Reviews (page 7 of 12)
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.
*Love the horn sections and funk style
Solid set of Curtis Mayfield-ass music, if you're into that kinda thing, which I am. That said no real stand out tracks in particular.
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.
3.7
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
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.
fave song - so in love least fave- jesus overall rating- 6/10
Indeed there isn't Curtis, indeed there isn't.
Nice sounding album. I liked the beginning of So In Love a lot. Lyrics seemed to be a is of political and love songs. High 3.
I hadn’t heard of Curtis before I thought the album sounded alright nothing special but nice to listen to
Started off really promising with "Billy Jack". Just too many slower songs sung at a falsetto... it just didn't hold my attention very well.
Doin' crime. Wastin' time. Drinkin' wine. Talkin' bout Jesus baby.
I thought this album was fine, but nothing really stood out to me. The music was good, and he has a great voice, but I just can't see wanting to come back to this record. I wanted it to be better, but it just wasn’t it for me.
Love to the People is a groove!
Not very interested in the Soul genre, still a solid album though.
I'm not totally sold on the idea of political porno music
This is not my genre but I can appreciate it (and the album itself feels extra prescient right now)
Great album artwork. This sounds a lot like Awaken, My Love! (i.e., Redbone) by Childish Gambino, and neither are exactly my thing, but I appreciate what they've got going on. Hard Times was a really enjoyable song lyrically, it expressed similar sentiments you hear on Good Kid Maad City but with a different tone.
très bon 4+/5
Been about 20 years since I listened to much Curtis Mayfield, there was always a sharp line for me of love vs hate his different tracks.. ‘Billy Jack’ was my favorite but many others here I didn’t like very much. Really enjoy the groove. Overall 2.5/5, gets the bump from lacking half-stars
6/10 uno menos.
7/10 no es para nada mi onda pero banque me gusta para ambientar
Thissssss kind of passed me by im sorry to say. I love Curtis Mayfield, maybe I just love the hits, I’m sorry! 3.0/5.0 Best Song: Hard Times
It’s enjoyable, but it’s nothing special to me, the songs are all pretty similar, it’s not the best Curtis mayfield album by a long stretch.
Funky background music, really helped me lock into my uni work
Enjoyable to listen to. Not necessarily my favorite album but I liked it.
5/10
Fine, but not really my thing
Man is a legend
Tbc
Cool and funky, mellow soul from the People Get Ready guy. Not too shabby a start to a Sunday morning.
Ok album, nist special. Ima Marvin Gaye normie music vibe. 6/10 Najbolja pisma: So in love
Groovy, but not sure how much I really enjoyed it.
Vähän Prince-esque mut tylsempi ja enemmän gospel. Groove on mukava mut ei jaksa kuunnella.
3.5
I like more upbeat Curtis Mayfield, but this was something I've never heard. It's interesting and sad that issues he discussed in 1975 remain the same in 2026.
interesting but didn’t hook me
I thought it was a pleasant listen, strongest tracks to me being Billy Jacks, So in Love and Love to the People. I just thought it was missing an out and out classic track to raise it up. I've got it at a 3 right now, but there's the potential for a 4 in future.
So In Love the highlight and a strong finish but doesn’t reach Superfly levels.
Funky and fun and sexy. What it lacks is something with a bit more of a hook that would keep drawing me back to it. As it stands it’s somewhat forgettable.
Curtis fucking Mayfield. Despite some of the darker depictions of America at times in this album, this shit is MY feel good music. Billy Jack is such a captivating opener. I wouldn’t say this is near being his best album, but it was a fun ride. I enjoy the concept of the album and this stuff still hits today.
Pas mon vibe, Curtis...
3 out of 5. Very relevant album to today's America. Otherwise short and sweet.
Soul food.
3/5 - very groovy but too slow and samey for me. The vocals started to grate on me about half way through
I liked it
It's really strange that there are only two curtis mayfield albums on this list and neither of them are Curtis. This one is still pretty damn good but is not quite as seismic as his initial run. This one is a little sadder and slower than much of what came before. Favorite Tracks: Billy Jack, When Seasons Change, Hard Times
Soul is definitely not my cup of tea but I can recognize this is good and well executed. I'm torn between giving it 3 or 4 stars because I do believe it deserves 4 stars; problem is I was saving 4 stars for "things I'd keep a physical copy of" (even if it's something I think it deserves 3 stars but I like the genre / artist anyway) So.... it's tricky
Little morning soul. Short album, no complaints there. No real standouts.
3.2 2x great sound. catch up 2/9
Anhörbar! Aber doch eher zum Nebenbeihören im Homeoffice.
This vibe is chill AF. 😎
Curtis is so overlooked todaY
Amazing pull for February 2026 in America. I listened to most of this album walking around downtown, and it was a perfect urban walking experience. No one can blend gritty political lyrics with slinky, sexy, ice cold funk like Curtis Mayfield. Previously I was only really familiar with his album Roots, which is phenomenal, and this one got close to the highs of that album, but didn't quite take it over the top for me. I think it's missing one big anthem and it would be an all-timer. All love for Curtis, this is gonna be a 3.5/5 from me.
groovy spotify said "you might like this: sad soul" 3 stars
Ilus ja mõtestatud soul. Aga siin ei ole ühtegi sellist meeldejäävat lugu, millepärast ma seda albumit hakkaks uuesti kuulama. Üldiselt mõnus kogemus, 3.4/5
Strong 3
This is socially conscious, silky, sexy, smooth Funky R&B with some danger to it. This isn't fun, experimental weirdness that you get with P. Funk & what not. Horns are nice & so is the organ.The Blues influence is very present. i hate my brain. All I'm picturing is The Cryin' Man from Sliders singing these while sobbing. Especially on Jesus. It's unfair that my brain went there because this is pretty good. Cryin' Man is a slight parody of the cliche gimmicks that sometimes Funk & R&B artists used to have. I think its the high pitched voice that Mayfield uses often is what's doing it. Billy Jack & Hard Times are the standouts. Album cover is nice composition of what America thinks of itself & the Reality of America. 3
Really can't decide about this one. One moment I really like it, and the next I don't!
Curtis Mayfield has a lovely voice, the instrumentation is minimal but pleasant, sometimes it feels like he's trying a bit hard, but overall it works nicely. His guitar work is funky and the rhythm section keep the songs on track. His lyrics are strong and he addresses a lot of issues, which I like. I think my issue is that none of the songs felt like they were incredible. Nothing made me sit up and go "wow" which I half expected with albums in this list that I enjoy. This one was just good, not spectacular.
Have to be in the mood for this
Sublime. Such a good time listening to Curtis Mayfield. I think I’d still put Superfly above this but it’s a 3.5 from me, rounding down tho
Jazzy , chill , I like it :3
C'est correct. Ça sonne pas rien qu'à moitié par exemple.
I enjoyed this. I listened on my walk to work and it was a great easy listen musically. The lyrics are heavy and I really like that juxtaposition. I liked blue Monday people the most I think. I do think a lot of Curtis mayfield’s music can sound quite similar, but their story telling is of a high quality, so it feels justified. I would give this a 3.5 if I could.
- Billy Jack er et masterpiece - Hans vokal er virkelig smuk - Godt budskab, selvom det er noget over albummet der ikke er vildt sammenhængende for mig? Men det er ikke fordi det er en dårlig ting - Blæserne er on point - Kendte ikke til ham før jeg hørte albummet, men skal da til at høre mere
funky & soulful! really nice and easy to listen to. probably 3 stars for me since i don't know if i will go back and seek it out, but it was good
Interesting, the 70's was an amazing era
Good 3. This is super nice.
Fun but a tad boring. High 3
Slow and airy for a thirty minute album. Nothing really grabbed me and forced me to take notice. Glad I listened through it, but don't think I'd find a reason to put it back on.
A really great album instrumentally, I just love slow funky tunes. The vocals turn out to be a little too much after a couple of tracks though.
Classic slow lovemakin' funk, with wah-wahs and clavinets...but Mayfield's high falsetto vocals just don't quite click for me. He's clearly passionate about his vocals, but the high range doesn't work for me. I can hear how it influenced Prince, though I never liked his falsetto work much either. Killer band, great grooves, but the vocals bring it down a notch for me.
I couldn’t find my way into this.
Just a bit bland, the whole album is a similar shade and whilst it's not offensive to listen to, it's just a bit middle of the road
This was fine as background music.
Enjoyable R&B/soul record.
Very soulful
what a vibe
I'll never get over how jarring it is to hear a protest album in 2026, only to realize it came out 51 years ago. A lot of Mayfield's songs hold true today. This album is really a keystone of the genre, one that still influences artists today. My favorite song was "Billy Jack."
This is a pretty cool album
it was great listening to other music genres but the songs weren't really apealling for me
3,1 - Hört sich locker leicht weg, es bleibt aber auch nichts wirklich hänge. Die Texte sind sehr kritisch, mit etwas mehr Schwung wäre es ein tolles Album. Highlights: Billy Jack, So in Love
Funky and mellow grooves, falsetto singing, all very reflective of the year I was born. Lots of socially relevant lyrics to the times. One very Jesus forward song, which I dig.
Not bad. You know, aside from all that Jesus bullshit.
I love his voice but there’s not enough variety for me. Only something I would listen to in the background.
Pure funk.
Lovely funky soul
Alors je ne m’attendais pas à un album de soul/funk ! C’était bien cool, mais je connais pas assez bien le genre pour bien commenter.
Was this written for a 70s porno? Not for me but it grew on me slightly.
This was such a welcome sound after several days of hard rock and metal. It starts off so confidently with Billy Jack, When Seasons Change, and the best track, So In Love. Things get derailed with a 6-minute song about Jesus that really doesn’t go anywhere. The band never does anything that interesting for the rest of the record and I ended up a little disappointed. I’d probably return to tracks 1 and 3 again, but the rest didn’t leave me feeling like this was a great album. It did make me interested to hear more music I like in the same vein, so that’s a win overall.
Cool
Ok
This dude’s bass sounds like when you shake a piece of laminated paper and I love it. I actually just discovered Mayfield not that long ago but hadn’t listened to this album yet. I feel like the energy dropped as it went on, but the first half was excellent and the second was really good as well. I’m putting it at a 3 for now but want to relisten soon.
The concept of the album is powerful and Curtis communicates it effectively. The music is a bit stripped down and serves to set the mood. For me, Curtis’ voice is decent but the falsetto tone is a tad redundant at times. 3.1/5.0
Yeah fine, nice album for in the back while doing stuff. Nothing too special though.
My rating 3.3
Not bad, pretty chill.
Funky and smooth album, but it’s pretty one note all throughout. A bit uninteresting for most of its runtime.
Funk so funky you could eat it with a spoon. A beautiful voice so charged with feeling. But the lyrics. From the man who wrote "People Get Ready" and "Move on Up" we get things like: Can't be no fun To be shot with a hand gun Or When cupboards are bare Our love we can share Truth is not the whole question What is the answer you hide? Or Every time we kiss It's such a pleasant taste Or this pearler Our love is your confession That we're in love. It's just not very good. 4 for the music 1 for the songs
When underrated artists are discussed, Mayfield should be mentioned. I’m not sure whether he was an influence on Prince, who I think was one of the few musical geniuses of my lifetime, but I hear it. Mayfield’s sound is distinctively cool; his music is socially conscious and still relevant today. This might not be Superfly, but it’s still great.
I liked this and can't believe I hadn't heard it before as its a genre I enjoy. Added to listen again list.
Pretty decent album, very funky at times and chill and smooth at other times, a good blend. I liked this one. Standout Songs: Billy Jack So in Love Love to the People
I loved how smooth and jazzy this one was, with a gospel twist. Favourite track: Love to the People
Not my general jam, but it's Curtis Mayfield, so it was still damn good, not super familiar with the dude so it was nice to hear more. That cover and title are also amazing.
Maximum soul, minimum funk.
Bum chicka wow wow
I really liked the instrumentals and the way they sang in the songs Less of a fan of the religious songs by that's just me Favs were 1 2 3
I haven’t got much to say except that I liked it and it’s a very chill album to listen to when you’re in a jazzy mood and just chilling with your book and what not. 5/10
I was expecting "Pusher Man". This is quite the change of pace. "So in Love" deserves more spins
Three stars, enjoyable and the music is pretty solid. I’d listen here and there if it came on, the progressive messaging a the time was interesting
Cool vibe.
Soulful and rich, this album isn't Mayfield’s best but it's a good listen. Top tracks: "When Seasons Change," "Blue Monday People," "Billy Jack"
--Billy Jack...capital f Funky --When Seasons Change...preachy --So in Love...easy listening cheese. classy, expensive cheese --Jesus...not my bag lyrically but it's pleasant --Blue Monday People...I can't help but feel like this is similar to but a still a step back from Superfly --Hard Times...okay, this is a return to form. funk with some grime --Love to the People...strong finish. I feel like this record is a 3.5. Superfly is a 4.5. I usually round down
His seventh album. Soul / Funk. Some nice lyrics combined with an introspective tone and soft funk vibes. A nice album.
Not bad, but not as good as Super Fly. Music was great, but Mayfield's falsetto kind of gets tiresome after a while
I liked "Billy Jack" and "Love to the People". The other tracks I found a bit boring, but not bad. The vocal style got a bit old as the album went on, I would have loved some variety in there. 3/5.
Good music, unnecessarily wimpy soul voice
Przyjemny, spokojny album ale nie taki który bym słuchała cały czas
Chill and soulful but never really gets out of 1st gear.
There’s no doubt that Curtis Mayfield has a good voice, and the quality of production is also very nice. I don’t connect to many of the songs, though. So in love is the standout song for me.
It was OK but I can definitely see why it was on the list
god i love curtis so much. not my favorite project of his, but he’s a revolutionary. he tells it like it is and sounds like he’s holding nothing back. sexy but bleak!! great stuff
3.5. Quite enoyable but ultimately fairly forgetable, songs kind of blended into each other. Billy Jack probably the highlight
I mean it's funky
While I am thrilled to see that Curtis Mayfield is on this list I can't believe either his eponymous debut album Curtis or even SuperFly isn't the go to choice here. This album is a solid 3 where the two previously mentioned are 4-5 starts easily.
This is such a smooth album, every song is so good. I'm looking into buying this on vinyl and will be ripping it to disc so I can listen to the album regularly. None of the songs stood out in particular to me, but certainly none of them were boring.
I only had a chance to listen to it twice but I really liked it. Although I still think it’s a bit monotonous, luckily not too long. Will get back to it to give it a more in depth listen
I don’t know. I got too far into my own head about it. 3 I didn’t know any Curtis Mayfield albums going into this but my expectations weren’t high. We have come across a number of the big names of 70s soul and funk courtesy of the Generator - Stevie Wonder, Al Green, Sly and the Family Stone, War, Marvin Gaye - and it’s all been acceptable stuff. Always musical enough to command respect, never interesting enough to me to earn any particular admiration. Curtis Mayfield’s album was a real surprise then because I was bowled over by some of this, particularly So in Love and Jesus. Those are both song titles that promise very little beyond the generic but I was, from first listen, mesmerised by both. There is a musical discipline to the arrangement of the songs on this album that stands it apart from much of the other material we had encountered so far in this genre; more considered composition and less of decent musicians funking around at will. The horns and strings are used relatively sparsely and the lines well judged and powerful in effect when they appear. But the main distinction of There’s No Place Like America Today is the top lines. Mayfield is blessed with a beautiful, characterful singing voice. Equal credit should go to his melodies I think. There are some striking choices in there; an instinct for harsher blues orientated lines that pop nicely off the sweetness of the other music. I liked this a lot. 3.5/5
2/3. He obviously has a great voice, and the instrumentation on this is so groovy. Love the really clear and pronounced rhythm sections, the funky synths, and Billy Jack really stood out to me. Other songs will probably grow on me, but there are two or three songs that kinda just dragged on for me.
All in all, an enjoyable time was had here. I wasn't sold on the vocals to begin with, which very much sit in a higher register and have an airy, breathy quality to them on occasion, but I was able to come around to them quite quickly. The instrumentation here is compelling enough - funky, groovy playing interlaced with tinges of soul. It's very much a "vibe" of a sound. The album probably does peak early throughout its first half, but the drop off in the second isn't a seismic one. This was on the precipice of getting four stars - but perhaps just not quite memorable enough to justify a purchase.
The only Curtis Mayfield I’ve listened to before was his self titled, so this should be interesting! The album cover is phenomenal. I actually remember having to write a little essay about it in fourth grade English class. Sadly, I don’t have time to write an in-depth review, but I will say: -Awesome production -Impressive vocals and instrumentals -The opening was really good and fitting -No songs really stuck out to me but as a whole the album felt cohesive -I’m torn between a 3 and a 4. I think it’s a three but I also don’t think I really listened as closely as I normally do. I’ll go with a 3, however, because I think that the fact I zoned out while listening is a testament to the fact that it wasn’t mind blowing. I’ll say 3.5 here though and I’m willing to change my mind with another listen. -I do love the lyrics. They’re very passionate and I liked how he threw in a religious song. -The closer was also really good. -Overall, nothing absolutely blew me away, but it was good and I enjoyed it.
Compared to Superfly, his more reserved voice while highlighting his musical ability is just less enjoyable listening experience. While the funk elements are still neat, the toned down elements suck some of the life out what could have been another great album. However, this style does suit him but not to my ears.
It’s good, it’s stylish, it’s got good composition. But it’s quite a run of the mill soul album for me. Nothing about it is surprising nor really elevates it; it is what it is. Much preferred superfly that felt like it had some bite to it, even if hid behind some tongue in cheek-ness.
Recording is very clean which I like and its punchy base sound. I dont think the backing music is particularly exceptional though. Its rolling but repetative. OK it has a unmistakeable funk / soul vibe and the pairing with the vocals / wind instruments is pretty optimal sound but its a bit slow on the transition for me. It does allow the little details to shine in songs like "When Seasons Change" its very deliberate and slow with neat micro sparkles. Ultimately not my taste. I would not turn it off but certainly middle of the road for me.
The album sounds excellent musically and production-wise. I really like the cool, slow, soul. It's super easy to listen to and I was really enjoying it, despite the sometimes over-the-top falsetto. I say "was" because the track "Jesus" was such a shitter that it nearly put me off the whole album. As it is, I think its nice illustrative album of a point in time but not one for my general listening. One track was very cool but a whole album became a bit grating.
Great record. This is a 3,7
I like the music, but the vocals were not strong enough. 3 stars or C+.
Not the best Curtis album, but still really great. Instrumentation is second to none.
(72/100)
I liked it, not peak Mayfield
Finde die Songs alle einen Ticken zu lang um die Spannung pro Song aufrecht zu erhalten, dafür passiert zu wenig. Aber grundsolide 3.
funky smooth tunes
So in Love. When Seasons Change. Blue People Monday. All solid tracks. Nothing really jumped out at me.
Vocals remind me of Prince.
Pretty decent album. Funky stuff
This was OK, easy to listen to. Nothing to write home about.
I suspect that all Curtis Mayfield is good Curtis Mayfield. So far, that's been the case, and this is no exception. He was definitely going for something bigger here than what I think he achieved, but an enjoyable listen. Regardless, and better than most things you would come across on this list or anywhere else.
I love the album artwork here, it's really provocative and is the highlight of the album for me. The music is good, Curtis just has a really delicate voice that doesn't always do it. The song jesus is incredibly annoying and preachy. All around good though. 3/5
aronou, me gusta ese bro pero no las onda de este en especial
Not a soul expert by any stretch, but I really enjoyed this. Multiple listens, great grooves and heartfelt vocal performances. 3.5
It was alright
very good
Solid enough album. Had some good grooves, but that's about it. Mayfield is rightly regarded fairly high, which I totally get, but this album just kinda felt good, not great, and not fantastic. It's a good 3/5, not a meh 3/5.
“So in Love” makes all of my Best Of All Time songs lists whenever I make one. It doesn’t really play any different in context and I wonder how much of this album was a bit of a grab bag for him? The rest of No Place, like a lot of Curtis, feels contemporary in its lyrical focus (although removed just enough to make it universal), didactic even. He employs both recent and older soul music sounds - either a master at work or again, filling out an album with material he had been working on for a minute. As on other records, he uses a bare bones, confessional vocal technique and that kinda gets to the challenge I have with a lot of Curtis records: sometimes I go to soul to chill out, sometimes for uplift, sometimes as the soundtrack to my day, and I don’t need someone in my ear preaching things so plainly. So it goes...
Not the best of Curtis Mayfield. There were a few highlights like "so in love" but overall not the best from his catalog
Now this is what I was hoping for from this project - an album I’d never heard (and would be unlikely to listen to unprompted) from an iconic artist! Sadly, I don’t much care for it. It’s much sloooower than I was expecting, and um….mushier? And his voice, though excellent I’m sure, is a hard sell for me.All in all, it’s well done but not my bag. Man.
122/1089 This album was so soulful. very much a joy to listen through. I think proper appreciation would come with some more listens but for now it was good. faves: Love to the People, Blue Monday People, Hard Times 64/100
Short and sweet.
Good
Mellow
Chill album for a relaxing drive into work.
Solid 3, quality music even if it's not totally unique. At this point in the project anything with a modicum of depth gets at least 2.
Decent album. It's not a genre I listen to very often, but this was good.
I liked this one more than I expected. Kinda bluesy.
An enjoyable listen but not particularly remarkable either 3*
Liked a few of the tracks, Billy Jack was definitely the stand out
Fine, a bit funky but still a bit slow for me.
Does this guy only sing in falsetto or is that his real voice? Either way he’s an incredible vocalist. The songs are vibes and I like the minimalist percussion (is that an intelligent thing to say? Me sais pas).
i mean why
Pretty fun. Great players
Lovely production and great song writing but lacked any killer tracks
I don’t think I need to hear this again. I’m sure it’s ok, but it definitely wasn’t my normal jam nor what I wanted to hear tonight.
Best Song: Hard Times I disliked this about as much as Curtis Mayfield disliked birth control. The dude had 10 kids. This just isn't my type of music. 3/5.
I haven’t explored Mayfield as much as I should have. Pretty good album for the most part.
Some good songs on here, all new to me. Only 1 I didn't really care for.
I’m really bad at listening to Soul, but you can hear that this one is a gem in it’s genre. Sounds really good on vinyl probably.
not my thing. ok though
Tykkäsin, voisi tulla lisää Kurtisia. 3,25/5.
Good soul album
Curtis Mayfield is one of those big name artists I haven't found time to get to. I don't normally seek out soul music, and have been slacking in the funk department, so this is a good time to learn more about the Gentle Genius. There's great musical instrumentation on this album, coupled with Mayfield's famous soul-inflected voice filled with raspy cries for a better life, whether for America's soul and/or for a better tomorrow. Some songs here I don't really vibe with, but I can feel Curtis's messaging in tact. An important album for sure (equally important artist) although it's not my cup of tea, I don't regret hearing it like a few albums I've heard so far. tl;dr: it's neat.
solid 70's funk.
Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: Billy Jack With the exception of a 6 minute song about Jesus, this album was okay. Pretty soul-y and easy to listen to. Short and sweet, which is nice. Definitely not as good as Superfly.
Another example of a name I recognized but apparently had no idea what he sounded like, because I was pleasantly surprised by this smooth, sexy, funky soul music.
super funky and laid back
Not his best album but still pretty solid. But too much jesus for me though.
Pretty solid album. I'll say 2.5 - round up.
Cool baby
Swing!
Curtis version of What’s Going On. But more cutting.