There's No Place Like America Today

entré emboladísima pensando que iba a ser algo completamente distinto y quedé FASCINADA. preciocísima música, 9/10

4.25

Smooth. don't mind this. 4 stars.

tropppppp smooth, j'aime ce style et je vais le faire jouer plus souvent que je peux y penser en backgroudn probablement. 4.25

cozy. sometimes I extra remember that i almost never really listen to the lyrics. I wonder what he's saying

Beautiful intersection of gospel, funk, and R&B. Curtis's soft voice is silky and soft as a cloud. I especially like the groovy tunes with the fat bass and guitar riffs. A tad too slow and Jesusy for a 5 though.

First song is great. The lyrics remind me of "I Can't Die" by PAO, a commentary on African American death in America. It sounds like the modern band Blank Pumas draws inspiration from Curtis Mayfield as well. A few songs in and it's been filled with emotion the entire time. I'm feeling it. After a while the constant falsetto started to get old, but it was at least done well.

Those first few moments of the album - I thought we were going to reggae land. This was a good listen, but i got tired of the nonstop high falsetto vocal. I needed a break and a grounding that never came. But the instrumentation was dope.

Smooth n groovin. Plus incisive lyrics, a little humour, a lotta character. Didn't feel a huge distinction between the tracks but that was almost a plus for the easy flow of it all. Will definitely be coming back. Fave track: So in Love

I think my mood depended on my listen of this. First listen through I was walking through the park on a sunny afternoon and really vibing with it. Next morning I re-listened in the car with some bad weather in some heavy traffic and found it a bit tedious at times. I was a fan of Mayfield before hearing of this but this particular record was new to me - there’s an undeniable groove you get hooked into, and he has pipes. A pretty to very good album here - Three and a half. Fave track: Jesus

dope

Mellifluous, smooth voice. Nice groove. Admirable political slant. Not digging the ‘Jesus’ track but a decent album overall. Great ending on ‘Love to the People’. We should all subscribe to that: Little bit of brotherhood Guarantee it can be good for the soul

The timing of this album title with today’s mass shooting.. Curtis Mayfield’s whole vibe always hits hard and smoothe.

Nice solid listen. Enjoyed my time with this smooth pretty album

This was a great album that sent me down a path of terrific songs.

4.5 - “Subtle” is not a word I’d often use to describe funk music but Mayfield pulls off that sound with his blend of signature falsetto and aching guitar voicing. I especially love the thee back-to-back tracks “When Seasons Change”, “So In Love” and “Jesus.”

So In Love is just straight up panty soup. One of the loveliest songs I had ever heard. Billy Jack and Jesus were also good songs IMO. I actually enjoyed this album more than Superfly. This album was closer to a 3.5 out of 5 for me but I rounded up just because of So In Love.

me ha gustado mucho ... algo había escuchado de Curtis , pero desde luego ahora ha tomado otra dimensión

honestly the beats and the lyrics are really good; but the tempo,something about it makes me kinda want to strive for more. I like the songs except for one which is the usual. I think I'll give it an 8/10

A voice that is strong and fragile at the same time - I've always loved Curtis, but hadn't come across this album before.

Some nice funk and soul. 8/10

Never listened to. Curtis Mayfield before but I quite enjoyed this. Good mix of funk and soul.

first listen fantastic funk

I’ve never heard funk that’s this laidback and relaxed. The music has some funky licks and beats but it’s closer to the soul of Marvin Gaye or Al Green then Curtis Mayfield’s own “Superfly.” The music is beautiful and puts a spotlight on Mayfield’s voice.

Very good! Smooth as. Really liked So in Love especially

Pleasant

Na blue monday people se baš osjeti utjecaj na lambchop iz nixon faze

Curtis

ritmo y melancolía soothing flow

not bad, pretty chill, I liked it

I'm a sucker for a good falsetto and the music is nice too.

Funky, soulful - a good nice dose of Curtis Mayfield without too much fanfare and straight to the point. A lot of record in this list should take a page out of this album’s book.

this album is a masterclass in funk minimalism; does so much with so little when it wants to and then switches it up and fills the mix. no matter what , it works. Best tracks: Jesus, so in love, love to the people

great sound. seems like it also could've been recorded much later. a sound that seemed to define the music industry.

Not,my style of music but I can see the reason it’s on this list.

Very cool soul!!

Curtis Mayfield may not be the flashiest singer out there, he may not be the most memorable, or the most awe-inspiring, or the most emotional. But what he brings to the table, is consistently great music. You know what you're getting with a CM record, it's gonna be groovy, it's gonna be chill, and it's gonna have an insightful and honest sociopolitical message, but it'll never be heavy-handed or sanctimonious. Curtis Mayfield is reliable. He's the Toyota Corolla of music. He's the Nokia phone of music. He's gravity personified. 4 rolls of duct tape out of 5

Everything from Curtis Mayfield I love and this album just makes me love him more. I was first introduced to him with Superfly (highly recommend listening) so this is just more of a reason for me to like him.

nice album

This album is beautiful.

Great album, beautiful crisp sounds.

m'ha sorpres gratamente. es freshhh i mola el rollo per ser del 75

Baby making music. I'm now pregnant.

Ok

Great record! I liked the social commentary and instrumentation. I didn't like the random song about jesus

Soulful, impassioned. 4.5

Sounds a lot like Al Green.

HL: “When Seasons Change”, “So In Love”, “Jesus” A serious but (I think) somewhat optimistic album which leans into gospel. I’m in a grey area where I don’t have much tolerance for evangelism but I love gospel music, so ultimately the spiritualism in Mayfield’s lyrics added to, rather than detracted from, the album’s calls for action. November 20, 2022

Cool stuff.

I didn’t realize I’m as much of a Curtis Mayfield fan as I am. That’s the best song about Jesus I ever heard.

Love that voice, the funky music and the overall vibe. Nice album.

Not something I’m familiar with but really liked it. Sounded more modern than I’d expect from 1975

Smooth with a capital S. Felt seducted with its velvet quality music, only to be told stories about discrimination, poverty and hard times. I didn't find a particular track I liked on its own, but its a good experience overall.

Very nice :)

Kinda love Curtis. He's so authentic and deeply groovy. This album was meditative in its soulfulness

Good soul album. First couple songs were hot.

Damn that was dope. Did not expect that (new to me).

Jesus!

Well executed soulful tunes with a well defined atmosphere. Just very solid

Bra!

I love some Curtis Mayfield. I didn't find this album to be as fun as Superfly, but then again I don't think that it was supposed to be fun. Overall another great album by Curtis Mayfield 4/5

curtis is a king

Curtis hefur eitthvað sem vermir sálina mína. Góð kósí-plata.

A lot of soul in this

When Seasons Change puts the blues into rhythm and blues! So In Love throws back to Stax in the mid-'60s. After an outstanding start it did tail off.

Super smooth and super cool. Not normally a style of music that I seek out but I really liked this. 4 stars.

Not bad but I prefer the funkier Superfly more

Easy listening and groovy

This mf groovy asf

While not as loud or a as bombastic as you would think an album like this would be given the subject matter, the anger is still prevalent. The recording is subline, masterfully recorded and mixed that allows every instrument and voice space to breathe.

I didn't know much about Curtis Mayfield other than People Get Ready.

Some good tunes on there - loved So in love - Love to the peiplet

Nice mix of funk, soul and blues. I think it might grow on me.

Review #1 of 1001 Grooves 5/5 Vocals 3/5 Lyrics 5/5 Motown, 1970s Mayfield sheds light on a persistent struggle for people of color and the working class in general. Content as relevant nearly 50 years later as when this album originally released in the 70s. Impeccable instrumental funk vibes, the vocal style isn't my favorite, but has some high points. Favorite song was Blue Monday People. The album grew on me as it progressed, overall enjoyable listen. 3.5/5 Album art is very evocative, elevates the album as a whole to a solid 4/5 for me. Looking forward to hearing more in the soul/funk genre.

Loved it!

Yeah really liked this. Just some chill funky times

18/08/2022 Curtis Mayfield – There’s No Place Like America Today This album is a great surprise. R&B, funk and soul are styles I don’t listen to too often, but I’m going to start doing it if I can listen to great albums like this one. What a vibe! Everything sounds super smooth, sentimental, and made from the heart. The album is also lyric heavy, so it is worth it to listen and read. A note: as I said, I’m not well versed in these styles, so the review is only based on what I have feel with the songs (not that I’m a professional with the rest, but at least I have something to compare them). Billy Jack – 4.5/5 Incredible way to start the album. Great vibes and feelings, contrasting in a way with lyrics about the (probably violent) assassination of a man. When Seasons Change – 4/5 Again, a song with great sentiment put into it. I maybe like it a little less than the previous one. So in Love – 3/5 This song musically transmit so perfectly being in love. But (if I’m not wrong) the singer is trying to apologize for an affair? I don’t know, I feel like it violates the meaning and feelings of the song a bit. Jesus – 3/5 The song sounds great, but I’m not really into religious preaching. Blue Monday People – 4.5/5 This song does lyrically what So in Love does not, in terms of loving someone. Additionally, talks about the working class and depression. Its music is great too. My favourite of the album. Hard Times – 4/5 Great song with a great message, without frills, very simple. Love to the People – 4/5 Great conclusion to the album too. Great music, great vibes, great lyrics, great message.

Not being familiar with that particular album, i expected something more "funky-psychadelic". Outstanding sonics and musicianship tho.

Sequência envolvente e muito satisfatória.

Billy Jack - Very funky opening riff. Melody reminds me of Pink Floyd for some reason.

Great to listen to such an influential artist who kept making music after his accident that left him paralyzed.

Best Song: Billy Jack. A real soulful introduction to the album, with this current of funk that is disappointingly less-prominent in the rest of the album. Worst Song: Jesus. I love me some gospel music, but the falsetto became a bit too much, and the guitar solo in the middle just felt like Eric Clapton was trying to butt himself into the track, uninvited. Overall: A lovely soul/funk/R&B album. I don't know if I'd heard Curtis Mayfield before, but he has a beautiful voice. I also appreciate that the album is short; at 37 minutes it doesn't overstay its welcome. Perfect for relaxed settings. Music to cook and eat to.

Gillar! Funkigt och souligt. Bandet är otroligt med sina tighta riffs. Curtis Mayfields sång är ljuvligt sexig, men i vissa låtar hamnar rösten faktiskt lite för mycket i fokus, och instrumenten hamnar tyvärr i skymundan. Gillar kanske därför de lite "hårdare" låtarna, med tyngre riffs och mindre skönsång, som 'Billy Jack' och 'Hard Times', medan t.ex. en låt som 'Jesus' är lättare att glömma. Bästa låt: Billy Jack

Great Soul vibes

I didn’t have time for a proper listen but what I heard was Heartfelt, passionate and soul baring. Billy Jack and So I love were great. First impression is 3 stars but I think when I listen to it more carefully I might find it to be as good as Superfly so I’ll bump the score up another point now.

This is great, I'd only ever heard his hits before this.

Prefs: Billy Jack, Jesus, Blue Monday People, Hard Times, Love To The People Moins pref: When Seasons Change

glad i listened!

Frábær plata.

You understand that you're getting old when soul music doesn't sound embarrassing anymore. Sweet! I'm in, deeply.

The world is a smooth and terrible place.

Beautiful soulful and funky record. Love the bass tones and the guitar. Great arrangements. Slower than his other stuff I've heard.

Worth a second listen …

Yup.

"Billy Jack" - tune, "When Seasons Change" - silky Honest great Sunday album, gives off such autumn energy, love.

A real discovery, a brilliant album and none of his big hits.

god its so smooth

the soul

-pretty nice groovy stuff, but nothing to go crazy over -i like the high-pitched backing vocals -not as strong as his "Pusherman" album

Curtis sure was one funky guy

I feel like Curtis Mayfield had THE definitive soul sound of the 70s. His aesthetic was infectious and caught on like wildfire. Listening to this, you can tell Marvin and Curtis were listening to/influencing each other. This one just got better and better with repeated listens.

Was totally unfamiliar with this album and really enjoyed it, despite it being quite short. I hadn't realized that Mayfield penned Baby Huey's "Hard Times" until I heard it on this album. Good listen worth another round.

Dig it. Funky stuff with a unique voice.

Very soothing and enjoyable listen.

I didn't get the meaning of all songs from this album, but it's one of that cases where a classical is easily recognizable.

Nice mix of wah-wah funky bass and horns, if a little slow. Standout tracks: Billy Jack Hard Times Love to the People

Some funky songs, some chilled out ballads. Short album. Bit God Squaddy on some songs

listened to some of it...vibes!

I really liked his voice and the songs are impossible to dislike. Very solid album overall!

Even when it got slow, was still very pleasant listening. Soul music, indeed.

Love Curtis Mayfield. Mellow album.

Sounds good, not the biggest fan, but nice for the background.

3.5

Very smooth

my initial impression is hippie vibes it has a slow melody, but works for what the genre is. it is an easy album to listen to, very calming the guitar riffs are really good, it reminds me of some old time blues

Very soulful - lots of similar sounding songs

I already had Superfly in this list, and this doesn’t quite hit the same heights, but still excellent. Adding to the rotation.

Skön, lite roliga melodier/instrument och politisk. Precis vad man tänker om 1975!

Funk and Jesus!

long album as his voice never leaves the same single tone but was good

I've never heard this album but Curtis Mayfield is awesome and this album is too.

Curtis Mayfield is a musical and poetic genius who is not afraid to push a few buttons.

I don't know where Mr. Mayfield got his information, but Jesus definitely did drink that wine, drink that wine, drink that wine. Anyway, this was smooth as hell. Best track: So in Love

So. Good.

It's the same case as with electronic music - it's impossible to make bad RnB/Funk album.

Heartwarming and deep May need a couple of more listens

Clean sound, tenor vocals. It’s not my style, but it’s very interesting soul album

Makes Monday sound like a Sunday.

Another fantastic album! Keeping the streak alive from last week. Curtis Mayfield is probably my all-time favorite R&B voice, his falsetto is pretty unusual but very affecting. I hadn't heard this album before, but I know "So In Love" very well, thanks to GTAV. The politics on here sneak up on you, it's very effective. And it's still just great music to listen to, some undeniable grooves and melodies. I hope we also get the Superfly soundtrack on here, but I won't hold my breath. Awesome album! Favorite tracks: So In Love, When Seasons Change, Billy Jack, Blue Monday People, Love to the People. Album art: Very telling. The contrast between the American Dream and American Reality. Really like this classic art style too, especially when used ironically. 4.5/5

Some solid conscious soul and funk. I think it falters a little around the middle of the album, but it starts and ends strong enough to make it to four stars for me.

Great lyricism

This funky as hell…. Ultra cool from the super fly!!!

So smooth and mellow. Liked it!

Wheeeewww that SOUL man

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Billy jack, So in love, Love to the people

I like this music but I dont know, the album as a whole was kind of boring. I really liked Billy Jack.

Wow! A dang good mellow album!

nice sound

Really soulful album. So in Love is the best song on the album. 7/10.

4/5 - Great but not memorable in my opinion; not my style perhaps?

some good chill vibes for this one

now that is a opener to an album not what I expected at all "Don't get me wrong, the man is gone But it's a wonder, he lived this long" "Ah! didn't care nothing about being black" the instruments here are outrageous wow this album is throwing me not what I was expecting really enjoying it JESUS! ... JESUS! ... JESUS! "Doin’ crime wastin’ time! Drinkin’ that wine Drinkin’ and drinkin’ and drinkin’ and drinkin’" "Although he be my brother he wants to hold me up" "News is bad on every TV show So I tune in my radio, talkin' 'bout"

Couple of songs on here that didn't really land on me the first time, like Hard Times, but as the album was only 35 mins I went back and relistened to them. I can't really fault any track, great album. And one of the best album covers I've seen.

Very cool. Soulful/funky with great instrumentals and unique falsetto vocals.

interesting title, this is going to be political isn't it lol. nice intro. really nice voice. oh second song's awesome too, this is going to be a 5 easily. 'if you want a good life, best look into yourself'. interesting lyrics, pretty straightforward messages but you could probably tune them out if you're not really paying attention, he sounds so calm all throughout. it's a good balance then i guess. also i love the song lengths, they feel fully realized, hate when songs that sound good end too soon or go on for too long and become diluted, here they're perfect. it was a very satisfying listen all in all. i guess the album could feel a little bit samey but it's just over half an hour long and the variety in song themes makes up for it. first three songs were my favorites but they're all pretty good. it ended it up not being quite a 5 cause 'jesus' did nothing for me but really good otherwise.

Loved it

Nothing like an afternoon grooving to the smooth sounds of Curtis Mayfield.

Really great! Would love on vinyl!

Not the best Mayfield, but still really good

so in love w dis album ...

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

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.

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.

Good

Classic sound but the best part is the album cover

Love Curtis but this album was weaker.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Not bad, kinda weird

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

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

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

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

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.

3.5

Enjoyable

Low key. Unremarkable

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

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.

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

chill. soul. cool.

Enjoyed it well enough.

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.

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.

Completely fine but I will probably never think about this ever again

Sublime

Twas fine. Some standouts, but mostly just went along. Cool cover tho. Highlights-Billy Jack and Blue Monday People.

70s funk is strong in this one, lot of soul in there

I think I was hoping for more funk than this one delivered. Just another R&B that was just ok for me.

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

Somewhat sensual, somewhat funky, lots of falsetto

Good background music

soul with gospel

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.

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.

You are spot on Curtis. Sadly not blown away

This was OK but if I'm in the mood I'd just go back to Superfly

05/11 Was okay

Mixed opininios, esperaba que sea algo más revolucionario pero no dejan de ser todos muy GOD BLESS AMERICA

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 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

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

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.

Perfekt söndagsmusik

This has a great start but I felt burnt out at the end. 6/10

Blues sympa sans plus

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.

Незнаю, музика сама по собі гарна, але це не те, що я люблю. Було нудно, 2,5

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.

OK backing to my morning routine.

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

Not bad. Not my style. Can see how this was a huge influence on Prince and others.

Tested the times. From the 70’s to today , put out classic funk music. Good songs. Unique voice.

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.

Sweet.

Highlights: Billy Jack, So In Love 3.3

I really enjoy Curtis Mayfield. He does suffer a bit from not being Marvin Gaye. But still, it's good stuff.

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.

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.

Some real funky grooves; hadn’t heard this album of his. Good stuff!

Got dat mm-funk.

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.

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

Muy lindo, no es mi estilo pero suena excelente

Une pure pochette de prof d’anglais

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

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

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.

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

2,5

If you love his sound, you'll love this. Classic Curtis!

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!

beautiful music! not my usual genre but well made

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.

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

Pues no me he guardado ninguna por ahora, pero me ha parecido muy interesante y disfrutable. Repetiré.

I enjoyed this but I didn't find it super remarkable.

I liked the vibes

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.

No lo escuche

6/10

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

Classic soul with the right amount of funk along for the ride. Favorite track: Hard Times

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.

Pretty good record and great album art. Favourite Track(s): So In Love, Billy Jack Least Favourite Track(s): Jesus

Понравилось ревью про шефа из южного парка

Ok, good singer, soul, but not really something I listen to.

It was alright. The album just gives off sex.

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.

Not something I would choose to listen myself, but it went really good on a peaceful Saturday afternoon.

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.

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

fell asleep in train while gf was being cutesy sleeping

Soul, funk.

Good one, especially for a Friday. Not my favorite Curtis Mayfield, but very good.

lowkey not bad but it starts sounding the same

Enjoyable and short, yes and yes

Short and sweet. Brilliant album for cooking on a Sunday. Good album cover.

Soul music