Superfly

“Super Fly” by Curtis Mayfield (1972) Now this is how urban ‘social justice’ music is done. A concept album with a coherent, humanistic concept. Soulful poetry painting vivid scenes of the heartbreaking reality of the pain and hopelessness of black ghetto life. No pontificating on ‘root cause’; no rage directed at dubious agents of evil; no thinly disguised Marxist political posing; no plea to do wrong in order to set things right. Mayfield touches the individual heart with moral guidance that is edifying and redemptive. “Freddie’s Dead” is so much more than funeral dirge or eulogy. From the abyss of urban lament, It announces salvation. And check out the rap in the intro to “No Thing on Me”. Beats anything I’ve heard from the 90s. And the music soars. Mayfield’s vocals push and pull real tears. Very well controlled falsetto transcends gendered chains. Instrumentals are arranged with symphonic expansiveness, and (even if somewhat dated) are richly varied—and exquisitely performed. The well executed mix draws the listener with relentless mystery. I wish “Junkie Chase” (at only 1:41) would go on for another ten minutes. But alas, real junkie chases probably don’t last that long. For those into folk rock, the acoustic guitar work (Mayfield?) on the intro to “Think” is very well done, setting up a pleasantly surprising stylistic transition. There is so much good music on this album. And this is not the voice of nostalgia speaking. This may shock you, but . . . 5/5

Thursday morning. Nearly the end of the week. Lounging on my velour recliner for a moment of contemplation, it's a sunny day and the light is streaming through the window highlighting the dust in the air. Rising out the seat, I glance in the mirror and my oversize collar is on point with the brown and yellow earth tones in the tie I picked out earlier. Aviators on and quickly check the moustache - nice. I leave for work, climb into the car and Curtis plays in the background on the 8-track. Sunlight glints on my glasses and I'm feeling the beats, one arm out the window as I drive. It's going to be a good day.

This was a great album. Smooth as butter, with surprising depth.

I'm glad this was our weekend album. There's just... so much. So many layers. Organ, hand drums, regular drums, distorted bass (and surely that's a whammy bar on the bass), spitting fuzz guitar, clean guitar with a wah (of course), any number of horns and strings, and... is that a fucking harp? Yes, yes it's a harp. And that's just the first minute of the first song. And it feels like they're all played by individual humans. All playing little bits and pieces, but also coming together in unison often enough that the songs feel like songs, not just jams. Somehow, even with all that instrumentation, it has a real live feel. There are mistakes here and there, and the vocals aren't the strongest, but I don't find they distract from the experience. They give it an energy. It feels alive. You're not listening to a product that has been painstakingly constructed and polished over months in a studio, you're in a room full of great musicians having a good time. The off the cuff feeling of the album comes with downsides. No Thing On Me feels cheesy, both lyrically and melodically. The wah in Give Me Your Love sounds like someone is strangling a duck. Both songs could have used more time in the oven, but I think more overall production time would have dulled some of the rawness that gives the rest of the album it's energy. So I'll take two (relative) duds if it gives me 7 songs that are brilliant, rich without being busy, dirty without being muddy, somehow simultaneously groovy and contemplative. I'll be listening to this for years to come.

Beautiful soul and funk sounds, and as a Chance fan it was cool to hear the origin of Pusha Man.

Where do you start to peel back the layers of this album?! The percussion, the guitar, the horns, the strings, the lyrical content, this is 36 minutes of absolute pure glory!

70's porno music mixed with a low budget heist film 3 ⭐️

Alright, this is the second of two Curtis Mayfield albums I've gotten on my journey after There's No Place Like America Today. This one is the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, of which I've heard the title track before but have not seen the movie yet. I'm approaching this release like I did with Issac Hayes's soundtrack for Shaft, in that I am determining if the music can hold on its own without the need for any visual media attached to it. In that regard, does Super Fly's soundtrack stand well? The answer to that question is a resounding yes. Not only is this album instrumentally firing on all cylinders with Curtis's knack for writing progressive funk jams, but lyrically he takes the time to paint the scene for what life was like for black people in 1970s America that sadly still rings true today. Living out in the slums, financially struggling, with little consideration or help from those in political power. It sounds like the kind of environment that preys on innocent souls, and what more potent bait than the allure of drugs - heroin, weed, cocaine. The Pusherman becomes a big player, and Curtis does not romanticize this living. From the death of the lackey dealer on "Freddie's Dead", the twisting nature of greed on "Eddie You Should Know Better", and the desperation for escapism that's found through lust and drugs on "Give Me Your Love (Love Song)" and "No Thing On Me (Cocaine Song)", all culminating in the title track where the titular Super Fly here is someone who looks to be better than the environment he was raised in. Even if I don't know who Eddie and Freddie are or the Super Fly, Curtis portrayed them as archetypes that people can identify and relate to. In that sense, you probably don't need the movie to get the messaging across. All's to say that Super Fly the soundtrack goes incredibly hard, and does not require watching a movie to truly appreciate it.

I was thinking to myself “I’ll bet there won’t be a soundtrack album on this list” but I had forgotten about this album. So bleeding good.

Interesting to learn that this album earned more than the corresponding movie. The sounds good, but I only got hooked by a couple of tracks, and eventually the falsetto got kind of old.

Feel like a Little Child Runnin’ Wild listening to this. Felt, Superfly!

No começo pensei em dar 4 estrelas mas depois percebi sua grandeza , ótimo disco

Incredible. The production and instrumentals along with Curtis Mayfield's voice and lyrics just takes you to this really blissful place that's vulnerable and embraces it. It's by no means a downer either, because it can set the mood for a really great party.

I'm a big fan of this album. Think Mayfield is a genius, great concept album soundtrack and love the use of strings.

Funky, groovy fun. Loved it.

Didn't get much time with this today thanks to a kids party superbug, but I really enjoyed what I could pay attention to while drifting in and out of consciousness. Simple grooves worked to funky perfection with Mayfield's characteristically-great vocals and lyrics.

Went into this expecting a 4/5 since I've really enjoyed what I've heard from Curtis Mayfield before, but also expecting it to show some age. It absolutely didn't. Soulful, funky, amazing. Title track and Freddie's Dead being my standouts. I'll have to listen again to see if I want to playlist anything, but this is an amazing record. Edit: After sitting on this for a while, knocking it down to a 4. Still a fantastic record, but haven't really felt like going back to it since I got it.

"Pusherman" should be sooo cringey but it slaps so hard. All of the instrumentation on this album is fun and groovy and interesting. It feels like listening to a layer cake of different sounds that go together great but are also good for picking apart and listening for little bits at a time. Sonically beautiful! In the list with Tarzan for "soundtracks where a guy really didn't have to go that hard at all but he did and it's excellent"

A plush pillow for the weary head of the ghetto's victims.

Just not my cup of tea. I understand it is a reflection of lifelong decisions to make good decisions in the worst of situations, but it is a subject that just don’t find myself attuned to. It’s weird that this album soundtrack is supposed to imbue soul, but I find it utterly soulless with how repetitive it is.

Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this but I was really bored.

THAT'S one hell of a FUNKY album!

Et movie soundtrack som gjorde det bedre end selveste filmen. Det er en af de første soul agtig albums. Blender pshycedilic soul funk og cinematic orchestration. Det er progressive soul. Det er blevet sampled af store kunstnere som chance the rapper biggie, Jay z og beyonce. Det er virkelig godt. Tror det er en 4,5

EGGMAAAAAAN

Peak pimping soul music. The grooves and vocals just mesh so well together. If this wasn’t the soundtrack for an action movie, I would have said it should be. If you like funk and soul, you’ll like this. If you don’t like that type of sound, you may still like this. Choice cut: Pusher Man

With this soundtrack in tow, anyone can be superfly!

I like cocaine

Funky and fun. This album was consistent with its delivery of a catchy beat and some sweet falsetto. Many of the songs sounded very similar, so I am only feeling three stars.

Not my favorite genre

A couple good songs and a bunch of ok songs. It is a fun listen, but I don't think it is good enough for a 4. Fun Fact: the intro to Superfly was sampled for the Beastie Boy's song Egg Man.

Incredible

super five .

No skips, start to finish. "Pusherman" is my favorite, but this is a perfect album and I love it all.

Apparently this is one of the few soundtrack albums to financially outperform the film which inspired it. It didn’t hurt that the singles Superfly and Freddie’s Dead were such huge hits. It’s also, along Marvin Gaye’s album What’s Going On an example of that relative rarity, a soul concept album. Mayfield always sung his consciousness and here he firmly links drug addiction to urban poverty and has no truck with glamourising the pusher. This could easily have been all about the music or all about the viewpoint but neither dominate; rather the soul feel fells like it’s the only way the package could have been delivered. Perfect early 70s funk soul.

Oozes coolness

awesome album. i felt like i was in a 70s Pam Grier "Foxy" movie. not a bad tune on it. we all heard the great song "Superfly" but the one that stood out to me was "Pusherman". two enthusiastic thumbs up!

Classic. Unparalleled. Love this.

Never seen this movie before. Despite that, this soundtrack is amazing! Especially love how the guitar and bass sounded.

What a great way to start my week: by listening to this album. I don’t even know what else to say. The way the instruments are played, his smooth, soothing voice… I actually had to stop what I was doing just to feel it. This is what I call music.

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this album as much as I did, it's not something I would normally listen to, so I thought I'd be bored, but I genuinely liked it

Superfly is a real soul/funk/bigband album. This is probably one of the greatest concept albums I've ever heard, Curtis voice harmonies so well with the lower sound segment. The instrument focuses mainly on percussion and great baselines, trumpets and strumming guitar taking over when Curtis is absent. This great work of layering makes it unbelievably easy to listen to, and something for everyone during a late night wine or beer drinking, or a slow morning. No matter the circumstances, there is a 100% certaincy for "today I will take the world" energy. Enjoy

Soulful, and perfectly executed album. I will add this one to the list of eclectic deep cuts when I want to listen to something different. I put it on twice today, expecting that some of the charm and novelty from the first listen would wear off by the second time I gave it a go but I enjoyed it just as much. It almost looses a point for being a soundtrack album and at times feeling like it was trying to stay to hard in the mold of the theme of the movie, but if was pulled off so well I didn't mind.

Classic and amazing, ain’t nothing like Superfly!

Goated

This is just so good, lush arrangements and deep heartfelt lyrics. Very enjoyable and I keep playing it over the past few days since it was assigned. No filler, just wonderful music that holds your interest throughout.

CLASSIC!!!!

Fuck. Yes. Enough said.

This was super cool, I really liked the lyrics telling the story about the drug dealer and observing these issues in the community. It's told with a real smooth and funky soul sound. Loved it

nice!

A very powerful record.

9/10

If pressed I would probably say Curtis Mayfield is my favourite musician of all time. The Impressions and the first 5 or so solo albums he made are all perfect to me. Listened to this on my stereo full blast while reorganizing my soul CDs today. Undeniable

Iconic soul and funk.

Took some warming up to. Such a nice niche vibe of soulful lyrics and calm composition. Sleek 70s soul sound

Fantastic album! Haven't heard this in a while, so happy it was in the queue.

Cooles Album, konnte mich echt aufmuntern, als ich in einem negativen Mood war. Nice positive Vibes.

Loved it

Classic. The thing that strikes me is the grit.

Damn, cocaine makes for great subject matter.

10:10 a classic classic soundtrack This album was the soundtrack to a blaxploitation film starring Ron o’Neil and directed by Gordon parks junior. The album is my favorite Time line 1972 great albums: the seventies was a time of progressive music. The music pushed the boundaries of space and time. So many good albums came out at that time, a lot to be excited about from Jim Croce to Yes. These include- Wars” the world is a ghetto” Genesis “foxtrot” Allman brothers “eat a peach” Frank Zappa “wake/jawaka” David Bowie “the rise and fall of ziggy stardust” Stevie wonder “talking book” Yes “close to the edge” Fela kuta “Shakira” Jim Croce “you don’t mess around with Jim”

Simply amazing. RIP to the Gentle Genius. The album goes so much deeper than the flick it was made for.

Great

Nothing on Me et Freddie's Dead sont deux chansons que je connaissais pas et qui sont des pépites !

Normally not a fan of falsetto whiny high pitched voices in soul music, but wow do the instrumentals and lyrics compensate. Listened to it twice in a row because I couldn’t get enough, and spent the trainride home reading his biography. Fascinating person who wrote some fascinating music. If some good music with some great societal critique isn’t worth 5 stars, I don’t know what is.

Every song was perfection.

Mayfield is a genius, known for his politically relevant songs before this instead of being overt he uses the lives of characters in an exploration film to explore the same ideas. And it’s funky!

Very super fly

uma vibe incrível, com certeza um achado que vou continuar ouvindo futuramente.... me recorda os jazz que se escuta pelas ruas de noite, sentimento inesplicavel

The falsetto gets a little annoying after while but I'm still giving it a five.

This album blows my mind. Mayfield was a musical genius!!

I’ve had this for years and loved it. Like Marvin Gaye’s “Trouble Man” soundtrack as well as film music by Isaac Hayes and Quincy Jones, there’s something about that mix of soul hits and incidental music that makes these albums wonderful and somehow timeless.

This soundtrack makes me want to watch the film again.

A top rated soundtrack album from the 70s. This LP is filled with smooth RnB grooves. Freddie's Dead and Superfly lead the way on this iconic album

Quite simply, this soundtrack is great blend of funk and soul. It's too early in the morning for me to think of anything more though, so I will leave it at that.

Loved it

Groovin'! J'avais hâte de tomber sur du soul/funk, excellent album!

Bring back the movie soundtrack!

I love this movie!

Very cool album here. I haven't seen the movie, but the album makes me want to see the movie. There is so many unique sonic aspects of this and other funky soul albums. I'm not very informed on the history of funk and soul, but it does feel very iconic in the formation of that sound. It feels musically and instrumentally, very very crisp and well orchestrated. All the songs on this album are good, 2 or 3 were great, and I really enjoyed the instrumental "Think" which seemed pleasantly out of place.

Love this album but I'm always going to give high marks to 70s funk. One of my favorite genres of music and this album does not disappoint. Pusherman alone makes this a great album but add in Superfly and Freddie's Dead - how can you not give it a five

Great Album and sparked a lot of related artists in the day.....Quincy Jones, Herbie Handcock to name a few

A classic and immaculate soundtrack. 5/5

One of the greatest soul albums of all time. Not only is the music fantastic, but it’s the social commentary that really brings this entire album to another level. The songs are catchy and attention grabbing, and just make you listen to the message he’s trying to spread.

God listening to this makes you feel so cool. 5/5 Best Song: Pusherman

Rustig en goed. Lekker om naar te luisteren.

Soul + funk es una combinación increíble. Me hace feliz escuchar estilos que no suelo escuchar y aprender un poquito más de historia de la música.

Banging. The way I swaggered into work after this should be a HR violation. Love it.

Funky, full of social commentary, and ever so relevant. Super fly is a phenomenal soundtrack, arguably one of the greatest sound tracks of all time. Freddies dead, No Thing On Me, and Superfly are master classes in funk, making this record a landmark

This album fucks hard

I had fun with this one, what a banger! Seriously not a bad track on here! Smooth, soulful and groovy from start to finish. Really enjoyed Mayfield's buttery vocals in Little Child Runnin' Wild over over that funky rythym and massive horn section.

Classic Funk from a glorious age in music!

Amazing. Wonderful, deep, thought provoking and beautiful. The statement "the album was a surprise hit that record executives felt had little chance at significant sales," is one that hurts my ear balls. How did they listen to the same album i just heard and think, naaah?!? Great album to start the week with

Totally love this album and had to listen to it twice! His voice is like honey!

It might be a film soundtrack but it does not need the film to work brilliantly.

I'm pretty sure I saw this movie back in the early 80s, but I've never sat down and listened to the soundtrack. I'd put this up on the same shelf as Marvin Gaye's *What's Goin' On.* They're both great explorations of the scene in the early 70s. Now that I think about it, they would probably make a great double album together.

This record has been called the Black Sgt Pepper’s. There’s not really a direct comparison, but this record is just as important in the cultural landscape. It’s effect on Soul, Funk and Hip-Hop is monumental. This record kind of blew my mind and set me on the path to discovering more and more soul music (this record along with Al Green’s Greatest Hits). An undeniable classic. Still haven’t seen the movie.

this was actually fire i was considering adding some of these to my playlist because they slap hard icl 🔥

This is the hundred ninety first album I’m rating. I’ve only listened to Superfly before. Adding to my Playlist - Little Child Runnin’ Wild, Pusherman, Freddie’s Dead, Junkie Chase, Give Me Your Love (Love Song), Eddie you Should Know Better, No Thing On Me (Cocaine Song), Think, and Superfly. Not Adding to my Playlist - Nothing. Superfly - This makes me think of Diamond is Unbreakable. All in all I liked 9/9 songs. I’ve listened to two Curtis Mayfield albums and they’ve been some of the best ever.

This doesn't feel like an album; it's a whole soundscape, a cinematic experience. You don't even have to "like" all the songs; they just take you somewhere that only they can take you.