Curtis Mayfield Album Reviews

Curtis Mayfield was born in Chicago, where he sang in a gospel choir. As a teenager, he joined the vocal group The Roosters. The Roosters became The Impressions, releasing their first single in 1958.

When Jerry Butler left the group, Mayfield became the lead singer. He emerged as a songwriter in the 1960s, penning ‘Gypsy Woman’ and ‘People Get Ready’. Mayfield went solo in the 1970s, enjoying fame for records like Curtis (1970) and Superfly (1972). He was also a successful songwriter, penning #1 hits for The Staple Singers and Tony Orlando & Dawn.

Along with Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, Mayfield made socially conscious music in the early 1970s. His perspective was often warm and humane, promoting inclusivity. Mayfield had a distinctive style, built around his falsetto voice and funky guitar. Self-taught, his guitar used an unusual open F# tuning, matched to the black keys of a piano.

Mayfield peaked in the early 1970s but continued as a recording artist through the 1970s and 1980s. In 1990, he was paralysed from the neck down when stage equipment fell on him. Mayfield’s voice is mild and his musical approach can be samey, but his early 1970s peak is impressive with a sequence of strong records.

I plan to cover The Impressions’ records from the late 1960s when Mayfield was in control. But I’m starting with Mayfield’s early solo career in the 1970s.

Curtis Mayfield Album Reviews

Curtis

1970, 9.5/10
Mayfield had established himself as a respected artist when he made his first solo album. He’d written hit songs like ‘Gypsy Woman’ and ‘People Get Ready’. Late 1960s Impressions records like This Is My Country and The Young Mods’ Forgotten Story established Mayfield as an album artist.

But going solo allowed Mayfield to become more political lyrically and edgier musically. Producing the record himself, he embraces a funky sound on tracks like ‘Move On Up’.

Curtis features Mayfield’s strongest set of songs. It helps that there’s a harder edge than usual to provide balance. The epics that open each side – ‘If There’s A Hell Below (We’re All Going to Go)’ and ‘Move On Up’ – are among Mayfield’s finest. They also balance out the sweetness of songs like ‘The Makings of You’.

Among the lesser-known tracks, the horns of ‘Wild and Free’ are full and vibrant. ‘We Are The People Who Are Darker Than Blue’ would be a pinnacle on most records, with its wah-wah guitar and length, but it’s overshadowed here. ‘Miss Black America’ feels quaint, a time capsule decades later.

Curtis is a stellar solo debut, with a strong case to be ranked as Mayfield’s best studio album.


Curtis/Live!

1971, 9/10
I don’t always cover live albums on this site, but Curtis/Live! is a significant entry in Mayfield’s catalogue. It was recorded at the 230-seat Bitter End nightclub in New York. As with Mayfield’s other early solo records, his band includes percussionist “Master” Henry Gibson and bassist Joseph “Lucky” Scott. Scott served as Mayfield’s musical director, while Gibson’s African percussion is often the dominant texture.

Only three of the songs come from solo debut Curtis. Elsewhere, he’s reaching back into his Impressions songbook and coopting The Carpenters’ ‘We’ve Only Just Begun’ into a civil rights anthem.

It’s notable for including three previously unreleased Mayfield songs. The terse and minimal ‘Stare and Stare’ is arguably the weakest song. But ‘I Plan to Stay a Believer’ is sweet and ‘Stone Junkie’ is a great closer, a platform for jamming.

Curtis/Live! is a rare essential live album.


Roots

1971, 8/10
Roots is an impressive album that’s a step below the other records from Mayfield’s early solo career. It’s difficult for most records to compete with Curtis, Curtis Live!, and Superfly. Roots features some of Mayfield’s most ambitious arrangements, but the songs aren’t as arresting as his other early solo albums.

The album starts with the terrific ‘Get Down’, in the same funky vein as ‘If There’s A Hell Below’ and ‘Move On Up’. Also noteworthy is ‘Underground’, a tale of humankind driven under the earth by pollution. It’s unusually dystopian from Mayfield, who’s normally positive and inclusive. The full arrangements and orchestration are pretty on songs like ‘Love To Keep You In My Mind’

‘Now You’re Gone’ is a strong song but Mayfield’s vocals can’t fulfill its potential. His voice is too sweet to deliver anguished lines like “Now you’re gone, you had a plan, another man.”

Roots is worthy, but a step down from Mayfield’s other early solo records.


Super Fly

1972, 9.5/10
Given Mayfield’s messages of love and inclusion, it’s perhaps surprising that his most famous album is a soundtrack to a film about drug dealing. While the film is reportedly ambiguous about drug dealing, Mayfield’s soundtrack is more scathing of the drug scene.

Despite the weighty subject matter, Super Fly is Mayfield’s most direct and accessible record. It’s more energetic than usual and has some of my favourite Mayfield vocals. There’s a rough edge to his voice in places like the “hey hey” hook on ‘Freddie’s Dead’ that’s not normally apparent. He’s surprisingly menacing in ‘Pusherman’. Playing a character in a soundtrack allows him to step outside his comfort zone. There’s some terrific orchestration too, giving the arrangements depth without sacrificing edge.

As a soundtrack, Super Fly has pieces of background music, but they’re succinct and memorable. The record’s dominated by material that’s hard-edged by Mayfield’s standards, like ‘Pusherman’ and ‘Give Me Your Love’. But there’s also the lovely ‘Nothing On Me (Cocaine Song)’, in Mayfield’s usual style with warmth and optimism.

The Super Fly soundtrack outgrossed the movie and it’s a stone-cold classic.


Back to the World

1973, 8/10
Mayfield kept the punchy sound of Super Fly but stretched it over longer songs on Back to the World. He’s particularly focused on social issues on this record. The title track is about the plight of veterans returning from Vietnam. ‘Future Shock’ was inspired by Alvin Toffler’s 1970 book about the effects of industrialisation on the environment. Mayfield’s starting to descend from his peak in the early 1970s but Back to the World is still a strong record in its own right.

The first side of the LP is particularly impressive, even if its three songs could all use a trim. ‘Future Shock’ is perhaps too close to ‘Super Fly’, but it’s a good source to borrow from. ‘Right On For the Darkness’ is an interesting arrangement, marrying taut funk to rich orchestration. The title track is one of my favourite Mayfield tunes, even if it would work better with a tougher arrangement and shorter running time.

The second side is less substantial but it has its moments. ‘If I Were Only a Child Again’ is built around a catchy horn riff. ‘Can’t Say Nothin” is hard-edged funky with wah-wah guitar and percussion. Mayfield’s falsetto sounds lovely on ‘Future Song’ with its “heavenly father” refrain.

Back to the World is overlooked, coming after Super Fly, but it’s often excellent.


Sweet Exorcist

1974, 6/10
By 1974, Mayfield was spreading himself too thin. He wrote and produced an album (Claudine) for Gladys Knight and the Pips, and released two solo albums. He also wrote and produced Things Have Changed for The Impressions in 1973. Coupled with a decline from his early 1970s peak, Sweet Exorcist is strangely unsatisfying. Mayfield largely abandons political lyrics for this record, instead focusing on relationships.

Most of the songs feel incomplete. ‘Power to the People’ squanders a memorable horn arrangement on a generic lyric. ‘Suffer’ has pretty orchestration but it doesn’t back a memorable melody. The title track doesn’t have a strong enough hook to put it over the top.

The most interesting tune is ‘To Be Invisible,’ with dramatic orchestration dropping in and out around the spooky band arrangement. Gladys Knight and the Pips also released a version in 1974.

Sweet Exorcist isn’t without merit, but it’s a large step down from Mayfield’s previous solo records.


Got To Find A Way

1974, 7.5/10
If it felt like Mayfield’s formula was wearing thin after the last record, Got to Find a Way is a significant rebound. It focuses on relationships like Sweet Exorcist but is tougher and funkier. This makes it unique in Mayfield’s catalogue – often it’s his political material that’s funky.

His backing band has changed since his early solo career. Key players Joseph “Lucky” Scott and percussionist Master Henry Gibson are still around. Rich Tufo’s organ is a new texture while Gary R Thompson is now on lead guitar.

Despite the emphasis on funk, the most memorable song is the yearning ballad ‘So You Don’t Love Me’. There’s a great moment with a minute to run. All the other instruments drop out, leaving a solitary synth to ascend, before they come back for a gorgeous climax.

The funkier tunes are strong. ‘Love Me (Right In The Pocket)’ is a strong opener. ‘Cannot Find A Way’ uses the Super Fly trick of blending energetic funk with sophisticated instrumentation. Gibson’s bed of percussion drives the succinct closer ‘Ain’t No Love Lost’.

After the lethargic Sweet Exorcist, Got to Find A Way resumes Mayfield’s run of quality in the 1970s.


There’s No Place Like America Today

1975, 8.5/10
Mayfield returned to political and social commentary on 1975’s There’s No Place Like America Today. The cover is based on The album cover was based on a depression-era photograph titled At the Time of the Louisville Flood, which used the advertising slogan “There’s No Way Like the American Way

It’s one of Mayfield’s most beloved albums. He’s an auteur here, working with unusual, minimal arrangements, while his falsetto voice sometimes sounds strangled. The single ‘So In Love’ is the exception, a richly arranged love song that was the obvious choice for a single.

But lots of these other songs are weird, in the best possible way. ‘When Seasons Change’ could have been a gorgeous ballad, but Mayfield sings above his usual range and keeps the arrangement terse. ‘Jesus’ is a reaffirmation of faith in the face of adversity, but its chorus hook is unexpected – “He never had a hustlin’ mind/Doin’ crime wastin’ time!/Drinkin’ that wine”. The tense funk arrangements of ‘Billy Jack’ and ‘Hard Times’ are effective.

There’s No Place Like America Today is fascinating, with Mayfield angry yet brilliant.


Curtis Mayfield 1976–1997

Mayfield made twelve more studio albums between 1976 and 1997. Changing musical fashions forced him into disco. The switch neutralises his best qualities, his sincerity and his compassion. I’m not planning to cover Mayfield’s later albums at this stage – I’d rather explore his late-1960s work with The Impressions.

His final album, 1996’s New World Order, was recorded after Mayfield was paralysed from the neck down. He had to record his vocals line-by-line, lying on his back.

10 Best Curtis Mayfield Songs

Move On Up
If There’s A Hell Below, We’re All Going to Go
Freddie’s Dead
Get Down
Back to the World
Nothing On Me (Cocaine Song)
So You Don’t Love Me
Billy Jack
The Makings Of You
Pusherman

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