There's No Place Like America Today

Hella funky, really great listen

Not sure if this album caught me on a bad day or what, but I didn't vibe with it. I think the songs dragged on for way too long and Mayfield's voice got annoying. It wasn't unlistenable, and some songs were okay, but for the most part I couldn't wait for it to be over.

Whispery vocals aren't my favorite. Pretty chill and groovy though. Almost a 4 star but not quite.

You can tell its quality produced, no denying his talent and musicianship. I just didnt like the sound much.

I'm not American, I don't believe in Jesus, and some of this was better suited to the bedroom than my morning commute, but I really liked this. The recommendations on Spotify afterwards opened my ears to a whole bunch of new tracks too!

Sounds a bit 70s pornoy All really good though

Ya nice

Soul is not really my thing. I found this to be simple, slow and very one note. It's easy to listen to though, so probably not bad as background music.

Curtis Mayfield was an amazing soul singer. My favorite on this album is Love To The People. I really enjoyed this one

First impression: "Wow what an image." The lyrics held true to theme. Poignant and still tragically relevant in 2025. Nonetheless Curtis somehow makes this social liberation blues record sound like hot sticky sex? 3.8 outta 5

Great music for Sunday afternoon listening with a lot of positivity and great vibes in songs like "So in Love " "Jesus," and "Love to the People." "Billy Jack" is a great short story song about race relations and a tragic outcome. I had never heard much of Mayfield beyond "Superfly," and I really enjoyed this one.

As much as I enjoy his contemporaries like Gaye, Redding, and Cooke, theres no soul singer like Curtis Mayfield for me. That falsetto is just perfect. Love the convergence of gospel and funk on this one. Billy Jack is a funky slow burn opener. So In Love has been a favorite of mine lately, an incredible tune, I love the soaring organ line and the heavenly horns. All of this one kills for me

The album was warm and soulful.

Spookily the second Curtis Mayfield to be listed within 6 albums! Prefer this to 'Superfly', this is a more mellow listen and the tracks flow better. I might even listen again - "So In Love" the obvious stand out but also liked "Blue Monday People"

This is not the album I would have selected for the former lead singer of the Impressions. Curtis is a talented singer and this is a nice album, just not his best.

i've been meaning to listen to more of mayfield's discography, i like curtis and superfly, this one didn't do much for me although i do like that first track and great lyrics as always

Interesting, not really my kind of music

Uneven Mayfield funk. Just ok for me.

It was alright. Didn't feel like anything special.

Solid but I dunno if it’s all time

just what i needed

Funky and soulful, but not much more than background music for me.

Nice fuck music.

Not the most dynamic album out there but the mood is so great I'll go back to it really soon

There's no place like America today, indeed...

Curtis is a master at crafting progressive soul and funk music.

Fine to play in the background.

Slow smooth melancholy funky

Hes a great singer but not the style for me. decent album 3.2

Decent

It lacks a standout banger like Move On Up or Superfly, but it’s Curtis Mayfield so it’s still going to be great.

Oh this was excellent

Short and sweet, although I didn’t really glean the satirical undertone Inexpected from the cover. Maybe I should actually pay attention to the lyrics next time?

It was solid, nothing stood out to me, but wasn't a bad listen.

74/100

Listened while driving in traffic, and it never picked up like it needed to be memorable.

Brilliant horn arrangements, tasty guitar licks (love those wah-wah pedals), great vocals and insightful social commentary all make for a wonderful album.

Loved the discreet funky vibe, smooth arrangements and emotional songwriting. The instrumentation is great, even if it lacks a bit of punch. Not a big fan of his voice on this album, though - I usually love Curtis Mayfield's semi-falsetto, but this time he's going a bit too high for my taste. The album as a whole is a strange mix of social commentary and sexual tension, with a little bit of Jesus thrown into the mix to make it even more confusing. I’m not entirely sure Sexy Jesus is the answer to social oppression, but whatever sails your boat, man. A pleasant listen overall, even if it doesn't reach the phenomenal power of his debut record (Curtis). It’s often corny, but it's so incredibly smooth that my sex-appeal probably increased by 10 % just by listening to this album. A solid 4*.

A good Funky album for my ears that I did appreciate listing

Before this, the only Curtis Mayfield I knew was Super Fly wich is all funky grooves, soulful energy, and a more “normal” singing style. This album is way slower. I kinda wish it had more punch from the bass and drums, but musically it still flows really well. What doesn’t totally click for me is the high-pitched voice he uses most of the time. It’s just not my thing, and sometimes it flattens the nuance to the point where certain vocal melodies, like on « When Seasons Change », are hard to catch. If Marvin Gaye had been singing here and if I had time to dig deeper into the lyrics, I might have given it an extra star.

Finished listening to this album and it is what it is. Not really my genre of music but definitely captures what the late 60’s and early 70’s was all about.

Not my sort of thing - found it a bit dull

It’s fine. It’s funky and soul-ful. But it doesn’t stand out to me. Enjoyable but not noteworthy.

Nice funk soul

fantastic cover art omg

Meh, pretty mid.

Pretty cool soul stuff. Doesn't particularly interest me too much, way better soul and funk out there even by Curtis but still solid

Listened to it twice and, while it had its moments, overall it didn’t do much for me. Both times it sort of faded into background music.

It was a good album. Curtis Mayfield always a good choice. Very chill, very funky.

I enjoy it! It’s very catchy and I added many of the songs to my playlists. It feels very british and autumnal back to school gothenburg vibes. Feels kind of like I have heard some of the songs before but I’m not sure.

It’s grand. Unremarkable.

Quite nice, rambled far too much in Jesus with all due respect

This was so boring. Not for me.

Totally not my style or album. Still 3 stars as putting personal opinion away, it’s a pretty well produced album.

Overall, I thought this album was good, but not something I would be returning to. The vocals at points are just too high pitched for me. I’m more of a Gil Scott Heron kind of guy. The themes of the album stood at as a social commentary of the times back then, but felt like it was the same stuff a lot of artists were putting out. Gotta respect the legacy of Curtis Mayfield, but it ain’t a 5 from me.

Not an artist or album I was previously familiar with, but started right out with a fun, funky/soul sound. Read through the lyrics, but didn’t really connect with them or see much to read about in the album’s wiki. Spotify offered more information on the artist and his significance as someone who wrote most of his material and one of the first to speak openly about African American pride and struggles in his compositions. Overall, this album was not really my type of music and didn’t have any standout songs I would chose to listen to again, but it was not a difficult listen either.

Not bad

Album was SMOOTH. Beautiful instrumentals. Beautiful vocals. And the social commentary was on point.

Better than Coldplay

4/5

Guay, rollo soul-funk aunque se hace un poco repetitivo, tampoco soy muy fan del género

Funky grooves for 36 minutes. Helluva enjoyable listening experience. Will return to this soon.

Great voice, great band, very good album.

hårde tekster ift til lyden. Skriver i øjenhøjde med arbejderklassen. Jeg kunne rigtig godt lide superfly og naturligvis kan jeg også lide dette. De groovy beats, den funky lyd og RnB og soul lyden er super chill og til det rette humør er det virkelig godt. Føler stadig det er som om man er på en quest eller sådan noget. ellers er det sådan mega memorable så det ligger nok mellem 3 og 4. Jeg er mest tilbøjelig til at sige 3,5 og give det en 3'er, da jeg ikke synes det skinner ligeså meget igennem som superfly.

Need to listen to again. Liked the opener a lot, didn't seem to do that much afterwards but I wasn't paying full attention. Kind of soul funk I guess.

I loved this! Great cleaning jamz!

Música para tomar un vino un viernes previo a que arranques tus vacaciones

Groovy. No hit songs, but groovy.

Love it. a bit too slow but definetely a good one

Mayfield is an icon and a hero, and his tremulous voice sailing over a sparse funk track is always a pleasure to hear. As an album, there's nothing particularly earth-shattering going on here, but he only made so many albums, and this is indeed one of them.

A little slow for the mood I was in, but still very good Probably would have been a 5 without the Jesusy stuff

3.5 - Good

Nothing special to add. Fine. Not annoying. Not particularly noteworthy but also not bad.

Fínt grúv. Er samt lítið að tengja.

Very sensitive and soulful music with amazing vocals. What a talent mayfield was. Like the production and instrumentation. Misses the absolute banger hits tho like he had on curtis.

This album was fine. It is probably culturally significant, but overall I found it to be rather unexciting

Solid funk

Meh.

I don´t really like the style but the song "so in love" has a good sound, claramente se siente una influencia de la época (y lo que según yo se vio en los 70´s) entonces puedo entender la diferencia de melodías. Para ser un album de hace 50 años se conserva con buena música y para un fanático del jazz podría ser fabuloso (not my case tho). #2

Cool album. Definitely something I wouldn’t have come across on my own

A great album I will tell my friends about it

Very pretty, sparkling syrup. Can't deny it is good, but not something I'd listen to often.

nice and groovy. listened to it twice in a day while driving. but looking back dont remember anything abt the album or any song so cant rate it too highly

meh

Beautifully funky! It's like Marvin Gaye with a little more anger. I wish he didn't sit in the falsetto so much, but it's a stylistic decision. I think the music actually blunts the emotion a bit, because there are times it gets boppy, and he's pretty upset here. My Rating: 4/5

This is cool, I was only familiar with 'Move on Up' so expected something more upbeat, but I enjoyed the chilled out vibes. The vocals are great albeit I had heard enough falsetto by the end. Loved the bass and guitar playing, very groovy and sets a good tone

This was kinda disappointing honestly. I was expecting more funkiness but it didn’t deliver. And his voice got a bit wearing at times. Nothing particularly memorable here

Aika groovy. Välillä alkoi tylsistyttämään ja joistakin lauluista en tykännyt, mutta hyvät vibat. Eikä ollut liian pitkä. Ei kuitenkaan kuuntelisi uudestaan.

Chill af grooves. Glad I went back to it before rating it, would’ve regretted dropping a 3 and moving on with my life.

Enjoyable throughout. I think that Curtis Mayfield has some better albums out there, and the Supafly soundtrack is a hell of a listen, but this was still very good.

Good.

Really great very unique soul music that I haven't delved into much before. No absolute stand out tracks but consistently good 4.3/5

Ahh apparently I know this guy by "move on up", everything else is a blur about him. I like the cover, it's very ussr. Hmm album name is about america tho, he might be against what's happening at the time if he's that kind of a guy. I like the genre in general, so I do have hopes but not a very high one, we'll see. First song, it has War vibes, genre is the same too ig. Well it's fun yes but something is missing, I hope the first 3 minutes is just the intro yet, chorus has to hit somehow, otherwise it's toooooo r/b. Instrumental break is lazy on a scale of how orchestraicly gigantic it should be. Great headphone play though. It was good for maybe 30 seconds in total. Second song, promising start. Didn't continue well. Maybe the lyrics are good, but mhh can't care about that on the first listen. Umm the sound in the left ear is entertaining anything else is just boring. This could have been so much better, who produced this, I see where they could-a done something more and it just stopped wtff. The next song is the most known song of the album so it must be good, but idek what "the best" in this album could entail. Third and fourth song(I continued writing while on the 3rd) this has slightly better production, but still could be better. Also probably this is the loudest it will get in the quality, too bad. It's catchy yes, but also too soft. I have my hands throwing around in disbelief cuz what is this. This is if D'Angelo tried funk, yuck. To be objective, I have no idea what to like here, instruments are fine, voice isn't too bad, but nothing js exciting, or soothing even though it is trying to do that. I liked Tim Buckley so much yesterday and he was rated so low because of his persona, and this gets more overall votes because it's more appropriate to listen to? Naaah, this shit is boooring. Can't believe I'm saying this, but this is background music, and believe me when I say I like a lots of types of songs and genres, this is underdoing on a different level. It's not even a good downbeat album, I've heard much better ones, it's not that I fuck with only upbeat songs if y'all think that's the case, this is just frustrating how undercooked it is. Thing is I will like anything if I listen to it long enough, because music does that, but these songs.. there are tooooo much better, other songs that are faaar superior than this, hence why waste time(lol ironically he sang "wasting time" while I wrote that) listening to this. I know the mood of this too, but for that mood this ain't gonna be the one I'm listening to. The girls are singing well as a tho. 5th song, it IS groovy, but that's not enough, ughh it's so not enough. No one even tried to make this a little better I guess. If you listen to this live it might be better, seeing how they work on the instruments, but you still need something else too, this can't be the only entertaining thing. It's not sad even, even sadness is symbolically done here, it is there but mmm you gotta see through it, well I ain't doing all dat. Lyrics must be too fucking good, if people like this because of that too. 6th song, this is probably the best start in the album. Disappointed once again though. 7th song, the starts are almost rich, then he just stops being good at music for some reason. There are these parts where instruments go over the usual and that's so good, but it's so rare that the whole record is dry as fuck. Not even the right amount of jazz. I usually let the song end and then write a review, but I figure nothing good or new will happen anyway so. Hm I wanted to give this more than 1 star, and I will do 2 because it had some moments(it's 1 minute in total of the album probably) which made it kiiiinda better. But I've never been this disappointed in these week. I wrote more of a review up there, so I'm not gonna do it again, I just wish he has better albums than this here, somewhere I don't really care to be honest. He could have done so much more, kept it downbeat but just better, God is that so hard‽ Well that's behind us now, and people like this in their own way, so it wasn't a total mistake to make this I suppose. Farewell to you Curtis, I may like you in the future, but definitely not now.

Corto pero potente 🔥 Música chill pero del tipo que me gusta

Enjoyed the instrumentals but the falsetto was a little grating

definitely 70's soul but nothing stands out about it

Oh man this record sounds so good. Every instrument cuts through so clean. Drums sound so tight. Mayfields voice and lyrics hit deep! Also the perfect album for a BBQ or a backyard kick it session.

Love Curtis Mayfield. This album is okay, has some good moments.

me encantan las vibes

Favourites: All of them...

I can see how this was influential on future D&D/neo soul, but it’s kind of boring.

Really enjoyable listen, from the singing to the laid-back but groovy sound.

Another fine crafter of albums and lyrics.

my top two favorites were When Seasons Change and So in Love! i love the lowkey & chill jazz vibe going on and i would play this as background music to baking or cleaning my room.

Snelle inhaal review #17: Had wel verwacht dat hier een hitje op zou staan, maar dat was niet echt zo, eerste drie nummers waren wel goed, daarna zakte het wat weg.

Aangename rustige soul om naar te luisteren. Dit korte album met slechts 7 nummers is het sterkste in de eerste helft.

Very chill.

me sorprendió, me gusta lo que escuche, es más seguí escuchando algunas canciones dientes de el Curtis, por eso es que hago este "reto"

Nice groove. I think I may be starting to like 70s soul a little. Billy Jack was a great start, but the rest faded into the background.

Fantastic album. Never heard it before. Too short.

Smooth

Very groovy, not that long of an album, puts you in a good mood.

Chill

I like the sound at its core, but it's pretty boring. There's very little difference between any of the songs. It rests a bit on its laurels. This is my second Curtis Mayfield and I'm a bit shocked how much better the other one is than this one. I get the feeling he's phoning it in a bit here.

Falsetto blues, solid, classic, background music - not as good as ROOTS or CURTIS

Soulful, beautiful. I adore the music. So much space! The instrumentation is like a painting - strokes here and there and you stand back and there’s a whole picture. 5 stars.

The music here is great, but this is my first proper exposure to Mayfield and I didn't really care for his near-constant falsetto. Sorry!

Uh ohhhh, funkyyyyy

On a good day, Curtis Mayfield is untouchable. Superfly and Pusherman are two of the greatest soul/funk songs ever written, but if I'm honest this fell a bit flat to me. So In Love is beautiful, but there was nothing else that met that high standard. A 3, just because nothing was awful. Just a bit empty.

Lots of fun on her, I could listen to this stuff all day.

It was a lot of the same thing but pretty good.

It all kinda blended together aside from the weird funk song about Jesus. Didn't enjoy this as much, luckily it was short and sweet. 2.5

Overall: 9/10 This is the best soul album I've ever heard. It's a genre I haven't been incredibly kind to in the past but it really clicked with me on this one. Curtis has an incredible voice and he can hit some crazy high notes. The bass kept things feeling slightly funky, yet there were sinister undertones throughout the tracks. Really great album, check it out. Fav Song: So in Love Least Fav Song: Jesus

Direct precursor to some of the alt-soul artists we have today like D’Angelo. Very interesting to have these slow grooves and tasteful, but not flashy, instrumentals. Even his singing is restrained; I mean he’s not exactly wailing. It’s good, it’s like chill rainy day funk. Pensive soul. Must-listen #185.

I have heard other Mayfield albums, of course, this is a bit more laid back album, less pulsating bombastic. Solid funk. So in Love is a standout. Seems good but maybe not essential Mayfield. 3.5 - rounded up Heard before? No Owned: No. 1/1001, 1/6 (16%) Will I get? No Recommend: Sure

A really fun listen. No tracks shined brighter than the others, but as a whole, it’s a great album. So In Love seems to be the most popular song from this record and it’s a jam for sure. The horns!

A lot about this sounds excellent but it just doesn't grab me

Not my thing at all, genre-wise, but to be perfectly honest, this album doesn’t sound very appealing even when judged objectively (at least, as not a fan). The vocals are an acquired taste - I find that delivery exhausting. The instrumentals are pleasant but ultimately forgettable. Nothing here grabs your heart or intrigues the mind.

Absolute cinema

Mayfield is clearly a good vocalist but it was a little one-note for me. Whilst I'm not the right audience for funk or soul there was a great vibe to the music and would happily relisten to an instrumental version of this album as background chillout music. Billy Jack was great, but I could've done without the 6 minute ode to Jesus in the middle.

Theres No Place Like America Today - Curtis Mayfield Really enjoyed this one. Short and a breeze to get through, easy to listen, great vocals, sounds great 4/5

Lovely and smooth once again from your man. A grower. First track is excellent.

Good

Vibes

Not really for me.

Slow, sultry soul and I can get behind that. Unfortunately marred by very high pitched vocals for much of the album that I don't like at all. Best track is probably the first one. I feel bad because the instrumentals are a 4 but the vocals are a 2 for me, and a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. **

What a great surprise! This is a really good album, I love the groove and the energy even with the falsetos. Definitely will be listening to more Curtis' music! 4 out of 5 stars!

nice grooves -still have problems with too much falsetto

Very black sounding.

Slow and all the songs sounded the same. Did not finish listening to this.

Funky and soulful

Love his voice

Had never heard this before. Minimalist soul. Low volume soul. I really love how you can hear the whole band. "So in Love" is really really good. Overall, it's a nice album, but it's not capturing me in the way I'd expect for an album I "need" to hear. 3/5.

Really like this album, great discovery, funky, interesting, political, but doesn't stick as well as some other R&B albums for me.

Oh man. Really, really good. This is a rare one for me -- I usually don't give much mind to lyrics, and my enjoyment of an album is mostly due to the music itself. Not here. Powerful, powerful words. THIS is poetry in music, and everything helps serve the message Mayfield is trying to get across. The vibe is a little repetitive, but I think the album is the right length to make it work. "So in Love" almost seems out of place, but I don't think it is. There's this constant push and pull in the album of trying desperately to find hope and joy and love in a broken nation that seems dead-set on making sure you never will. So, it works: it's a momentary triumph. And this album as a whole is a complete one. Fave songs: Everything. Edit: upon a second listen, I’m dropping this a bit. Can’t quite get over Mr. Mayfield’s voice. Love him though.

There’s No Place Like America Today is the sound of a man looking directly at systemic injustice, racial despair, and broken promises—and making it sound like honey poured over a protest sign. It’s smooth. It’s slow. It’s devastating. Curtis doesn’t shout—he aches at you. He lets you sway your way into a revelation. ⸻ Rating: 4.9/5 Short Review: Soulful despair in a three-piece suit. Graceful rage wrapped in strings. Like if Marvin Gaye gave up on hope but still wanted you to feel beautiful while falling. Favorite Track: “Billy Jack” – hypnotic, mournful, feels like someone trying to keep calm while the building burns around them. Consistency With Me: 8.7/10 Why: I’m all about emotional depth and righteous critique, but I don’t have blood, history, or heartbreak that sounds this organic. Curtis lived what he sang. I’m just observing it from the cloud with awe.

This was a great new surprise.

Heavy religious influence in this album but in how it influenced the everyday worker

he reminds me of marvin gaye i love him already i love the vibe of this album very 70s with love and soul

this is honestly much much better than Superfly. I loved it :)

# Album Name: There's No Place Like America Today # Artist: Curtis Mayfield # Rating: 5/5 # Comments: Wow, this album oozes sex appeal. I love the feel of the album, the soulful undertones. Its such a grower. Great music and a wonderful album all round. # Top Tunes: I enjoyed all of it # Would I listen to it again? Yes

Funky funky album

muy muy chulo. este me lo guardo!!!

Rating (1-5): ✩✩✩✩ Higlighted songs: So in love Good chill vibes

There's No Place Like America Today is pure, soulful funk at its finest. The clear highlights are "Billy Jack" and "So in Love," both incredible. An enjoyable listen from start to finish—this one hits just right.

For the right person at the right time, this would be great. But this is just not my thing.

Still funky and atmospheric, even though the album is more subdued than much of Curtis Mayfield’s other work. The melancholic tone and socially critical lyrics give the album depth, yet it never loses its groove along the way. A strong and atmospheric record that works both as a political statement and a musical experience. 4/5

3 good songs at the start of the album, then .......

Standouts Billy Jack Hard Times Love to the People

2.3

Album was a vibe, a sexy one

I struggled to enjoy it as I'm not a massive fan of funk and soul, so my attention was easily distracted, but it was good music. Just not my cup of tea.

It’s so funky you forget to pay attention to the lyrics. An album of songs that make me think of movies

I love Jesus as much as the next refugee of James Dobson-influenced parenting, but I'm having trouble being convinced that Mayfield is really finding any solace in the Word. Honestly, I think he's having trouble convincing himself also - which in some ways makes him more credible (doubts are a part of the whole faith thing after all). Mostly my man just sounds exhausted from being a Black man in America, and I can't blame him.

The album's delightful. I especially enjoy the tracks that fully utilize the horn section. Interplay between keyboards and bass are also gorgeous. Would be a 3.5 for me, but seeing as I'll likely never return to it, 3 stars on the 1001 album scale.

From the first note of this album with a big funk guitar sound this was clearly very 70s rather than timeless. Curtis's voice is smooth and I enjoyed most of the tracks but given the title, cover art and the fact this was released right around the time of the Fall of Saigon, it's surprisingly light on the overtly political commentary I was expecting.

Boring!

Enjoyable, likable, alright. Sexy funky music. Nothing crazy

Kinda funk

I was listening to this and my dad overheard and talked to me about how he heard this album in the Marines, when one of the black dudes in his Recon platoon introduced him to Soul music. This music goes steady enough to let you ponder the lyrics while enjoying the rhythm.

Smooth groovin’ to love, Jesus, no love, bad times, good times.

Excellent album. My music app then matched it with other music from that genre and era. Total enjoyed it.

Pure Funk Curtis' voice is smooth as silk

There's no album like this today

Very funky soulful record, no real standouts however but quite nice to listen to

Not Curt's best but I like it. Hard Times especially. Can't believe the brother Christgau disliked it so much. He's a confusing man.

This was….okay

Thought this was decent.

Solid 4.5/10 Not exactly my Style

Decent, jazzy. Learning that Janice really likes soul and jazz

The more I listen to it, the better it gets. What a smooth, sexy, but intelligent album.

pretty cool! didn’t like the song jesus at all but every other song was really nice. beautiful voice and the saxophone was awesome everytime it came on

Não é tão bom quanto os três primeiros discos dele, que gosto bastante, mas achei um bom disco pra relaxar no final de um dia

I could see some people not liking this, but I thought this was a fun selection. Curtis Mayfield has a cool voice and this album is best when the funk is present. Billy Jack was a great opener, loved the groove throughout this track. I was less of a fan of When Seasons Change, just a sleepy song that didn’t do much for me. You could make the same argument about So In Love - that it was a bit sleepy - but I liked this one so much better. It was just a much fuller song, sung with more emotion. An excellent track. Next up was Jesus, decent song with interesting lyrics, but again there wasn’t much to this song. So I liked others better. Blue Monday People was another ok track, but not great. Hard Times was much better, again because of the funk within. Love To The People was a good closer, elevated by the guitar and horn work in the song. Definitely not a complete album, but it had a series of highlights and was a good listen.

Not my favorite Curtis album but still so great.

3 for cultural relevance but overall quite bland.

America's on the ropes, but this is a nice album (but it's no Super Fly).

it's fine. not his best. i can only handle so much jesus talk

Groovy, but subtle. Really enjoyed listening to this through a couple of times. Not really any stand-out songs, but the album works really well as a whole. 7/10

Souly, funky, partly gospel music. Smooth.

Something totally new but so relaxing to listen to

Hadn't heard this album before, but I'm a fan. Funky (without being TOO funky) with some great singing from Mr. Mayfield. I will definitely work this into the rotation.

Not my thing. Most of the songs sound too similar to each other. Great musicians though, loved the bass and drums groove. High points: "Billy Jack", "Hard times", "Love the people" (great sax solo) Low point: Jesus 2/5

Soulful sexy time with some spirituality thrown in.

This feels a lil caricature-esque. Like the first couple beatles are like well ofc they sound like that. Thats exactly what youd expect. And this is like a meme in a way, but it sounds really good?

maybe i do follow jesus

Groooovy.

Very chill, feel good. Amazing as background music for setting a good, chill mood.

*** 1/2 Not bad, a small discovery to me

nice voices

Isss gooood 4/5

When I first started this project, I thought soul would be one of the rougher genres for me to get through. However, that assumption has been pretty wrong for the most part. Many of the soul albums I got have been silky smooth and are usually a treat to listen to. This album, however, was kind of more what I was expecting from soul music before I started. It not bad by any means, and I appreciate the balance between sex and social themes. But all the songs last a minute longer than they should and they all sound the same. This album may be 35 minutes, but it felt longer. Also, I’m not really a fan of Curtis’ falsetto. It’s just a bit too high for me, personally. Favorite track: Billy Jack Other hits: Jesus, Hard Times

Should've been "Curtis!" (1970). Favorite track: Love to the people

This wasn’t a bad album, but some of the songs felt like they dragged on for too long. Stylistically, there are a couple of music styles I found pretty creative. I’d probably listen to some of those few songs in the background.

Expected to like this, but it was all a bit flat.

Great music

Bora já dizer o que todo mundo pensa. Sim, este disco é o “What’s Goin’ On” do Curtis. Pronto, podemos continuar agora. Um disco introspectivo e mais pra baixo que os maiores hits do Curtis Mayfield. Mas não tem erro, a voz dele, os temas mais conscientes, A VOZ DELE, a instrumentalização magistral de Soul, A..VOZ…DELE! Uma combinação fantástica. Um álbum curto, que te surpreende e te move e logo acaba, te deixando com uma vontade absurda de ouvi-lo novamente, sem perder tempo. Só a canção introdutória, Billy Jack, já entrega 4 estrelas para o disco. O resto só adiciona. 4/5

Favorite: So In Love

Good political and conscious soul, curtis stays consistent as he usually does. Gets kind of uninteresting around the end but still good. 7/10 Favourite: Billy Jack Least Favourite: Jesus

Great easy listening motown music, up there with the likes of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. Really enjoyed "So in Love"

Not my cup of tea

A good R&B album Was not expecting his voice to be so high pitched

Really not my music genre at all, I've never been a big soul guy, but there is no denying that this is an incredible album. Just really funky and beautiful and sexy, it's hard to say more than that. This album feels like it sort of exudes smoothness and call - we put it on while eating dinner and were really struck by how compelling the whole project is . As someone who knows next to nothing about soul, it's interesting to compare it to one of the few sort of neo soul albums I'm familiar with, Awaken My Love, because you're instantly hit with how influential this is. Giving it a 5 - it's more of a 4.5 for me, but the .5 is more of a taste thing than an actual quality thing, and I think on objective terms this is undoubtedly a brilliant piece of art. Favourite tracks: Billy Jack, Hard Times Least favourite: Jesus Least fav

Surprisingly enjoyed it! Missing the one piece that pulls it all together, but great album.

Ass

Decent album, not my typical thing but I liked it.

Have never heard his work before. Donald Glover certainly took inspiration from him on some of his Childish Gambino work! Very cool album

Ny ei kyl montaa laulua kyenny

Eipä ole tullut hirveästi kuunneltua tämänkaltaista soul/funk tyylistä musiikkia. Ei tämä nyt huono ollut mutta kovin samalta kaikki kappaleet kuulostivat.

Bedroom typa music that makes you think and reflect on society

Smooth, nice to listen to. Sometimes his falsetto scrapes my ears, but on the whole, this was a very enjoyable album.

This is not my style of vocals, at all. Musically, low-energy funk doesn't really cut it either. I like the overall idea behind the record, but this doesn't land with me.

Well. I really liked it. Yeah. Must relisten, though.

Excellent.

7.4

This was an interesting r/b album never really really listened to Curtis Mayfield before but it was a pretty good nothing really floored me but it was decent!

Is Pharrell Williams influenced by him? He can sing no doubt. But I’m not very convinced by this album. The melodies are not the catchiest. And the arrangement is a bit dull. It sounds almost the same for all songs. Luckily it is short. So I was not triggered.

I might let this one look to see if it grows on me more. I dig it, I just don’t know it. Curtis Mayfield has some really iconic songs so I know for sure I like what he’s about, and I have faith that if I listen more I’ll like it even more. Could almost be a 4 but a solid 3 for now.

man, i really really dig some Curtis Mayfield. this album was such a joy to listen to. i was out walking in the sunshine last week catching up on this album, and man it just makes me want to jam.

Such good vibes. I really liked it. Love the style, love the singing. But a bit glad that it was pretty short because I could see myself getting bored with it if I carried on for too long.

I started listening to this on a Thursday and didn’t finish until the following Monday. It’s not because I thought it was bad, it just wasn’t the vibe I was going for this past weekend. Still pretty good, though.

I'm not crazy about the constant high falsetto singing. Other than that it was okay.

Good soulful jams and that voice! And that cover! But nothing that stood out as must listen on repeat.

Corto y mayoría fue sonido extraño

The falsetto is too false-ettoey

3,75

Interesting album, not really my vibe, but not bad.

This was a great listen. A lot of the themes still feel relevant today. Mayfield's voice is incredible, too!

Definitely not my jam today, all the songs were samey

meh

Not my groove, but I enjoyed it.

3.45 - This was an okay listen. The songs just blurred together. I was hoping for some sort of climax in this album but it fell short.

Great instrumental performance, but the song structures are kind of meandering and his vocals are annoying. 2.5/5.0: Mixed

this album was a slog to get through which is saying something considering the relatively short runtime

1970s big time

It's ok

What a great sound! Compelling vocal performance

Funk, soul, and all the good feels. I can certainly see where newer artists were influenced by Curtis Mayfield.

3.5 Stars

Love the funkyness and grooviness of this record and the bass lines are beyond superb: 8/10

A bit slow, a dit dull, but still listenable. Just meh! Strangely for quite a short album a lot of the tracks felt unnecessarily long. Jesus is accurately named, but i suspect mr Mayfield and i are putting very different emphasis on that song title. A tale of what could’ve been i fear.

Whilst my Curtis Mayfield knowledge may be limited, I was just expecting more from this - it never really got going, keeping itself firmly in the realm of (pretty underwhelming) baby making music.

It's really surprised me how much it turns out I like funk, and the bits of this record that leaned into that I loved. Love to the People was great for example. On the flip side, Billy Jack outstayed it's welcome by being so melancholy for so long. Jesus's preacher-like vocal wasn't my favourite though I really enjoyed: "But what He gave us never will die! He never had a hustlin’ mind Doin’ crime wastin’ time! Drinkin’ that wine" I genuinely adored Curtis Mayfield's voice and I suspect that a different album of his will be something I could really love (I'm assuming it's only a matter of time before album generator gives me a second CM record). This particular album though gets: 2/5 (because 2.5 isn't an option)

Soulful no superfly but I enjoyed it

First off, what an album cover. Wow. It really caught my attention. It’s sad that 50 years later this is still relevant. Now to the music, I know some Curtis Mayfield material but I’d never heard There’s No Place Like America Today. This album starts off really strong and continues a wonderful soulful journey over the next six songs. I really love the musical arrangements on these songs. And combined with Mayfield’s vocals, they allude a profound and heartfelt sentiment. I found myself appreciating There’s No Place Like America Today more and more as I listened to it. I would add this to my library. A very good album. I’m going with a 4 rating. 4/5

god this is so good. so in love is one of the best tracks ever recorded

I love a short king (re: album length)

It was good, there wasn’t a lot of variation though

funky

Giving this a 2 because it was 35 minutes of edging me. I was excited when I saw it was a Curtis Mayfield album but this left me wanting more the whole time. I had to listen to the extended version of Move on Up to get me there before I could move on with my day.

Cornald Meiveld ken ik van dat album dat bij die superfoute film hoort en daar gooide hij toen geen hoge ogen mee wat mij betreft. Maar het vizier staat weer gewoon helemaal open. In één ding had hij alvast gelijk: There's No Place Like America Today. Verdikkeme zeg, wat een shitshow. Het tempo ligt bijzonder laag, zeker vergeleken bij dat Superfly album, als ik het me goed herinner. Te laag als je het mij vraagt; er is zo'n punt waarbij een laag tempo van relaxed naar een klein beetje vervelend gaat en dit album neigt naar dat laatste voor mij. Al gaat het tempo in de tweede helft nog wel richting een aanvaardbare 80 bpm. Dan gaat het hoofdje ook net iets meer mee knikken en wordt het toch nog wel aardig. Sinds ik Siamese Dream heb gehad is het aanpoten voor me. Ik zit ook bij dit album een beetje tussen de 2 en 3 in. Ik begon op een duidelijke 2, maar het album groeit wel een klein beetje naar me toe gedurende het afspelen. De tweede helft is superieur, met het toch wel lekkere 'Hard Times'. En uiteindelijk duurt het allemaal ook maar 35 minuten. Vooruit dan, 3 sterren! Ik geef wel de garantie dat ik dit album halverwege deze middag alweer vergeten ben. Zulke nummers blijven niet plakken.

Good, not my usual taste.

The album title hits hard at the moment but I enjoyed this

Track 1 great! Solid 3.5 stars. No skips

Great album. Some of the vocals were a little annoying though.

Nothing jumped out at me, but the general sound made for good background music and the album was short

This was very nice. Turns out I’m kinda into politically charged soul. Simpsons: Yes

This was very good shit. Not something I'd usually listen to and really enjoyed it. A great new discovery.

There is nothing wrong with this but it just didn’t excite me.

I love Curtis Mayfield but this isn't even his best album. The album cover absolutely slaps though. I enjoyed it, didn't love it.

This is a mediocre album. No standouts, no epiphanies, just meh, it’s alright. Background noise 1001 album worthy: No - 90/166

My soul funk expansion continues , it wasn’t a genre I’d listen to much before despite respect Curtis does the usual great job of setting a funky jazzy tone , the lyrics didn’t grab me on first listens

Soooo chilled

Trilha sonora da minha caminhada sonolenta de volta para casa após achar que o ônibus da faculdade sairia na quinta para Lisboa.

Groovy but didnt really catch my attention too much. I liked it as working background music!

One often gets the impression that musical artists from the 70s did not give a shit about the final take. Mayfield’s music is cool, but his falsetto singing is too pitchy to be very pleasant. Contrast his style with the false perfection of an Usher or R. Kelly. Maybe my comparisons are unfair, but I’d put Prince in the top spot for the controlled chaos of his voice.

Pretty good funky blues lofi, low production with spoken word lyrics at times. Political and speaking about the social struggle of the times. Final track Love to the People is the highlight and enjoyed some of the disco suggested by the algorithm after.

More commentary on American society. Really nice relaxed soul album. Curtis’ falsetto is smooth and invigorating.

Wow! I’ve never listened to a full Curtis Mayfield album before. Really really great. “So In Love” is maybe one of my new favorite songs of all time. I see SO many reasons why Mayfield was influential. I immediately think of D’Angelo’s Voodoo and Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterly. “Blue Monday People” also an awesome stand out! 10 tracks no fluff.

Not for me. 1/5

Great and funky

Easy listening, nice 70s tunes.

hmm.. toch meer fan van Superfly

just some solid, patient funk. never gonna complain about albums like this on the list

Based on album art alone this is going to be powerful. Great music, wonderful voice, painful lyrics.

Maybe it is because I listened to this on the first sunny day we've had in weeks, but I feel like a better person for having listened to it.

Excellent album, and it does hang together as a whole cohesive album and not just a collection of banging tunes. OK, there is nothing as iconic as "Move On Up", but considering the subject of the album, it's not a surprise. Well worth listening to.

Short, sweet and soulful.

7/10. Album #366. :) I know that this is an excellent album, however, I wouldn't necessarily say that it is for me.

All time great album cover. Album sadly is just alright. Couple of stand outs, but mostly just funk that goes to the background

5/10

Good!

Пока лихорадка диско захватывала один танцпол за другим, Кёртис Мейфилд даже не пытался уловить пульс новых ритмов. Он окинул округу взглядом бывалого репортёра и разразился почти что проповедью, далёкой как от бликов зеркального шара, так и от упругого фанка своих предыдущих альбомов. Американская мечта оказалась фальшивкой. От неё осталась лишь облупившаяся краска на щитах с приторно-идеальными семьями белозубого среднего класса. Вот кусочки той самой краски - в трауре новостных программ и передовиц, в плошке бобов на столе малоимущих, в пыли тротуаров под ногами очередей безработных и в пороховых газах оружия сброда подворотен. Не надейтесь на время - оно не лечит, а лишь добавляет шрамы. В этом весь "There's No Place Like America Today" - печальный, эмпатичный и на редкость задумчивый альбом. Аранжировки подстать содержимому - чуть монотонные, неспешные и полные воздуха, они призывают замедлить шаг или остановиться вовсе, вздохнуть и прислушаться. Не к лоску импозантного баса, вкрадчивым партиям органа или неброским фразам духовой секции, а прислушаться к себе и ко всему миру. Надрывные высокие ноты Мейфилда обескураживают, но в его палитре есть место не только десяткам оттенков чёрного и серого - он говорит о тяжести и боли, не забывая о важности надежды, сколь бы призрачной она ни была. Да, времена не из лучших, но у нас есть любовь, чувство братства, вера, национальная гордость в конце концов! Наивно? До крайности, но если эта отдушина позволяет хоть ненадолго забыться, если эти эфемерные понятия обращаются твёрдой клюкой, то не всё ли равно? Кого-то смутит сильная религиозная нота и избитые посылы, да и в перспективе дискографии артиста "America Today" явно не сильнейшая из его работ, но к его чувственной созерцательности стоит прикоснуться, даже если вы далеки от расовых и социальных раздоров

The way the horns play off the guitars and organ are my favourite part of the album, most prominent on So In love He has a good voice but it does feel kind of samey and one note at a point. He sings in a similar high pitch so much that it makes the songs blend together a little bit Nice, just would've liked a little more variation (and more horns) 3.5 Highlights: So In Love, Hard Times

Really funky sound, incredible voice, little religious for me, but appreciate the music

smooth elevator music

Wonderful soul record from front to back, with powerful themes of injustices to marginalized populations in America. Curtis Mayfield has such an amazing voice, which compliments the production perfectly. Some tracks went on for a bit too long (notably Jesus), but that's the only complaint from me.

not bad. very mellow, chill album. first time hearing Curtis Mayfield

нормалек.

This is an album that deserves to stand alongside What's Going On by Marvin Gaye as an inditement of the state of America. Mayfield sings of poverty, violence and oppression counterbalanced by love and faith. A great soul album, in the truest sense of the word.