There's No Place Like America Today

Oh man, it has been too long since I got to listen to a Curtis Mayfield album for this project! I got Superfly SUPER early on in the project, and I really loved it! I did give it a 5 after all. But can I say the same about Mayfield's 1975 album There's No Place Like America Today? Not quite, but I still enjoyed this album a lot. Curtis Mayfield's voice is just as great as it was on Superfly. The lyrical themes on this album have more of a political lean, so that's cool. The music of this album is stellar! The bass at the start of "Billy Jack" makes for an excellent start to the album. The rest of the song is pretty cool too. Other songs like "When Seasons Change" and "Hard Times" are nice as well. My favorite song on the album is probably "So In Love." It might not be as political as the rest of the album, but it makes up for it by being a delightful love song. I do think that "Jesus" is trying a little too hard though. Like, it's trying too hard with the religious tones and the song doesn't have as much of an emotional appeal to me as other faith-focused songs like, say, George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" do. Other than that, I though that this album was a great time. It may not be as good as Superfly, but there aren't a ton of albums that are, so I'm still okay with an album as great as this. Strong 4/5.

Second fiddle to ‘What’s Going On’

Fave: So in Love

6.9

I understand the social message of the album, but I feel that Curtis had better albums than this one.

There's No Place Like America Today hit hard. 1975, three years after Superfly, and it feels like the album Mayfield wanted to write as a person rather than the more commercial previous one. This isn't your feel-good soul record, and that feels right to me for the subject matter. It's subdued funk, stripped back and deliberate. Hard Times was my obvious highlight, and it takes a lot for me to have space for a religious song What makes it work is the restraint. Mayfield could have gone big, but he went deep and slow instead. IMO, that works. The cover is unsubtle in the same way as the general vibe. On looking, t’s a 1937 photo of Black flood victims. Some tracks drag slightly in the middle, but I enjoyed the album and admired the message and the lack of padding.Again, so real it doesn’t have to tell you that, and relatedly a fascinating slice of history that works as oral telling as much as musically.

Chef singing to Kathie Lee Gifford, man I should start watching South Park again. 3/5

This was nice slow and chill. But at the same time pretty unremarkable.

Nice and bitesized. A bit zealous but a pleasant listen - didn't pull up many trees

Classic. Always love hearing Curtis.

Very cool jazz and funky R&B. Great stuff.

echt teveel van deze albums zijn christelijk.. nice voor achtergrond? ik vond he tniet slecht

ik voelde de soul niet in deze soul

Not my usual genre, soul with a little funk, but pleasant to listen to, and the themes still hit hard today. 3/5

Never heard this Curtis Mayfield album. No surprise. It was great.

pleasant soul/funk, no bangers

First, let's take a look at the album cover. It's a slightly altered real photo (https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc83b1151c768df66/698846423c163978fa456cd4/01_1239_bw_917.jpg) from 1937, showing a line of poor black people suffering from a devastating flood standing for food contrasted with a billboard featuring a happy white family. No further comment is needed; you'd expect to hear angry protest music here. However, it's not angry or protest; on the contrary, it's a rather good-natured soul, where Curtis Mayfield, with his soft falsetto, raises pressing social issues in the US in the 1970s (and more), but does so in a good-natured and even somewhat weary manner, not demanding bloodshed or revolution, but merely presenting reality. And all would be well, the music is pleasantly played and mixed, but it sounds so monotonous that listening to it feels like floating in some kind of viscous gel: the songs have similar slow tempos, the mood is melancholic, even gloomy at times. So, not my thing.

Curtis Mayfield’s voice on this one is a total love or hate thing, it’s definitely not the flashy, cinematic soul of Superfly... It’s way more stripped back and mellow. You’ve got these tight, moody basslines and a super laid back vibe that makes for a really powerful, socially conscious listen if you’re in the right headspace. Tracks like "Hard Times" and "So In Love" are just pure class. That said, it’s a slow burn, and if you’re looking for high-energy funk, you’re not gonna find it here. The tempos stay pretty low-key throughout, and things like "Jesus" are definitely a bit niche. You really have to be in the mood to just sit with it, otherwise it can feel a bit like it’s just drifting along.

This is some soulful, sexy and sometimes serious stuff. And I dig it.

This whole band is just in the groove the whole time. Not singing or playing the music but feeling it. So in Love was prob my fave. Turn it on and see if the wife gets the hint 😉 3.5

The Gentle Genius. Good stuff. 3.75/5

All'inizio dell'ascolto pensavo che avrei dato 4 stelle. Ne dò 3 perché è un disco che non si evolve nè esplora, ma rimane fermo e statico. Sia gli arrangiamenti sia voce rimangono gli stessi durante tutto l'album. Gli arrangiamenti sono molto particolari, essenziali e poco ambiziosi. Per quanto riguarda la voce, mi sarebbe piaciuto sentire oltre il falsetto tirato, quasi sospirato, che prevale nel disco, anche delle parti di voce piena e calda che non ho trovato (la voce piena si trova solo in 'Hard Times' ma con scarso successo). La mia preferita è 'When Seasons Change'.

Sexy

It was an ok soul record. Nothing really stuck out, but it wasn't bad either.

Solid funk and grooves.

voz imaculada!

New to me and I love it

Any Curtis Mayfield is good Curtis Mayfield, although I would have loved Curtis to be on the list as well. But yeah, great album as always. Chill, a little funky, full of soul. I especially like the songs Billy Jack and Hard Times.

Solid old-school r&b

Enjoyed it. Curtis Mayfield just has that classic sound and voice that never gets old.

So in love is a beautiful song

good shit

Billy Jack's a great tune but otherwise this is not in my top three Curtis Mayfield albums. Curtis, Live and Superfly all deserve to be on this list but this album does not.

Although I can see and hear many reasons why this album didn't necessarily resonate--or even sit comfortably--with mainstream white America when it was released, I'm really glad "There's No Place Like America Today" made it into the collection. It's fun to hear something else form Curtis Mayfield besides his iconic "Superfly" soundtrack, and I really enjoy his dedication to funk in the disco era; plus of course his sobering social commentary, down to the bitter album cover. Nearly every track is solid or better, and my favorites were the opener "Billy Jack", "Jesus", "Hard times" and the closer "Love to the people". I have no idea why this particular album was chosen among his many many solo albums (and neither the Wikipedia nor "1001 Albums" entries shed much light on this), but it certainly makes me more interested in listening to more of Mayfield's solo work, especially if more of them have this album's excellent studio/backing band.

laid-back groove that's not quite as appealing as his Superfly album

Such an interesting tone, but this specific Curtis album kind of sounds slow & same-y across the board.

Classic soul with a message that still rattles walls

I enjoyed it. Good vibes.

Critical and necessary. My favorite song from this album is: ˝So in love˝ My rating for this album is: 2:90

Curtis Mayfield is one of those names I know just in passing so this was cool to listen to across a weekend, his style for me hovers somewhere between meh and middling

I was excited because I love funk, but something about this was too boring and too relaxed and the voice didn't do it for me

I find it hard to review this, in large part because I don't feel familiar enough with soul to be able to distinguish between different kinds and levels of good. I could give this anything between 3 and 5, and I feel as if my rating might well increase as I come back and listen to it again (which I definitely will). But it felt like a consistently good, even great album: definitely something I'll come back to. Elegant, poignant, coherent without being samey. I really appreciated it, but I don't yet feel competent to judge whether what I heard was a masterpiece or just a very good album.

dark

I just was not feeling this album at all. I know I’ve had another Curtis Mayfield album as part of this project, and I think that was enough. I couldn’t get behind his high-pitched and breathy singing. It was so distracting that I don’t even remember anything else about the album. Nothing about this is a critique of the themes, I just couldn’t stand the sound.

i almost didn’t listen to this album ‘cause i had to bring amani to the ER (total nothingburger, just gave us antibiotics and we went home). but im glad i listened to this album. first 5 star i think, i liked the R&B in all of the songs. added the entire album to my library, we’ll see which songs stay

Fun! “So in Love” and “Love to the People” are solid 70s soul-funk, of course. There are some clichés, too, I’m afraid (e.g., “Jesus”).

I like Curtis Mayfield, but not this album

I thought this was a banger

I was so disappointed by this. I expected better from Curtis Mayfield. The album cover alone is enough to give you a clue that the record is more whiny than it should be. Curtis got so caught up in making political and social comments that he forgot the point of music: to entertain.

Somewhat out of my wheelhouse, but kind of feel like I should listen to R&B / soul / funk more often? Reminds me of the kind of music I'd listen to growing up on oldies. Standouts: - This cover art. - So in Love - such a smooth vibe - Jesus - kind of want to look closer at the lyrics - Hard Times - Love to the People

6.5/10 fun music. Some good lyrics in there

Quand en 1975 l’ex-leader des Impressions et génie de la soul de Chicago décide de balancer son album, on ne pouvait que s’attendre à ce que la foudre frappe à nouveau. Sorti trois piges après le raz-de-marée cinématographique et sonique Superfly, There’s No Place Like America Today est arrivé avec toutes les attentes. Pourtant, disons les choses clairement : quand Superfly a le barreau, cela donne There's No Place. Une sorte de réponse décalée au monumental What's Going On de Marvin Gaye, un disque qui, sous ses faux airs de manifeste politique et de constat social au vitriol, transpire surtout le sexe et la luxure. On se croirait presque face aux obsessions charnelles du Big Chief de South Park, les yeux exorbités et le slip en surchauffe, prêt à tout transformer en sérénade de fond de caleçon. Mais sur la longueur, la sauce prend-elle vraiment ? Pas totalement. Ce septième effort solo de Mayfield est un objet étrange, bancal par moments, qui m'a laissé sur ma faim et qui ne décroche chez moi qu’un très sage 3 sur 5, la moyenne syndicale pour un artiste dont on attend systématiquement l'extase. La pochette, pourtant, annonce la couleur d'un cynisme absolu. En reprenant la photo historique de Margaret Bourke-White montrant des réfugiés afro-américains attendant de la nourriture sous une affiche publicitaire ironique (« There's No Way Like the American Way »), Curtis Mayfield semble vouloir planter un poignard dans le dos de l'Oncle Sam. On s'attend à un disque de révolte, un pavé dans la mare des illusions post-Watergate et de la récession économique du milieu des années 70. Mais dès qu'on appuie sur la touche PLAY, le constat politique se fait vite déborder par une tout autre énergie, bien plus charnelle et perverse. L'engagement politique est là, certes, mais il est comme filtré à travers des draps de satin froissés et des lumières tamisées qui invitent moins à la révolution populaire qu'à des galipettes illégitimes. Curtis ne hurle pas sa rage sur les barricades : il susurre ses doutes à l'oreille, un verre de bourbon dans une main et la main baladeuse de l'autre. C'est cette tension permanente entre le sermon moraliste et la tentation de la chair qui domine tout l'album, le transformant en un drôle de champ de bataille où la sueur du désir prend systématiquement le pas sur les slogans politiques. Sur le plan strictement musical, l'album ne fait pas dans l'esbroufe orchestrale ni dans les cuivres flamboyants d'antan. Ici, Curtis dépouille son propos, ralentit le tempo jusqu'à l'extrême et privilégie une approche minimaliste, presque fantomatique. C’est du funk au ralenti, de la soul qui s'étire en longueur avec des lignes de basse lourdes, répétitives, et une guitare wah-wah qui pleure plus qu'elle ne tranche. Ce refus délibéré du tube immédiat ou de l'hymne fédérateur donne au disque une atmosphère poisseuse, mais qui finit par tourner un peu en rond. Les morceaux s'enchaînent dans une torpeur étrange où le falsetto légendaire de Curtis, d'ordinaire si vibrant et porteur d'espoir, semble ici flotter au-dessus d'une messe noire hédoniste. Tout est lent, étouffé, confinant parfois à une paresse rythmique qui empêche l'album de véritablement décoller. En poussant cette logique de la retenue jusqu’à l’excès, Curtis Mayfield finit par enfermer l’auditeur dans un huis clos sonore. Et là où d'autres galettes du bonhomme savaient faire cohabiter l'urgence de la rue et la souplesse d'un groove imparable, nous sommes ici englué dans un sirop narcotique un poil indigeste. On cherche en vain l'étincelle qui viendrait embraser cette mécanique trop huilée, ce moment de bascule où le discours social cesserait de faire banquette pour véritablement mordre. Au lieu de ça, on a l'impression d'assister à un long monologue chuchoté au fond d'un club enfumé où les clients pensent davantage à finir la nuit accompagnés qu'à refaire le monde. Cette nonchalance permanente, si elle installe une ambiance moite incontestable, finit par user la patience : à force de refuser l'explosion et de brider les montées de sève, Curtis désamorce lui-même la charge subversive qu'il prétendait injecter dans ses pistes. Le problème quand on s'appelle Curtis Mayfield et qu'on a déjà gravé des sommets de la musique noire américaine dans le marbre, c'est que la complaisance ne pardonne pas. Face à la perfection narrative d'un Superfly ou à la grâce aérienne de ses grandes envolées chez les Impressions, cette cuvée 1975 fait pâle figure et sonne un peu comme une redite en demi-teinte. L'album reste néanmoins une curiosité fascinante pour quiconque s'intéresse aux errances sonores du maître, mais il lui manque ce petit quelque chose qui transforme un simple disque d'ambiance en véritable déflagration intemporelle. À l’arrivée, ce There's No Place Like America Today n'est évidemment pas une bouse infâme — le talent de compositeur et d'arrangeur de Curtis Mayfield empêche tout naufrage intégral —, mais il n'a tout simplement pas réussi à me faire monter au rideau. Trop engourdi par ses propres fantasmes, trop tiraillé entre la gravité de son sujet et ses pulsions lubriques de soulman en rut, le disque flotte dans un entre-deux qui frustre autant qu'il intrigue. On est très loin de la clarté incisive de Roots ou du souffle visionnaire de ses premiers chefs-d'œuvre solo. Au final, c’est un disque qui s'écoute d'une oreille distraite un soir de déprime ou lors d'un rencard qui s'éternise sans jamais conclure.

Sorry but that was actively annoying to listen to. Nothing redeemable for me.

loved this.

Nice fat bass lines, groovy guitar. Not so into the gospel stuff but it sounded nice I guess. 5/10

Pretty Funky

I ultimately find this kind of soul a bit too slow and repetitive, though I respect the talent.

Spare and soulful. I can dig it.

Laid back, soulful, and cohesive. A lot of sound that go "wah." the singer using a lot of falsetto is an interesting characteristic. A little too lethargic for my tastes, but I dig it. Some interesting contemplative lyrics as well.

Very glad to see this one pop up! Chicago's own, Curtis Mayfield. Not the album I would have predicted, though -- maybe Superfly, or his 1st solo album (with the great "Move On Up"), or his early work with The Impressions. But something to be said for hearing an entirely new (to me) album by Curtis Mayfield. An album is like a tiny time capsule, and this album is vintage 1975 - and also a good rebuttal, if I ever start my "music in the mid-70s kinda sucked" rant. Also of note to our family, in particular: the cover photo is often misinterpreted/misappropriated as an image of The Great Depression, but Wikipedia reminds us that it was actually 1 of a series of black-and-white photos by photojournalist Margaret Bourke-White, sent by Life magazine to document the 1937 Louisville flood, which was a major event in the history of Louisville. I remember my maternal grandparents telling me in great detail about living through the flood, and more specifically its aftermath (they were a couple, in 1937, but not yet married). Anyway, back to the music, and rating it. None of these songs were familiar to me. But the sound, and especially Curtis Mayfield's falsetto, are very familiar (almost a little too familiar: there were a few points where I started to get the feeling that he was repeating -- musically and/or lyrically -- bits and pieces of things I'd heard in work that predates this album). But, really, that was just a passing (and very minor) suspicion, and this is excellent work, and I give it a solid 4 stars. I do have to say that, after a couple of times through, none of the songs particularly stood out -- but, again, they were excellent throughout. Didn't recognize any of the names of the other personnel on this album, except for guitarist Phil Upchurch, who worked with EVERYBODY (check out his Wikipedia page, if you doubt me).

Not as fun as Superfly, obviously. This is more of a reflective, hypnotic, soulful dirge. I enjoyed the tight, patient rhythm section. The first track "Billy Jack" was probably my favorite - sooo groovy. That's a mournful groove Fantastic album art. I can't imagine a more powerful message than that.

yea so I love soul what about it?? As many other reviews say, maybe a bit too much of the jesus but in general, love

Decent music, can't really do the voice. Guess I found Prince's inspiration

Good within its genre, but drags a bit after a while.

Quite layed back easy listening, but after a whole album I did get bored of the tone.

This is a perfectly fine bit of R&B that is nice enough to listen to, but also generally just isn't entirely my thing. Did I think it was good? Sure. Is this something I'd listen to again? Not likely. Not my genre of choice. Also, damn what a fucking album cover.

The bassline is some of the hottest I've ever heard

groovy and concious

So many good horns. So in Love and Love to the People especially. This is a second go rounder for me so I already knew I loved it.

This was cool Perfect music for a sunny afternoon in the garden. Or anytime really, it's ace

Very, too easy listening.

So smooth and funky and socially conscious. And vocals are superb.

Not a fan of the sermon

An incredibly smooth and cool album, soothing Melodie’s Curtis has a great and unique voice.

Funky and soulful with a lot of religious themes (doesn’t get more obvious than “Jesus”. His falsetto voice does start to grate on me a bit. Last song, “Love to the People” is the best track. Listening to this felt like I was watching a documentary about the 1970s. A real period piece. Some stuff to like, and cool music, but other than as a soundtrack or maybe some background music in a cocktail lounge, I don’t love it.

So smooth. Love it.

Has groove and heart

Not bad. needs more listens for me. 3/5

Curtis Mayfield - There's No Place Like America Today Jeg sliter litt med stemmen hans, jeg. Det skal man jo ikke gjøre. Man skal jo like Curtis Mayfield, liksom. Jeg trur jeg gjør det litt, men kanskje ikke like som han helt garantert fortjener. Alt annet her; bandet, låtene, ikke minst tekstene, er dritbra, da. Men den falsetten... Er det bare jeg som blir litt sliten av den? 7,5/10

Meir sparsomeleg i rammeverket og litt mindre funky enn det eg er van med frå denne typen. Hadde ikkje høyrt denne før, og ser eg har ei lita røys med plater å sjekka ut før og etter. Dette var skikkeleg fint!

Et album å vandre i byen til, men antagelig passer et mørklagt Detroit bedre enn norske forstader. Curtis og kompani har valgt seg ett tempo og endrer ikke noe på det. Blottet for pop-frierier og godt lent bakover på foregående album fra herremannen. Dette når aldri ekstatiske høyder, og jeg vet ikke hvor dype tanker jeg kan klare å få til med tekstlinjer som can’t be no fun / shot with a hand gun Alt etter dagsformen svirrer dette mellom tre og fire, men den institusjonaliserte rasismen gir det en treer i dag.

Så sløyt og deilig. Knallfine arrangement! Deilig med eit band som held så grader tilbake. Deilig og naudsynt kontrast til den ganske insistarende falsetten, som eg riktignok diggar.

Overtakelse! Ikke helt min kopp te. Til noen runder her på morgenen, men sovnet litt også. Liker at den er ganske så bakpå og sløy, men vokalen er litt too much for meg. Ikke helt krise, men noe mer enn to kan det ikke bli

Flott plate jeg ikke en gang har hørt om før. Kjenner Curtis og Superfly, og så stopper det der. Plater med så store hits at det har blitt litt vrient å få den helt store albumfølelsen. En vil jo bare høre hiten en gang til. Dette er noe annet, som bidrar til jevn og god flyt. Samtidig er jo Hard Times egentlig en sånn låt. En gigant når Baby Huey synger den.

Curtis Mayfield - There Is No Place Like America Today Tilbakelent, seig og funky soulmusikk der Curtis ligg og flyt med den nydelege falsettoen sin nesten frå begynnelse til slutt. Bodskapet er ofte svært politisk (om rasisme), religiøst (om gud) og romantisk (om å forelske seg). Ved første lytt var det mykje av dette som blei liggande mens dagen min seig forbi, men allereie på andre lytt hadde den opna seg ein del. Og no, når den går for tredje gong, tenker eg at livet blir litt betre no som eg kjenner denne. 8/10

Elegant, cool, insightful.

Not the best from him but still a good album

Brilliant album. Absolute wonderful instrumentation and Curtis’ voice is just magical. Each song was so soulful.

I love psychedelic music especially when it's blended with other styles. Top track: Hard Times

Felt warm and comforting. A really introspective album, with a calming grooviness.

Solid soul album.

First listen; 3.5; This is an album I want to come back and give more listens to. I really enjoy the sound and production of the music, and the vocals are really enjoyable with the music. It feels light and airy enough while still being punchy, smooth, and interspersed with fun riffs and runs. Feels like there's a lot of happiness under the surface of the songs that's restrained but then allowed to bubble up. Favorite Track: When Season Change

Vewry much enjoyed it and really set a period in time and mood for me that day.

Great Curtis Mayfield Album!

I found it interesting how the vocals felt more in the background/quieter We'll see how I find Superfly once it's generated later on

Soul and funk built from mellow grooves, soft percussion, restrained horns, and Curtis Mayfield's gentle falsetto feels like walking through a city at dusk with someone quietly pointing out everything that is wrong, but never quite pulling you into the conversation.

What a privilege to listen to Curtis Mayfield. Why did it never occur to me before that Prince was doing a Curtis Mayfield impression most of the time. This record is excellent and too short.

3.9/5

Bad

Oh this is why I started this list!!! An album I would have never listened to but am absolutely amazed by the smoothness of the dovetailing bass, guitar and lyrics. An album that’s 50 years old but stands the test of tof time with messages that resonate even in the present, showing the perpetuity of misery.

Not terrible and the production was actually pretty decent but nearly all the songs were way too slow tempo for my taste, plus his vocals got pretty grating after the first 2 or 3 songs. 2/5

This is one of those situations where I thought his vocals worked really well in the first track ‘Billy Jack’ but then the novelty wears off quick (I have this issue with Dexys Midnight Runners and Neil Young to a certain extent - the vocals can’t maintain the whole record for me but I find it ok in moderation). Overall this album isn’t for me - BUT I did fall asleep listening to this on a train and it did facilitate going to sleep quite well - this could be perceived as a positive or a negative depending on your point of view.

Billy jack So in love Hard times Skip track Jesus

Monday, 4 August, 2026 Has potential for greatness. Moments of excellence. But it never quite hits the soul/funk that it could.

6.5

Billy jack - 3/5 When seasons change - 2/5 So in love - 4/5 Jesus - 2/5 Blue monday people - 3/5 Hard times - 3/5 Love to the people - 4/5

It was soulful, groovy and deep. I appreciate his guitar skills and blending of jazz and motown into a somewhat different sound all together. It did all feel a little one note and no major highs or lows, just sort of middle.

This was great music to vibe to. I think I’d need multiple listens to connect on a deeper level, but I liked the groovy sounds.

Me re gustó.

Magnificent - warm, wise, funky and full of soul

Joda, det va omtrent som forventa, det.

Ihan mukavaa, perus 70-luvun sieluilua.

Kunnollista sialukasta menoa. Ei ehkä itelle uppoa pidemmän päälle, mutta toimii aikansa. Perushyvää soitantaa ja laulantaa, niinku voi odottaa.

So good!

boring imo or maybe just not my thing. love to the people was a little better

not my thing but great for what it is!

This album flew by and I must confess I never really heard a break between songs. Very typical of the other Mayfield albums I've heard. I'll go back to this one for sure.

Funky cool but all the same

Kinda redundant honestly.

Funk…todavía lo entiendo bien pero fluyó

Restrained, elegant, loping, somewhat spare soul music with low-key but irrepressibly funky beats. Very crisp production, but not featuring the most memorable of Mayfield's melodies. Comparable in some ways to the contemporaneous work of Isaac Hayes, but Mayfield has a very different voice, no string section, and generally less bombast. Christgau gave this a D+! What the hell!

Muito gostosinho de ouvir esse álbum.

A nice funky album. Pretty good way to start a Monday.

Before I started this project my personal musical journey brought me to classic soul/r&b as my latest major branch of (tremendous) interest. This cat has emerged (over the past year-ish) as a *major* player &subject-of-my-affection. Haven't taken the full deep dive yet, but he's absolutely near the top of the queue for next up. This album... holy shit dude. Imma be spending some serious time with this one. As of now, about 10 spins in, it's a *strong five* and forecast is only trending upwards

First song in so far "Billy Jack", really like it so far good soul music, right up my alley. -couple songs in and I really like this album, right up my alley -didn't listen to lyrics much but voice and music is perfect pace -would listen more this will be on my saved -Finished, will listen again 8/10

Liked it. Funky

Pretty good, chill

Socially conscious soul - a classic combo but not particularly standout

Full of life and optimism, while it focuses on subjects that are dark and desperate.

Bored bored bored bored bored. After the first, actually, quite decent track 'Billy Jack', the album plods aimlessly. The high tenor falsetto becomes more and more annoying. The keyboards sound like they were made by Fisher-Price. Some great funky guitar work is the only thing that redeems this album. Slightly. Is it finished yet? (My production advice would have been to release Billy Jack and Hard Times as an EP and dump the rest in a skip)

mja mja

Not my kind of music, found the vocals quite annoying too

One of the all time greats

Curtis er mér alltaf að skapi, elska þessi grúv og þennan hljóðheim allan, en hér finnst mér lögin ekki eins grípandi og stundum áður, þannig ég hendi ekki í fullt hús að þessu sinni.

One of the best album covers ever and definitely the best use of a famous photograph on any album ever. I hear traces of another great album, Catch a Fire, in this album. Mayfield’s voice and lyrics are sublime.

3/5

I think Superfly is more my jam. And overall, Curtis Mayfield’s falsetto isn’t my usual thing, either, but man, can he rock it. It’s his tenor. He’s… sweet. I tend to go for the lower voices. But sometimes you want a little sugar in your bowl… 4 Boolean: true

This album was great, I listened to it like, 1.5 times. I really like Superfly by Curtis Mayfield a lot, and this has similar vibes, but I didn't like it quite as much. Great songs, perfect length for an album.

This literally slowed my step to the point where people looked at me funny on the street. It changed the alignment of my chfunkras. And that was all before the start of the trenchant social critique!

Pretty good, soulful and funky and I don't normally listen to this kind of music. Great vocals and great band performances. Solid 3/5.

Timely after just watching Bend it like Beckham! I didn’t realize he was Move On Up! Iconic. His career is incredible wowowow. I don’t usually love a higher voice but this is hitting.

Heerlijk

Didn't know there would be a 2nd Mayfield album in this list. Too be honest I never heard of this album before. Shame on me! Time for the walk of shame for me. But I really really enjoyed it. 4/5

Lettbeint digg funk/soul

An easy album to listen to from beginning to end. It's quiet, but you can feel it.

3 Half of it sounds like what people would be having sex to 50 years ago, and the other half is about Jesus

Fun and enjoyable enough but not particularly memorable. Great album cover though

3.5

groove that keeps being still, immovable, but in every gesture of chord it slowly changes the movement itself. incredibly beautiful singing, i didn’t expect it to be so touching, but i’ve never listened to this artist before.

Ok I am bored, they all sound the same to me. I enjoyed superfly and got why it was here, but this one is so dilluted that it feels particularly anecdotical. It's not terrible, but never necessary.

Lame

Think this is better for background than when I’m doing spreadsheets

What a king!

Pretty! Groovy!

A remarkable record that seems to largely be forgotten. Which is more or less true of Curtis himself, which is incredible given his prodigious talents and predictable given how political he was, America hates outspoken black men like few others. This one is just as strong as Superfly and Curtis, and it’s a shame Curtis didn't have a longer career and life. He was a true original and as brilliant as his more celebrated contemporaries like Marvin and Stevie. But a lot less willing to play nice

Not for me

This album hit at the right time last night. 4/5.

6 - so in love is quite good, rest is ok

150726 10:38 3.5

Curtis Mayfield’s voice, his funkiness, and his songwriting are unparalleled. Always a joy to listen to his creative mind and big heart. A 4.

Groovy soul music nice enough

Hele soepele funky plaat van Curtis. Vind de vibe minder sterk als Move On Up, maar dat is dan ook wel één van mijn favo platen. Heb Curtis in die zin wel hoog zitten. There's No Place Likes America heeft is smooth en een goede muzikale ondersteuning van de hoge kopstem waar hij veel in zingt. Hij klinkt dan bijna als een blaasinstrument. Hij blaast mij er niet mee omver, maar lekker is het wel. 7/10 Highlights Blue Monday People

me gustó mucho, creo que me hubiera gustado más estando enamorada pero es muy lindo disco

Okay album - may listen again 3 stars

Meek instrumentals and Mayfield sings at too high of a register. 2.5 stars.

Great soul albeit a bit boring.

Ikke helt så stærke numre som på Super Fly, men som albums passer de rigtig godt sammen. Top 10 albumcovers vi har haft

Vildt lækkert!

Smooth voice and great songs

Only 7 tracks and 35 minutes, not a trace of a miss here. Definitely going to be in constant rotation from here on to the end of time. This has the original Hard Times...I did not know that was a Curtis original so thanks for teaching me that, Album Generator.

4 for the vibes

Bluesy and soul-filled, and honestly, a really solid album!

Tackling some similar themes to What's Going On by Marvin Gaye. An album that isn't trying to hook you, just asking you to sit with it for a while and contemplate.

Generic r&b with Christian vibes. Not my taste.

A bit of a slower funk vibe that I really appreciated.

Not the best Mayfield, but still really good

Interesting! Like a calmer funkier What’s Going On.

Me parece que va de menos a más. Muy buenas las últimas canciones.

I don't know, I'm getting sick of this specific "sound". It all just sounds the same now, 700 albums in. Funk that does nothing particularly interesting or new to my knowledge.

This was ok, I enjoyed the overall style, but each song was a bit too long. Also, it just sounds like vintage sex music.

so in love w dis album ...

Didn't necessarily need to talk about Jesus but did really enjoy this album. It's groovy, funky and chill.

Smooth pure joy. Only listened to the Curtis record a lot so far. Adding this one to rotation.

Nice to have something that isn't rock but I do feel like he hasn't reached his full potential yet, especially when it comes to the vocals

Good R&B. Very iconic vocals from Curtis Mayfield. Good album like too, short and sweet

Another addition to the "giving America 250" vibe Playlist add: "So In Love"

(Light 7/10) Very mellow, with a lot of subtleties in the instrumentation that don't immediately jump out at you. Unlike "Superfly" or even his debut, this album is more of a calm mood or a lazy afternoon rather than an overly energetic or powerfully euphoric listen. It was very pleasant and nice, but not something I would remember him for.

An interesting and funky record, but not getting into Mayfield as much as I thought based on the pedigree. Fun listen.

Loved it

Ime mi je znano, mogla bi vsaj kak komad poznat? Wiki mi ne pomaga pri tem. Mogoč pa dejansko ne poznam nič. "So In Love" je prou fajn. Ma cel album so far je fajn. "Blue Monday People", "Hard Times", "Love to the People" so mi bli tud vsi fajni, bl se mi pa zdi, da noben komad ni posebej izstopal, na žalost.

A politically charged soul album is almost always a pure slab of greatness. And, if "Billy Jack" is any indication, this one is no different. It's generally a pretty slow, somber album as befitting it's themes of religion, racial injustice, and even love. The arrangements are absolutely beautiful, as is Mayfield's voice(yes, it's really high, but not grating like many male singers in that range would be). The lyrics are also among the best soul has to offer, even on "Jesus"(and no, I'm not a Christian). This is an underrated soul gem that is best listened to with your full attention, as it's a thematically heavy record. Beautiful.

I think this is pleasant enough but it does kind of fade into the background after awhile. I'm not crazy about the vocals throughout this record. Sometimes Mayfield's falsetto sounds appropriate for the mood of the song, but he doesn't have much vocal strength in that register and it can often sound faltering and flat as he struggles to hold the notes. It can even get a bit grating, like on "Jesus" where he just keeps hammering this particular note over and over until it kind of gave me a headache (but I was already on edge from being unexpectedly transported to church against my will). That's also the point in the record when I got bored and checked out, although Hard Times almost brought me back on board. I think, unfortunately, the vocals distracts me from the great musicianship going on behind it. The brass section in "So in Love" sounds especially good, and I like the saxophone in Love to the People.

Slow for sure, but I like the funky soul and gospel vibes. Plus its sad, angry, and horny and thats fun too.

perfect album really. 5/5

Good

Would not buy

I loved the smooth and funky sound.

It just feels long fr, like the individual songs, but apart from that it’s great. Lovely even

My verses heal like Curt Mayfield’s music (I’m yo pusha) Damn right, I treat your nose to hook ya Then only pull back to cook ya, partner

Listened to this while sleep deprived, high on caffeine and burdened with anxious thoughts. Loved it!

Enjoyed it, but not a huge amount to say about it other than that

I really enjoyed Superfly. This one did nothing for me by comparison

Beast of an album with some classics and overall good vibe

Classic sound but the best part is the album cover

Album interesante pero muy lento para mi gusto, no lo escucharia nuevamente y no va con mi estilo.

Love Curtis but this album was weaker.

like, a 3.9

Great album, terrific groove. Four stars

Curtis Mayfield’s distinctive voice is outstanding as usual. Really strong message that resonates across time in America. Will there ever be a time when black artists DONT need to keep telling us about what’s going on? Aretha Franklin, Gil Scott-Heron, Stevie, Public Enemy and every hip-hop and rap act that came after (except Eminem, named after a type of candy), UB40, Solange … it just never stops. That being said, interesting music that didn’t really stick with me. Classic soul, well done but not very memorable for me.

Funky! Love it

I really liked two tracks from this record (Billy Jack, Love to the People) but the other tracks are completely forgetable. 3.5/5

That title...!! more true now than at the time of this album. Not in a positive way though right? Loved the funky opening track and the album closed with a couple of great songs. I got irritated with high pitched voice through the middle of the album though. Therefore only a 3

Pretty good but kinda unremarkable

One of the great ones.

I enjoyed this. I hear a lot of Prince.

5.5/10 - Kind of a neutral soul/funk album. Nothing really stood out here.

I feel pretty indifferent about this album. It's fine. Light 6/10

Vibes hard for the first half. Then had to show gf for the second half and she loved it too

Very nice soul/R&B album, classic, and nice funky bass that I like. Also somewhat jazzy. Really nice listen

Fue una buena escucha (Mucho mejor que lo anterior), pero no sé si para 4 estrellas, queda cerca

Way less interesting that debut or superfly. But he's still Curtis Mayfield after all

3/5. Not one of my personal favorite Curtis Mayfield albums. His singing is still great and the production is smooth but most of the songs on this one have just never stuck with me as much as those found on an album like “Move on Up.” That being said I do at least love the closer “love to the people”.

202. nice

Little did he know that the title of this album would age like wine

Not my usual go to music. Could not get into it.

Same exact thoughts as the last Curtis mayfield album. Rounded that one down so I’ll round this one up

Rock solid album, this is about as good as that spoken word/singing style can get.

Smooth as peanut butter soul album. A little slow for my taste, but otherwise no complaints

Classic Curtis right here. Great album cover.

It was just good. Fav tracks: Love to the People, Hard Times, So In Love

Pleasant, but nothing special. 5/10

This reminds me of tv shows in mid 70s. Funky falsetto didnt pay attention to lyrics. It was good but not great for my first listen. Actually surprised it was released in 75 - I would have guessed earlier.

Interesting vocals that I could get behind for a song or a verse but got tiring for an entire album.

Beautiful album, beautiful voice,

Hard to dislike Curtis Mayfield

Slow soulful and brilliant With Curtis I’m never sure if it’s soulful funk or funk full soul - probably the former due to the slow tempo Wah wah guitars , trumpets , socially conscious lyrics and a perfect falsetto voice

Oh god this is gorgeous. Tight, wise, groovy, and soulful.

1.5/5 Some nice music here and there but I'm not a big fan of his voice. Really grated on me towards the end of the album

Song 1 lowk nicht so schlecht aber hat die Erwartungen nicht ganz erfüllt Zweiter musikalisch besser und schöne lyrics 3. Song sehr gut romantisch typa ding Jesus ist halt Jesus bin nicht gläubig halt aber immer noch ganz cool

I had this playing while cleaning my pool and now the whole neighborhood is pregnant, including the men. Never heard a sexy song about Jesus before but what do you know.

Funky

Nice old school music that was enjoyable back ground noise while working, the guy had a nice voice, the A’ing So In Love was my favourite

Great album! It's got the classic Curtis Mayfield sound and is a wonderful work of his. One of the greatest albums in all of Soul music. Truly wonderful!

Not bad, kinda weird

Hot buttered soul- smooth as a baby's bottom, simultaneously joyful and wistful and sad.

Have I listened to this album before No How familiar am I with this album Unfamiliar How do I feel about this artist? I do not know him Pre-Listen Thoughts: I’m not a big soul fan so we’ll see about this one Favorite track(s): Billy Jack Post-Listen Thoughts: Still not my genre, but a solid album

Damn this is cool. Funk soul chill.

I love Superfly but haven't really delved into Curtis Mayfield's catalog. This is pretty good funk/soul but I have to admit none of the songs really stand out. It's a bit to mellow for my taste even though I did enjoy it.

I liked this, but it vanished in the blink of an eye. I'm a wee bit disturbed that the things that he sings about are still so relevant today.

I appreciate the talent behind the falsetto, but it didn't make the listening experience better - almost brought it down to a two

I've heard a bit of Mayfield's work before, but this is the first time that I heard this album. It's a fairly slow paced album and uses that pacing to allow the songs to unfold and develop. I really like the arrangements and unsurprisingly Mayfield's voice. His origins were in gospel I believe and that is really evident here. Although, the theme of the album feels a bit closer to something like Gil Scott Heron's "Winter in America" having an elegiac tone a couple years before the bicentennial. It's a really beautiful album.

Might be a five but I didn’t get a solid listen in. But this is some heavy, funky, soulful shit and compels me to dig deeper into this era of Curtis.

I liked this more than the other curt i had. some of the lyrics were really nice. It's always cool to hear music that took inspiration from lego city undercover

Oh shoot? It's Curtis Mayfield! This one may be a little bit shorter in nature, but I still do have thoughts about it! I'm listening right now, and I'll be giving them live. I haven't heard this one before, I know the Superfly and that's about it, but this absolutely gives the Chicago vibes it's supposed to. The first song feels less suave cop charmer and more a lament of an old life. Gosh, this has a whole lot of sauce though. Yeah, no. I'm a hundred percent here for this. I've save when seasons change and so in love into my personal playlsts. The instrumentation in this is great! This is an album that I'm really glad I have a nicer audio setup for. That E-Organ has so much character to it, the horns are are so together it sounds like one instrument rather than a section, and the rhythm team are so tight. Often with these kinds of albums, there's a little bit of spirituality built in and the spirit isn't lost on me, even if I have my own reactions off worship music. Hey, it beats listening to Jesus People or whatever contemporary worship music is out there today, if it's this dulcet, I think I can handle it. Overall ratings: Album Rating: 84/100 Familiarity Rating: 1/5 Favorite Song: So in Love Most Famous Song: So in Love Least Favorite Song: Jesus

Previous Familiarity: Zero - Not heard this album, or much of this artist. I have a complicated relationship with religion, and religious music, but the STYLE of this overcomes almost all of it. The biggest negative is that his falsetto really strains in the middle part - There's a couple tracks where it sounds like he's pushing his range a bit too hard, or his range has slipped over his career (this is his 7th album), but some songs like Billy Jack, or Love to the People where he's not pushing as hard, or is singing in a chorus and everything lines up to just shine like the sun. 'Jesus' is the parts of religious music that I love. It's soulful and great without being too preachy. The whole album has such a wonderful funk soul groove that it's so easy to get into, if only his falsetto didn't hurt after a while. Love to the People is the highlight of the album. What a capper. I could almost listen to that on repeat forever.

There's some extremely important issues here. As a person, I couldn't be any more different from the artist. But the stories of community to fight against marginalisation still resonate strong. But outside of that, I'm not much of a fan. It's too slow, I almost fell asleep in the middle.

I need to check how many of his albums are on this list, because... WHY? This is very middle of the road for him, I mean, it's not bad, but there are better albums (and singles) from Curtis. I'd never listened to this album of his before, but my dad loved the artist. It's... nothing special, nothing great, but a good (not great) example of the genre and his talents. I can listen to it on a technical level, and love what is done in songwriting, recording, and production, but for just casual listening, I'm not fully on board. "Billy Jack" 6:10 Funky, fun, but slow. This isn't exactly my normal jam as an entree, but more a side dish. "When Seasons Change" 5:28 Love the bells to open.another nice slow funky track, but by this point his falsetto is starting to grate on me a little. "So in Love" 5:15 The only single on the album, it's the strongest of the album so far, but very much more of the same, but more upbeat than the previous two. "Jesus" 6:13 Hey a bit of very slow Gospel! A change of pace without feeling out of place on the album. "Blue Monday People" 4:50 Well, a step up from the last track, back up in tempo while still feeling Gospel... At this point I'm grooving, but not enjoying. This album so far is what I would have as background music, not active listening music. "Hard Times" 3:45 Well, this sounds like it was written for Blacksploitation movies (which he did a lot of music for), it's the B-Side for So In Love, so it's more famous, and so far the second strongest track on the album. "Love to the People" 4:07 B Side to a non-album single, and... well... at least it's short. I'm kinda over the album by now. I simply lost interest. I can appreciate the technical sides, the writing, the recording, the mixing, but the results just... not my thing. Favorite Song: So in Love Least Favorite Song: Jesus Album Rating: 65/100 Familiarity Rating: 5/100 Would I listen again?: Nah. I'd let some of his stuff filter in, but I really didn't fully enjoy this.

Oh, hello, political album. So, I’m coming into this completely cold. My normal music sources don’t play soul/funk music, so I’m not familiar with this genre in general. I wish I was. I should be. Hopefully that’s going to change by the end of this thing. I am completely the wrong person to be talking about a lot of the themes here, though. I live in a region that has been predominantly White for as long as I can remember. There were *no* Black kids in my high school, in a town that didn’t crack 5000 population until around the time I was starting college. My entire exposure to non-White/Caucasian/whatever-epithet-you-prefer culture comes through media, and even then, largely through osmosis. Now, all that said, I can at least try to come at this in something resembling empathy. This is probably not the best album to be the first funk album I’ve ever listened to, but there’s still a lot to enjoy here. I love the instrumentation across the board here, and the way that the tracks give the music a lot of time to build up before Curtis Mayfield’s falsetto comes in and establishes the statements that his songs want to make. I came into this with a very different idea of what I was going to encounter than what I got. The A-side opens by giving us a track about senseless urban violence, a brief eulogy that stays away from going anywhere near being a dirge, lyrics even calling out that it’s all too common an event, that it’s hard to truly mourn when it’s been so clear that it was coming. So, like… I know that the Conscious Hip-Hop genre is a thing, but I was not expecting that kind of content in a 1970s funk album. The center of the album, the rest of the A-side and the start of the B-side knows exactly what it wants to say after that. Look after your own, your neighborhood is a community, find strength in togetherness, in shared faith, in the knowledge that everyone is suffering together. But all too soon, it comes back to the darker thesis statement. The stereotypes about Black people are that they’re violent toward each other, that they’re someone to fear, and that’s not right. Practice what the Good Lord preaches, let love defeat fear, and stop destroying community where it should be propping you up. Poverty is everyone’s problem, and climbing on your neighbors’ backs to try to get out instead of working with them to lift everyone is only going to drag everyone down. This is not the album I expected. This is not the album I wanted right now. But all the same, this is an album I’m glad to have heard. I don’t know that it’s an album I would return to, though. I can appreciate the artistry, and the messages, but that’s not a place I often want to go in my listening. 10/10 for artistry – this is an album that knows what it needs to say what it’s trying to say, and has precisely that, no more, no less. 10/10 for messaging, as well. However, I have to rate based on enjoyment and likelihood of returning to this album or my numbers are going to be skewed in a way that doesn’t help to sketch out my musical tastes, so unfortunately I think the most I can give this is a 6/10. Not the score I want to be giving the album, but as a gauge of enjoyment on anything besides a purely intellectual level, it’s probably the most honest

There's No Place Like America Today.

Amazing. Clearly inspired Prince to Prince it up. No notes

Groovy, sabroso, religioso aguantes Jesús de Nazaret. La voz puede cansa. Es un 3.5

Short album, only 7 songs. Great tunes, bit gospely. 4.

Woah hard times!

Groooooovy. I enjoyed this a lot.

jeleeeeeeeeeeeek

A bit disappointed with this one, seeing how much I've liked other stuff from him. The album isn't bad but the big hitters didn't really do anything for me. Not sure why it's on here.

Whooa Nelly do those horns cut right through your soul. I have such a hard time with the Soul Falsetto and wish the smalltz-y ness of it wasnt there so i could actually focus on and appreaicte the lyrics. I've had some really challening albums recently, that need more than 1 listen and this one is no exception. Is it a 3? Is it a 4? For the cover alone it gets a 4.

3.5

Really enjoyed this - didn’t know much CM before this and I’m definitely a new fan!

Enjoyable

Groovy!

Sleepy.

Low key. Unremarkable

That is some cover...nice album too.

Soul/Funk Favorite Tracks: Billy Jack, So In Love, Hard Times Least Favorite Track: Jesus In a way, this album has the slow-soul/funk album where it’s a bunch of protest songs about current events back in the day, such as Billy Jack with gun control (and in fact, it’s actually clear as day with the album cover). While the lyrics and the vocals of Curtis is good, I can’t help but to feel bored about the entirety of the album, and it doesn’t help that the instrumental felt a bit out of place for me. While it’ll be in my music collection and be in my usual rotation, I don’t think that I truly have the urge on wanting to listen to them over some of the other collection that I have; mainly just to use it for when it’s on shuffle. 6/10

This is my second Curtis Mayfield album, and I liked this one better than the first one. Really good album.

In today's world of constant chaos in the news, it's nice to listen to Mayfield's mostly wholesome record about love, Jesus and good will toward man. He recognizes that hardships exist and must be overcome, but also doesn't ever seem too overly stressed about them, which is a great change of pace. I do wish he had a little bit more vocal range in some of these songs, as his higher pitch can be a little bit grating, but what his voice can do within its range is impressive all on its own.

Very groovy and sexy and sad. Would 100% get down with someone with this album playing in the background.

Fabulous

Billy Jack, temón. Después el resto, groovero pero muy pum pa abajo o muy católico

Michael Kiwanuka avant la lettre

Curtis Mayfield, it's an album of his. It has like, more songs of his on it. The quality of this album mostly comes from the fact that Curtis Mayfield made anything he touched in the 70's great. This didn't really have many stand out songs but was just solid throughout. Perhaps I found it a little lacking in Funkyness, it was very much in the Philly Soul style of music.

I’m yo pusherman! God this is so good. The lane of music he lives in is one of my favorites, one where I spend a lot of time, one of the greatest eras to travel through and discover, and so heavily influential for a lot of music to come. I bet most of his peers regard him highly. I’m fairly familiar with him, and this album took me right to church. It’s pretty obviously a social commentary, I mean look at the album title, and it plays. A lot of music from this era was. It’s soulful storytelling over funk. Can’t get much better than that.

ta fea la portada

I was just kinda bored

It alright ig, not really special in any way. Some songs are kinda moody, but most don't really pull you in. I think Mayfield has other more interesting works.

chill. soul. cool.

Enjoyed it well enough.

Soul with some groove. Kinda reminds me of What's Going On in theme. 3.8/5

No self titled Curtis? This is magnificent mind

Geweldig album! Lekker groovy sound.

Hier heb ik heel geduldig op gewacht.

Its fine, nothing special. Homogeneous album. No standout tracks. All performed well, interesting subject matter, just nothing catchy or memorable. Not a huge fan of his constant falsetto on this album, he sounds like a guy who can kind of sing falsetto and insists on doing it all the time and nobody tells him it's not that good. He sings a lot better on his other albums.

Starts off with a funky song with sad lyrics? Falsetto vocals remind me of some of Prince’s songs. A true blend of soul and funk, Curtis knew what he was doing. Excellent production that was apparently influential in later years. Was this really 1975? Between Curtis and Sly Stone, they shaped the future of urban soul and (probably) inspired the evolution of hip hop. Only complaint is that it’s not long enough. And I usually don’t like longer records. 4 stars

*Love the horn sections and funk style

Solid set of Curtis Mayfield-ass music, if you're into that kinda thing, which I am. That said no real stand out tracks in particular.

The cover of this made me nostalgic for physical media...a visually striking/memorable album cover makes you want to listen, you see this cover and you go "wow what does that sound like?". And I am glad I did....this is just solid Curtis: Hypnotic grooves, extremely unique but somewhat limited vocals, great guitar playing, a little bit of abstract social commentary. I really liked "So In Love" and will be working on that one on the guitar, and "Jesus' is probably the best song on the album. Really solid soul from start-to-finish, which in sum is only like 40 minutes. Will definitely be going back to this one, its not a 5 star album to me the way others are (on the strength of the music alone) but its 5 stars in the sense that I am glad this list helped me discover it. I'll go 4.5

Excellent as it creates beautiful sound and commentates on social injustice (though I basically just got that from the cover and not lyrics)

Quite chill, liked the change of pace and warm vocals

Not a fan of the old jazzy type music. It’s not bad, just not really doing it for me. 2.5