Superfly

Amazing album! Now I have to listen to it.

это мое первое знакомство с черным соул фанком и я потрясен, я думал послушать одну песню, но затянулся и послушал целый альбом на одном дыхание. the one ритм и жирный бас заставляли меня непроизвольно танцевать.. я реально весь альбом танцевал у себя в комнате. и я никогда так круто не импровизировал а вокал криса мэйфилда это нечто, высокий тонкий и продирающий до души и история самого альбома и текста сильные

First time I haven't seen the word 'boring' in the keywords from reviews. Groovy, soulful, deep and with real cinematic flair. The vocals are so smooth and the instrumentation is constantly engaging and interesting. Love the percussion on Pusherman and the orchestral layers draped over the record. Short, punchy, great.

Exceptional. Classic. Love.

What a legendary soundtrack.

Senti como se estivesse comendo uma salada de frutas, belo instrumental e vocal no álbum

Supergood. Had me from the opening moments. Deserves many a re-listen. Fav tracks: Little Child Runnin Wild, Pusherman Saved a song: Y RYM: Y (#580)

Si en algún momento quiero enamorar a alguien del jazz, del groove, del r&b puro; ya tengo la herramienta perfecta. Su primera canción, absolutmente todo que ver.

10/10

Curtis Mayfield is heartbreakingly underrated. Apparently blaxploitation movies were basically vehicles for funk musicians to make records. Pusherman is the most lighthearted song ever about a drug dealer. Freddie's Dead is the most overrated song on the album. My college roommate my freshman year loved Curtis Mayfield, and this album specifically, and he sucked. That may have put me off this for a while. Give Me Your Love (Love Song) might be the spiritual forerunner for all porno music. I love it. Curtis Mayfield loves using the harp in his music. I really like this album. Closes with the Theme for the movie, bold choice.

Lo instrumental me pareció sublime, tan Que hace totalmente difícil de encasillar en algún genero.

Love this one

God I love this record.

Beautiful

So good to get this after some of the dirge being handed put: the Cure followed by Supertramp. This has everything thag the prevoous lack; musical depth, great singing and soul.

it's a beautiful masterpiece all the tracks are at the same level it's not produced in a magnificent way it never gets boring you want it to end and it's of a quality at the level of what's going on by marvin gaye which is the masterpiece of soul both the lyrics and the productions at the same level

Never listened to the full album before, Pusherman remains my favourite

Very good, funky.

Right up my alley

cookin. impressive delicacy on the vocal delivery, and the band is absolutely in the pocket. bass is particularly fun.

Damn, what a soundtrack. Solid, top to bottom. 4.5/5

Es un una onda jazz de Nueva Orleans que te dan unas ganas de bailar y leer al mismo tiempo. La canción que se titula igual que el álbum diría que es mi favorita

9/10 I love how groovy it sounds while having such deep lyrics, Curtis Mayfield has such a beautiful voice. Also I'm kinda blown away that it's a soundtrack album because the storytelling is great on it's own.

wow. Masterpiece

Beautiful stuff

no one does falsetto like curtis mayfield. chattanooga's own lucky scott on bass really shines throughout. tbh the film super fly is a blaxploitation classic but i think this soundtrack holds up better than the film itself. it's arguable imo whether or not this is mayfield's best solo work but it's certainly what he's most remembered for, and it's not hard to hear why

About as cool as an album can be. Damn.

Now I wanna go through every blaxploitation movies soundtrack. Amazing and so cool.

What else to say - this is a classic of its genre and overall. Despite being a soundtrack album, this stands on its own without the film as context. Curtis' orchestrations are always outstanding, and this is a highly entertaining listen.

odlican

Pusher man is an all timer song

Good

that’s what i’m talking about!!!!

One of my favorite artists, so I made sure to listen with discernment to make sure it’s really five stars. It is.

Sweet funky jamz

This one is an easy 5/5 for me. Incredible album from start to finish. The music is fantastic, the basslines are smooth and deep, and the whole record moves with this effortless groove that pulls you in immediately. What really stands out is the storytelling. Every song paints a picture, and you can feel the streets and the ghetto atmosphere in every part of it. It’s soulful, honest, and full of character. Favorite tracks for me were Little Child Runnin’ Wild, Pusherman, Freddie’s Dead, and Superfly. Each one captures a different side of the story and the groove of the album perfectly.

Iconic, timeless, lives up to everything they say. -the piano runs in superfly are incredible -cool how simple some of the arrangements are, clearly influential they are in how familiar it feels after never listening in its entirety before

The greatest soundtrack ever.

Not sure I've ever listened to this album. Of course it's great. Curtis has a voice like no other. A little bit more repetitive (literally so) than I was expecting but I think that was the format and it was all great. Take me to the vinyl bin!

Is it legal to have this much soul?

All one song

Funky town

Very funky and cinematic

Great album!

Groovy

music is love

Great album

Orchestral 70s soul but with a deep groove and a dark underbelly. Curtis was an inspired choice to score this blaxploitation movie but i'm sure nobody expected quite how good this would be! Thematically on point, socially conscious and deeply funky, it inspired the future of movie soundtracks with it's gritty realism and brilliant storytelling.

so sweet

Absolute fuego

fuck yeah

Relajante, alegre y tranquilo. Me gusti bastante.

Sounds like most of the late 60's and early 70's funk and soul music. It's an amazing album! Quintessential 70's music!

'Ah, kids, remember the time when the soundtracks were better than the actual films?'

Funky! Likes: little child runnin wild, pusherman, Freddie’s dead, no thing on me, superfly

This is a soulful man. The way he covers such gritty topics in a smooth and beautiful way you sometimes forget the songs are about drug dealers and pimping. The instrumentation on this album is beautiful and soulful and some of the baselines have a a funk like feel to them. His vocals are beautiful and th way he effortlessly sings in falsetto that’s soft and smooth really pairs perfectly with the music.

Instant 5

Twas cool and groovy

Hell fucking yeah that was really cool

This was my 666th album from this list. Here I am thinking it will sound like hell, but instead I had hella fun listening to it! Beautiful grooves, great percussion and horns and vocals and everything. Just so groovy and fun. And it's a perfect length, enough to not get bored of it and just have a very pleasant experience. This album put me in such a great mood, I loved it.

For a couple of years, I have been listening to "Pusherman" and absolutely love it; Mayfield's voice and that smooth bass make for one of the funkiest tracks to ever exist. This will be the first time listening to the album in full. Straight away with "Little Child Runnin' Wild" I fell in love. The synth keyboard and drums, the introduction of that funky bass, the strings whistling in and the smooth entrance of Mayfield's amazing vocals... just simply incredible. "Freddie's Dead" reverbed bass, clicks and brass bring the same funk with a different flavour; the album is consistent in it's quality the whole way through. There wasn't a single track I disliked. If that's not deserving of the full stars, I don't know what is.

This album was great. One of the best so far. Lush, smooth soul, with deep, thought-provoking lyrics. The album hits on many heavy topics, such as drug dealing and death, but never sacrifices the quality of the music to tell its story. I’ll be returning to this, no doubt, and everyone should hear this album.

10!! I lika de songas!!!!

Album Review 064 Superfly by Curtis Mayfield (1972) Rating 5/5 Possibly the best soundtrack and also funk/soul album of all time.

>>>>>> the Beatles What are we even talking about here? One of the best songs of all time (Pusherman) One of the best theme songs of all time One of the best scores/soundtracks of all time Simply one of the greatest and most enjoyable albums of all time

This album was definitely music to my ears. A better combo of message and funk cannot be found. I put “Pusherman” on my Generator playlist but it really could have been any of the tracks.

Really loved this album. Great performances all around. Stand out tracks were Pusherman and Freddie's Dead. Will probably come back to this one.

Very fun jazzy listen with many great songs. Crazy that this is a movie soundtrack. Would listen to this album voluntarily :)

10/10 no notes

banger after banger after banger. kind of perfect. i love music that sounds a little sleazy and this album nails it. i should watch the movie now

Yup, always liked this type of music. Funky and groovy

Awesome!

Incredible album. Easy five stars

Another album that I never heard before, but have heard all the songs in the periphery via movies, commercials or hip hop remixes.

That was great and pretty funky.

8.7 Favourite: Pusherman Least favourite: No Thing On Me

Beautiful album. I´m not a soul music big fan but It's so inspiring.

A fantastic antidote to the utter shite I’ve been put through lately. Pure class

A brilliant soundtrack album. At the time, Curtis only made brilliant records though. It feels like he should be talked about more regularly in the same breath as Marvin and Stevie. This was his biggest success but his first two solo albums should be in the 1001.

okay amazing

A BANGER! Everything about this album is fantastic.

Certified un-skippable track list. One of the best soundtracks of all time that outshines the movie. It’s not even considered a soundtrack anymore…this is a Curtis Mayfield classic with conscious & soulful lyrics, and smooth, catchy, funky music. He also has to be one of the more underrated, not talked about guitarists of all time. The inspiration this album had on rap/rnb music in the decades to come shows how well it stands the test of time.

This album evokes a time, place and entire movie genre. The fact that it’s a film soundtrack but yet works as a studio album will have no doubt influenced Quentin Tarantino. Never has the underworld sounded so stylish and groovy……

Really good soul music, Mr Mayfield has a very smooth voice

Highlights: - Little Child Runnin’ Wild - … Pusherman - Freddie’s Dead - Eddie You Should Know Better - No Thing on Me (Cocaine Song) - Superfly

A soundtrack where the songs tell the story incredibly well. Great lyrics, fantastic musicians playing great soul/rnb, and excellent vocals.

Love old R&B blues stuff. Great album and good intro to a new artist

Mmmmmmm baby, Mr. Mayfield. God. Damn. Superfly is super fly. Soulful, funky, smart, and poignant. Pretty freaking hard to beat.

Super fly!

Really enjoyed this from start to finish!

<3

An absolutely incredible album. The jazzy elements combine perfectly with the soul feel of these songs, and Curtis’ drug focussed lyrics balance the upbeat sounds with a dark undertone. I’ve not seen the film, or fully dived into the meaning of the lyrics, but I’m more than happy to just listen to this one on repeat and enjoy it. Favourites are little child running wild, pusherman (I absolutely love those drums) and no thing on me

Some amazing, smooth 70s soul.

Eine der coolsten Platten aller Zeiten. Das ist mal ne richtige 10/10. Muss unbedingt irgendwann mal den Film sehen. Ist bestimmt herrlich trashig.

Imagine how good this would be if it wasn't tied to a being a movie soundtrack. Full of great songs here, even the instrumentals make for a pleasant listen. High points are Pusherman, , Freddie's Dead, Little Child Runnin' Wild and the title track for me. Curtis Mayfield is an excellent song craftsman and he elevated this random blacksploitation movie to something still listened to half a century later. Super warm and groovy.

How is someone allowed to cook this hard on a soundtrack? Was already familiar with ‘Pusherman’ and ‘Superfly’, however the rest is just as groovy. Truly excellent stuff. ‘Freddie’s Dead’ and ‘Pusherman’ the standouts for me.

Before Listening: Curtis Mayfield sounds familiar, looks pretty funky and soulful. Excited to give it a try. During Listening: feel like I’m listening to the blueprint. Very palatable and easy going, while also being thematic. I wish Mayfields vocals shined a little more through the sound. Had to give it a second listen because I wanted to hear it more. After Listening: I get all warm and fuzzy thinking about this listen, I thoroughly enjoyed it! It’s strattling the line of 4.5 to 5 stars. Will absolutely return to this album. Before listening: 0/11 songs saved After listening: 2/11 songs saved

The production on this album is really beautiful. So smooth! Vocals are like melted butter, I could listen to this all day. My highlights were: Pusherman, Think.

Luv dit! De instrumentals zijn zo goed. Mega aanstekelijk. Wat mij betreft de beste manier om een big band in te zetten. En dan met Curtis' zwoele stem erbij, veeg me op, neem me mee, doe een dansje. Ps. Ik wil meer handdrums in muziek!

Damn man, het is dat ik echt letterlijk niet langer kan staan dan 3 seconden maar hier wil je toch gewoon sex van gaan hebben. Het is tijdloos meesterwerk, funky groovy en lekker gewoon.

The best soundtrack ever

You have the right to remain sexy 😮‍💨 I love when musicians are just good at their instruments and I love when that comes through especially in a lil funky number like this one. HOLY SHIT I LOVE SOUL

Smooth and enjoyable listening experience. Love the bass lines and the sound of the bass.

Loved it!!

Instrumentos muy upbeat soul y jazzy, suave coz con ritmo y tonos agudos en partes, various tipos de tambores un saxofone que ese feeling como de tranquilidad y como flow en las canciones, sinfonia clara

amazing amazing amazing! Every time I get a recordación of a Curtis album I am always blown away and amazed🤩

Little Child Runnin Wild - 5/5 Pusherman - 5/5 Freddie's Dead - 5/5 Junkie Chase (Instrumental) - no rating Give Me Your Love (Love Song) - 4/5 Eddie You Should Know Better - 4/5 No Thing on Me (Cocaine Song) - 4/5 Think (Instrumental) - 3/5 Superfly - 5/5 Average score: 4.4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This music is full and vibrant.

Holy moly

So fucking soulful, heartbreaking and joyful, and above all gorgeous. Highlights: Pusherman, Freddie's Dead, Superfly, No Thing on Me (Cocaine Song)

Nice

Стильно і хітово. Заслужена класика

great start. amazing vibes. listened while doing homework so i didnt get to listen to the details but it got me in a really good mood. 10/10

Funky, soulful, smooth. I ran it back as soon as it ended and it stayed just as fresh 🔥

I am already a Mayfield fan. I love this album. It's fabulous.

I'm not a soundtrack guy, I don't get the appeal of listening to music that is completely out of context. Obviously, there are exceptions. The Harder They Come leaps to mind. Superfly occupies its own realm, not so much a soundtrack as it is a concept album inspired by a movie with a completely different ethos. The film is cool with what's happening but Curtis is here to tell you they're wrong, and why. He turned an exploitive piece of garbage film into a staggering work of genius. Superfly is not just the best ever soundtrack, it's one of the best albums ever made by anyone in any genre. 10/5

Easiest 5/5 I've ever given. This album is phenomenal.

A stone cold classic. Pure funky greatness from one of the master composers of the genre.

Отлична запись, шёл и почти танцевал.

Fun and funky

My system was peaked out rockin’ Pusherman on the way to work.

Badass soul

First listen

I've never seen the movie, but if the soundtrack is like this, the movie must be just as good.

It means something special when I smiled as soon as I saw this was my album of the day. The title track and Freddie's Dead are on my go to list whenever I'm sharing new tracks with people and I want to impress them with my taste and preference because they present everything you could ever want from a music taste, style and intelligence and unending amounts of smooth and cool. I've never seen the film but I ultimately believe soundtrack albums fall into one of two categories of creation; a soundtrack made with the film in mind or the soundtrack for a film. This is very much the former, it flows like an album should and is incredibly cohesive for what a lesser musician would've just made a checklist of themes. The idea of a concept album as a soundtrack is so obvious and yet still genius, and so underutilized while this is a very clear sign that it should be done more. The music itself is stellar, I think Curtis Mayfield is massively underrated in his work and anything he did that is popular should only be more so. The production is incredibly clean, the feel is smooth and unyieldingly tight so much so that 43 minutes will pass before you know it. Best songs: Superfly, Freddie's Dead and Pusherman Worst song: N/A (will only really be used when I think a song actively takes away from an album) Rank compared to everything else so far: 2/9

Classic funk sick soundtrack

This is one of the greatest soundtracks of all time, end of story. While it's a shame it has overshadowed the film—which is also great—you can't argue with what Curtis Mayfield created. "Pusherman" is one of the great songs of this era, which is saying something considering all the legendary stuff that came from this time. This rules, the end.

I really can't get enough of this album. Isaac Hayes may have come first for Blaxploitation soundtrack genre. Marvin Gaye beat Mayfield to the politically conscious soul concept album. But for my money, Curtis Mayfield blows them both out of the water with "Superfly". There's so much happening on this album. The entire story is laid out in the lyrics, eliminating the need to watch the film for many people. The music is just incredible. It's layered and contains so much variety. It avoids the common pitfalls of popular artists doing movie soundtracks where the music sounds too much like a typical film score. Even "Shaft" had this problem at times. But "Superfly" functions primarily as an album, only relying on traditional film music sparingly. It's a difficult balance to achieve, as commercial music can be distracting within a film's context. The variety of percussion and strings, along with the beautifully smooth soul music really captures the listener's attention throughout. Mayfield also manages to keep the lyrics grounded in the story, which gives the album a strong focus. "Superfly" was hugely influential among a lot of different artists and genres and I'm definitely not surprised. I've already listened to it four times over and will definitely return to it in the future.

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.

I only knew one song by Curtis before listening but I loved this album. Especially the drums and bass and deep lyrics.

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.

A classic that still holds up. Man imagine hearing Freddy's Dead for the first time in 1972.

Não conhecia este álbum e ainda não vi o filme (honestamente, acho que a única música que conhecida do Curtis Mayfield era o Move on Up) e ADOREI!!! Que vibe, que ritmo, que boa onda, que tudo!

What an awesome little slice of soul. Super clean, punchy, expensive product. Great playing. Tastefully put together through and through. Interesting lyrical themes.

Funky Soul

Incredible record - concept album, adaptation almost - feels like a complete story. Instruments are perfect, vocals so smooth. Minimalistic funk sound with percussion and a strong atmosphere throughout.

A perfect album of funk and soul. It’s concise and it gets across its messages successfully. Every song on the album is a work of musical genius. The lyrics provide a look at the struggles of the poor and drug addiction and selling. The album is tied together with recurring lyrical themes such as the title character, the “Pusherman”, “junkies”, and “The Man”. The last 3 tracks do so much to tie everything up, with No Thing on Me functioning as a sort of thesis statement, followed by Think, an instrumental that allows you do what the title tells you to, think. Finally, the title track lends a nice wrap-up to the album. 5/5

Production, vocals, instrumentals, songwriting…all great. Will buy on wax.

Amazing social commentary. Amazing music, amazing vocals. All around amazing.

Own it

This is one of the best soundtracks Ive never listened too before. What an amazing album. Funk, slow, intrumentals, fast songs. Simply a touch of every flavor song order was perfect. Producing was superb.

I'm dancing, I really like this, I like the softness of his voice, with the relative calmness throughout some songs, mixed with slap in your face instrumentals. The subject matters are interesting, just really well done. I can't believe this is a movie soundtrack.

incr

Insane banger! Just realized I haven’t even seen this movie yet - wtf! But I did see the remake in theaters and it was great… also a great soundtrack… More songs should announce their subtext like No Thing On Me (Cocaine Song) does. Third Eye Blind could have called it Semi-Charmed Life (Crystal Meth Song)

this was one of my first CDs and just some of the absolute most badass music ever made... i absolutely loveeee this era of orchestral soul music with the nasty ass horns. btw i legit think this and curtis are two of the best albums ever... just undeniably cool

Align with the time, but relevant still today. I dig it.

I love this album so much. The opening track is so lush and rich. He was on fire! I’m almost afraid to watch the film because these songs work perfectly as stand alones.

A brilliant beautiful album.

What a hell of a man and an album

So tight

So cool, just so cool. "Pusherman" might be the coolest song ever made. This is what you want when you're after an album with a social justice lens. The music can also be good! 5/5.

Very pretty fun album; kind of wish it was more varying in the tempo, but I've liked it enough

I've always loved this album.

For what it is, it's a 5. Maybe not as good as What's goin on, but very close to it. Looved the rhythm section. Maybe not a big fan of the huge orchestra, but as a soundtrack this shit slaps

All the thumbs up!

I love this album. I still listen to it on occasion. Curtis Mayfield did an outstanding job on the soundtrack which is why it still sounds good today.

This was fuuunnn!

this was like an espresso and a cigarette at a warm European café

Could listen to it everyday

Super Fly is pure soul-funk perfection. Every track grooves, with no weak moments, just smooth, powerful music from start to finish.

Excellent.

Just masterful musicianship. Every note in every song feels exactly right. Awesome

I wondered if there was ever gonna be an album on this list that I knew really well. I listened to the shit out of this when I was in college. Love Curtis Mayfield.

A classic album that belongs in my Tidal library. Five stars.

Great listening

Funky, smooth, great lyrics. Easy 5

I love funk so this is the perfect album for me. Silky smooth woth these beautiful orchestral moments which creates a mood of sudden grandiosity. I felt transported to a different (and more sublime) world while listening to this album. Weaving in and out of a delicate, intricate daydream--it reminds me of slowly drifting off during a sunset. Pure bliss. Little Child Runnin' Wild and Freddie's Dead are probably my favorite tracks but I loved them all.

A genius. So much subtle instrumentation working seamlessly together like a wristwatch. Every note has soul. Musicians at the top of their game.

Incredible funk

One of the greatest soundtracks of all time!

I had this album already saved in my yt music library But never heard full album before Amazing Great vibe First five stars

5 stars A funky masterpiece. Great front to back. No complaints.

Loved the movie. Love the music. SUPERFLY

CH aime le African funk/soul music....

J'adore Curtis Mayfield. Une des meilleures bandes sonores de tous les temps?? Dans le film, on voit Curtis qui joue Pusherman dans un petit bar.

J’ai ADORÉ! C’est riche, ça groove, c’est bourré d’instruments, la voix doucereuse de Curtis est envoûtante. De ma compréhension c’était culturellement important, voir que c’était une soundtrack de film blaxploitation! Je devrais en réecouter dans les prochains jours

Love this album. Curtis Mayfield is a genius

The sound of the 70s and a perfect sound track.

Classic

Its just excellent isnt it.

Great opening song - bongos, organ, drums, snarly guitar, horns, strings then sweet vocals. Sadly does not quite sustain over the whole album - I guess as its a soundtrack so quality dips a little in places - but overall there are enough bangers (Little child runnin, pusherman & superfly (so good its on the album twice!) to just nudge it into a 5.

Superfly You had noo right, son, noo right at all. To make such a great soundtrack for a not so great film. Little Child Runnin’ Wild is a superb opener, the drum and horn hits followed by the string stabs is excellent, setting up the whole album. Pusherman and Freddie’s Dead are, along with Superfly, I suppose are two of his best known songs and of course they are both bangers. The main riff of Freddie’s Dead repeated on bass in the breakdown part is just fantastic. Junkie Chase is possibly the only track that really feels like incidental music for the film, Think, the other instrumental feels more like a song or piece of music that can stand alone from visuals. I really like the little harp notes on Give Me Your Love, and the riff strings and wah wah all lock in brilliantly. Eddie You Should Know Better’s intro feels quite soundtracky, but once the lyrics kicks in it’s another superb, sad and bleak bit of soul, similar to No Thing On Me. And then the title track, which remains superb no matter how many times you hear it. It might be easy to see this as a kitschy 70s wah wah, afro wigs at Flares, watching blaxploitation films ironically kind of thing, but the lyrics are pretty blunt social commentary and it fits in with his other albums in the early 70s, like There’s No Place Like America Today we had back in November It’s a great album, irrespective of its soundtrack origins, with three of his best songs alongside some lesser known gems, and it’s all tied together by superb playing and that amazing, mellifluous, warm voice. And it’s all done in 36 minutes. 🪰🪰🪰🪰🪰 Playlist submission: Pusherman

This is like honey being poured in the ear for an economical 36 minutes. Lush strings, soaring falsetto, and jazz-tinged drums all combined to create a landmark. The album generally manages to eschew your typical Blaxploitation soundtrack cliches; by which I mean Shaft wah-guitar everywhere, and an aggressive edge. Ok, 'Junkie Chase' comes close to a man in flares running into cardboard boxes down an alley, but even then there's such a tightness and composure to the band, that it's hard not to marvel at it. The arrangements are so well done - take 'Cocaine Song' which in my view is even better than The Pina Colada Song - touches of delicate brass, flute, jazz piano - a sax solo that fits inside this particular dream. It's a wonder. The likes of 'Eddie You Should Know Better' and 'Freddie's Dead' are dreamy slices of stringed soul. The latter in particular is quite reminiscent of What's Going On (the album), and they share similar social commentary. Marvin may have asked What's Going On, but Curtis said well here's what's happening! Do you know what I mean though? Wrapping up with the strutting 'Superfly' bassline, Curtis continues his gentle delivery with a hard-hitting impact. But my highest praise is saved for 'Think', a stunning instrumental, that just ever so briefly recalls 'I Can't Help Falling in Love' before building into the most fantastic atmosphere, with some delicate woodwind, even some xylophone in there - uplifting and tragic at the same time. Although I'm probably now gonna find out this is played over the scene where the crack whore sucks off Pusherman in a church, it's really beautiful nonetheless.

"Ain't I clean? Bad machine Super cool, super mean Dealin' good, for The Man Superfly, here I stand Secret stash, heavy bread Baddest bitches in the bed." Right on, baby! My favorite soul singer of all time.

This might just be the coolest album I've ever listened to. I want to watch the movie now.

5 stars, brilliant.

One of my best discoveries in recent years. Only second time hearing it.

Gotta be a top 10 Soundtrack Album of All Time! Favorite Track: Pusherman

This is one of those albums that every time I hear, I think "wow what a great album"

Cool as fuck

SO COOL.

Halfway through the first song, I was ready for this to be maybe the best album we've covered. It didn't quite get there, but its still a masterpiece. I should watch Superfly. And now storytime: In high school I posted a Facebook status (as was the style at the time) which said "Curtis Mayfield sounds like a more feminine Nina Simone" and my Uncle Pete replied "We need to talk". Album Cover: (A+)

Supafly!

Entirely too funky. A delight.

I listen to the South all weekend long it’s powerful. I need to see the movie. Read the plot and synopsis. I think it would help me more. Wish I could edit sorry, Zak. I can only speak on this as an album of music and not a soundtrack for now then. The lyrics in this album are so in your face no innuendos here. Curtis transports you into the Superfly world Freddy’s dad is an incredible song the way he dances around different topics always bringing us back to the fact that Freddie died incredible storytelling plus catchy as hell. I think I listen to it about three times and each time it was like the first time I was listening the groove in this album is so infectious great for cleaning the house

I scooped this record at an estate sale down the street from me a couple months ago. Jacket was a little beat, and it was priced slightly too high, but I walked all the way over there and rummaged through a bunch of shitty music, I had to walk away with something - and I'm glad that I did its a beautiful, addictive, extremely playable record. it effortlessly cool. its good shit. its super fly its a 5.

Classic album. Full of great songs

I absolutely loved it. Every song seems to be great. Even more impressive is that "Superfly" is a soundtrack to a film of the same name. Film soundtracks tend to suck with a few exceptions. I'm so glad I experienced it. 5 stars for "Superfly".

"Curtis it's just a B movie about a pimp, you don't have to go crazy and record one of the best soundtracks of all time."

One of these days I'm going to watch the movie, amazing album, love me some wah-wah with horns backing it up 5/5

9/10 Haven’t watched the movie

Mayfield hits a home run with what I consider to be the "correct" rendition of hip-hop. Compare this to later artists with similar lyrical themes, such as Public Enemy or the Wu-Tang Clan and you see a vast difference in accessibility, melody, harmony/chords, instrumentation, and variation both within and between tracks. It's such a relieving breath of fresh air - especially given that this subgenre is underrepresented on this list. I'd compare it to Marvin Gaye's output, particularly his monumental What's Going On released just a year before Superfly. Both artists skilfully weave together poetic, hauntingly human lines about poverty, drug use, and politics. But where Gaye takes the smooth, soulful route, Mayfield opts for something a little groovier. And that's where I can shout out the rhythm section. Man, it's so good. Especially the drums. Per specific tracks: From the get-go, in the album-opener Little Child Runnin' Wild, we have an organ-keyboard setting up a mysterious and understated atmosphere. The strings bring in this hurried, hushed mystique that sets the tone nicely for the rest of the song and the record. The singing is on-point. Percussion is texturally light but very complex and engaging for the ear. Pusherman and Freddie's Dead have brilliant guitar hooks that go excellently with their biting lyrics. In the latter track, the combo of strings in the left ear and a bit of everything (wah-wah guitar, horns, harp) in the right ear is heavenly. The title/closing track definitely sounds like a track for a film, with its big-band arrangement and driving tempo. It's very catchy and a solid album closer. I could listen to this for hours. 5/5 Key tracks: Little Child Runnin' Wild, Pusherman, Freddie's Dead, Superfly

Yo, a OST? Dope! Big budget methinks 1 Fucking GROOVY there is a lot going on here— congas and sax and string section and vibes and harp?! Goddamn smooth as hell, introduces the audience to characters and settings in a cool way too. Wish the vocals had a bit more umph to them, either in mix or execution, to match the cinematic quality of it all— but they’re still smooth as hell, which is good. Drums really kick into gear towards the end, good energy throughout. Good pacing, could be a bit shorter but it’s a movie theme so. Great 2 Rototoms? Off rip? You’re spoiling me golly MM that’s some rhythm love the vocals immediately, soulful like a smooth rock skipping across a still pond. Love that he backs up, lets the instrumental breathe plenty. It’s patient, but insistent. God dude I wanna like make someone think I’m hot to this. Very unique track in that it feels longer than it is in a good way— doesn’t usually work like that, but this time dilation some good shit. Def don’t mind the fade-out, it’s tasteful and well-timed 3 Hm okay the story telling is a little on the nose on this one, a little too broadway— still fun, though, and damn if the string section isn’t sweet. RIP Fred ig. Truck driver key change is a little corny, but I like the muted trumpet that kicks in. This is the theme? I guess. “Fred is dead” is def catchy enough to be a tagline, crunchy bass is crunchy, okay this is growing on me. Little energy break, lovely little harp accents! Yeah yeah ok I’m with it 4 Horn section’s time to shine! This is more OST, perfectly catchy while not demanding your attention. So much of soul can feel samey to me, capturing vibes more than substance, but because the instrumentals are so diverse and eclectic so far I feel really fresh. Silly title though lol 5 More OST kinda stuff, until the vocals kick in ok nvm. Not loving the hi-hat just playing slow 16ths in my right ear, really distractingly loud. Melody on this is nice, wish the harp had more to work with than just the occasional flourish though cos it’d play off the flute and higher-register piano really well. Yeah, just groovy stuff! 6 Euyugh, a triangle? Duuuuude nice. Eddie, think of the tears and fears! Guitar sounds like— NO THAT TOTALLY IS A THEREMIN! Or a guitar with the sounds of the strings being plucked edited out lol. God dude this album is just delightful. Strings offer real tension, especially in the post-choruses. 7 God dude, just an immaculate mix— so much going on, but it’s all so well composed and controlled. Love call and response with the vocals and the muted trumpet. Could be the poppiest so far, really goddamned catchy. The one consistent throughout this record so far has been grooving conga, and it’s really paying dividends here— allows the form to dip more towards pop and funk while retaining that soulfulness. Lil sax solo? Kinda distant, the piano is so forward. Wish that got mixed better. Back to biz afterwards though. Kinda misleading to subtitle this “Cocaine Song” haha, def promoting a clean life? Or at least the semblance of one. Sunny and fun. Listen to that piano twinkle in the back, and the bari sax gently roar! Sure is funky! Nice slow fade-out, that’s classy. I think I’m really coming around to fade-outs 8 Oo taking it down a notch, beautiful tone to the guitar. Could see Nujabes sampling this. Wow, glockenspiel all the way in the left ear sounds absolutely stellar, celestial. Oboe? Bassoon? I always get those confused, but it’s one of those fuckers— sounds great. Such a fresh OST, so much experimentation while still sounding cohesive. Weird little rhythmic thing, kinda feels like they skip a beat somewhere a couple of times, that’s odd. Love the sax swaggering in. Half time really feels great leading in to the final song on the record, feels like we’ve come a long way. Very cinematic. God yeah this is for a movie! Crazy stuff man. 9 God I have never been half as cool as Curtis when he says “Superfly” lmao. Can def hear the Blaxploitation in some of the lyrics throughout this record, but it’s played so lovingly and beautifully that I can’t help but feel it lives beyond its roots. I haven’t talked enough about the vocals, his delivery has really grew on me, he’s got a feather touch to consonants that is just pleasing as heck. Wild instrumentation for the title track— steel guitar kinda sound, heavy use of rototoms, deep brass. Eschews the earlier use of strings in favor of more big band feels on the latter most songs of the record. What a timeless record that is distinctly 70s. Oxymoronically phenomenal.

This soundtrack album is glorious.

Seriously, seriously, seriously good. Everything lines up so neatly on this record; smoothed out jams juxtaposed with stirring string arrangements, moments of individual flourish from each player at different moments … all of it organised around what’s surely one of the most gorgeously soulful vocal performances ever recorded. It feels quite brave, too, to have scored a film that might otherwise be seen as pretty ambivalent about drug crime with a collection of messages about healthy mindsets and getting high on life. Good for you, Curtis. All that might be a maybe, but what’s for sure is that this album, in so many ways, stands alone. Just wonderful.

>Album finishes >Hit repeat >Album finishes >Hit repeat At first I thought I would get tired of Mayfield's singing, I was wrong. Incredible album start to finish.

Fucking sick. So funky and sexy and 70s. Need to see the movie

You gotta make your fortune, by and by.

I really love this album. Very cool funk. A very effective, amazing (but not showy) rhythm section. On top of that, funky (but again, not overdone) guitars and other instruments and interesting vocals. I also like that, because it is film music, it becomes almost a concept album. I could give this a 4 on a bad day but it's a good day.

Easy.

The greatest funk soul album of all time. I first heard of Curtis Mayfield from the Dead Presidents soundtrack, which was a solid intro into funk/soul when I was a teenager. Then my good buddy gave me a copy of this album on vinyl--each of his parents had one apparently, and his father had passed recently anyway. Solid gift from a great guy. So where to start. I guess with the album itself--I'm not sure many new fans to this have heard of the movie first, but I later bought it on cheap VHS. The intro with the white caddy made that like a dream car for a while for me. This album has absolutely everything. Hard social commentary, amazing music and great falsetto. The horns that Mayfield has are harder than almost anything short of Fela Kuti, and even that's debatle between legends. The percussion... basically this album's only weaker points are Cocaine, and even that song's grown on me. Pusherman, Little Child, Freddie's Dead--I have those on multiple playlists. In fact, nearly every song here is on a playlist somewhere. I wish they never remade this movie, mostly because the remake has such a garbage soundtrack. Clean 5/5 as one of top 5 soul albums of all time, and likely my GOAT.

Just amazing

5 stars, brilliant work.

Great!

5 stars. Short and sweet, this record sounds cool and timeless

Loved this

Others have already said it all, better, but yes: superb instrumentation and story-telling. Loved it.

Most excellent.

Pusherman alone would give this five stars but love this album

I'm no expert, but my impression is this genre--funk in general and blaxploitation specifically--is filled with forgettable music. Superfly stands out as a solid album top to bottom, plus major hits in Pusherman and Superfly. Mayfield was ahead of his time.

An unflinching work about the need to elevate a community above the oppressive stereotypes the ruling class limits it to.

Absolut verdient in dieser Liste! Groovy und funky und dann noch diese epischen Sound Elemente weil es ein Soundtrack ist! Macht gute Laune! Werd ich auf meiner Liste speichern! 6/5 Lieblingssong(s): „Little Child Running Wild“ und „Pusherman“

Gran disco

Classic. All bops.

Woah

Listened to this on my main system with decent volume. I actually really enjoyed it. Typically this style of music leaves me cold but this one grabbed me.

Absolutely loved this.

90% Best: Pusherman; Freddie’s Dead; Give Me Your Love (Love Song); Superfly Must-Hear? Yes

Sounds amazing, great lyrics, super smooth. I knew I loved soul music but it's been the revelation of this project so far, so much great stuff I wasn't so familiar with but now really enjoy.

initially discounted it a little for being a movie soundtrack but it really just stands on its own as a full piece of work. all the tracks are solid and curtis' songwriting is on point. was a really good album to be mad at public transport to

An excellent soul album. Great stuff.

like the soul

I'm your mama, I'm your daddy I'm that ***** in the alley I'm your doctor when in need Want some coke? Have some weed You know me, I'm your friend Your main boy, thick and thin I’m your pusher man! This album is smooootthhhhh man just makes you feel cool inside. This is that cigar with a glass of cognac, two stepping in the living room type of music. Timeless!