There's No Place Like America Today

Good album. Cultural significance after reading the backstory. Funky funky

Smooth, sexy & soulful, though a little too gospel in parts for me

8/10

The soul gospel according to Curtis.

Smooth and soulful sound, but I miss the funk. Went a bit too gospel to be in my wheelhouse. 3⭐️

interesting blend of soul but it also seems to have some sounds that remind me of ska/reggae music? not a huge fan of his voice but maybe it works for fans of the style. Overall kept me interested.

I should have liked this more.

A very good album. It gives a clear and honest look at Black life in America, with songs about society, everyday living, and a quiet hope in love and people. Curtis never raises his voice to make the point. He just tells it straight and lets the feeling carry the weight. The mood stays thoughtful and grounded. There is struggle in the writing, but also warmth and dignity. The songs move between social observation and personal tenderness without losing focus. Mayfield’s voice is soft and precise, and the arrangements leave him plenty of space. Nothing feels rushed or overplayed. The production is clean and understated. The grooves are steady, the instruments sit naturally around the voice, and the overall sound has a warm, mid 70s soul quality that still feels human and direct. There’s No Place Like America Today is a strong, mature record. Quietly powerful, well written, and full of real care for the lives it describes.

I really enjoyed this, even with Jesus

I liked the slow deep funk bits of the beginning and end, but this sagged in the middle. Shame, the highs were very cool

This is very pleasant, and I can't tell how much I would want to go back to this but there is something appealing about it that I can't quite place.

Incredible stuff, super groovy, couldn’t stop bobbing my head the entire time

This one earns four star rating somewhat aided by my unfamiliarity with it. As a new listener to this Mayfield record, I was pleased he did follow the Superfly path. Love that soundtrack along with other early 1970s Mayfield where he explores his version of funk. Mayfield handled the wah-wah guitar, Black political messaging and singing with his usual understated aplomb. I feared that by 1975 Mayfield would be tempted to make his sound bigger, perhaps early signs of disco. Instead There’s No Place Like America reverts back to Mayfield’s top qualities. His pleading, tender vocals can deliver a sermon without declaratory power. He lacks the questioning anguish of Al Green and Marvin Gaye. Mayfield seems comfortable in his skin, and more of a moral force than Gaye and Green who both dove into the dark end of the street with sultry ecstasy and “I’m sorry, Jesus/baby” contrition. His single note, spare guitar reminds me of the reserve that Pop Staples showed. It adds a layer of emotion to this record that came through best on “Hard Times.” Mayfield offered a stinging portrait of America mixed with hope. His work beautifully echoes the truth telling elements of the Civil Rights movement.

It's 3.5

opener is very good, rest kind of lost me. so in love also nice rest are serviceable

Interesting. Unfortunately can’t get the “this sounds like a chef from South Park” comment out of my head. 2 stars

This album surprised me, having known Curtis Mayfield for more upbeat and funky songs, this album had a real groove to it. Billy Jack has a real groovy bass to it that I enjoyed and Hard Times is a classic I’ve heard many times covered by other artists not realising it was a Curtis song.

Heard before?:❌️ Will listen again?:✔️ 3.5

Respectable for what it is. It's no What's Goin' On (6/10, 3/5 on this scale)

background music i cant understand 😭😭

Didn't really do anything for me, didn't really feel anything beyond some ok funky bass lines occasionally.

I enjoyed this R&B or soul album. A nice calming listen.

Прикольно

muy bue

Jazzy and fun beats

What was that.

6.5/10

Very good album, but not as good as Superfly. I love the grooves, and he is a great singer. I think the middle of the album dragged a little bit, but overall, still a very good album. High 4.

Knew nothing about this, have listened to it about 5 times now. Really really good.

I like and music is very fun but definitely not an every day album for me. Repetitive. But a good listen fs just can’t picture it in a playlist it’s an album to listen to in full

I am So In Love with this album.

Well I wouldn't go so far as to call the album boring, but it seems like all of the songs build to some kind of climax then never get there. Maybe the climax is meant to come from the making of sweet sexy lovin', which is pretty obviously the intended listening experience for this album.

génial très chill comme j'aime

Good

This was fun and sexy!

Stone solid groove with plenty of room to lay down what is wrong with America, today?

Great album art

Great album. Easy listen. Smooth.

Curtis Mayfield, US-Amerikaner aus Chicago, nahm sein siebtes Soloalbum 1975 in den Curtom Studios seiner Heimatstadt auf. Erschienen ist es auf Curtom Records, dem Label, das er mitgegründet hatte. Produziert hat er selbst, die Arrangements stammen von Rich Tufo. Kommerziell blieb das Ganze bescheiden: Platz 120 der Billboard 200, immerhin Platz 13 bei den Soul-LPs. Musikalisch bewegt sich die Platte zwischen Soul und Funk. Der Titel ist Sarkasmus, und die Platte hält das durch. „Billy Jack" macht den Anfang, „Blue Monday People" und „Hard Times" bleiben beim grauen Alltag, „When Seasons Change" kommt mit Gospel-Einschlag, „Love to the People" mit mehr Tempo. „So in Love" war der Soul-Hit, Platz 9 der R&B-Charts. Ich höre darin weniger Trost als einen Moment zum Luftholen. Was mich an dem Album hängen lässt: Mayfield schreit nicht. Das Falsett bleibt weich, die Band groovt gelassen, und gerade deshalb ist die Wut dahinter schärfer. Neben dem Superfly-Ruhm ging die Platte unter, das zeigt schon der Chartplatz. Bequem ist sie nicht, das verstehe ich. Aber sie ist ehrlicher als vieles aus diesen Jahren. Die Charts haben sich damals geirrt.

Asombro, la voz, el ritmo absolutamente todo

Feels like this album had a lot to say, unfortunately words don't make for a musically exciting listen by itself. It's groovy, has its vibe, but other than being the backdrop for a dialogue scene in a movie, I have no reason to replay. Respect for what it is.

that was amazing, maybe soul is the way

I love Curtis but I hadn’t heard this record too much before this listen but it gave me what I love. Funk, subtle but brilliant guitar, social consciousness, and beautiful soaring vocals.

Funky soulful music. Nothing wrong with it, but maybe not an album that you should have listened to

great! enjoyed, a good soulful album. fun

Very good old school RnB / soul, very reminiscent of Marvin Gaye's "What's going on". However, with that kind of music, it's really important that you like the voice, and Mayfield's high-pitch can be grating at times. The music is also a bit too slow for my liking. And while the texts are good, I didn't need to listen to a whole song praising Jesus. Only the likes of Aretha Franklin would make me like a song about Jesus. But then you got "Blue Monday People" and "Hard Times", and the truthfulness hits you. It's earnest, humble, and you can hear the hurt, but also the hope. It's what soul does best. And "Love to the People" is just a fantastic song in every way.

Aangename muziek, fijn om op de achtergrond te luisteren, maar minder mijn genre

Soo groovy Loved it

Thought it was a triple blind, but I actually did recognize one of the songs! The track which makes “jesus” something of a sexy figure was certainly a choice… Otherwise though, I quite liked it. The upbeat funk coupled with smooth vocals made for a high quality listen

This album slapped. Just some real good funky, instrumentally strong jams

Curtis Mayfield is so smooth on this record. The grooves, basslines & vocals would all melt in your mouth. What the album is lacking is a standout moment or any tracks that rise above the rest. As pleasant of a listen this is, I'm not sure there's much I'll remember in a week's time. What it has in soul, it lacks in wow factor.

3.43

Not my thing.

I didn't really know much about Curtis Mayfield and I am not completely sold on his very falsetto voice. This was much slower and sparser than I expected but has some decent grooves and lyrical themes

Ei oma pala kakkua. Ikävä pudotus Beatlesien jälkeen

Löysää menoa ja nähtävästi laulajaltakin oli pallit nyppästy irti.

Edelleen tän artistin kanssa vaivaa sama kun edellisen levyn kohalla, että jotenkin toi laulumeno ei iske. Sillai kun miettii Princen menoo, kun se saa pahimman kiimakohtauksen niin ääni menee samanlaiseks. Tässä se on sit kroonista. Mutta levy itessään on jo aika jees. Kivaa tunnelmointii hyvillä soittosaundeilla. Nostetaan siis pykälällä arviookin!

Ihan sinällään kovaa musisointia, mutta jotenkin omaan korvaan vähän junnaavaa ja tylsää. Plussaa levyn kestosta, ja siitä että eihän tämä nyt missään nimessä huono levy ollut. 2,75 joka sitten varmaan pyöristetään kolmoseen.

Billy Jack was great. But then the rest of the album was just okay.

Funky, groovy and jazzy♡♡♡

Thought it was nice at the start, but I got tired of it halfway.

It’s a good album, but he has better. Not sure why this album was selected. Maybe the cover? Anyways, it’s a solid album. Solemn. Soulful. 4 stars

The opening track is brilliant and I really thought we were on a winner here. Although musically this remains pretty strong thought the rest of the album, unfortunately it just didn't hit as hard. The high falsetto voice did become a bit draining as the album went on. 3*

Yep. Sounds like Curtis Mayfield. Superfly is already on this list.

It was fine. Smooth and funky, but I feel like I probably shouldn't have listened to it at work.

this album is such a fucking vibe. it runs such a range of emotions yet even at its most melancholy its still so.... funky? hell of a fuckin groove throughout this. and the falsetto..... its such a great sound....... im on the fence between a 4 and a 5 for this one. its real good but its not quite giving me the "i literally love music" feeling for some reason. maybe i need to give it more time? for now its a 4, but i think ill come back to this.

Very warm and soulful. The bass is especially nice.

Tekst Oof, this one really hurts. I’m not at all averse to Curtis Mayfield’s music, so having to give this album such a harsh verdict is difficult. His other album on the list, *Superfly*, is one I own and find thoroughly enjoyable: a wonderful blaxploitation soundtrack. Even better is his debut album, *Curtis*, with the irresistibly infectious single ‘Move on Up’. That song has everything this album is so utterly lacking: energy, pace, fun, just sheer musical enthusiasm. This entire album plods along at an unbelievably leisurely pace. All seven tracks seem to have virtually the same tempo. It’s one long, almost seamless stretch of low mid-tempo music, just a little faster than a ballad. The whole time, you’re thinking: come on, man, *do something*. I really do think this falls well below par. It starts quite promisingly with ‘Billy Jack’. We hear the two most characteristic elements of Curtis Mayfield’s music: his ethereal falsetto and, above all, those almost erotic, funky, ‘black’ guitar licks. You have to like the falsetto. I can think of very few artists who pull it off quite so convincingly. But those guitar licks, drenched in wah-wah? That’s not an acquired taste. That’s just cool. With the second track, the whole thing collapses. It’s the low point, but the album never gets going again, either literally or figuratively. ‘When Seasons Change’ opens a little like Bill Withers’ ‘Lean on Me’ (which actually came out earlier), but even that might be more enjoyable, despite being a dreadful pop song. This is just... bleurgh. On [Aretha Franklin’s](http://ivo-habets.nl/147-aretha-franklin-lady-soul-1967-7-10/) *[Lady Soul](http://ivo-habets.nl/147-aretha-franklin-lady-soul-1967-7-10/)*, we already encountered a song written by Curtis Mayfield a few years before his own debut, which I described as stupidly religious: ‘People Get Ready’. Apparently, it carried a deeper symbolic meaning that turned it into an anthem of the civil rights movement. I have no idea whether ‘Jesus’, from this album, also has some deeper symbolic significance. I doubt it. To my ears, the lyrics consist of singing the name ‘Jesus’ approximately 742,361,258 times. In Dutch, we have an expression for that: *Jezus* ("geez"). I’m sorry to say it, but this is a textbook example of what I call stupidly religious. Of course, I respect everyone’s views, convictions and faith, but when you engage with other people, you could at least make a bit of an effort to keep thinking for yourself. Quoting the Bible as though it were a news report doesn’t count. Jesus also makes an appearance in ‘When Seasons Change’, by the way. Popular guy in 1975, apparently. No, I really am sorry. Apart from those deliciously funky guitar licks, there’s too little to enjoy on this album to make it even remotely likeable. The music isn’t bad, mind you. Not at all. But instead of giving me energy, it sucks every last bit of life out of me. And that leaves us with a low score. Perhaps this album is so highly regarded because of its incredibly profound lyrics or something. I have no idea. The only thing I took away from it was hundreds of millions of references to one-third of the Holy Trinity. In my opinion, *Curtis* would have been a much more deserving choice for the list.

funky

#472/1001. Certified Curtis Mayfield soulfunk funk or funky soul, instantly recognisable. I suppose SuperFly is here as well, so I'll save the 5 for that.

Good but I was slight put-off by the inclusion of Jesus - which is problem in any scenario let alone a nice album.

***A good, easy listening album

Nice but really not my kind of thing

This was pleasant to have on the background. I've always liked Mayfield's voice. I will say, it did feel a lot longer than it was - if the overall album length was longer, then I may have had a problem with this.

Turns out that an album of hookless songs that are slower than what I normally like, without a standout track that speaks to me, it’s still a damn 4 because Curtis Mayfield’s voice is magic. So soulful, so evocative of Black American experience in the mid-‘70s. I’m beginning to suspect that anything he adds his voice to would have value.

Quite the topical album title and cover art. This is a pretty good soul album with a bit of funky flavor. The music is slow, subtle, and kinda relaxing, just don’t pay too much attention to the lyrical content if you wanna stay relaxed, as it focuses on the struggles of the downtrodden and working class folks. Curtis Mayfield is always a solid listen. 4/5

Idk much sould but very relaxing and really nice bass, good stuff.

Of the two albums on the list, I prefer his Superfly album. This is a perfectly fine album, perhaps a bit too mellow for me. The cover art is exceptional. Hard Times and Love to the People are the highlights for me.

I guess I'm a little bit of a sucker for some soul music. But this is a really good album.

this was such a cool vibe, at least the first few songs, but they really needed to be trimmed down, went on for TOO long. groovy smoothie

I really liked the first song, and I was planning to give the album a 4/5 based on that. However, as the songs went on, I found myself not enjoying them quite as much as the first one. It was still a good album, but the following songs were a bit slower and less funky and didn't catch my ear quite as well. They were also a bit religious for my tastes. So for that reason I'm going with a 3/5. Really it'd be a 3.5/5 if I could give half-stars—which I desperately wish I could.

Just not my jam

Not the best Curtis is still Curtis

Curtis Mayfield’s There's No Place Like America Today is a completely inoffensive 4/5 record that steadily finds its footing as it unfolds, saving its best moments for the back half. It opens on a strong note with "Billy Jack," combining a prominent bassline, subtle background bongos, deep commentary, and great late-track trumpets. The middle stretch slows down slightly—"When Seasons Change" delivers soulful vocals that fail to fully connect, and "So in Love" passes by with pleasant, relaxed holiday vibes. Momentum picks back up through the gentle melody of "Jesus" and the crisp instrument separation and strong message on "Blue Monday People." The album finally hits its stride on the final two tracks, fueled by the groovy hook of "Hard Times" and the rich, jazzy energy of "Love to the People."

Su buen funk de la mano de un grande. Me ha gustado mucho, aunque no sé por qué, pero tengo la sensación de que tiene otros discos aún mejores. Canciones favoritas: When Seasons Change, Hard Times

Um ótimo disco de soul music, com certeza um prato cheio pra quem gosta do gênero.

Review - best falsetto in the game? Very good album. That said, it's maybe a bit overlong in places. Very sincere almost to the point of awkwardness at places. And Hard Times was done better by Baby Huey. Score - 6.5/10 Need to listen? YES

Exceptional mellow funk

Never heard this one prior, listened to it 3 times already. Sad that it still resonates today, but it of course does. Giving it a 4 because there is nothing about this album I dislike, but for the genre there are definitely better soul funk albums & there is no real mono culture worthy stand out jam here.

very good and groovy clear message

Wow this was fantastic! I’d never heard of Curtis Mayfield before and I’m pleased to learn about this album before I died.

A bop. Such nice soul to this album

This was fuckin tight, funky as hell. Need to re-listen but that first song came on and from that point on I just couldn't get rhe number 5 out of my head.

Pretty groovy and funky; I wouldn't mind listening to this again.

What a voice, what a vibe.

Beauty, has not aged at all. The production value throughout is phenomenal, its hard to believe it was recorded 50 years ago. I have never heard it before, and am really only familiar with his eponymous album. Here, he trades that famous rolling uplifting soul from 'Move on Up' with a more mature commentary on 1970's America. We hear more, I believe, of just how talented Mayfield is on this record. Effortless falsetto and a guitar playing ability I had not considere before. It really plays a lot like a short 'Whats Going On', but where Gaye sets a vibe, Mayfield hits home a bit more with his storytelling, particularly on 'Billy Jack' and 'Jesus'. Loses a point for the gospel taking a bit too long to get going on 'Jesus', but this is a massively underrated and not well enough known album.

Just so good. Beautiful funk, and great slow ballads. Dripping in soul. 10/10 would listen again.

Enjoyed it, felt like an almost stereotypical sound of the 70s with the bass. Started and ended strong with a bit of padding in between.

Overall great soul album with a powerful message. Nothing too special for me

It's some good soul music. I'm not entirely sure I love Curtis's voice, but I quite enjoyed the instrumental work.