Reviews (page 9 of 12)
Got into the car in a bad mood, got out in a good one.
3.4 Good groove throughout. No real standouts but not stinkers either. I think additional listens would yield a higher score. Album cover is pretty cool
3☆/5 07.15.2024
Ehh. No. Curtis Mayfield yes, but the music on here is like the teacher from The Peanuts, both in Wah-Wah and Blah-Blah: a problem I have with quite a bit of Soul, it looks like, is how it's just this bed of music for a singer to meanderingly phrase over. And... that doesn't do much for me. Again: eh. Thankfully, by the time "Blue Monday People" was over, Mayfield and band seem to have been equally bored and picked up the groove, somewhat.
So I have to be honest, ‘70s soul and funk have never really been my style of music, and when I was younger, I couldn’t stand it. I’m definitely more appreciative of it these days, but finding tracks that I truly enjoy enough to go back to is still rare. Moving forward to this album, overall, I would give most of the tracks a 3. However, I definitely want to point out the first track, “Billy Jack.” I loved it, and that was the standout track for me.
-Maybe a bit slow for my liking but I do like the lyrics and instrumentation! Generally very reminiscent of Marvin Gaye but I suppose that’s just the style -Favorites are Billy Jack and Love To The People
Funky guitar and bass right from the first notes - here we go! 'Jesus' gets a little too gospely for me without really hitting what makes gospel cool sometimes. A pretty chill and enjoyable listen. Standouts Billy Jack Love to the People 3/5
Chill funky
Maybe too young for some tracks, but still beautiful and incredible
Knew most of the album. Frankly, a very pleasant listen.
Too funky for me
I'm a big fan of CM but, this is not an essential album. Some good grooves for sure.
I like some of his other songs This is ok but doesn't make me jiggy like superfly or move on up does.
This is easily the best album artwork I've had in 400+ albums so far. The album itself is fine - it holds its' own, isn't too long and doesn't falter. No single song jumps out at me, but as an easy-listening experience it's dead good.
Easy to listen to but nothing really stood out.
The sound is similar to Superfly but none of the songs hooked me.
Not bad, just largely not memorable.
I wish this one hit as hard as Super Fly but it just doesn't.
Meget behageligt men lidt forglemmelige sange:) ville nok give det 3,5/5 hvis man kunne
Det kan jeg godt lide. Hyggeligt og chill. Solid 3/5 😇
no track rating for this 2.5/5
An okay album, but nothing really grabbed me.
Enjoyable mellow vibes.
Solid album
3.5 - some of these songs are perfect, others are boring. Said perfect (5/5) tracks are: - Billy Jack - Hard Times - Love to the People
Pleasant chill album. Reminds me of Schvitz album by Vulfpeck a bit
So I have to be honest, ‘70s soul and funk have never really been my style of music, and when I was younger, I couldn’t stand it. I’m definitely more appreciative of it these days, but finding tracks that I truly enjoy enough to go back to is still rare. Moving forward to this album, overall, I would give most of the tracks a 3. However, I definitely want to point out the first track, “Billy Jack.” I loved it, and that was the standout track for me.
Not bad, but nothing really sticks out.
Funky and chill. But most importantly, SHORT!
Good
Seems interesting
I don’t know that I’d listen to it again—too much falsetto for me—but it did have a pretty good groove.
Really smooth, groovy, and funky soul music. Solid all around, but no highlight. 3.5/5
Smooth, funky and sexy, is the best way to describe Mayfield's album. Nothing spectacular or something I have to hear, but the more I heard, the more I want to listen. Good solid record!
Cool Chicago Soul and Funk record - though admittedly it doesn't stand out for me as much as some of Curtis Mayfield's earlier works like 'Curtis' or certain songs of 'Superfly'. All the instrumentals here are spacey and vibrant - be that the horns, the saxophone on 'Love to the People', or that defiant bass on the opener 'Billy Jack'. There's also a decent cover of Baby Huey's 'Hard Times', one of my favorite Chicago soul songs (though it is missing some of the oomph of the original). Obviously, I have nothing bad to say about Curtis' singing - his falsetto-styled singing works beautifully over these instrumentals. Lyrically, again, it didn't stick out as much as some of the songs earlier in his career. With all that said, this is still a solid, tight little soul album that goes by relatively fast. Delightful stuff.
Love Curtis’ sound. Not much variation in terms of the songs, but still a solid release
Overall an easy listen but nothing stuck out that much to me. Great in the background, but probably not something I'm going to think to put on again.
It took me a while to think about this album. It was not bad or anything even close really. It is quite good actually. Of course it is "supposed to be" although in this case that does not hurt my thinking about it. I think maybe what it is is that while a couple of songs were indeed outstanding, I kind of felt like "yeah, this is Ok." I was never bored but I didn't feel the need for any volume raising or double takes. (with a shout out to the opening song).
Take me back to this era please I love funk and soul
Silkyyy smooth
"There's No Place Like America Today" is a solo album by Curtis Mayfield, an original member of the Impressions. This slow and funky old R&B album is pretty cool and unique.
Somehow pulls off being smooth and funky at the same time. Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: So in Love Date listened: 28/05/24
3 - The album cover is a clever one. I really wanted to give this a 3.5 or something, but after the first song, I just wasn't very hooked on anything. I mean, I remember vaguely liking quite a few of the tracks, but I can't really justify a higher rating to myself.
Not a bad listening experience at all, just not really appealing.
falsetto laulana uuu uuu da baby ... jos luulit että 70 luvulla niin mieti jos tietäisi että 202 luvulla... mieti pikku hetki tätä.......... terroristit, pelinne on ohi sillä nyt sinun on vastattava AMERIKKA (Vittu joo!) joten nuole peppuani ja ime palloani AMERIKKA (Vittu joo! mitä aiot tehdä, kun tulemme hakemaan sinua nyt? suomea voisi kutsua pikku-ameriikaksi nykyään, niin paljon isoja kihoja näkee kadulla elvistelemässä. ennen aikaan ei päivänvalossa pysynyt henki pielessä heillä.. oltais tapettu siitä vaan NOIN... mutta ajat on erilaiset nykyään, Yhdysvaltain vaikutus pop-kulttuuriin on levinnyt jokaiseen kulmaan arkielämästä. Siksi iskelmä paras genre, ei koskaan kopioitu amerikkalaisia..... billy jack
Funky but too much falsetto for me
Some Funky guitar and cool vocals, fun times
Meh 3
This was good. I liked this about as much as the other Curtis Mayfield record we heard on the list. It's not something I would choose often I don't think, but definitely digging it while it's playing.
I wasn't feeling this one nearly as much as Superfly. It was ok, but also not all that memorable. 2.5/5
Thoughts before listening: I really enjoyed the Superfly soundtrack that I got on here a couple weeks ago, so I'm sure this will be good as well. I'm expecting 70s funk and r&b perhaps with more of a political undertone to the lyrics. Review: Yeah this is fine though definitely not as fun of a listen as Superfly. This album gets into a little more of a slow jam and introspective territory. Favorite songs are "Jesus" and "Billy Jack". 3-stars
6.5/10
Meh, not massively interesting.
I like the funky parts. His vocal style can get a bit tiring after a while though.
Good funky soul
A couple of highlights but this one was flat for me. Mayfield is good but this one was slow without much action. The first track and Hard Times were the high points.
This didn't blow me away - i guess I needed to listen to the lyrics more closely.
Darker than "Move on Up" (the only track of his I could previously name) but still get the sense that I would have had great success in removing the beige slacks of my neighbour's attractive wife if this had been given a spin at my 1975 dinner party
Easy listening but I didn’t know any.
Maybe I’m just off this week - this is an enjoyable, well-crafted album with a pleasant, warm sound, but I had a hard time feeling too enthused about it. Perfectly fine, though not likely to seek it out again.
Whoa, so good! Funky jazzy awesomeness, which still feels fresh almost 50 years later. Curtis Mayfield is a genius.
The most 70s album of all time
I almost like Love to the People
Lindo disco tipo soul-funky con muchos vientos, mucho ritmo. Agradable.
It’s not bad but Superfly is better. For this slower tempo stuff I’d prefer Marvin, The Isleys or Al Green
Ahhh, that sweet, sweet falsetto. Carries a great deal of the enjoyment of this record. Maybe a tad underwhelming compared to Mayfield's most classic records and hits, but this is patient music that weaves and slowly unfurls. "Billy Jack" has a funk-lite angle to it, "So In Love" is sweet and soulful, the gospel overtones of "Jesus" and "Blue Monday People" surprisingly don't irritate me too much, and the spiritual and political undercurrent remains poignant years later, especially in regards to "Love to the People." Honestly though I wish this cut loose just a little bit more. These songs are nice and the vibe is silky smooth, but this needs some sort of edge to really connect and that's missing from this record.
Buen disco. Música para intimar.
Not bad. Not great.
Classic Curtis Mayfield sound.
A poet, a mastered falsetto.
Yeah you would have to be a Curtis Mayfield fan to appreciate all the songs on this album to most the only real hit he had that I really remember was Superfly so maybe a two for me
Super groovy!!
Great funk and soul vibes that are smooth and enjoyable but I honestly found some tracks to be a little boring and not as noteworthy. Nothing on this album that really "hits."
There are some very classic songs on this album, of course, but I am not a fan of Mayfield's voice. I also personally think the live nature of the album hurts it, as I obviously can hear the energy, but I don't particularly like the sound, the intros and outros, and all the banter and crowd noise.
This album has a lot of SOUL with the solid dose of funk, which I appreciate. I found most of the sound to be creative and pleasant to listen to, but overall this is not my favorite Curtis Mayfield album.
A nice little morning listen
Album Nr. 78 Ich hätte dem Album gern eine bessere Wertung gegeben. Aber dafür wären mehr Titel a la "Billy Jack" nötig gewesen.
A solid 3.5 stars for this list, Mayfield's smooth falsetto provides an exquisite contrast over the rolling, funky bass lines.
How did Curtis Mayfield sing only in falsetto? That shit ain’t easy. And, why do so many great soul artists meet such unfortunate fates?
This album immediately hits home with the initial track - a really interesting take on a soul/funk artist doing socially aware lyrics. I can see the influence on the soul revivalists with the stripped back instrumentation and falsetto vocals. By the end of the album it was getting a little monotonous and repetitive. It's a shame that the lyrics also fell away, losing their punchiness by the end as well.
Very soulful and easy listening. Decent enough album.
So this is the second Curtis Mayfield album that we've been able to listen to. Found this one better than the first, sounded soulful and real. Felt like the first one was a starsky and hutch soundtrack. I can see that people in the '70s probably put this on to make love between Barry White and Marvin Gaye. 3.4
так а вот это интересно приятная смесь соула и джаза, идеальная музыка для прогулки вечерком по индустриальному городу и погружения в свои мысли Ни каких музыкальных изысков исключительно классика, каких то прям сильных впечатлений альбом не вызвал но и отторжения то же . Настроение на пластинке плавает от меланхоличного заряда, как бы воспроизводящего мироощущение американца середины 70-х, к более традиционной для соула чувственности. Вообщем то опыт прослушивания интересный, хоть и впрямь сильных впечатлений не осталось.
The king of the wah-wah pedal and the master of the ultimate falsetto, Curtis Mayfield delivers a set of slow-burning funk soul. The bass makes this work - spare and efficient, hitting a few clustered notes to keep the deep groove going and creating a vast opening for the other instruments to gather in and build up the harmonies and rhythms. It's the classic CM combo of a a very laid back and gentle album musically with deep themes. The lyrics alternate between romance and sociology, delving into violence, inequality, and the endurance of hard times in post-Civil Rights America - drawing the two strands together in the end, uplifting loving brotherhood as the way of making it through. So in Love is the only really stand out track though. The entire album is WAY slowed down and relaxed without much variety, like turning on a tap for 35 minutes of pure Mayfield,
This was a good album. There were some songs I liked on there, but I hadn't heard (That I can remember) any of them. I like the mix of soul and funk that Curtis does on this album.
3- Stars (7/15)
love the album cover but the music is just meh
I like Curtis Mayfield a lot but had never listened to this album and I’m really glad I did. His sound is so incredible and fits his voice so well. I really enjoyed this album.
Son 7ème album. Le festival de la guitare qui fait ''pwoinnnnpwoinnnn''. Très soul. Toujours une belle critique sociale. Ça me rejoint peu, mais agréable au son.
Smooth, funky sound to this album with wonderful vocals from an artist I have not really listened to much.
Very 70’s message soul. I think it is okay…but don’t love it.
Pretty good. Fun and interesting music
good background
This was an enjoyable listen. I think it's a little out of my wheelhouse so it was a fun trip. Curtis is great on vocals and the instruments are on *point*. I didn't listen to the lyrics much, so I'm evaluating this off the sound alone. I think I'd like to revisit this album when I can commit more time and attention to it.
Was this the first instance of money being referred to as long?
R&B pop met een ziel. Curtis zingt met een verhoogde stem en zet alles wat hees in. Het zou prima op de hedendaagse radio passen. Tijdloos. De begeleidende muziek heeft kwaliteit, maar hij weet het op de achtergrond te houden. Het is iemand die weet wat hij doet en levert een sterke plaat. Wel in een genre waar ik zelf minder mee heb. Soul mag van mij iets rauwer. Maar dat is smaak. Ik overwoog 3,5/4 sterren. Maar dat is te hoog voor een plaat die ik zelf geen tweede keer opzet. Het wordt een 3 met een flinke plus.
solid album
Nice songs. Very laidback. Good bass and drums.
So groovy and funky, a good listen Top tracks: So in Love
This starts strong and gets really mellow fast. Almost a sleepy album to listen to. That was probably really good. I feel like I missed something.
I like this album art. The instrumentals are so good. The vocal style choice and the emotion it conveys feel a little repetitive after a few tracks.
The good songs are really good, but most of the album is just OK. "So in love" was the read standout to me. I'll be returning to that often, but not as often to the full album.
Great listen, uplifting funk that tackles tough subjects.
A lovely sounding album that probably suffers in comparison to yesterday's generational masterpiece. The two are thematically really similar, but Curtis probably allows too much soulfulness to dull the righteous anger that his social commentary deserves. It's all a little too nice I think, although that doesn't stop it being a lovely listen.
Not something I’d listen to everyday, but it definitely has that chill, soulful feel with a message in every song. Listen again: maybe Purchase for my collection: if I found it in a yard sale or something Favourite Song:
Herrlich groovig.
Very different from what I think of Curtis typically but these are some really good songs I love this.4 this could probably pass as a 5 but I’m gonna say 4
I liked SuperFly a lot more.
Meira gott grúv.
I like Curtis a lot. Billy Jack is classic , I think this album really gets going on the last 2 tracks Hard Times and Love to the People . His voice can be a bit monotonous always in falsetto , but the lyrics and musicianship always keep the bar high
Very funky. I've never been a fan of the falsetto, but Curtis makes it work--kind of a proto Prince feel. I could do without the Jesus song
Cool
A couple of good tracks but none of the sparkling brilliance of "Freddy's Dead".
Mayfield has a smooth style that is really disrupted by his falsetto.
Groovy, sexy, and like anything from the time better enjoyed with cocaine.
3/5
Sounds like seven remixes of Superfly but I'm OK with that.
A couple truly great tracks. Short and sweet. Not a lot of tonal variety. Man Hard Times is great though
A nice find
slow
A nice jam- the Jesus funk was interesting.
Love Curtis’ voice and song writing, but none of the tracks on the album rank up there with his best in my opinion
Pretty groovy. I like it. 3.5
6/10
It was decent. Definitely not the right Album to listen to after a bad day on your way home .
All the falsetto loses my attention. Otherwise good.
Smooooooth souuuuuuul. But a little toooooo smooooooth for me.
Funky! Not my favorite Curtis.
Un buen rollo aunque no me encanta, mi favo Jesus, 3 alto
Nice R&B - Sounds like it was recorded in the seventies :-)
Groovy
Pretty enjoyable, but nothing really stood out too much to me.
More of a vibe than anything
Voz bonita. Un poco rollo. Diabetes, accidente que le deja inválido ...
g r o o v y.
Swanky, funky. I enjoy it but it's not one I'd pick up again.
Summary: No track by track reactions today... this album just lulled me into a stupor. That isn't a bad thing. I just rode the vibe and it was pretty consistent throughout. I feel like this similar to Prince's style but more to my liking. Quick album. I could see myself putting it on very very infrequently as something chill.
This is a tough one for me. I can’t deny that I really enjoy the music on each track but not hung really stands out to me either. I could have this album on repeat a couple times before getting stale but I don’t know if the lyrics would ever stick for me.
I want to really like it, but I don't. The music is fantastic, the voice isn't. 3.1.
i'm not sure if there are any other curtis mayfield albums on this list but i wouldn't have put this on as the only one. a good album nonetheless but with none of the ear worms i usually associate with him. favourite song was 'so in love'
so in love is good.
Soul
Fun little album. Just groovin out y’know? It’s stuff like this that I was looking forward to finding in this project. It’s just a nice gem. Not sure it’ll be something I put on often, but I’ll definitely check out Curtis Mayfield.
I really wanted to love Curtis Mayfield. The music is fantastic, the lyrics still timely today. The only problem is his voice. The high pitched voice is annoying after a couple of songs. Still a great musician though.
Pretty groovy
Funky but very slow; not really my jam
Curtis Mayfield is a fine musician. His songs remind me of a light Jazz album I was given a few years ago, a compilation of several artists called "Jazz for a Rainy Day." I'm not a big fan of this type of music, but sometimes it fits just right.
Funky and easy to digest. Strong start and ending tracks, but it gets a little repetitive in the middle.
I liked this. Nice and funky but a relatively lightweight sound. I enjoyed his voice, very agile and nice in the higher registers. I’m in a 3 star rut! This is 3 stars like a bunch of the previous ones..
Best song is first track. Good listen but wouldn’t get me to listen to more. 3 stars isn’t a reflection of the talent/genre, just my interest
Pretty cool, but I don’t know enough jazz and blues for a proper impression.
Just a Album to hear it by the way
Great album. Great sound. Need to listen again to understand the lyrics. But perfect background music for a rainy day.
Cool, laid back, but at the end of the day, not that engaging for me personally.
Good chill out music, elegant songs, didn't find them catchy
I was only familiar with one song from this album. Fine album but no real standouts. Pretty mid throughout. Seems like an odd choice from his discography to include in this list.
Curtis is always a bit of a mixed bag to me
First time actually listening to a full soul album. It was enjoyable, but not a must-listen to me. I am going to rate this a 3 to keep as a baseline for other soul albums I get.
01) Billy Jack - 7,5 02) When Seasons Change - 7,0 03) So in Love - 7,5 04) Jesus - 7,0 05) Blue Monday People - 7,5 06) Hard Times - 7,5 07) Love to the People - 7,5 TOTAL: 7,36 (74/100) There's nothing really wrong with this album, nice music, nice production, nice voice, nice songs but the final result is kind of... boring.
Great instrumentals but not my favorite Mayfield lyrics and vocals, personally 3.5
Gotta love Curtis Mayfield
Smooth Soul
Billy Jack- 3.8/5 When Seasons Change- 3.2/5 So in Love- 3.7/5 Jesus- 2.9/5 Blue Monday People- 3.5/5 Hard Times- 3.1/5 Love to the People- 3.7/5 Total- 3.4/5
Gute Arrangments, funky, mag aber die Fistelstimme nicht.
I double dog dig the vibes! There better be another Curtis Mayfield album coming down the line though - I’ve had him pick me up and spin me all around, but I had my feet tapping on the ground all the way through this one.
I've somehow avoided listening to any Curtis Mayfield since I started recording my stats on Last.FM 11 years ago; it was much to my delight to discover him today. Billy Jack was a pleasantly funky way to start my Monday. The sweetness of So In Love made its way onto my playlist. Although not a genre I'd listen to every day, I give this a strong 3/5 and would be happy for another Mayfield record to appear in the list.
Not his best work but an enjoyable album.
Ehhhhhhh
That wikipedia is bare bones. Never heard of this artist before. Nice wah wah funky sounds in Billy Jack. Overall enjoyable sound, but not breaking into favorite album territory, 3*. Need to dive more into funk and soul though. This led to Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, which was a great discovery.
great album, but I don't know how much I will revisit it.
It was an ok album. I only really knew of "Move on up" before. I really love "Hard Times" when sung by Baby Huey, this just didn't have the same edge. I just prefer a bit more rhythm and blues to my funk. Still, some of the songs feels like being dipped in honey ("So in Love" takes the cake in this regard). A weak 3 from me.
Pure 1970s sex music.
Moins stylé que Move on Up mais quand meme cool
Did not know this singer, a really nice discovery!
Fun mix of jazz, blues, and r&b. Unfortunately felt like the second half of the album didn't keep up with the first half. Favorite songs - Billy Jack, So in Love.
"So In Love" is the only Mayfield song I really know and it's one of the better on the album. Some of the others can be a bit sleepy. Can hear flavors of D'Angelo in places. Overall pretty good. Cover based on an actual photograph. 3.7
I've never heard of this album before, never heard the title, or seen the cover, so I was really excited to listen to something new-to-me... I liked it! Having listened to it once I couldn't really tell you any of the songs on it off the top of my head so I think this is going to be one to come back to. But this is more the sort of thing I was hoping to hear from doing this 1001 albums thing.
Like the warm contentment of being inside on a rainy day
Good stuff but not really in my wheelhouse.
Honestly a bit disappointed by this one, I like Curtis Mayfield and there were some great grooves but a lot of it felt the same and didn't really excite my funky soul if you know what I mean.
I thought it was ok
Love it!
Haven't had a Funk LP here in a while so I enjoyed this one. Listened too lightly to take in all the lyrical subtext, but the instrumentals were good enough to keep me cruising through the entire (surprisingly short) album. This one didn't reinvent the wheel or blow me away in any respect, but sometimes you just need a good groove and the sense of where to take it to make a good album.
very jazzy, soul-r&b mix, a bop-your-head record while chilling with your friends, sounds like the exact shade of yellow-gold-green an old lamp shade has, an early autumn record, fun guitar solos
music wise well done but not my vibe
3.2/5 Smooth but melancholy. Pretty good album. Even if it's a little monotone at times.
Smooth and funky. It's very of its time and honestly should probably stay in it's time.
I love the overall sound of the album but none of the individual songs really stand out for me.
This is the first Curtis Mayfield album I’ve ever listened. I generally liked and thought it was a consistently good album with a couple of songs I liked more. Still, overall, it didn’t blow me away on a personal level, which doesn’t detract from the album itself - I’m not super familiar with the genre, so I don’t have a good knowledge basis for comparison.
Now This Guy Fucks. 6/10
Helt okay. Fine låter, men hadde man hørt en hadde man hørt alle. Ikke helt for meg.
Some really nice rhythms and bass lines here but the strong religious and R&B vibes ain't my favorite. Easy listen, though.
Super groovy
This album is a great piece about the struggles of poverty and the falsehoods of the 'American Dream'. It delivers a smooth, soulful sound but falls short in that the melody can feel monotonous at times. 'There is No Place Like America Today' is an album with an impactful message that is beautifully crafted, but is nothing that stands out to be anything iconic or super memorable in my opinion.
Another great album cover. I expected funky and was not disappointed.
Pretty fun but the falsetto singing got tiring near the end of the album
Some good
very chill. i like!
A little too slow for my liking
Smooth and cool. Very easy album to listen to.
Good stuff. Mayfield was the man.
Really enjoyed a little bit of groovy business on a wet Thursday afternoon! ‘Hard Times’ was the standout track for me. The tracks that were funkiest and had the most wah-wah action were the best. When I play it again (and I will) I’ll probably skip a few tracks in search of the magic.
schmoooooove the vocals get a bit old by the end Cool instrumentals though My first introduction to Curtis Mayfield was on the Bran Van track Astounded... also a great track!
If I listened to it more maybe 4 stars.
Certainly recognized the voice, though I've never heard of the album. Powerful album cover.
So in love is brilliant. It has a lot of potential but needs some more listens.
Starts off strong! Quickly slows down and doesn’t really pick back up? “Jesus” is a little on the nose but not unexpected. Has a Marvin type feel to it. Conscious soul. His version of Hard Times (original?) is a different take and makes times feel much harder than Baby Huey does
Really great vibes, but also forgettable
Not a style I particularly enjoy, but I didn't mind it.
Super high voice and slow songs kill the mood after a few songs
First track is great! Then mostly the same throughout the rest of the album. And too many references to Jesus.
Souligt och funkigt men också lite för smörigt
The first song really hooked me and felt very Reggae. It might be that that beat originally came from here but I just associate it with reggae. There were a couple good songs in here I could see listening to again. Would definitely pick up the vinyl if I saw it for a good price. Also *falsesetto* "Jesus"
Love Mayfield, not my favourite. 'Jesus' was a downer for me
Great writing. Not a style I really like but he can put together a complex song.
A good album that stays consistent and sounds good throughout. The cover art is cool too
Pretty quality but also kinda too much of the same at times
Great vibes
So in love = amazing track
Very funky, but also very slow.
Lyrically great. You can definitely understand the message that is being conveyed through the words and feel to each of these songs. The falsetto vocals get a bit too much. And honestly, it hinders my experience with it. As I loved the music and the words... But when they're sung in a way that doesn't land in my ears the right way, it's hard for me to fully appreciate the whole piece. Open to listening to more but probably wouldn't seek any further.
Rooted heavily in 70s funk, sounds and feels very much of the era. It definitely captures a mood and puts you in that place, solid album.
I've been really excited to listen to this album ever since I saw the cover. I've loved the socially conscious albums of the seventies that I've listened to so far, and after enjoying Winter in America, I thought this album would be right up there with it. Unfortunately, I didn't really enjoy this album as much as I thought I would. The music and lyrics were good, but I think the slower tempo of the songs wasn't what I expected, and it threw me off. Thankfully though, I was able to listen to it a second time, and I appreciated it more on that second listen. The blend of funk and R&B was really unique and beautiful, and it complimented Mayfield's falsetto singing really well. The political messaging still didn't resonate very strongly with me, even on the second listen, but the album still had a unique and rich sound.
Curtis Mayfield isn't something I typically listen to, but it still sounded familiar in places. That speaks to the influence this album has.
Funky, sexy, interesting
Very, very slow and mellow... Very smooth but not for me. Might be ok for background date music 3/5
3.5/5 soul baby-lyrics ring true today even. Big fan but not a 4/5
Not my normal style of music but was a good listen.
- There's something interesting in the sparseness of this. But, it also has a tendency to drift. Kinda aimless.
Great
Nice bass, too slow for my taste
It was aight. May revisit someday. No track particularly blew me away, love the album art.
Not into it but the title and album art is satirical
Real funky, I enjoyed
A short but very good album. Love the vibes here. 3/5
Smooth, but I think I liked the instrumentals more than the vocals.
Groovy, but slow
I have heard of Curtis but never listened. I enjoyed the album but was not exactly my cup of tea.
Solid album. Not Curtis Mayfields' best work and personally it is barely top 5 for him because Superfly, Roots, Curtis and New World Order are all better. Still though it is Curtis Mayfield so it is good. It does have some songs I really like "Billy Jack", "So In Love", "Love to the People" and "When Seasons Change". I think my biggest problem with this album is the lack of variation between his vocals in the songs. All the songs feature relatively similar intonation and vocal tone which sort of makes some of the songs feel like copies of each other. Like all other Curtis albums the instrumentation throughout is immaculate and to me it really carries this album especially during some of the more dull tracks. Because of the instrumentation it is still like a 7.5 but his vocal performance on this album is like a 5.5-6 due to the monotony of it.
ok
Rating: 3.0
I do like a bit of Curtis Mayfield, although this album was a much softer chilled sound than the previous Superfly album. Would be happy to let this album play if it was already on.... but I would still be looking to select Superfly on the play queue.
Much slower than I expected. Great lyrics.
3,5
good funky riffs and vibes but with every song sounding a little the same and the average length of 6 mins its got a few good ones. billy jack and hard times stoood out to me
While I'm always down for some Curtis Mayfield, I hadn't heard this record in its entirety before today. It's good, though some songs blended together for me in the mid-to-back half.
Prima vibe, maar een beetje inwisselbaar, al die nummers.
Ik hou enorm van de Curtus-vibe. Heel fijn album!
OK. Not Curtis Mayfield's best work. Not sure why this is on the list. There are better selections.
Didn’t finish it, was fine.
It's a very funky, very 70s album. Not what I usually listen to, but nice enough to have playing in the background.
Brilliant in parts
No standout tracks in particular but I had a good time just basking in the lush sounds. It has the feeling of a protest album but not against anything in particular, just the 70s being a bit shit
Some songs are cool for a chill playlist, some skips
Today's album takes a hard look at the state of America for the African American population in the 70's (rampant racism, poverty, crime) and puts it on display. Sadly, many of the issues brought up on this record still ring true today. Even the album cover tells a story. African Americans standing in a poverty line, being overshadowed by a large billboard which depicts a happy white family. This album is much more stripped down than the Curtis Mayfield that I'm used to. It isn't the fast paced, danceable music that was featured on albums such as Superfly. This is much more reserved, and dark. It is very similar to Marvin Gaye's album What's Going On. This album starts with the song Billy Jack, which has some amazing bass grooves throughout. Overall, a very different, but very culturally important album today. It is super heavy, and hard to digest, so I don't see myself listening to it much in the future, however the message is super important, and I'm glad I listened to it today. Favourite songs: Billy Jack, Jesus, Love to the People Least favourite songs: So In Love 3/5
Good, but nothing up to standards of Hell Below on it
Very groovy, very nice. A little bit repetitive
Listened to There's No Place Like America Today on 8/17/2023. My Top Songs: Billy Jack and So In Love. Underrated Song: Love to the People Overall Album Rating: 3/5 Additional Notes: Curtis Mayfield's voice is amazing and the audio quality was incredible on this album. Great relaxed vibe throughout the album. Toward the end of the album songs can get a little repetitive in terms of pace and tune.
Sounds like it could have been the soundtrack to a 70's XXX film.
This lulled me with its indulgent murk of exquisite sounds, but by the end I’d forgotten what had come before: it’s a mood piece with few hooks, a lapidarist’s perfectly useless object.
It’s got Mayfield’s crisp funky grooves with his signature sultry falsetto, but this album is no Superfly. Strong start kind of goes off the rails with the Jesus song. Not really any standouts here
Good background music
Very chill and groovy. Not something I would purposely put on, but I can see how some would really appreciate this.
It's funky and cool, not a super engaging listen though.
Not my style but decent.
Only track I loved was Hard Times. Mayfield is a great lyricist and that's the highlight of his music The funky/soul is template background music.
Funky. It's alright
Curtis is dope maar dit viel wat tegen eigenlijk, beetje te smooth en niet genoeg groove
Eh I kinda forgettable but it went quite quickly and it was all good 3/5
Familiar with Curtis from his self-titled and Superfly, both great albums that i enjoyed more than this, though there isn't really anything wrong with this either. It's pleasant to listen to, some great grooves, but overall just kind of breezes past me after finishing. Probably worth another listen in the future, but overall just a solid album that i don't regret having to listen to at all. 'So in Love' especially was a good listen.
Nije loše, ali nekako mi ne sjeda koliko sam mislio.
This, on the other hand, is good cooking music.
pretty decent but doesnt stand out
Cooles Album-Cover.
I like the overall sound and message. The songs have a very similar rhythm, which gets repetitive.
Prefer Superfly, sorry but this was a pale imitation. A lot slower and groovier which is good for a while but this is a lot shallower too. However I still like the vibe and the lyrics are still tight and punchy.
6/10. Nice, but didn't exactly drive me wild. Cover art's a solid 10 though.
The ideal time for me to listen to this album is on a Sunday morning during the fall with the windows open while playing this on my vinyl record player.
it's decent enough, chill! but didn't blow me away
It's OK, some songs seem repetitive and bland. Will listen to again in future
Smooth grooves. I like Billy Jack, and So in Love. Jesus sounds like "cheeses" to me, so makes me smile.
This was just okay. It was a little slow for my tastes. I'd never listened to Curtis Mayfield before (other than on "Astounded" by Bran Van 3000) so it was good to do that today.
Much more mellow and soul driven than Superfly, a great listen. There's a lot of character and emotion pushed out through the album. So In Love is a Curtis Mayfield song it turns out. Love finding older originals to newer covers and comparing and contrasting through this project
Solid overall but lacking some dynamics in the arangements.
Alright
He defiantly has a great voice and next level falsetto, the funk is on point and would listen to again if the mood struck.
Funki. Would listen again
Fun! I knew about Mayfield but haven’t dug into it. Might consider raising this with more listens.
Nice, slow-tempo, funky stuff to chill to in the background.
- Love me a horn section - So in Love got me feeling some type of way
I liked this, and may give it another go sometime, but it didn't grab me. He's a fantastic singer, obviously, but there was a groove rather than songs that stood out.
3/5 Prince meets Barry White. This was an odd album for me. Musically it was pretty good, and easy to listen to, but there was something kinda annoying about it. I don't know. Meh.
I'm not sure where to start... I really don't like falsetto singing so this album was probably never going to be my new favourite jam. It was mercifully short but given it's reputation and the "importance" of what's being said, I didn't connect at all. Maybe because I am not a black American living through the 70s. I really hope there aren't many more contributions by this artist, not sure how much more I can listen to someone sounding like their balls are getting constricted the whole album.
Such a funky, easy to listen to album! While it was easy to listen to, Mayfield does not shy away from hard topics here, seemingly unafraid to use his music as a platform to comment on the social issues of the time. I really love the statement of the album art as well -- it is this demonstration of the juxtaposition between the "American Dream" and what Black people were facing at the time. It's a statement that is still relevant today. This album, and Curtis Mayfield in general, is a great inclusion in this project because he's an example of an artist that was really quite gifted in many ways (he wrote all the tracks on this album), but who went largely unrecognized by a wider audience (namely, white people). And yet, his music is still as relevant today. There's no time like the present.
Very funky but slightly repetitive
Funk. Ni fu ni fa.
Voz bonita. Un poco rollo. Diabetes, accidente que le deja inválido ...
I found the music lacking. While it was a solid R&B album, the songs didn't pull me in. Not really sure how to describe why, as I love funk and R&B. Might relisten in a month or two to see if my opinion changes.
Whoa, that bass line from the get go. Ok I see you. Curtis Mayfield has some other bangers, I think this album had some deeper meanings that I did not pay too much attention to, damn work.
kinda finding his feet but some crackers