Brad's Take:
This is Curtis Mayfield's first solo release and it came after he left the popular Chicago-based funk/R&B group The Impressions. This self-titled album is very political, very psychedelic and very funky. It's been called "the Sgt. Peppers album of 70s soul."
Despite Curtis' fantastic shy and smooth vocals and some awesome funky bass lines, this album didn't really do much for me. There's a lot of strange sounds and arrangements that you wouldn't normally expect from a soul/funk album, but there's also a couple songs that are a little bit more traditional sounding. I can see how this record got some Sgt Peppers comparisons, in terms of stepping out of the box and getting "funky" with the traditional style.
According to Wikipedia, Mayfield was one of the first to speak openly about African-American pride and also the struggles with being black in this era. "Miss Black America" is a good example of him incorporating this political topic into his music.
The song "Wild and Free" is one of the only songs that really stuck with me. It's upbeat and loud and features a fantastic horn section, as well as some sort of instrument that sounds like magic throughout the song. You'll know it when you hear it. "Give It Up" was a great song too, and a nice way to close off the album.
Dad's Take:
I love me some old soul and some old psychedelic music, and the two sometimes blend surprisingly well, especially when mixed with a healthy dose of late sixties/early seventies funk.
It's not hard to feel groovy (even in a literal sense) during the opening funk jam, "(Don't Worry) If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go," the only charting single from this album. Like the best of psychedelic soul, the song deals with racial and inner-city issues, with a funky back beat that makes sitting still difficult.
The album broke ground for its songs about black pride and race issues. That made it important to its time, and the album is a valuable musical history lesson about the concerns of the day.
It's pretty seriously dated at times, though. That's not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you're looking to get into a 1970 groove, but I can see why someone of Brad's generation might not quite be enthralled by it. Many of the same issues still exist, but they are discussed in a different way, and to a different beat.
I enjoy listening to this album, in the right mood. I love me some psych-funk, and Mayfield's voice was common in my younger days, and still sounds great. Those smooth soul vocals still work, even where the songs might not have aged that well.
For me, the softer soul songs on this record are the ones that sometimes don't quite work for me. The funkier tracks, though, like the brilliant "Move On Up" (with its Latin percussion and funky bass line and cool horns) and the opening songs, will always get my attention. Unfortunately, it's the softer songs that seem to predominate the album, even though the eight songs are split pretty evenly between funky and mellow. I think maybe the problem is that his vocal style, although great, does not vary much from song to song, so I appreciate the interesting things that happen in the music of the funkier songs. It doesn't surprise me that Brad digs "Wild and Free." It's upbeat both musically and lyrically, with an interesting and slightly unusual backing track.
But you can't skip the slow stuff. For one thing, Mayfield's voice is a lovely thing. For another, you might start a song thinking it's just another soul ballad, like "We the People Who Are Darker Than Blue," only to have the song break into a funky, African-inspired, jam. Honestly, I was getting bored with that song, and then, wow! When it goes back to its original ballad style, I'm good with it, especially considering the tragic direction the lyrics take.
Dad's Take:
I love me some old soul and some old psychedelic music, and the two sometimes blend surprisingly well, especially when mixed with a healthy dose of late sixties/early seventies funk.
It's not hard to feel groovy (even in a literal sense) during the opening funk jam, "(Don't Worry) If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go," the only charting single from this album. Like the best of psychedelic soul, the song deals with racial and inner-city issues, with a funky back beat that makes sitting still difficult.
The album broke ground for its songs about black pride and race issues. That made it important to its time, and the album is a valuable musical history lesson about the concerns of the day.
It's pretty seriously dated at times, though. That's not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you're looking to get into a 1970 groove, but I can see why someone of Brad's generation might not quite be enthralled by it. Many of the same issues still exist, but they are discussed in a different way, and to a different beat.
I enjoy listening to this album, in the right mood. I love me some psych-funk, and Mayfield's voice was common in my younger days, and still sounds great. Those smooth soul vocals still work, even where the songs might not have aged that well.
For me, the softer soul songs on this record are the ones that sometimes don't quite work for me. The funkier tracks, though, like the brilliant "Move On Up" (with its Latin percussion and funky bass line and cool horns) and the opening songs, will always get my attention. Unfortunately, it's the softer songs that seem to predominate the album, even though the eight songs are split pretty evenly between funky and mellow. I think maybe the problem is that his vocal style, although great, does not vary much from song to song, so I appreciate the interesting things that happen in the music of the funkier songs. It doesn't surprise me that Brad digs "Wild and Free." It's upbeat both musically and lyrically, with an interesting and slightly unusual backing track.
But you can't skip the slow stuff. For one thing, Mayfield's voice is a lovely thing. For another, you might start a song thinking it's just another soul ballad, like "We the People Who Are Darker Than Blue," only to have the song break into a funky, African-inspired, jam. Honestly, I was getting bored with that song, and then, wow! When it goes back to its original ballad style, I'm good with it, especially considering the tragic direction the lyrics take.
The album ends strong, with two great songs, and leaves me looking forward to what may be the greatest soul album ever, which we'll get to around mid-1971. But this one is no slouch itself. It amazes me how little attention Curtis Mayfield gets these days. Truly a pioneer.
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