Reviews (page 10 of 13)
This starts strong and gets really mellow fast. Almost a sleepy album to listen to. That was probably really good. I feel like I missed something.
I like this album art. The instrumentals are so good. The vocal style choice and the emotion it conveys feel a little repetitive after a few tracks.
This is a strong Soul/R&B/Funk album. I can hear the jazz influences here. It’s for albums like this that I undertook this listening project. I’m glad I listened to this.
The good songs are really good, but most of the album is just OK. "So in love" was the read standout to me. I'll be returning to that often, but not as often to the full album.
Great listen, uplifting funk that tackles tough subjects.
So In Love is an incredible song. Everything else is kind of a miss, though. The vibes are great, but the singing drags it down, and I'm left wishing this was 30 minutes of So In Love.
Such a great 70s soul album. “So in love” is my favourite Curtis Mayfield song
A lovely sounding album that probably suffers in comparison to yesterday's generational masterpiece. The two are thematically really similar, but Curtis probably allows too much soulfulness to dull the righteous anger that his social commentary deserves. It's all a little too nice I think, although that doesn't stop it being a lovely listen.
Not something I’d listen to everyday, but it definitely has that chill, soulful feel with a message in every song. Listen again: maybe Purchase for my collection: if I found it in a yard sale or something Favourite Song:
Great album, great samples from this album, too.
Herrlich groovig.
Great r&b, very short Best songs Blue Monday people Hard Times
Noice soul
Que tostón de disco. De verdad. La batería machacona, la guitarra con guaga. Todo lo peor de los setenta, excepto que no es un disco de disco. Las letras, eso sí, bien.
Almost like it was produced *Today* and not in 1975. Sad truth about it. This album brings calm and a little bit of funk in a time where people couldn't find it. The past for some was incredibly difficult and not so bad for others. This artist took time to produce such an understanding album of that during the years it took place. The cover art depicts it real well, too. The album is so underrated and should be more appreciated for what it is.
Very different from what I think of Curtis typically but these are some really good songs I love this.4 this could probably pass as a 5 but I’m gonna say 4
I liked SuperFly a lot more.
This was excellent! I really liked the grooves.
A ton of musicality - tasty guitar playing in general. Notable tracks include when seasons change, so in love, love to the people.
Mjög gott grúv. Flæðir sjúklega vel. Coverið á plötunni er legendary.
Meira gott grúv.
Proper laid back vibe, not necessarily many standout tracks but they flow very well. Quite short but no filler. Still on the coach by the way.
I had never heard of Curtis Mayfield before, but I really like this album! It sounded like Prince if Prince didn't sound awful.
I like Curtis a lot. Billy Jack is classic , I think this album really gets going on the last 2 tracks Hard Times and Love to the People . His voice can be a bit monotonous always in falsetto , but the lyrics and musicianship always keep the bar high
Very funky. I've never been a fan of the falsetto, but Curtis makes it work--kind of a proto Prince feel. I could do without the Jesus song
Cool
Nice songs. Like his voice
Plus 5 more Stay!
A couple of good tracks but none of the sparkling brilliance of "Freddy's Dead".
funky and cool
Oldie but goodie.
Mayfield has a smooth style that is really disrupted by his falsetto.
Groovy, sexy, and like anything from the time better enjoyed with cocaine.
Excellent work!! Loved this album!
OMG. I now know who Prince listened to when he was a little boy. There were so many Princesque moments in Mayfield’s work it was undeniable his influence. Anyway, phenomenal album.
Smooth, brilliant voice. Big fan!
I wanted to like this, but it did not engage me like some Curtis Mayfield songs do.
3/5
Love how soulful the album resonates throughout the repertoire of tracks. Has that classic soul sound and I love Curtis Mayfield’s way expressed the message with some classy backing tracks.
Damn Curtis Mayfield had a SOUND. There are no major hits on this album. Never heard anything from it before. But, damn this is good. Standouts: Billy Jack, When Seasons Change, Jesus, So In Love, Rating: 3.75 / 5
I tried. Not my style. Did not finish. Sorry Curt.
Funky Soul!
Sounds like seven remixes of Superfly but I'm OK with that.
I really enjoyed this album! Amazing sounds and vibes with this one! I recognized the name Curtis Mayfield but was otherwise clueless. Adding this album to my regular rotation and looking forward to more!
A couple truly great tracks. Short and sweet. Not a lot of tonal variety. Man Hard Times is great though
I hoped that this would be better. I felt indifferent to it.
I'm not normally a fan of soul but this was top notch
Não é um álbum que eu ouviria todos os dias ou várias vezes, apesar de ter algumas músicas que tenha achado a vibe muito boa. Apesar disso, é ótimo.
A nice find
No not really my music. Especially when he starts to talk about god. That ruins everything.
slow
This is great soul through and through. It gets a little boring from lack of variation but it doesn't drag it down all that much in the big picture. Everythign feels well crafted, particular, and intentional. Favorites were Billy Jack and Hard Times
Consistently good throughout with solid grooves. Favorite songs are Billy Jack, Jesus, and Love to the People.
A nice jam- the Jesus funk was interesting.
Love Curtis’ voice and song writing, but none of the tracks on the album rank up there with his best in my opinion
💖 when seasons change 🗣️ 8️⃣
I did love it but there felt something missing that kept me from really getting into it
Funky groovy soulful - loved the production on this thing
Pretty groovy. I like it. 3.5
this album is amazing. cause their ain't no fun, bein' shot with a handgun.
6/10
This album is extremely tasteful, balanced, doesn't overindulge, the falsetto is amazing, the tempo is slow but driving, the horns are pleasant, the snare and toms are TIGHT. Great drumming. You can tell Prince was influenced by this album. Honestly super impressed. Great production, diverse themes, good lyricism, consistent concepts. Also its the perfect length. Solid 4.5/5 for me.
It was decent. Definitely not the right Album to listen to after a bad day on your way home .
Love Curtis Mayfield & his social awareness put to some amazing music.
All the falsetto loses my attention. Otherwise good.
Excellent.
Amazing voice but boring project
Smooooooth souuuuuuul. But a little toooooo smooooooth for me.
Perhaps the hottest funk I've ever heard for a while.
Funky! Not my favorite Curtis.
⭐️⭐️ not Marvin Gaye, but not bad
Great soul,great voice and greatguitar fills. Im sad it lasts so shortly. Great musicianship.
Sehr hohe Stimme, auf Dauer nervig. 2, 3 gute Funk Titel mit schönem BassRiff.
Funky and soulful, not quite the classic that is Superfly but superb Curtis Mayfield Album nonetheless.
Two awesome songs. So In Love and Blue Monday People. I love all the horns!!
Hadn’t heard this. Really loved it and seemed to vividly capture the world of when it was written. will return to it again.
Quite soulful.
Un buen rollo aunque no me encanta, mi favo Jesus, 3 alto
Nervige Stimme
Beautiful little album, funky and fun in some places, and deep in others. The album cover is very striking. Going to give more of Mr. Mayfield's work a listen.
Nice R&B - Sounds like it was recorded in the seventies :-)
I'd like to learn more about who this was and read the lyrics. Funky jams
A soulful rollercoaster of emotions, from the tragic "Billy Jack" to the triumphantly hopeful "Love To The People" Strongest song: So In Love Weakest song: none
Groovy
Pretty enjoyable, but nothing really stood out too much to me.
More of a vibe than anything
I chills out so quickly when listening to this album, absolutely love that feeling. Great discovery.
Bad music
What an album. 35 mins of pure smooth down tempo funk. Crispy highs and punchy lows. Sounds great, plenty of space.
Makes me want to expand my listening of his work. This is good but I bet he has other albums that should be on this list.
Voz bonita. Un poco rollo. Diabetes, accidente que le deja inválido ...
I love me some Curtis Mayfield and this album proves why. Love the feel and vibe, and the social commentary is a welcome inclusion.
I was surprised at how much I liked this album. 1. Billy Jack - nice funky beat. I enjoyed it. 2. When Seasons Change - Intro church bells - kinda cool. 3. So In Love - One minute instrumental intro. Slow, but engaging. 4. Jesus - cool song, even if I'm not "the target audience" 5. Blue Monday People - really liked this one 6. Hard times - 7. Love to the People - nice closing to the album
g r o o v y.
Swanky, funky. I enjoy it but it's not one I'd pick up again.
גרוב של נשמה
Very surprising soul rnb vibe. Tight af
Oh I LOVE this record. Absolute classic. Curtis Mayfield is probably the most underrated bandleader of the 70's as far as mainstream recognition goes. I may dance to "So in Love" at my wedding.
Summary: No track by track reactions today... this album just lulled me into a stupor. That isn't a bad thing. I just rode the vibe and it was pretty consistent throughout. I feel like this similar to Prince's style but more to my liking. Quick album. I could see myself putting it on very very infrequently as something chill.
This is a tough one for me. I can’t deny that I really enjoy the music on each track but not hung really stands out to me either. I could have this album on repeat a couple times before getting stale but I don’t know if the lyrics would ever stick for me.
Really loved this one. I wouldn't say any of the songs are particularly hooky, but the instrumentals are all great and the vocal takes are AWESOME. So smooth. And getting in and out in under 35 minutes doesn't hurt either. Listened to this one 4 times today!
Super chill music, unless you listen closely to the lyrics. Unfortunately still applicable today.
I want to really like it, but I don't. The music is fantastic, the voice isn't. 3.1.
Incroyablement smooth, sexy et groovy. “So in love”. Cette voix, c’est un peu Al Green ou Marvin Gaye mais en poussant le potar sexiness à 11. Mais comment peut-on chanter une chanson à la gloire de Jesus de cette façon? C’est moi ou il commence à faire chaud dans cette église.
Well, I don't think the funk scene is for me. I'm not a big fan of the drawn-out music, it almost makes me sweat with anticipation on where the "center" of the song is. And the "center" of Curtis's album is the actual story being told, where music is used as an accent to the song being played, like when the drummer lightly and quickly taps the tambourine to imitate walking, or the punctuation of the drums to mimic a gunshot. With all this being said, I know music like this is from before me, and was also a cornerstone, both to history and to developing the music we have today. I can see why someone's passed on grandpappy would be disappointed in my review, but this isn't America today.
Not my style of music. Annoying falsetto voice.
p354, 1975. 2 stars. Well done of its kind without being remotely memorable, and it hasn't aged well - 30 seconds in and you're immediately transported to a world of long hair, sideburns, purple flared trousers and platform shoes. On the plus side, it's short.
It’s funky. It’s groovy. I dig it. Though R&B is not quite my taste, I respect the art and passion that Curtis and his team put into the project.
It brings the funk.
OK, but just
Really enjoyed this record, its funky and spare and yet lyrically it holds a punch. It addresses the issues of the time much like Marvin Gaye's What's Going On. I like that it is a statement of the times but not in an angry way and yet it is impactful. Favorite Songs: When Seasons Change, So in Love, Blue Monday People, Hard Times.
Loved soaking in this slower, mellower and perhaps subtler version of Curtis Mayfield. The arrangements are beautiful, which isn't unusual for a Mayfield album, and his bitter songwriting juxtaposes the smooth mood in the best way possible. The social commentary fit the time, and unsurprisingly, fits right in almost fifty years later in 2024. Also, the drums on this record are ripe for sampling. Fav tracks: Billy Jack, So In Love, When Seasons Chance, Hard Times
Perhaps Mayfield's answer to What's Going On. I'm not used to hearing Curtis Mayfield in such a mellow mood. This new-to-me side is revealing greater shades of his artistic range and character. The performances, arrangements, and production are all incredibly intimate and close feeling. It feels like he's confiding in you a lot of the time. The songs occasionally meander a bit, but maybe that's part of the point. The social message and confiding mood come together in a really compelling and surprising way. I love getting introduced to unsung records like this through this project! Favourite tracks: Blue Monday People, Hard Times, So In Love, When Seasons Change An aside: I've only heard the Baby Huey version of the Mayfield-penned Hard Times. It was cool to hear this mellower interpretation.
Never listened to this before. Billy Jack captured me right away and drew me into the mood. Had only known him for things like Superfly, Pusherman. More mellow and sweet groove with some important statements Great groove for a cold Saturday
i'm not sure if there are any other curtis mayfield albums on this list but i wouldn't have put this on as the only one. a good album nonetheless but with none of the ear worms i usually associate with him. favourite song was 'so in love'
The soul-falsetto vocals almost seemed to be a parody of the genre. This album was unremarkable and a big "meh" for me. There's nothing here I'd want to hear again.
idk kinda boring. its just like funk jazz with him singing in falsetto. not sure what's really noteworthy about it so i'm assuming it has cultural/historical significance or something.
It was fine. Didn't really care for his voice on most of the tracks. The one track that stood out more than most was So In Love, but the rest were just kind of blah. Just not my jam.
so in love is good.
Soul
Fun little album. Just groovin out y’know? It’s stuff like this that I was looking forward to finding in this project. It’s just a nice gem. Not sure it’ll be something I put on often, but I’ll definitely check out Curtis Mayfield.
I really wanted to love Curtis Mayfield. The music is fantastic, the lyrics still timely today. The only problem is his voice. The high pitched voice is annoying after a couple of songs. Still a great musician though.
This isn't really the genre for me -- much of this music sounded the same to me.
Pretty groovy
Funky but very slow; not really my jam
Would work well with Busty
Curtis Mayfield is a fine musician. His songs remind me of a light Jazz album I was given a few years ago, a compilation of several artists called "Jazz for a Rainy Day." I'm not a big fan of this type of music, but sometimes it fits just right.
Started a little meh for me, but really enjoyed it over all. Think it is an album I would love more each time I listened.
Funky and easy to digest. Strong start and ending tracks, but it gets a little repetitive in the middle.
GROOVYYYYY — listened in the shower and started my day off just right. Lovely tunes. Especially a fan of the track “So In Love”. Went back to listen again after I finished the album and listening as I write this review. About to make some noodles and dive deeper into Curtis Mayfield. Love his instrumental — the brass especially
Not into this kind of falsetto, nor this kind of soulful funk. Will not listen again.
Pretty standard soul album. However, while calming, this kind of music just doesn't do much for me.
easy listening, bläsersätze und gitarre/orgel. Sicher einflussreich, nicht wirklich meins.
Sound gut. Singstimme / -tonlage teilweise unerträglich.
Nicht meine Musik, aber das sehr klare Intro des Liedes Billy Jack hat sein Reiz.
I liked this. Nice and funky but a relatively lightweight sound. I enjoyed his voice, very agile and nice in the higher registers. I’m in a 3 star rut! This is 3 stars like a bunch of the previous ones..
This was exactly what I needed on a sick day at work. Some chilled out grooves and ridiculously high singing. I am a big fan of chill funk music. The album kept it short and I was left wanting more. 4.5 stars
Best song is first track. Good listen but wouldn’t get me to listen to more. 3 stars isn’t a reflection of the talent/genre, just my interest
Pretty cool, but I don’t know enough jazz and blues for a proper impression.
Just a Album to hear it by the way
Great album. Great sound. Need to listen again to understand the lyrics. But perfect background music for a rainy day.
When I listened to the album yesterday, I was a bit disappointed. Outside of the killer opening track, it was less funky and more slow soul. But I relistened to it this morning, and really payed attention to the lyrics, and by god it’s fantastic
Cool, laid back, but at the end of the day, not that engaging for me personally.
1975 - Funk; Soul; R&B
This album is lovely. It's not what I was expecting exactly from Curtis Mayfield. It's much more sad soul than funk.
Like the beat/style, but not a fan of the vocals
I prefer Superfly.
Good chill out music, elegant songs, didn't find them catchy
Track 1: I really like this opener and sets the album up I think. Track 2: I like the vibe of this even though it’s a little slower. Track 3: I like the instrumentation and the ensemble just is amazing in this! Track 4: I really like the groove in this the drums are amazing. Track 5: pretty funky and I like the drums. Track 6: some cool wah riffs in here and the drums are just solid in this. Track 7: some fun sounds in this and I like the ensemble again! Overall: 9.3/10 I liked this a lot and it’s definitely the best so far! I really like the grooves and how steady the drums are!
I was only familiar with one song from this album. Fine album but no real standouts. Pretty mid throughout. Seems like an odd choice from his discography to include in this list.
It has great basslines and vocals, but it does feel a bit like a product of its time (production-wise). It is very groovy and laid back but with intense, sharp lyricism. Great horns arrangments (esp. on Billy Jack and So in Love). Obviously - there are touches of gospel throughout the record, too (i.e. Jesus - the spoken intro kind of sounds like a half-sung sermon or testimony), there are callbacks to the special place of gospel in Black American culture. My standout tracks are: So in Love, Hard Times.
Solid. Melancholy. Funk.
Curtis Mayfield always excelled at social commentary. From the mid-1960’s, his group The Impressions were very closely associated with the Civil Rights movement (songs like “Keep on Pushing” and “We’re a Winner” were fixtures at marches and protests, and then he wrote the timeless classic “People Get Ready”). Later, his solo career included such tracks as “We the People Who are Darker than Blue”, “Miss Black America” and of course the entire soundtrack for blaxploitation film “Super Fly”. By the time of his seventh album in 1975, the Watergate scandal had exposed a corrupt and selfish government and unemployment was rife. The masterful cover image of “There’s No Place Like America Today” lets listeners know exactly what they’re in for. Accordingly, this album is an introspective, somber recording - most of these tracks are soul ballads with a couple of more funky inflections - but it retains the lush arrangements I know from Mayfield’s other work. Strings and horns are bedded in comfortably alongside expansive ringing chords and chewy lead guitar, leaving plenty of headroom for that signature sweet falsetto vocal. Altogether, it perfectly represents a balance between sparse, bleak reality and a generous helping of hope. The slow-crawling opening, “Billy Jack”, gradually relates the story of a victim of gun violence over purposeful, minimal rhythm guitar (plenty of wah-wah!). “When Seasons Change” begins with a tolling bell, addressing the desperation in “scuffling times” above a subdued arrangement… until Mayfield encourages prayer to Jesus and horns swell up to buoy his words. And then comes “So In Love”, the lead single and biggest hit, a little at odds with the rest of the album. Outwardly positive, it sees Mayfield turning his attention to crafting a straight-ahead love song. And it’s absolutely beautiful: a guaranteed swooner. This delicate line between grim situations and gentle, irrepressible hope continues through the rest of the album: the gritty funk of “Hard Times” is a bridge between two anthems for the downtrodden in “Blue Monday People” and “We Are the People”. And then there’s what I’d call the album centrepiece, “Jesus”. Like many soul singers of his time, Mayfield learned his craft in gospel choirs: elements of gospel remained in his work throughout his career. “There’s No Place…” has gospel undertones all over it, but the clearest are in “Jesus”. After a spoken-word semi-sermon, the track blossoms into a simple hook with some wonderful embellishments: a blissful guitar solo, oceans of strings surging in towards the end, fantastic backing singers. If nothing else has made me a believer, this might. While “There’s No Place Like America Today” may not be on quite the same level as the other albums I’ve heard by Mayfield, it’s still often beautiful. Master of soul.
Pretty hit or miss. Not big on his voice but the instruments kind of make up for it. Idk, I really like the sound but no one song really seems to work.
I like the sound although most of the songs don’t quite get there for me. Also I’m honestly not into his vocal approach; there’s a ton of falsetto and it’s pretty thin and breathy. Overall kind of forgettable. Best song: When Seasons Change
Curtis is always a bit of a mixed bag to me
For a 35 minute album this feels like a very long listen. There is nothing bad here, in fact So In Love and Hard Times start off sounding really interesting. And that's the problem- tracks either start off sounding interesting, like So In Love, and just don't go anywhere with no progression or structural interest beyond the first few measures, or they start off sounding interesting, like Hard Times, and then are over really quickly. It's OK, but there is nothing that is fully satisfying. It feels like they have come up with a cool idea or riff and gone "right, lets keep doing this for 4 more minutes and call it done" - plus this album is solely responsible for the global wah-wah shortage of 1975.
quite a pleasant listen
Meh....
Not my style, but smoooth....
Love this one. Many stand-outs for me in this album. This is a 5/5 for me.
First time actually listening to a full soul album. It was enjoyable, but not a must-listen to me. I am going to rate this a 3 to keep as a baseline for other soul albums I get.
Réel
il a tout dit
01) Billy Jack - 7,5 02) When Seasons Change - 7,0 03) So in Love - 7,5 04) Jesus - 7,0 05) Blue Monday People - 7,5 06) Hard Times - 7,5 07) Love to the People - 7,5 TOTAL: 7,36 (74/100) There's nothing really wrong with this album, nice music, nice production, nice voice, nice songs but the final result is kind of... boring.
Great instrumentals but not my favorite Mayfield lyrics and vocals, personally 3.5
Gotta love Curtis Mayfield
Smooth Soul
Крутой джаз альбом Написано что Кертис сол музыкант, но надо бы разобраться чем соул отличается от джаза
Billy Jack- 3.8/5 When Seasons Change- 3.2/5 So in Love- 3.7/5 Jesus- 2.9/5 Blue Monday People- 3.5/5 Hard Times- 3.1/5 Love to the People- 3.7/5 Total- 3.4/5
Spoko, 4
Nice, smooth R&B. I like
Gute Arrangments, funky, mag aber die Fistelstimme nicht.
Nije los fankic
“Don’t you know, if you want a good life, best look into yourself.” “Look into your inner self, only you know how to be free.” Curtis is what I needed for my Wednesday yesterday. Probably what a person needs every day.
I double dog dig the vibes! There better be another Curtis Mayfield album coming down the line though - I’ve had him pick me up and spin me all around, but I had my feet tapping on the ground all the way through this one.
Boy I hated this
It was ok. Not even my favorite Mayfield album though.
I've somehow avoided listening to any Curtis Mayfield since I started recording my stats on Last.FM 11 years ago; it was much to my delight to discover him today. Billy Jack was a pleasantly funky way to start my Monday. The sweetness of So In Love made its way onto my playlist. Although not a genre I'd listen to every day, I give this a strong 3/5 and would be happy for another Mayfield record to appear in the list.
Groovin. Not QUITE as funky or danceable as the mayfield i’m used too, but still a class act.
Groovy Baby! 3.5 Stars
The sound of Mayfield with none of the heart or musicality from his other stuff I've heard. Very one-note, downtempo and meandering album where it all kind of blends together. Decent as background music but that's about it
Not his best work but an enjoyable album.
Ehhhhhhh
A vibe made rocket league fun
That wikipedia is bare bones. Never heard of this artist before. Nice wah wah funky sounds in Billy Jack. Overall enjoyable sound, but not breaking into favorite album territory, 3*. Need to dive more into funk and soul though. This led to Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, which was a great discovery.
Was a bit jazzy and depressing
great album, but I don't know how much I will revisit it.
I thought he sounded like Ronald Isley, but now I know who this is. A great laid-back sound of the time.
bruh
I really liked this! Perhaps it didn't feel particularly innovative or special, but it was nevertheless very good and my type of jam. Not much else to say actually! Weak 4
It was an ok album. I only really knew of "Move on up" before. I really love "Hard Times" when sung by Baby Huey, this just didn't have the same edge. I just prefer a bit more rhythm and blues to my funk. Still, some of the songs feels like being dipped in honey ("So in Love" takes the cake in this regard). A weak 3 from me.
Skönt album!
4 stjerner
2.5 stars Favourite songs: - So in Love
Me atrajo con la musica y me convinció con las letras
Pure 1970s sex music.
Dit is zulke mooie muziek weer. Het glijdt en het glibbert en de stem van Curtis is gewoon heel fijn. Ik kan me dan ook niet voorstellen dat er mensen zijn die niet van deze muziek houden? Maar goed, wederom een fantastisch jazzy soulish album. Move on up zal ook wel in de lijst staan, nu al zin daarin! Mijn grootste probleem met dit album? het is nogal kort...
Moins stylé que Move on Up mais quand meme cool
Did not know this singer, a really nice discovery!
Fun mix of jazz, blues, and r&b. Unfortunately felt like the second half of the album didn't keep up with the first half. Favorite songs - Billy Jack, So in Love.
4.5 exactly what i wanted to listen to right now, the only song i didn't add to my liked songs was the jesus one and that wasn't even because it was particularly worse than the others. big fan will listen again.
First time listening to this. It’s uniquely “of a time” while still feeling current. 3.8
I've tried numerous times over the years to listen to Curtis.. for the most part, Just not my thing.. that being said..I didn't hate this..I wouldn't be in a rush to hear it again, but it was worth the time
"So In Love" is the only Mayfield song I really know and it's one of the better on the album. Some of the others can be a bit sleepy. Can hear flavors of D'Angelo in places. Overall pretty good. Cover based on an actual photograph. 3.7
"There's No Place Like America" is the seventh album by American singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer Curtis Mayfield. Funk and R&B. The album was self-produced and recorded at Custom Studios in Chicago on the Custom label. Commercially, it hit #120 on the Billboard 200 and #13 on the Billboard R&B/hip hop chart. Bass strings, a wah-wah guitar and percussion begin the album's opener "Billy Jack." A slow groove as Curtis tells the story of small-time criminal Billy Jack who got murdered in his city. Horns add to drama. "When Seasons Change" highlight Curtis' wonderful tenor voice. Continuing the slow pace, he compares the season changes to his own life and the despair and changes within them. An overall gospel vibe in this song. The first single "So in Love" brightens things up with keys and horns. A simple love song. A great soulful feel. The wah-wah guitar is brought back in "Hard Times." Curtis is having hard times in his town but he does find a brother to hold him up. The album closes with a more uplifting song in "Love to the People." Horns are used again to bring up the positivity. A sax solo is the highlight. Curtis is not giving up. This is a slow-paced and souful album. Curtis' voice, both tenor and deeper bass, is the highlight. It's not quite as groundbreaking as or at the level of his debut or "Superfly," but the music does fit the stories and lyrics of songs of both despair and redemption. Listening to a Curtis Mayfield song is never a bad idea.
didn't really like the album, wasn't a bad album just wasn't for me.
The instrumentation across the album is fine, his voice is nice, et cetera--but I'm not convinced that the sprawl of most of these songs is warranted or even in service to them. I was tired of "Jesus" and "Billy Jack" before they were halfway over. Mayfield's tenor gets samey in the back half of the record. I don't want to belabor the point here, but at this point I can't wait for this site to generate Super Fly.
Quite short but very catchy! Loved it from the beginning to the end, even though I especially liked the first four songs. Would definitely listen to it again!
It's just a smidge above average. I liked it but wouldn't write home about it. 3.5/5
This was my jam. Isaac hayes sound plus marvin gaye songwriting made this a great listen that still holds up sonically and in what it was trying to say. There wasn't a standout track for me at least on the first listen but I have a feeling I'm going to listen to this quite a few more times. On second listen though, the fact that there weren’t many hits made it less enjoyable because I wish there was one song I could come back to rather than the whole album. Makes me wonder how many albums I’ve given 5s just because there was one awesome song and the rest was just alright.
1. Billy Jack - Love the congas & brass. Poor old Billy, eh? 2. When Seasons Change - Beautiful grief-soaked vocal. Crazy fx on guitar & keys! Didn't spoil the vibe, but parks it squarely in the 70s! Great line: " ... if you want a good life, best look into yourself..." 3. So in Love - The language (words like devotion, testify, faith) denotes Mayfield's Gospel roots, but applied to romantic love here rather than the guy in the next song. I like that he chooses to describe that intensity of feeling for his partner with the vocabulary of divinity. 4. Jesus - "Look into your inner self - only you know how to be free" It's rare to find such plain speaking about the inner devotional life in popular music. Mayfield doesn't shy away from it, neither does he shirk social commentary. Like so many in the Gospel tradition, it seems he needed the one to deal with the other. 5. Blue Monday People "But when cupboards are bare, our love we can share" another slow call for social solidarity. Could have been shagging music, were the lyrics not so interesting. 6. Hard Times. A lot of unsaid feeling about local racism in this one. "Hmmm...". Lovely wailing guitar (as on most of these tracks). 7. Love to the People. Really dig this one - reminds me of trip-hop vibes and sums up the album's message for me. Great sax solo. Dr. Cornel West is always bigging up Curtis Mayfield - his debut album, "Curtis" has "Move On Up" which is more popular (I think). Nice to hear this one. The line from track 5 "They know this money don't feed us" juxtaposes my sense of this album as food for the soul. Addressing the elephant in the room - I'm frankly amazed that I don't find his falsetto ridiculous - somehow the genuine feeling comes through it - it has a unique, intense quality - it's not what I'm used to, but I guess it's no more strange than other intensity-modified vocal styles like screamo, death-metal growling or punk shouting, only I can understand most of Mayfield's lyrics here.
I've never heard of this album before, never heard the title, or seen the cover, so I was really excited to listen to something new-to-me... I liked it! Having listened to it once I couldn't really tell you any of the songs on it off the top of my head so I think this is going to be one to come back to. But this is more the sort of thing I was hoping to hear from doing this 1001 albums thing.
I enjoyed this. I used it as work-background sound, and had a dehumidifier running, so didn't really give the lyrical content the attention it surely deserved. I wasn't familiar with this album, but will endeavour to re-listen to it. I achieved many annoying work-tasks which have been bugging me for a week or so, whilst listening to this, and am happy.
Beautifully soulful album with hard hitting messages within. If you liked this be sure to check out Curtis/LIVE! album as well.
Like the warm contentment of being inside on a rainy day
Buttery-smooth funk stuff. The falsetto wore on me after a while, but this is s really good album.
Good stuff but not really in my wheelhouse.
Honestly a bit disappointed by this one, I like Curtis Mayfield and there were some great grooves but a lot of it felt the same and didn't really excite my funky soul if you know what I mean.
I thought it was ok
Album 238 of 1001 Curtis Mayfield - There's No Place Like America Today Rating : 4 / 5 Nice album. Poignant. Certainly worth another listen.
Second album on this list made recorded by Curtis Mayfield. The first one was much more memorable, with some interesting beats and flows, even though I haven't seen the movie (Superfly). This one seems to be more standard rnb album, with that irritating vocal that I identify with Redbone by Childish Gambino. It's very hard for me to concentrate on anything else with that style of singing, and that's why I won't be able to appreciate this album. Not my kind of jam.
Yea, R&B needs to be really good for me to really like it and I just didn’t think this was really good. Lyrics were subpar, the music was funky enough but overall this was forgettable. 2 stars
A blind spot in my Curtis Mayfield listening. Funky and buttery smooth as ever.
Like the swing!
Love it!
This album is great but I hope superflu gets a little love later on the list
Curtis Mayfield really deserves all the praise he gets. This dude is awesome. Does more with 7 tunes here than most can with 20.
Haven't had a Funk LP here in a while so I enjoyed this one. Listened too lightly to take in all the lyrical subtext, but the instrumentals were good enough to keep me cruising through the entire (surprisingly short) album. This one didn't reinvent the wheel or blow me away in any respect, but sometimes you just need a good groove and the sense of where to take it to make a good album.
very jazzy, soul-r&b mix, a bop-your-head record while chilling with your friends, sounds like the exact shade of yellow-gold-green an old lamp shade has, an early autumn record, fun guitar solos
chillig:) chli choche debii oder male, noice🙈
music wise well done but not my vibe
Oh my, where have my clothes gone? Boing
3.2/5 Smooth but melancholy. Pretty good album. Even if it's a little monotone at times.
Smooth and funky. It's very of its time and honestly should probably stay in it's time.
Not my temple.
I love the overall sound of the album but none of the individual songs really stand out for me.
This is the first Curtis Mayfield album I’ve ever listened. I generally liked and thought it was a consistently good album with a couple of songs I liked more. Still, overall, it didn’t blow me away on a personal level, which doesn’t detract from the album itself - I’m not super familiar with the genre, so I don’t have a good knowledge basis for comparison.
Tiene una voz que normalmente me molestaría mucho, pero por lo que sea... me gusta... Favoritas: When Seasons Change, So in Love, Jesus, Blue Monday People
Soulful and tight. Nice short album that has a lot to say in the most beautiful way.
Now This Guy Fucks. 6/10
The vocalist sounds like someone is standing on his windpipe or smashed in his balls with a 9-iron. The music just isn’t interesting. It’s not ear screeching awful, it’s just bland and boring like eating white rice at retirement home. 3/10
Ain't no kind of soul like Curtis Mayfield soul. Just a great listen with funky music playing and great vibes on the entire album. Curtis Mayfield is a legend but I wouldn't say this is his best work and there are probably better albums by him and others in this space and genre. At the end of the day I still listen to this music and him in particular so It's pretty high up there for me. 8/10
This guy sings like when you’re a kid and you want to scream inside but you have to use your inside voice. It’s funky, it’s soulful, but it’s also just not different enough from other albums in the genre. The lyrics are meaningful so if that is something your into there’s that but the rest of it is just kind of boring and generic. At first I thought his voice was alright maybe even kind of nice. After a few songs I just found it annoying and it made my throat itchy listening to him sound like he was letting out a death rattle for 5 minutes. If I wanna listen to love makin’ music I’d rather listen to Marvin Gaye. 4/10
Muzikaal heel nice, erg fan van de lead gitaar. Stem moet je een beetje van houden, maar vind ik wel leuk. So in Love en Hard Times zijn het leukst Would buy
Dit album heeft me erge winter/kerst vibes, top2000 sfeer, weetjewel, buiten sneeuw en binnen gezellig lampjes aan met een warme chocomelk, heel cozy. Vind “So in Love” een leuk nummer, erg ✨romantisch✨. Verder goede nummers! Maar soms beetje langzaam misschien voor mij, maar zoals ik dus al zei voor een winteravond op de achtergrond wel echt heerlijk. Curtis Mayfield heeft ook echt een bizar goede stem en love de instrumentals.
du chill comme il faut, de la bonne musique, du bonheur
Helt okay. Fine låter, men hadde man hørt en hadde man hørt alle. Ikke helt for meg.
Some really nice rhythms and bass lines here but the strong religious and R&B vibes ain't my favorite. Easy listen, though.
"Billy Jack"
Super groovy
Yeah, There's No Place Like America Today is not a good album at all even though it was dealt some decent cards. The instruments used were okay but the composition was so poor that it made the songs feel incredibly disorganized. Curtis's voice would be okay if it were used with better compositions but it was not. Some of the songs also went on for too long so that didn't help the matter either. This is a bad album no doubt but look on the bright side, there is nowhere to go but up from here (unless i get another bad album) Best Song: Love to the People Worst Song: Jesus
The funky soulful sorta music you'd hear at your grandma's house or your favorite coffee shop. It speaks volumes how the themes illustrated in the music and album cover remain so relevant today
This album is a great piece about the struggles of poverty and the falsehoods of the 'American Dream'. It delivers a smooth, soulful sound but falls short in that the melody can feel monotonous at times. 'There is No Place Like America Today' is an album with an impactful message that is beautifully crafted, but is nothing that stands out to be anything iconic or super memorable in my opinion.
Another great album cover. I expected funky and was not disappointed.
Pretty fun but the falsetto singing got tiring near the end of the album
Beautiful soul album
Enjoyed it a lot what a vibe. It's short and sweet
Some good
very chill. i like!
A little too slow for my liking
так собі
I don't think I've heard anything from this album before. Early 1970's is Curtis' prime, so I'm excited. The album was a solid listen. There wasn't a song that really stood out on this album. All of the horns sounded really good, you can tell D'Angelo was influenced by them.
Didn't expect to be so bored by this
Smooth and cool. Very easy album to listen to.
Maybe this album is significant for the message, but I was not a fan of Curtis' vocals.
Prachtig album, heerlijk soulful op de brakke zondag Maakt mijn dag goed
Weergaloos album, kende kurtis mayfield nog niet zo goed maar holyshit. Vooral het eerste nummer “Billy Jack” Ik ben fan!
7/10 slay not usually my style but its good on a nice long walk
Deliciously funky with some cool groovy slap bass intertwined throughout
Ultra Gut, würde 4 Sterne geben
I can appreciate the playing, themes, lyrics, and singing on this album but I don’t think it’s something I’d ever revisit. It’s a very low key funk that just didn’t resonate with me very much. I thought a few of the tracks were decent, but nothing was good enough to really stand out for me.
Good stuff. Mayfield was the man.
Meh. Boring. Slow.
Que portada hermano. Disco superlativo.
Some decent songs, like hard times. And the music was good if simple, a product of its time I suppose. He's sort of the selecta of his time, but each could learn from the other, selecta need to give the music equal billing, and Mr Mayfield could learn to give his voice some oomph. His voice is just sooooo weak, watery and above all whiney. It was pissing me off from half way through the first song, it's a wonder I actually like any of it. It's only the music that has just scraped it up to barely a 2.
Really enjoyed a little bit of groovy business on a wet Thursday afternoon! ‘Hard Times’ was the standout track for me. The tracks that were funkiest and had the most wah-wah action were the best. When I play it again (and I will) I’ll probably skip a few tracks in search of the magic.
After the first song, which I liked, I had high hopes for this, but it just plodded along. And didn't go anywhere in particular. Shame as he does have a nice voice and don't mind some of his stuff. Surely the albums 'Curtis' or 'Superfly' would have been better choices? Just a 1 for this. Sorry Curtis and I hope the lighting engineer is still feeling guilty.
schmoooooove the vocals get a bit old by the end Cool instrumentals though My first introduction to Curtis Mayfield was on the Bran Van track Astounded... also a great track!
The Curtis Mayfield album was a solid first recommendation from this list. The opening song had a great baseline, and several songs were good representations of '70s funk. Great use of wah pedals on the guitars. I really enjoyed the album, and I think several songs could be mixed in to regular play, especially for parties.
Awesome album, very funky. Would play in cocktail bars, at the start of a party, during dinner with friends.
If I listened to it more maybe 4 stars.
Halloween
Honestly the voice really irked me to a point where it tainted my whole view of the album and was hard to listen to. It wasn’t terrible and other than the voice it was alright, but that was a big part.
So many great Curtis Mayfield tunes but "Billy Jack" is my favourite. Any/everything else that follows is just smooth gravy. Overall I'm a little more preferential towards "Superfly" as this one brings it all down a bit more than I like for the long haul - would have liked a bit more funk/groove/slightly uptempo. It's a bit of nitpicking though, as it's a very nice album with Curtis' classic falsetto carrying through catchy melodic tunes, even if a bit too laid back. Best tracks: "Billy Jack" (put it on repeat) and "Love to the People" 7/10 4 stars.
Really good soul
Fantastic album. Would listen to again
Good album
Naaa Fav: When Seasons Change
Certainly recognized the voice, though I've never heard of the album. Powerful album cover.
So in love is brilliant. It has a lot of potential but needs some more listens.
star rating suck
Starts off strong! Quickly slows down and doesn’t really pick back up? “Jesus” is a little on the nose but not unexpected. Has a Marvin type feel to it. Conscious soul. His version of Hard Times (original?) is a different take and makes times feel much harder than Baby Huey does
Really great vibes, but also forgettable
Not a style I particularly enjoy, but I didn't mind it.
Very forgettable.
Curtis be fuckin fr
Super high voice and slow songs kill the mood after a few songs
First track is great! Then mostly the same throughout the rest of the album. And too many references to Jesus.
Great album, not much upbeat