Beginning in the late 60s and all throughout the seventies, Sly & the Family Stone cemented themselves into one of the most important places in rock history. Musically notable for their revolutionary blend of styles, the Family’s most significant role has been that of the first fully racially integrated (as well as gender-mixed) rock group. Their cross-cultural impact included mixing psychedelic rock with funk and soul, thus developing a new sound that would influence musicians to this day.

“Different Strokes by Different Folks” is a tribute album to the Family Stone. But, unlike most tribute albums, instead of a collection of covers by various artists, the album features a wide range of performers playing alongside the Family Stone’s originals. In some cases, as with the Roots’ version of “Star,” the artist will perform new material using the original as a sample. In others, as with Maroon 5’s “Everyday People,” the artist will simply sing along with the tracks in their own unique style.

Unfortunately. the album does little to enhance or explain the artists’ appreciation for the Family’s work, and very little of what made Sly & the Family Stone’s music great in the first place survives.

The main problem is evident from the start. The first track of the album, will.i.am’s cover of “Dance to the Music” is a simple replay of the original song framed with intrusive and very obvious computerized beats. The effect is that the song — already great in its own right — is reduced to something you’d expect to hear in a car commercial. The sense of community and immediate urge to move to the music that defined the original are lost entirely — leaving the question: Wouldn’t you rather just listen to the original? That commercialized effect, referring as much to its belonging in a Honda ad as to the sales-conscious motivations behind the album, is pervasive throughout.

The Album’s second track, the aforementioned Maroon 5 cover of “Everyday People,” is a strong example of what else is wrong with the album. Everybody recognizes the great energy of the voices behind the original track. So, why spoil it with the high-pitched whininess of Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine? Listening to the original tracks, it’s easy to understand why some sort of tribute would be warranted, but to just sing along does little to indicate what sort of impact the Family had on Maroon 5 or any other group. Many of the tracks simply add more sounds, instruments, and voices to the classic originals. The results are no less than excessive and are often very distracting — even comedic.

The bright spots are few and far between, with a highlight being Aerosmith’s sing-along with the Family’s “I Want to Take You Higher.” Steven Tyler’s distinctive wailing is enough to warrant attention, even if very little is added to the song’s original power. Also, the silly car ad tracks are good for a quick listen if you don’t pay too much attention — just know that there are a lot better tracks out there as far as getting that computerized dance beat sound goes.

All else that is good about the album is in the original tracks themselves. What makes the album as a whole tolerable is the fact that the original songs hold up so well today, in terms of catchiness, soulfulness, and intensity. Sly & the Family Stone’s music is as good today as ever, and there’s really no need to redo any of their original songs. What that basically means is that rather than buying this album, you’re better off checking out any of the Family’s greatest hits albums that have been released throughout the years- or, better yet, pick up one of their original albums from their peak years in the seventies. Thumbs way up to all that is Sly & the Family Stone on this album- thumbs down to the lackluster treatment provided by everyone else involved.