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. Throughout the 1960s he emerged as a songwriter, penning ‘Gypsy Woman’ and ‘People Get Ready’. Mayfield went solo in the 1970s, enjoying fame for records like Curtis (1970) and Superfly (1972).
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.
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
Nothing On Me (Cocaine Song)
The Makings Of You
Pusherman
Stone Junkie
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