Sly's Family Stone gets boxed in

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LOS ANGELES, April 10 (UPI) -- California rock pioneers Sly & the Family Stone are reliving their stellar past with "The Collection," a box set of the group's first seven albums.

"It's not dated. It's still alive," notes keyboardist Rose Stone, who performed in the group with her brothers Sly (Sylvester) and Freddie. "I think that's because we were being true to ourselves as far as the music goes. We had been doing music ever since we were kids, so it just evolved and grew out of that."

The Family Stone has been inactive since the mid '70s, when Sly Stone's problems with substance abuse -- including a 1987 cocaine arrest -- and reputation for missing shows steered him into semi-retirement. He performed briefly at a Grammy Awards tribute to the band in 2006.

Rose Stone currently leads a group called the Original Family Stone.

The seven Sly & the Family Stone albums in "The Collection" will be released individually on April 24.