Reviews (page 3 of 13)
My only contact with Mayfield outside of people get ready. he was right! love the spoke word on "Jesus" biting! tear that guitar
A buttery smooth voice with some gentle funky sounds and a social conscience. It didn't all land with me but overall it was a very enjoyable listen.
Completely fine but I will probably never think about this ever again
i like to imagine him speaking in a permanent falsetto
Sublime
genuinely perfect
Twas fine. Some standouts, but mostly just went along. Cool cover tho. Highlights-Billy Jack and Blue Monday People.
Liked it, short and sweet. Kind of eminded me of What's Going On, but obviously no where near as good. Great last track though.
70s funk is strong in this one, lot of soul in there
Very groovy. 3.5/5
Classic
I don't like falsetto quite as much as Curtis Mayfield did. but that's ok.
This sort of thing is right up my alley by default. Add in Mayfield playing guitar the whole time and you got an easy 5.
Funky and fun!
i liek so in love😼
Crap
A decidedly more morose soul album than one would expect, given Mayfield's previous records, but still one I appreciated on my first listen. Opening track really sets the tone. The whole piece's groove has this atmospheric scarcity to it, with a lot of the instrumentals spread out more than usual. I dig it.
This was good. Politically charged, well sung, and succinct.
I think I was hoping for more funk than this one delivered. Just another R&B that was just ok for me.
And sadly there still isn’t…
Decent enough, can't say I'm the biggest fan of his voice or how much Jesus is in there but on the whole I enjoyed it
love this album cover. love curtis.
Never heard of them. Better then I thought
Somewhat sensual, somewhat funky, lots of falsetto
I didn’t like it at all
Some really beautiful, fragile-sounding songs mixed with wonderful grooves. This is an album I think I’ll keep coming back to over and over.
Powerful!
Second Curtis record! It’s pretty dang good! The potential for me to buy this LP to just put on when i have no better idea is through the roof.
The vibes are immaculate and my man is saying a lot on this. I even sorta dug the preachy Jesus song. 70's soul goodness.
3.5/5 very solid baby making music
What a fantastic album. You can hear this man’s influence through out American music in the decades to follow. Prince? Funk, Soul, R&B, Disco. Rhythmic beats, funky bass, soulful guitar and vocals. The use of the wah-wah pedal guitar is classic and blend in some saxophone…love it. It got me moving and I didn’t even notice it, the music moved me.
Good background music
Curtis Mayfield is one of thos artists whose voice, music and message are all instantly recognizable, so I knew what I could expect. My only flaw with the album is that it missed an upbeat track like Supafly or Move on Up. I felt like dancing and this album was more mellow. I suppose the record was more about the message. This album gets an extra star for the inconic cover art.
soul with gospel
Didn’t click with me idk why
"blue monday people" i think they're called new order
Real cool and smooth R& B from the one who des it best! Nice listen. So much a 70's back flash
Very soulful and I like the splash of gospel.
#948. He's a good singer and all that, and the bass lines are pretty good too, but this genre of music is not at all interesting to me. It's kind of a chore to get through. 3/5: fine
Esta bueno, muy chill, pero la verdad no me encantó nada de lo que escuché.
Da mogu preći preko glasa mislim da mi ne bi bilo toliko loše ali nikako ni da se naviknem. Inače je ok album, sviđa mi se cover, inače čim vidim riječ amerika instant mrzim ali ovo je kvalitetno pokazano.
Love it. Strong 4
A wee bit religious. I do quite enjoy the sound, but the lyrics aren't quite my speed.
First listen
A 5.5/10. I didn’t really connect with this one. I can respect the message, the soul, and the smoothness in the sound, but for me it feels a bit too light. It feels like it’s building toward something bigger, but never fully explodes. There’s quality here, no doubt, but it didn’t grab me emotionally or musically.
Hard for me to connect with this era/genre but it’s obviously well done. I guess all of these are “the best of all time”, right? Glad I listened to but won’t in the future.
Bit of a perplexing one. I kept expecting it to click into a higher gear, and it just never did. I liked everything on here, but it seemed like it was missing something. Reviews call it 'restrained' - I think it might have been a little too restrained. Not my favourite Mayfield album, by a fair margin.
Another Curtis Mayfield album that is new to me. The combination of funky guitars, his falsetto voice and social commentary is a joy to behold. Great album artwork too.
You are spot on Curtis. Sadly not blown away
Second Mayfield spinner in a week. And it's another banger. Great rhythms, fabulous storytelling, and that voice again. Accidentally docked a star for Superfly so if I could give this 6 I would. 5*
Old school funk. For sure Prince listened to this guy. 3.5 stars.
This was OK but if I'm in the mood I'd just go back to Superfly
05/11 Was okay
estuvo bueno
Easy listening snapshot of the cultural climate of the mid 70's. Curtis was a powerful songwriter and vocalist, would definitely throw this on again and chew on the lyrics further.
This was just ok. Nothing really special about it but it’s miles better than some of the crap on here.
Mixed opininios, esperaba que sea algo más revolucionario pero no dejan de ser todos muy GOD BLESS AMERICA
I had forgotten I got another Curtis Mayfield album the other day, and then I forgot about this one over the course of the day. He’s fine, I guess? Apparently doesn’t do anything for me, though.
This album didn’t particularly stir anything in me. I went in excited to finally have a soul/ funk album but it didn’t have the energy I was expecting. Probably wouldn’t listen to again, but it gets credit for some groove.
I was all on from the heavy funk of the opening track, “Billy Jack”. As it went on, I was somewhat less enthused by the falsetto vocals and general lightening of the music. It lost me totally by the time he put a song about Jesus on there. Not having that in this household.
Fuck this album is so good. I was hooked from song one and then through every song after that. Curtis mayfields voice sounds like an angel and his lyrics seem like poetry. I’m so fucking with it. Favorite Song: Jesus (which is crazy cause I’m a Jew)
Favorite track: So In Love
A great one. Some of his best hits and great deep tracks. Lots of percussion variety. Strings, horns. Lots of professional musicians got paid to be a part of this classic. All that said, the pitch of his voice can be a bit much for me by the end of the album.
I liked it but it didn't have anything that blew me away
Groovy
For me this was just okay but I could see where someone else would like it quite a bit better.
Muy bueno. Me gustaron las vibes
Its not my style of music but its prety chill so 👍 Apparently Curtis Mayfield has way better albums that are not on this book (exept for superfly). So why was this one choosen ?
Billy jack - 4 When seasons change - 3 So in love - 3 Jesus - 2 Blue monday people - 3 Hard times - 4 Love to the people - 4
So smooth it slid in one ear and out the other
Damn, I am actually kind of ashamed of the fact that THIS is my intro to Curtis Mayfield. I mean, c'mon, I've been listening to music/records actively for over a decade and I've never heard Superfly? That will change. This is a slow one for sure, very downtempo and drawn-out. Carries that same kind of sweet sadness that Carpenters records have.
Slow and funky would be my words to describe this album. I enjoyed the grooved deeply engraved in each track. This was well done, but not stand out to me. 3.5, rounding down to a 3 because I am not sure I would come back to it. Favorite Tracks: Billy Jack So in Love
Down Home, He Was An Alley Cat 1001 Albums Generator 285 (5/6/2026) Inoffensive, but boring and cheesy funk. Billy Jack is really good though. 2.5/5, rounded down to a 2. Favs: Billy Jack So In Love Blue Monday People Least Fav: Jesus
I listened tonit yesterday and I remember nothing about it
Soul w a bit of funk, utilizing some musical flourishes that were probably pioneering back in the day but have now become almost cliches of the genre. I can appreciate all this but in the end just was not compelled by any of it.
Nice smooth music. Well played and sung. I preferred the variety of Superfly but this is a good album too.
Nothing really interesting on this album. Some quite good tracks, So In Love but also some not very good, Jesus! The music was pretty groovy, but Mayfields voice I found to be a bit fatiguing.
Was enjoyable enough, but didn’t love it either. It’s a basic three star record, for me.
Omslaget borgar för kvalitet. Det gör även låtarna.
Move on up är ju en favorit men jag hade fått för mig att jag inte var så förtjust i mayfield utöver det. Jag blev därför glatt överraskad när detta album visade sig vara så här bra! Jesus var lite väl religös, men basen var groovig och det är väl ändå viktigast! Stark fyra.
Älskar Curtis! Man hör tydligt att D’angelo och gänget inspirerats svinmycket av det här groovet, sångstilen och sättet att jobba med stämmor. Aldrig lyssnat på det här albumet tidigare men blev golvad rakt igenom. ”Jesus ”, vilken jävla låt!
Man har ju inte direkt svårt för sån här musik. Ser var bland annat Tedeschi hämtat inspiration. Lite svag röst kanske, även fast den är silkesren.
Perfekt söndagsmusik
Soulful 70s funk or maybe funky 70s soul. Either way, “yes please”.
This has a great start but I felt burnt out at the end. 6/10
Id never heard of this guy, had no idea what to expect. It was fantastic, I was very surprised to see it was a 70's album, expected much later.
there is indeed no place like america…..
Blues sympa sans plus
Pas mal du tout !
Très nice, j'ai passé un bon moment !
This is very funky, and Curtis remains one of the smoothest motherfuckers humanity has ever produced, but I'll be real, there's only so much earnest Jesusing I can take.
Smooth like butter
Es suave pero el nivel de avance. Pareciera que escucharas algo nuevo. No del 74'. Me da vibes de Childish Gambino pero como su referencia. Me gusto
I tend to dislike soul and funk and this record has not changed my mind on that.
Незнаю, музика сама по собі гарна, але це не те, що я люблю. Було нудно, 2,5
Sounds very 70s, which is a little complementary and a little negative. These aren't songs that stick with me. Probably going to go with 2 stars on this one.
While I can appreciate its subtle groove and atmosphere, I found it difficult to fully engage with the album, as it tended to fade into the background.
Love the soul funky vibes, the sound can get repetitive during the duration of the album but good.
OK backing to my morning routine.
Los primeros compases del álbum ya te atrapan con su groove funky. Según adelantamos y llegamos a "So In Love" entendemos en quien se inspiró Prince para sus falsetes. Para cuando llegamos "Hard Times" y, sobre todo "Love To The People", recuperamos el funk pero las vibras no nos abandonan. Se acaba el disco y queremos volver a empezar. Curtis no ha pegado ni un grito, y parece que se ha ido contiendo todo el rato, pero lo que ha hecho es hipnotizarte susurrándote al oído.
Really Great. Quick and emotional.
I enjoyed these soulful, funky vibes. There weren't any tracks that stood out to me, but overall it was solid. (4)
A great sounding record. The genre isn’t always my favorite but I can see how others would enjoy this greatly.
Obama
3,5 Deberían poner intervalos para las notas
I haven't heard much that's as heartfelt as this. The rhythms are slow, the guitar is meditative and pleading, and he's pleading from the depths of his soul.
Not bad. Not my style. Can see how this was a huge influence on Prince and others.
Groovy
Tested the times. From the 70’s to today , put out classic funk music. Good songs. Unique voice.
Feels like summer and golden hour
I can appreciate his impact on the industry. The album isn't something I'd go back to listen to again
Little bit boring. All of the songs sound the same to me.
Had a couple of very pleasant listens to this yesterday. I always admire the minimalist, slow funky stuff. Being harsh and going with three because it didn't really grab me, although there were a couple of stand out tracks. It's probably better than I'm rating it but hey ho can't give everything four stars.
8/10 Curtis Mayfield’s debut album and the Super Fly soundtrack are both records that I love, and his work with The Impressions is also pretty damn good, but I’ve never heard this record before, so it’s nice to be prompted towards it. The first thing to note is that for large parts, this album is super laid back and restrained. For much of the album, the foot forward grooves of his more famous works are thrown to one side in favour of the kind of sultry grooves that benefit massively from a listening environment in which you can lay back and let yourself sink into the nuance of the playing. But when you settle into the world of this record, there is so much to be gained from the experience. The playing is superb, with so much deftness and feel among the players that the free-flowing organic nature of the grooves just gently tugs you along for the ride. There are moments when things do step a little more forward, particularly the closer, but those moments are nice little punctuation marks to an altogether more relaxed whole. Curtis is also on restrained, almost reluctant form here, never dominating with his voice, but serving the gentle thrust of each track by getting involved only when he feels it necessary and allowing the rest of the band to carry him with them, just like they do the listener. I can understand why some may think this is a tiny bit too slow paced, and I feel like having some slight sequencing changes may have helped this to push and pull a little more, but I guess that just wasn’t what he was going for here, and the end result is still an incredibly engaging and enjoyable listen, despite the lack of standout hooks or any particular melodic focus. It’s a record that lives and dies on its vibe and feel, and luckily he and the band delivered that in spades. Billy Jack - Ooof, that big, fat, round bass tone is so buttery smooth. So much feel in the guitar playing too. This is a great example of how something that is, at its core, very simple, can have so much soul and power given to it by the deftness of touch of the players. It’s a slow, sultry, rolling tune and Curtis uses his voice sparingly enough to allow the groove to shine, while still having his own impact on the song. Really good stuff. When Seasons Change - There continues to be great restraint here, although it does perhaps withhold itself a little too much in places. The transition in the groove out of half time for a few bars that they do a couple of times is so deftly done and works brilliantly. The playing here is really fantastic again and there are little licks and bits of flair that just pop out now and again and give everything an extra bit of spice. Not quite as successful an execution as the opener, but still a solid groove. So In Love - This one feels more focused and structured as a song, rather than being a more freeform groove. Again, it’s a smooth slow jam that’s brilliantly executed. It’s more about feel and vibe than any particular melodic focus, but there are some nice bits of interplay between the parts, with the bass keeping things rolling and the horns adding excellent punctuation. Another excellent track. Jesus - Similarly to When Seasons Change, this takes that laid back vibe and slows it down even further. Not necessarily in tempo, but the intent and feel are so restrained. There are some really stunning bits and pieces in here that emerge out of nowhere and then sink back into the groove. The chorus is so funky and engaging. It meanders along, but with a clear aim, never sounding lost, but that it’s happy to get where it wants to go in its own time. At first, I though this was a bit too laid back for me, but the more I melted into it, the more it took hold of me. Blue Monday People - Back to something that’s a little tighter and more focused. The thrust of the groove is fantastic and again there’s still that effortless quality to the direction of travel. I couldn’t help but just groove with this. The call and response between lead and backing vocal is cool and there’s some subtle but feel enhancing bits of percussion that sweep up an extra bit of edge to the mix. More deft quality all around. Hard Times - The drum groove here is a bit fuller and more central to the track than some of the sparser songs on the record. Again, the feel and vibe of the underlying groove here is delightful and body-moving. The guitar playing is so good here too and focusing just on that you hear so many lovely bits of playing that just flicker in and out in an instant, never to be repeated, it’s very cool. And then Curtis just brings it together with more of his completely carefree delivery. Love To The People - We get a bit more percussion in the rhythm here that gives this a bit more of a forward push. I’m a big fan of the use of percussion in Curtis’ Super Fly soundtrack and this has a lot of that feel to it, with Henry Gibson performing percussion duties on both releases. This track feels the closest to the work of Super Fly and as a consequence feels a little more tightly controlled and purposeful in its direction. It’s nice to get a bit of a changeup in that regard, even though I’ve enjoyed the more laid back feel of the record. Again, superb playing all around and Curtis continues to do exactly the right amount with his voice, always leaving space for the instrumentation to do its thing. Excellent.
I listened to this album as I worked my way through a few training modules for work. Curtis Mayfield's beautiful falsetto voice immediately jumped out at me first and foremost, highlighting his very to-the-point lyrics with a gorgeous tonality. The way this album manages to balance societal issues with uplifting instrumentals is perfectly captured in the cover, with the glossy billboards of americana lording over its struggling people. The soaring horn sections, soulful string swells, and funky drum fills all blend together to serve as the perfect base for Mayfield's voice. This album manages to simultaneously shine a light on unfair circumstances while providing hope for the future, a dichotomy which is baked into every aspect of its sound. Highlights: Billy Jack, So In Love, Jesus, Love to the People
Awesome for its time
Sweet.
A nice groovy little album. Always loved Curtis Mayfield. Nothing really stands out, but the whole album went down smooth as can be. It's beautifully composed and the satirical bite of the album that underscores it makes it a very enjoyable experience.
Favourite Songs: Billy Jack
The opening song is cool but the sound gets a bit cloying after a while. The Jesus song is peak cringe.
Highlights: Billy Jack, So In Love 3.3
If you take away the vocals, you’d swear it’s an uplifting funk album; if you isolate the vocals, you’d swear it’s the saddest blues music ever made. That’s the magic of Curtis Mayfield. This doesn’t rank among the best of his music for me, but even at his most middling he’s so evocative. His voice sounds like he’s slowly wringing out a decade’s worth of pain and passion from his throat. Fitting given the subject matter. Also this is lowkey a GOATed album cover.
I really enjoy Curtis Mayfield. He does suffer a bit from not being Marvin Gaye. But still, it's good stuff.
Emmm, weird, like idk what type of music it is. It wasn't bad but it was boring. That s why 2.
an okay album Rating:3/5 GEMV (21.04.2026)
Good grooves. Excellent horn section. Great bass. Falsetto not our jam. Lack of strong melody.
Me encantó TODO el álbum. 💿. Agregué todas las canciones a mi playlist. Esto es música.
Lo mejor es que es corto
Great album
A bit slow for my tastes. I really love funk/groove but this was too molasses-like for me
Loved this one, very funky!
A nice, sort of funky feel to this album. I don't have a lot of thoughts on it but the listening experience was enjoyable.
3.7
Really nice soul, funk album with a nice falsetto.
So much has changed in America since ‘75. Primarily, we don’t have anyone making music like this today.
Hokey lyrics and falsetto like nails on a chalkboard.
This was pretty good, not quite as good as Superfly, but there are some great tracks and production here. He really thinks 'big' in terms of his sound, padding out the music with big brass band. So in Love and Jesus are particular stand outs for me.
Vibes too smooth, vibes too lethal
Muy buen instrumental,, perfecto para estar chill en casa.
Some real funky grooves; hadn’t heard this album of his. Good stuff!
i hate this
Got dat mm-funk.
groovy in a good way. how'd he sing the whole thing that high idk. impressive.
Todo bien con Curtis pero no me gustó tanto, demasiado falsete :(
Boring.
deeply stylish and completely in the pocket. perhaps lacks a bit of innovation over the runtime, but that feels like complaining about a discount on something you needed to get anyways.
Smooth experience, good music for evenings with your significant other. I chuckled when I imagined the artist in the recording booth waving to his own singing.
alright
i don't remeber a single song from this album.
Undeniably smooth and sexy but I lost interest after a few songs. This genre of music doesn't do much for me and the constant falsetto got boring, fast. Positives are it's nice and short, and easy enough to get through. 2.5/5.
Rather middling but funky. Suggestive but also political - great mix!
à part la première musique j'ai rien retenu
Tellement groovy
😃
Muy lindo, no es mi estilo pero suena excelente
His voice grated on me after a while.
Some good songs on here. Jesus was pretty terrible though
Une pure pochette de prof d’anglais
Quel plaisir ! Des vibes de Prince ? en tout cas on se régale
Soft and funky, not for me. I especially don't like Jesus, too worship music for me, almost a sung sermon. The whole album is super cool, though.
Loved the story telling
This album starts very strong and each track is just a little less exciting than the one before. I think I'm rounding up a bit on the rating but the highs are high.
not bad, kind of inconsistent
Jesus is the standout for me on this album. I like Mayfield but this is not one of his better albums.
I enjoyed the themes of the songs, felt a bit repetitive but great soul
Hermoso sonido.
foi bom, muito tranquilo, muito favorável
I like Curtis Mayfield but I don't like this album all that much, I think it's not terrible it's just not for me. It's a little slow and drags on just a bit much. Idk. Eh
It’s good, I haven’t listened to really any Mayfield. I get the sense I would like his other stuff much more, but this isn’t bad. My two favs here are Billy Jack and the groove on Hard Times. I think I got the wrong idea from the first track because the rest of the album was just a down tempo bummer for me afterwards. I get enough societal dread in my day to day, I’m not sure I need it in my music listening as well.
Hard to not like Curtis.
j'adore, j'adore j'adore, mais c'est pour ça que je me suis inscrite sur ce site, pour ce genre de découverte c'est tellement génial. rien qu'à la pochette je savais que ça allait me plaire si je pouvais je mettrais un 4.5 mais je vais pas mettre 5 pour autant car il n'y a pas vraiment de chanson qui se démarque, c'est pas dérangeant mais tout de même
1. starts off with a great bass & guitar tone 2. nice 3. bit slow... 4. again, a bit slow 6. got more energy at least 7. all in all, very funky, but it could have a little more vairance between the tracks, if not in the tracks themselves (very plain dynamic, chords etc...) 3/5
4.5/10
2,5
His best songs are not in this album
Soooooooo beautifullllllllllllllllllll <3
amazing
If you love his sound, you'll love this. Classic Curtis!
Blind album, know the artist by name. Glad I was finally given the opportunity through the project to check him out and I very much enjoyed this funky unique listen. 4.
t amo curtis
Not only this is beautiful music, with tight instrumentation but it also has great socially conscious lyrics.
Mayfield has a gorgeous soulful voice and while the music may sound laid-back, the messages of the songs are anything but. Both subdued and funky, this album flew by and left me wanting more. We open with a funky guitar riff on the groovy 'Billy Jack' about struggling to navigate the current climate while being black. The song has a symphony of saxophones leading the song to a euphoric conclusion. 'Jesus' is the weakest song on here. Its not that I found the music offensive, as I enjoyed how the organ gave the song a gospel feel. I just didn't like how preachy the religious themes were. 'So In Love' is a sweet song about finding love within hard times. On the subject of 'Hard Times', that song is yet another smooth jam about the state of the world. With only seven songs on this 35 minute album, this is a very easy listen about not-so-easy times.
Pretty smooth, nice, album.
Very excited for this one! I'm not terribly familiar with Mayfield's work at all, but I'm aware of his influence and happy to have the opportunity to dive in. Starts off with some really funky bass and guitars. His voice is phenomenal. Very cool too think about how this style has influenced modern R&B. It's also interesting how the social commentary here still feels relevant. The falsetto is really amazing on When Seasons Change. There's less musical variation on here than I would have expected. It seems some of his other work is more funky/upbeat. Definitely an album that I would revisit as whole more so than I would individual songs, but I think Billy Jack is the one I'll put on my 1001 Albums Project playlist. Very happy I discovered this!
Love the grovey soul rifts, the bass and percussions are on point and it is great for losing track or time
beautiful music! not my usual genre but well made
funky
This is a good week for soul and funk albums. Although I will admit that I have a strong preference for the latter and this skews towards the former. The first side last song here are incredible though. And everything in between is solid. There's No Place Like America Today taps into something spiritual, political, and humanistic. The themes are still relatable, and even the album's name is as loaded and powerful as it was when it came out. Even if I can't relate precisely to the experiences on here, I think Curtis Mayfield very powerfully invokes the universal. Even if I don't see myself coming back to a ton of these songs, there is a power and a bespoke grace here. Curtis Mayfield handles his subjecat matter very elegantly. I am ultimately very glad I heard this.
This was ok. It was a bit slower than I tend to personally like. I saw one of the top global reviews of this say the music sounds like something Chef from South Park would sing to and I laughed harder than I should have.
Not his best but enjoyable. There's no Move On Up, unfortunately.
Great lyricism, good voice, let down by a lack of musical ideas.
Sabrosito
Arguably more relevant today than when it was released fifty years ago
Pues no me he guardado ninguna por ahora, pero me ha parecido muy interesante y disfrutable. Repetiré.
beautiful. i’d known of this album because it’s just so iconic, but there’s some deep cuts on there that really stood out like “turning tables”, “don’t you remember”, and “I found a boy”. obviously the popular stuff is very catchy and she has a beautiful voice so it’s just a pretty good album overall. I had a good time listening to it.
i just unfortunately really really dislike his singing style, so this was a slog for me.
largely enjoyable, never overstayed its welcome even with long songs
I enjoyed this but I didn't find it super remarkable.
Not my cup of tea
I liked the vibes
I had a great time listening to this today. 3 times through. Funky jazzy groovy.
peaceful
Nice surprise.
Smooth album and a good listen, but nothing that stands out.
Nice listen. The funky bass is great. I couldn't really pick out any favourite moments, nothing really stood out after listening once. I suppose it can get a bit repetitive at times. But it's really pleasant, I might listen to this again sometime.
It's really a 3.5 but I rounded up.
Excellent
Dit vond ik heeel chill. Denk ook dat Counting Crows hier inspiratie hebben opgedaan voor nummers als Good Time etc. Beste nummer: Billy Jack.
I had no idea he was paralyzed later in life. This was cool. Whisper singing to the max, but still fun. I can see a lot of artists after him emulating this, ahem Childish Gambino.
Meh
Except for the brilliant 'So in Love' I didn't really know this Mayfield record, but I am pretty into it: the excellent funky grooves, tight horn arrangements, stark political critiques, and Curtis's expressive falsetto. Dude was killing it in the 70s.
The album title is intriguing but I was underwhelmed by this collection of songs. Unremitting falsetto and lugubrious slow jams.
My review for 'Superfly' could pretty much be used here, too: this is serviceable but forgettable with its strongest selling point being that it's short. And just like last time: TOO MUCH FALSETTO. I generously gave 'Superfly' a 3, but this gets a 2 for being "Superfluous" to this list. It does nothing better than the former, and even the former wasn't all that great.
To be honest to grew a little bored with this half way through. Went back to Peter Gabriel for the entire weekend. So I can’t say much about this album, but I can at least stand with conviction on my 5 for our last album.
ok
The music is fire, I just wish he did more world building. With a title & cover like these, I was expecting more outright symbolism. Maybe I missed it! It's definitely one I'll be returning to. The music is very lush and I love the little overtures before each song. Wanted to give it a 5 but I need more story for that. Highlights: When Seasons Change, Blue Monday People
I like it
A rock solid album by one of the greatest soul artists of all time, but I have it just behind Roots, Curtis, and Super Fly. Magnificent album cover, too.
No lo escuche
This was not enjoyable to listen to.
6/10
No place in my music collection
Not my cup of tea
Curtis Mayfield voice is like a knife cutting through room temp butter. Brother is smooooottttthhhhhhhh!
Ok album. Not really my thing. Nice playing of the band but not that into falsetto singing
Some nice funky baselines and soothing falsetto
I appreciate the craft, and soul music as a whole, but it just doesn’t do much for me, the odd track aside. At times the music feels like a 70s stakeout movie but it’s probably what I enjoy most about this album. It might have helped if a couple of his more famous songs were on this album.
Isch en vibe
Smooth and short. Oh yeah.
All I really knew by/about Curtis Mayfield was "Super Fly." I never knew that he was paralyzed in 1990 after stage lighting equipment fell on him while he was being introduced at an outdoor concert. This album was pleasant enough - I don't listen to a lot of soul. I still think if there is anything "essential" by Mayfield, it would be "Super Fly," but this was fine.
The term Quite Storm taken from a Smokey Robinson song/album may have been adopted to refer to a background-y, unpolitical, slow-jam strain of soul music, but it might have been better assigned to what Curtis presents here. It’s possible that the contrast between the weight of the subject matter and the sweetness of the delivery has never before been so pronounced, even if that balance has always been a focus of Mayfield’s expertise. The music is not syrupy, rather it has a delicacy that could lull a baby to sleep, but as always there are serious socioeconomic matters to be addressed. The passion of the words does spill in to the vocal delivery which, while as equally graceful as the relentlessly smooth grooves, can’t help but overflow with pleading for the world to treat one another better. It’s still not as good as his first two solo efforts (which had they been included in the 1001 [why not?] would have been easy 5s for me) but this is another strong album from a towering figure of soul who deserves more attention. His universal messages are sadly more vital now than ever.
Classic soul with the right amount of funk along for the ride. Favorite track: Hard Times
Smoothe like peanut butter
Slow, subtle, and soulful, but still pretty funky and groovy. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Altogether pleasant listening but nothing really stuck out as memorable.
I enjoyed this, but I didn't pick out a particularly memorable part to bring me back to it again, maybe with So in Love. That said I think other entries in the genre or even from Curtis Mayfield could fair better. His voice is beautiful and the music is meaningful at times and easy to listen to.
It’s no Superfly but still quite good! Likes: Billy Jack, So In Love, Blue Monday People, Hard Times
Pretty good record and great album art. Favourite Track(s): So In Love, Billy Jack Least Favourite Track(s): Jesus
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Not the most essential of Curtis' albums, but in here he is as soulfull as ever. Overall, more of a fan of his Superfly era. 7/10 [SWAP]
Solid funk with a good message.
Ok, good singer, soul, but not really something I listen to.
More points for being clearly highly influential and for the over lasting impact left. Standout: Billy Jack. Simply amazing.
Amazing album! So funky and so sad The goat
Ah ah ah ha
After a couple of tracks his voice begins to annoy me. That breathless whispering angsty tone works for some parts of some songs but throughout most of the songs, nah. And the lyrics are pretty awful as well. 'Hard Times' is alright but 'Jesus' spare me the 'spiritual' advice.
Not my thing.
Wow! This album was so moving. So In Love and Jesus really put this over the top for me
Not mine and since Mr Trump I don t öike America
Some smooth funk and blues for your soul
yeah no notes
mondays amiright so good, this guys got pipes! bring back dudes with moxie
Só porque não é album que eu vá ouvir outra vez
Bom álbum, tem mesmo soul
Good album by influential artist. Soul music that is gospel influenced. Some songs are pretty funky.
It was alright. The album just gives off sex.
I've listened to Superfly before, and dang it, it's excellent. So I came in here with pretty high expectations. This is arguably every bit as good, although I'm going to give it a slightly lower rating. Before hearing Superfly, I had a run of absolutely terrible male hip-hop/soul records – something of an obsession from the almighty Dimery, apparently – and I was beginning to yearn for something, anything, in the genre that was actually listenable. (Marvin Gaye hadn't shown up on the list yet.) But then Mayfield comes down from the heavens to kiss the earth, bless our mortal realm with some of the most tasteful-sounding political commentary in the music world. And this record shows that he's nothing if not consistent. Every song on here is at least partially a banger. But my standards have gone up. Superfly might actually not be a 5-star record. This certainly isn't. The songs are a little too long, too jam-like, too monotonous. So In Love is the obvious standout. I can't tell if the vocals are self-harmonising or if there are multiple vocalists, but either way, it's heavenly when it happens. The harmonies are extremely straightforward (almost to the point of repetitiveness), but they're feelgood and backed with luscious big-band textures. There's an organ somewhere in the mix. It would be nice if it was clearer and more varied in this track and in others. If you want more interesting chords, try out Blue Monday People. The falsetto singing is positively goofy and makes for an engaging experience when combined with the playful chord choices. Lovely keyboard tone. It's hard to point out any clear standouts other than So In Love, though, because the textures don't vary much between tracks, the melodies tend to be (semi-)improvised rather than latch onto a clear hook, and in general the songs are lengthy – probably intended as background listening at a party or something. If that's what the guy was going for, then damn, he bliddy nailed it. 4/5 Key tracks: So In Love, Blue Monday People
Very musically talented, however I was hoping there would be a bit more social commentary here given the album's title and cover. This isn't my usual style of music, but can see it on in the background when there is company over. 3.5
Since this was a weekend option, I listened to it more than once. The first time, I didn't love it. Didn't hate it, just sounded like a motown record from the 70s. The second time, I spent a little more time and attention on it, knowing what I was getting, and I liked it more. This is a patient album, but maybe I'm not patient enough because a lot of these songs go on too long. But, the more you just let it happen, the better it is. Unfortunately, it's still just good. Nothing to hate here, but nothing to love, either. Good album, not a great one.
Helt kurant.
5 sterne
Not something I would choose to listen myself, but it went really good on a peaceful Saturday afternoon.
Listening session: march 14th, while eating breakfast and getting ready in the morning Listened to before: no Thoughts: I’ve always liked soul music and this album is a relatively short but effective album with lots of soulful sounds and a great voice from Curtis Mayfield Favourite tracks: When Seasons Change, So in Love & Love to the People
Curtis Mayfield is fabulous and this album is very enjoyable. Might have been 5 stars but not all of the material here is great. A track about Jesus particularly dragged it down. Looking forward to more Curtis Mayfield though
I enjoyed this, but it didn’t strike me as a particularly outstanding album within the sphere of soul or funk. The vocals were strong and the lyrics profound, but with the exception of only a few tracks, I found the music itself to be pretty standard.
It was awesome! Very fun.
Any Curtis is good Curtis. This doesn’t maybe have as many highs as some of his other LPs but it was a pleasurable listen. I completely forgot he wrote Hard Times, which I originally heard done by Huey Baby. Anyway, lovely stuff.
6/10
Not a fan of the high-pitch soul singing. Instrumentation was good.
fell asleep in train while gf was being cutesy sleeping
Soul, funk.
Great album. The themes are heavy for a Monday morning. Ugh. Seems like nothing has changed in decades.
Good one, especially for a Friday. Not my favorite Curtis Mayfield, but very good.
soul
Not that bad doesnt make me want to kill myself just yet words from pops
lowkey not bad but it starts sounding the same
glad this was short
Enjoyable and short, yes and yes
Short and sweet. Brilliant album for cooking on a Sunday. Good album cover.
Aye alright
Chill vibes supreme. I listened to this one on a late night drive and it was meant to be.
Good easy listening soul, I liked this one even though it didn't do anything too crazy. Just very smooth.
This album hits all the right places in all the right ways. An impeccable album from start to finish. An album I immediately bought on vinyl. An album I immediately wanted to listen to again. An album.
Come now, there are plenty of places like 'America' today - North Korea, Nazi Germany, Israel, Hungary, Sudan, Russia, Iran, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Uganda, Turkey, China, Myanmar, The Vatican, Gilead, Panem, Oceania, The Sith Empire - all the classic dictatorships and religious black holes. What's funny is people kidding themselves that it has ever been any different. Mayfield, charitably, is being witty with the album title. He knows that there's a lot of shite going on. Sadly, he chooses to put his trust in a made up deity rather than actually put the responsibility on those who exist - his fellow man. What starts out as nice enough, chilled enough RnB/funk/fluff, becomes borderline unlistenable the longer it goes on. It's a short album, but it feels as long as a Sunday Church service while some twat behind a pulpit reads indoctrinated garbage from his book of nonsense.
Musically o.k. but the high vocals are not my favor.
It wasn't like I hated this or anything, but I'll probably never listen to it again. It's too lounge-y, and Curtis Mayfield's falsetto is just not appealing to my ear.
Standout Track: Love to the People A slow drive through Montrose or Midtown Houston on a hot Saturday afternoon.
Soul music
Loveee
five stars. this album made me groove and I loved the lyrics. the message in each song was powerful. did not want to to end lol.
*first note starts* *presses five stars*
A very cool laid back funk soul album. Great songwriting and instrumentation.
I think it's ridiculous that the first two reviews are about the sex appeal of these songs. This isn't Isaac Hayes!! Idiots. OK, sorry. Let me start again—out of respect for Mayfield, known as the "Gentle Genius" in soul and funk music—I'd like to keep it diplomatic for this album. It was particularly popular with Black listeners at the time, but failed to really chart high enough on the Billboard 200. This is sadly unsurprising, as the themes on the album are very sad and heavy, contrary to what the funky, uplifting-sounding backing music and vocal style of Mayfield would imply otherwise. Here's the lyrics of the first track, "Billy Jack": "'Bout a buddy of mine Run out of time His life's run out of time Somebody past noon Shot across the room And now the man no longer lives" Oof, how about the second track? "Time make you suffer when seasons change Can't call no names when you got your own self to blame Praying to Jesus make me a little stronger So I might live the life a little bit longer So many changes going in and out of my life How can anyone survive When everybody's been made a sacrifice" I thought I had signed up for a good time? OK, so "So in Love" is a pretty straightforward romantic song, but then we have "Jesus", where a prayer is actually juxtaposed with all of the social problems found in the inner city, to reflections on society degrading all around him. These are the dark depths that Marvin Gaye did not dare to go to—Mayfield tells it like it is, with no filter whatsoever. On "Hard Times", this passage really gave me the chills: "From my body house I see like me another Familiar face of creed and race, a brother But to my surprise I found another man corrupt Although he be my brother he wants to hold me up" Mayfield was pleading to American society: when will things get better, especially for Black people in this country? It's an existentialist cry not just for help, but for unity. As he finishes on this album: "In the morning - it's alright I'm not givin' up - this little pride I've got a lifetime - to keep a-livin' mine The way you do it - is to get right to it" Amen, brother. Thanks for making me cry today. I originally gave Super Fly the 5, and as much as I love that one, this just moves me more in this day and age. Absolute soul perfection from one of the greatest who ever lived.
never spent any proper time with Curtis Mayfield before today, grateful to have been given the opportunity! think i might not be the first person to have had this opinion, but what a fucking vocalist. so much vulnerability and tension in his voice, captured beautifully - you can really hear every bit of enunciation through the mix, and it really works. the political nature of this album has seen it compared to What's Going On, but Mayfield is so much less smooth a vocalist than Gaye (who I do love) - there's so much wonderfully audible effort. on the darker tracks, like my favorite When Seasons Change, it sounds like he's walking a tightrope, close to collapse or breakdown at all times and the band, man, jesus. should ask this record for a loan because it's got deep fucking pockets. the groove on Billy Jack is just immensely nasty, drum-tight but loping, elastic, alive. there are things here i like a bit less - plenty of others have mentioned Jesus as a lowlight and like, yeah, i can't disagree. i understand why, to Mayfield, it's of a piece with this record, but it doesn't hang as well together for a non-believer. the more down-the-line political tracks on the second half of the record also aren't quite as impressive as Billy Jack and Blue Monday People, which make the record's themes personal and visceral. still, though, just a fucking great piece of music, with a couple of new favorite songs in a genre i love but don't know nearly as well as i should. very happy to expand my education a bit and add a pretty stunning album to the collection
The man's absolutely right - it can't be no fun to be shot with a hand gun. Love the keyboard sounds, love the groove, but don't love a whole album of his voice. Sorry.
Sad soul was both what I needed today and what I definitely didn't. Specifically, Hard times. Christ Also, as an agnostic with a catholic background I have to say without any irony whatsoever that this chorus is excellent: "Talk about Jesus talk about Jesus He never had a hustlin' mind Doin' crime wastin' time Drinkin' that wine"
Damn
It was okay
fave song - so in love least fave- jesus overall rating- 6/10
A real gem