early genius. The review reads like a rediscovery, insisting this is a major find for anyone asking "best songs on The First Family: Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967".
Key Points
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The performance of "Show Me" is the best demonstration of the band's early inventiveness and energy.
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The album's core strength is reimagining covers with daring arrangements and a fully formed live presence.