Ty Watches "Sly Lives"

I'm currently finishing the new Hulu documentary, "Sly Lives". Let’s discuss.

I am a Sly and the Family Stone fan. I was introduced to their music a long time ago by my dad. I'm sure at the time of him playing it for me I got nothing out of it. I bet I just figured that my dad was showing me "old" music he liked. But, as I got older, and more into music, I heard more and more artists I liked talking about their music or covering songs at shows. I was intrigued. I asked my dad about it and I'm sure he informed me that he had played his music for me in the past. But, since other artists I liked were now talking about it to me, I wanted more. I started to dive deeper and deeper. I knew "Everyday People", "Thankyoufalettinmebemiceelf" and "Dance to the Music". But as I searched more and more into their catalog, I found more stuff I liked. Songs like "Family Affair", "If You Want Me to Stay", "Hot Fun in the Summertime", and so on and so forth. I dug the music because it was funky and I could bop my head along to it. I never really paid full attention to the music until I got even older. I would then, and still do now, listen to the lyrics and realize that Sly Stone had something important to say. He used his talent to talk about what was going on in the world. I realized that he had this vision for the world and I agreed with his vision. It also helped that his band was made up of black and white people and boys and girls. He wanted input from everyone. Sly didn't see color, he saw music. I love that.

The documentary tells you about all of this and tells it great. They have some very influential and important people talking about his genius. Questlove directed the movie, and with this and his last doc, "Summer of Soul", I feel like he has cornered the market on docs about funk and soul music from the 60's and 70's. He knows the topic and knows it well and he puts that out there on full blast. I love it. He was able to secure interviews with former band members, D'Angelo, Andre 3000, Nile Rodgers, Chaka Khan and Q-Tip, to name a few. To hear these heavy hitters talk about Sly Stone was amazing. Of course they talk about the music, but they also talk about so much more. I didn't realize how deep and connected people are to Sly Stone. I had no idea he was a producer and DJ before he was a renowned musician. I was floored when I realized he produced "Somebody to Love". I didn't know he came up in the church and later used that in his music. His family, when he was a child, was very important to his development as an artist. I didn't realize the drug issue stuff. I knew a bit about it, but didn't know how rough it truly was. The performance from Woodstock was eye opening. Questlove was able to get these videos of performances and interviews that were amazing for a fan like me to see for the first time.

I love this movie. If you know any little thing about Sly and the Family Stone, if you know one song, this movie is required viewing. I cannot recommend "Sly Lives" enough. It is instantly on my shortlist for best movies of 2025 already. "Sly Lives" is incredible. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "Summer of Soul"

I finally got around to watching "Summer of Soul" on Hulu, and it was awesome. I really wish I hadn't waited so long to watch it.

For those that don't know, "Summer of Soul" is a documentary that was the equivalent of Woodstock with R&B and soul acts. It was dubbed "black Woodstock". I never knew about this, and many other people didn’t as well, because they never released the footage of the festival until now. Questlove of The Roots directed the movie, and he did one hell of a job. The people he got to talk about it ranged from super famous musicians to festival goers to political workers to fans of the music. It was an excellent array of people that really knew their stuff.

My favorite interviews were from the people that attended the show. To see their faces now, to see them reflect and remember, to hear them talk about the joy that this brought, it was magnetic. I have been to many shows and a few festivals, and that experience is something I will never forget. Even at bad shows or festivals, which I am not a fan of, I always have a snapshot in my mind of the day. So to hear these people talk about something as amazing as this festival must have been, those are the memories worth keeping and sharing with anyone that will listen. I adored listening to these people talk.

I loved the music as well. The people that played this were some of the best to do it. Mahalia Jackson could sing. Even when she was ill she was out there belting away like no one else could at the time. Mavis Staples hung right there with her though. When those two sang Dr Martin Luther King's favorite song, after an emotional and powerful speech from Jesse Jackson, I teared up. Those two are amazing. A 19 year old Stevie Wonder kicked off and ended the movie, and holy cow is he incredible. I am already a fan, but seeing this made me love him and his music even more. I also got a good sense of his early activism. BB King slayed guitar like I always expect him too. Even some of the acts I didn’t know or haven't listened to, I really dug their music. I do like Gladys Knight and the Pips, and seeing her in a 60's outfit dancing and having a great time made me like her more. Nina Simone gave a very strong and impassioned performance that I will always think about every time this movie is brought up in conversation.

Besides the music and listening to the people that were there talk about their memories, what I loved most was how comforting and jovial and happy and peaceful everything was during the four weekends this went on. There were no fights or problems. Nothing was destroyed or burned. Everyone was treating others with respect. That doesn't happen nowadays, and it sure as hell hasn't happened since they tried to do Woodstock in 1999. People back in the 60's, with everything that was going on back then, knew how to act responsibly. I appreciated that aspect. I like that Questlove showed everyone having a good time. Even when they did the whole section on the moon landing, I sided with the festival goers. They did things the responsible and correct way.

I loved this movie. I think that is obvious. I wish I knew about this festival sooner, but better late than never. I recommend "Summer of Soul" very much. It is top notch.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Human Joke Jimmy Fallon Plays with Human Trash Donald Trump

Jimmy Fallon did this to my tv

So today, I'm going to keep it short and angry.

I awoke this morning to the horror that was the "Jimmy Fallon Show" interview of the garbage monster Donald Trump. Right off the bat it needs to be known that I am not a Jimmy Fallon fan. I did not like him on "SNL". He broke too much. He couldn't get through a scene without laughing. I also did not like any of his characters or his impressions. He was, and always will be, a hack. I also do not think he is a leading man type actor. Hell, he'd be lucky to be a character actor, let alone a leading man. He proved how terrible of an actor he is in such movies like "Taxi" and "Fever Pitch". I know that people say that his talk show is different and better, but I don't buy it. He is too nice to everyone, and he wants to be everyone's friend. The good thing about guys like David Letterman, Stephen Colbert, Conan O'Brien, and even to a lesser extent, Jay Leno, when they had a controversial figure on, they asked tough questions, or they just flat out wouldn't have someone on that they did not like or agree with. Look at Seth Myers, he said he will not put that piece of trash Trump on his show. Where Meyers has integrity, Fallon lacks any sense of any kind of integrity.

The Trump interview last night was an absolute joke and a complete ratings grab. Fallon is clearly losing the late night audience to guys like Conan and James Corden, so what does he do, he invites that racist asshole Trump to be on his show, and it was a total puff piece. You need look no further than all the media outlets showing photos of Fallon tosselling that monster's "hair". What a piece of trash the two of them are. You'd think a young guy like Fallon would have more sense, but clearly, he doesn't.

Who is he trying to get to watch his show by having that stupid idiot Trump as a guest? If he is looking for the 18-49 viewing audience, the goal of all shows, he is shit out of luck. I know zero 18-30 year olds that support that stupid son of a bitch. There are a few 30-40 year old moronic racist assholes that support that piece of trash, but I guarantee that they are not watching Fallon because they are too busy being brain washed by Fox News. The only group in the coveted TV watching group that may have had more dumbass Trump supporters are the 41-49 year olds, but those people clearly have no souls and they only care about rich people that will make them richer. And that is exactly what this interview was, 2 rich guys laughing and having a good time like a couple of dickheads. I cannot believe that something like this was allowed to happen.

This, in my opinion, is so much worse than when that punk ass Trump hosted "SNL". "SNL" has been very, very bad for the past 5 or 6 years, so the fact that they let that douchebag host, who cares, no one was watching. But, to have that ass face on a late night talk show as a guest, what a crock. And then, to make it a puff piece, that is a straight up shame. If you are going to put a real life super villain on your late night talk show, at least give him some tough questions. Don't laugh and joke with him and play with his hair.

I'm also very curious to know how the Roots, Fallon's house band, felt about this. They are one of the most politically conscious hip hop groups of all time, and they had to sit there and watch this nonsense. I mean, Questlove and Black Thought had to be losing their minds. If it was me, I would have refused to step on the same stage as that piece of trash. That was a low, cheap and dirty move by Fallon, and his staff, to schedule that sorry excuse of a human being on their show, and then to have a laugh with him while his house band has to sit there and watch this all unfold, that's embarrassing.

I guess what I really want to say, first, screw you Jimmy Fallon, but also, this showed me everything I needed to know about your true character. You are clearly a money and ratings grubbing asshole that is afraid to ask any tough questions because you want to be the late night host that is everybody's friend. This was disgusting and a slap in the face to the people that watch your show regularly. Anyone that allows that racist, arrogant, selfish, bullish piece of shit to speak on a late night talk show deserves the ill fate that is assuredly coming their way. I hope Jimmy Fallon reads everything that is being written about him today, and I hope it makes him literally sick. That is what you deserve you punk. I did not like him before last night, and I hate him even more now after last night's atrocity. Screw you and I hope Trump knows how much of a loathesome figure he truly is, no matter how much he lets Fallon play with his stupid hair.

This was an absolute travesty.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is not a fan of Donald Trump. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.