There's No Place Like America Today
Curtis Mayfield
1975
Album Summary
There's No Place Like America Today is the seventh studio album by Curtis Mayfield, released in 1975 on Curtom Records. It peaked at number 120 on the Billboard 200 chart, as well as number 13 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
WikipediaLoved this funky and fun. I enjoy any kind of music like this tbh, sometimes it can get repetitive I guess but overall really enjoyed
that was alright i suppose. didn't really have a standout track and the chances of me ever wanting to listen to this album again are incredibly slim. my opinion of curtis mayfield was higher than it is now i've listened to this album.
What a delightful album. It was an absolute joy to discover this. It makes the 1001 project worthwhile. There's a downbeat soul feel throughout. No so much Move on Up, but take a look down instead. Things are happening, and not all of them are good. This is an introspective album from Curtis. Sadly not a lot has changed in America half a Century later. Add in the odd love song, plus THAT voice and you have the perfect album. This is a companion piece for What's Going On. Amazing. And short!
J'ai un peu surnoté cet album mais il est ici question de la survie de notre espèce
A fantastic album here, I love listening to it. The music is warm and soulful, full of beautiful arrangements and Mayfield's incredibly evocative songwriting. Mayfield's vocals are flawless, as always. His ability to convey broader social concerns in such quiet, personal terms is a gift that no one else has truly been able to match. For those of you puzzling over a track like "Jesus," I would point out that this is Curtis Mayfield here. There is always a strong underpinning of faith in his work, and this is where soul music comes from. If you enjoy that, I highly recommend checking out his other work, including with the Impressions. Fave songs: Billy Jack, Blue Monday People, So in Love
Conoscevo Curtis Mayfield solo di nome, probabilmente citato come ispirazione da qualche artista. Cazzo che m'ero perso! Questo album è una bomba. Quasi tutti i pezzi mi hanno praticamente ipnotizzato dall'inizio alla fine per l'eleganza degli arrangiamenti, i testi e la composizione raffinata e disordinata al punto giusto. La voce di Mayfield fa impressione e spesso basta quasi da sola a reggere 4 minuti di pezzo. La cosa che mi ha colpito di più forse è quanto questo disco suoni moderno per essere un disco del '75. La produzione della voce sembra quasi pop contemporanea e anche a livello compositivo mi ricorda l'RnB moderna e artisti tipo The Weeknd o Labrinth. Per me è un 4.5 che non raggiunge il 5 solo per Jesus che è un po' debole rispetto agli altri e il fatto che ogni pezzo finisce in fade e te lo fa sembrare incompleto con le orecchie di oggi. Comunque grande scoperta da approfondire!
This is Mayfield's "What's Going On". It's subtle yet effective in all the right ways. Fans of "Superfly" and his earlier works should be ready to slow it down. We're just gonna soak this music in and look around. Reflect for a moment. Yeah.
Music is good when it sounds good and this sounds good like good music
Billy Jack immediately has my attention with a bass tone that is just a hook machine. This is such a groovable record, So In Love is a laid back R&B track with a pocket so deep you could fall in it. How do these R&B singers get this damn high?! Great minor colors on Blue Monday People. Fabulous album.
A warm, embracable album, quite odd from such a politicised disc. Indeed, the juztaposition between the bitterness of the lyrics and the smoothness of the music works rather well. I was not persuaded, however, by the song Jesus: is religion really the most reliable panacea? It didn't really work on What's Going On, and it doesn't really work on this. Also, perhaps a little too short? Curtis Mayfield already had a fistful of classic albums, so he could afford himself a little space to experiment and indulge. Still, a solid album by a true great.
The voice is wonderful. Gentle, rich, warm. Lyrically curious, with a meandering nature. The music is quite wonderful; the flow through the whole album makes it seem like an extended jam session, with the focus moving from instrument to instrument. Totally relaxed and yet tight and on the groove.
Three tracks in, and this album just oozes sex and anger, which is an enjoyable mix! The anger is masked behind the gorgeous arrangements, and is mixed with a hope that maybe we can do better in future. It's certainly lyrically ambitious. It's really good - but falls short of five stars for me. You know when something is so perfectly done you stop noticing it? Like good aircon or a comfy bed? This is the same - it's so musically tight it becomes hard to focus on the songs. A little bit more rawness and it'd be perfect. If that makes sense!?
Smooth vocals and light funk and soul underscore these tunes to show that there's something lurking in the depths of the US. Best Tracks: Billy Jack; When Seasons Change; So in Love
Soulful, spiritual. Feels very mature, laid back, but tightly controlled. I'm not particularly spiritual, so I could do without "Jesus", but it's still a great album overall. Favorite tracks: "Love to the People", "Hard Times"
Hooked straight in due to that funky bass and guitar, then the vocals come in and daaamn what a combo. Another person I knew the name of but never listened to. I'm in a coffee shop and I can't sit still, such a vibe. Unfortunately none of the other songs hit that high for me, but they were still soulful as hell. Love to the People may be my 2nd fav. This Wiki anecdote is worth noting: "On August 13, 1990, Mayfield became paralyzed from the neck down after stage lighting equipment fell on him while he was being introduced at an outdoor concert at Wingate Field in Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York. Afterwards, though he was unable to play the guitar, he continued to compose and sing, which he found he could do by lying down and letting gravity pull down on his chest and lungs." Gotta admire that dedication.
The first R&B album I've listened. Cover is full of contrast, based on a 1937 monochrome photograph by Margaret Bourke-White, titled "At the Time of the Louisville Flood".
Amazing album. Great mix of music, lyrics, commentary, and Mayfield's classic vocals.
Stiam doar Move on up de la Curtis. Un album soul foarte placut și scurtuț la doar 35 de minute. Multe elemente psihedelice si de gospel. Linii de bass foarte funky iar vocea subtire si inalta de neconfundat a lui Curtis. O săritură in timp in anii 70 soul ai Americii
Probablement le meilleur album funk/R&B que j'ai écouté à date. Pas un moment faible.
I'll get one thing clear. I think Curtis Mayfield is one of the most talented, influential and all-round spectacular artists to have spent time on this blue spinning orb. This album is soulful and magnificent. Apart from Jesus. Despite Jesus, this is still a Curtis Mayfield album and it has to get five stars. If you've given it fewer, you need to give your head a shake.
Absolutely loved this. Curtis Mayfield was a big listen at Uni, but this was all new to me.
Amazing album, and new to me. Love Curtis’ voice throughout, and the backing carried it all along nicely. Not as uptempo as some of his other work, but no less engaging for that.
Adorei, o álbum é uma delícia de se ouvir. Fiquei com vontade de ouvir mais... Melhores músicas: Billy Jack, When seasons change e Blue Monday People
Great albulm with a good message and unique sound. So I’m love was my facvorite
Definitely made me want to fuck someone. Even the song about Jesus, which also really hammered the notion of drinking wine tonight into my head. "Gateway to hell" album. 5/5 stars.
I love this album! It’s like a musics sushi roll of funk! That smooth sultry voice is the best spicy tuna you’re gonna find and the bass is the unagi of phat beats. Topping it off with the horns coming at you like little masago balls of joy. 12 stars!
Loved it. Minimalist and clean and not a note or beat out of place. Perfect horns.
*Track 1) Billy Jack Track 2) When Seasons Change Track 3) So in Love Track 4) Jesus Track 5) Blue Monday People Track 6) Hard Times Track 7) Love to the People *Indicates Favorite Track
Greaat album. "Jesus" and 'so in love with you". intro sounded like he wanted to get people into the LP. What does LP even stand for lol
Down tempo album that juxtaposes death, love, spirituality and hardship as a depiction of black urban American culture. No stinkers, and 2 absolute greatest cuts of all time with So In Love and his great version of Hard Times.
This is a fantastic album, the only downside is it being as short as it is. Absolutely love this album. The opening track, “Billy Jack”, is a slow burn intro to the album that sets the mood and that doesn’t let up even going to more thoughtful and sweet “So In Love” and certainly is bolstered by “Blue Monday People”, and the silver lining of “Love to the People” is where the mood seems to lighten somewhat.
I didn't realize that bad ass soul music like this was still getting made this far into the 70s. Curtis Mayfield is a fucking national treasure.
i LOVED this album. such nice instrumentals and killer consistency throughout. definitely going to become a staple in my normal listening
I've listened to this album a lot of times before. But stuck on the record again today.
good vibes, interesting horns and stuff w old timey vibe but different
Nothing like an afternoon grooving to the smooth sounds of Curtis Mayfield.
interesting title, this is going to be political isn't it lol. nice intro. really nice voice. oh second song's awesome too, this is going to be a 5 easily. 'if you want a good life, best look into yourself'. interesting lyrics, pretty straightforward messages but you could probably tune them out if you're not really paying attention, he sounds so calm all throughout. it's a good balance then i guess. also i love the song lengths, they feel fully realized, hate when songs that sound good end too soon or go on for too long and become diluted, here they're perfect. it was a very satisfying listen all in all. i guess the album could feel a little bit samey but it's just over half an hour long and the variety in song themes makes up for it. first three songs were my favorites but they're all pretty good. it ended it up not being quite a 5 cause 'jesus' did nothing for me but really good otherwise.
Very cool. Soulful/funky with great instrumentals and unique falsetto vocals.
Couple of songs on here that didn't really land on me the first time, like Hard Times, but as the album was only 35 mins I went back and relistened to them. I can't really fault any track, great album. And one of the best album covers I've seen.
now that is a opener to an album not what I expected at all "Don't get me wrong, the man is gone But it's a wonder, he lived this long" "Ah! didn't care nothing about being black" the instruments here are outrageous wow this album is throwing me not what I was expecting really enjoying it JESUS! ... JESUS! ... JESUS! "Doin’ crime wastin’ time! Drinkin’ that wine Drinkin’ and drinkin’ and drinkin’ and drinkin’" "Although he be my brother he wants to hold me up" "News is bad on every TV show So I tune in my radio, talkin' 'bout"
I like this music but I dont know, the album as a whole was kind of boring. I really liked Billy Jack.
Some solid conscious soul and funk. I think it falters a little around the middle of the album, but it starts and ends strong enough to make it to four stars for me.
Another fantastic album! Keeping the streak alive from last week. Curtis Mayfield is probably my all-time favorite R&B voice, his falsetto is pretty unusual but very affecting. I hadn't heard this album before, but I know "So In Love" very well, thanks to GTAV. The politics on here sneak up on you, it's very effective. And it's still just great music to listen to, some undeniable grooves and melodies. I hope we also get the Superfly soundtrack on here, but I won't hold my breath. Awesome album! Favorite tracks: So In Love, When Seasons Change, Billy Jack, Blue Monday People, Love to the People. Album art: Very telling. The contrast between the American Dream and American Reality. Really like this classic art style too, especially when used ironically. 4.5/5
Clean sound, tenor vocals. It’s not my style, but it’s very interesting soul album
It's the same case as with electronic music - it's impossible to make bad RnB/Funk album.
I don't know where Mr. Mayfield got his information, but Jesus definitely did drink that wine, drink that wine, drink that wine. Anyway, this was smooth as hell. Best track: So in Love
Curtis Mayfield is a musical and poetic genius who is not afraid to push a few buttons.
I've never heard this album but Curtis Mayfield is awesome and this album is too.
long album as his voice never leaves the same single tone but was good
Skön, lite roliga melodier/instrument och politisk. Precis vad man tänker om 1975!
I already had Superfly in this list, and this doesn’t quite hit the same heights, but still excellent. Adding to the rotation.
my initial impression is hippie vibes it has a slow melody, but works for what the genre is. it is an easy album to listen to, very calming the guitar riffs are really good, it reminds me of some old time blues