Curtis Mayfield is one of the unsung heroes of Soul Music. After spending some time in the 1960s as a band leader for The Impressions (a surrealistic LSD inspired name if there ever were one), he began a solo career which not only had some great music created, but also spoke of the injustices that were caused to African-Americans in the USA during this time. Bear in mind that, yes, in the so-called “land of the free”, segregation was a thing. In any case, this is Curtis Mayfield’s finest album. It is also a concept album based around the film soundtrack for which it was recorded, centred around the themes of poverty and drug use, which Curtis Mayfield himself was critical about. In short, this album, which was universally praised by music critics and was a surprise success for Curtis Mayfield, set him up for the 1970s. The album was recorded at RCA in Chicago and Bell Sound Studios in New York City and was self-produced. It was recorded between late 1971 and mid-1972 and was released on Curtom Records (Curtis Mayfield’s own record label). The album was released on 11 July 1972 and runs for nearly 37 minutes. Let’s take a listen to this album, now widely received as a classic, and we shall hear if it sounds good today.

1. Little Child Runnin’ Wild begins with some sweet organ and bongo drums. It sounds original and rather Psychedelic in its intention. Bass guitar hits, alongside some rather warped and Psychedelic instrumentation, sound great. An awesome start to the album. Curtis Mayfield sings in a lovely falsetto that sounds absolutely awesome, and this sounds like a proto-Disco track. The saxophone and other instrumentation sounds are extremely cool to listen to. A really very powerful music statement about child abuse and wanting to live a free life. The saxophone solo throughout is excellent and fantastic to listen to, and this music is superb to listen to as well. A top-notch tune that has lasted through the ages with a groovy, funky flair to it all. Music history has some gems in the past, and this tune is one of them. Absolutely gorgeous music to listen to as well. Disco Music was not a thing at this time (it hadn’t evolved to that point), but Curtis Mayfield was a musician ahead of his time in terms of sound and scope. Nonetheless, this mixture of falsetto singing, socially aware lyrics, and Soul/Funk instrumentation sounds absolutely awesome to hear. All in all, this tune sounds sweet, from the glorious saxophone, string section and moody vibes. The outro has a sad string section to match. Excellent listening from start to finish. It fades out nicely.

2. Pusherman begins with drums and percussion, and a deep rumbling bassline to match. This eventually leads to a smooth and sweet tune that sounds absolutely awesome. This has some direct lyrics about drug use and dealing, set to some awesome funky wah-wah guitar. This sounds unique, amazing and absolutely fantastic throughout. The nature of illicit drug use is a deep, dark and scary world for those who see it for what it really is. All in all, this tune is absolutely awesome and thoroughly fantastic to hear. A top-notch and sweet tune to listen to, this is the sort of thing one should listen to after a hard day’s work with a whiskey drink and a Marlboro cigarette when frustrated after dealing with clients. Very, very good to listen to. A very awesome and interesting tune to listen to. This music is a bold, innovative and sweet statement about how bad drug use can really be. Curtis Mayfield sings in a sweet, determined falsetto, and the musicianship otherwise is equally as good. If you like Jimi Hendrix-inspired wah-wah Fender Stratocaster, then this is a decent track to listen to as well. This has some awesome instrumentation and sounds throughout, and the percussion was later sampled by Dr. Dre on his own legendary 2001 (1999 release) album. Sweet, smooth and cool music to hear, every single time.

3. Freddie’s Dead begins with some interesting guitar licks, which are fuzz-based, and some cool drumming. Curtis Mayfield sings about both hate and love, with some cool harmonies to match. This is proto-Disco Music at its best, and the sounds and performances are top-class. An absolutely sweet and awesome tune that sounds top class, this has a great and deep emotional higher state and sings about the tragedy of drug use and overdosing from it. Illicit drugs aren’t good as they kill people, and Curtis Mayfield articulates this well in his music. This sounds sweet and heavenly for the music that it is, all the same. All in all, a really tuneful and great listen, with a nice key change throughout. This music sounds deep and moody indeed, but it is ultimately a very rewarding music listening experience. An awesome and evocative piece from 1972, and this tune is the best recognition of the ghettos of the USA back in the early 1970s. Absolutely top, this sounds extremely good for what it is. This soulful, funky music has a lasting impression on the listener, and it sounds fantastic. Some people live the saddest of lives, and this is articulated well in this song. A really fantastic and enjoyable piece of music with a cautionary message lyrically. The outro is absolutely gorgeous, with bongos, flute, strings and muted wah-wah guitar. Great.

4. Junkie Chase – Instrumental begins with some interesting and snappy drums, alongside some brash horns and rumbling bass guitar. This all sounds extremely fantastic, and launches into a glorious piece of music with clanging piano and fantastically sounding call-and-response instrumentation. Obviously made for the film in mind, this sounds extremely cool. A saxophone emerges as well, which sounds really super cool to hear. An impressive listening experience that sounds supremely cool, this has a neat and grand horn-based conclusion, followed by drums. Sweet.

5. Give Me Your Love (Love Song) begins with bongos, smooth guitar and other lush instrumentation sounding abound. Some smooth wah-wah guitar enters, and this tune comes nicely alive. It sounds super cool, and if this is a love song, it is very appropriate for what it is. Absolutely, genuinely great and amazing to hear, this music is a top listening experience. It sounds so good and was likely a huge influence on the late 1970s Disco Music, once again. This has some amazing falsetto vocals throughout, and Curtis Mayfield sings from the heart on these songs. This is as good as funky, trippy Soul Music gets. It sounds fantastic to hear, even to this day. The guitar playing on this tune is insanely good as well, although there is piano, harp and sturdy drumming to support it. Some brass and strings are also thrown into the mix on this tune. A smooth, lovely and fantastic listen throughout, this sounds moving and devotional in the name of love itself. Very fantastic listening, this tune is a winner. A solidly strong piece of music from the album.

6. Eddie You Should Know Better begins with a short drum intro, and launches into a pseudo-James Bond sounding piece from the early 1970s. Curtis Mayfield sings about the fact that the character in the film has made a major mistake, set to gorgeous music, not too far away from Burt Bacharach, really in terms of sound and instrumentation. Nonetheless, the music and playing, including violining guitar parts, sound awesome. This is lush Soul food for the mind, and it sounds absolutely cool. Very, very cool. A winner of a tune. It ends quickly.

7. No Thing On Me (Cocaine Song) begins with twinkling piano, and leads into another cleverly arranged song at hand. A really smooth and sweet tune that details the dark side of drug use, and is actually an anti-drug song of sorts. Very, very sweet to listen to. Curtis Mayfield has a high octave voice that sounds grand, genuine and very lovely. In fact, this music is very much ear candy to the listener, and it sounds amazing for what it is. Some honest lyrics are present through this song, and this music is precious and timeless. A very lovely and sweet tune to listen to, this also has a very neat brass and string section throughout, which does a sort of call-and-response. With some direct lyrics about cocaine usage before Pablo Escobar, the Colombian drug baron, was a household name, this is absolutely fantastic to listen to. A happy listen, despite the dark lyrics and concept throughout, the saxophone sounds gorgeous as well. The music is amazing, and the lyrics are socially conscious. Absolutely pretty and sweet, this music is a solid gold winner. The chorus in particular is very fantastic to listen to. This tune is a great one. Period.

8. Think – Instrumental begins with some acoustic guitar arpeggios, which sound completely different and genuinely sweet. Xylophone enters, and this tune sounds deep and fresh simultaneously. Drums quickly follow, and this grand tune gets going along nicely. It is very safe to say that the likes of Curtis Mayfield paved the way for Disco Music later on in the 1970s. You can clearly hear how. A clarinet enters, which is very different to hear. A really awesome listen throughout, this music is a thrilling listen. The saxophone solo that eventually enters sounds amazing and sweet to listen to. Curtis Mayfield is one of those amazingly underrated artists today who needs more love, or at least to be heard. Again, another fantastic track with descriptively interesting information and proves that, along with Isaac Hayes, the era of movie soundtracks being successful album releases was here to stay by this point in time. Not bad for a three-minute-long piece of music.

9. Superfly is the famous title track. It has some instantly recognisable instrumentation, and launches into a great and noticeably sampled work by The Beastie Boys on their own Paul’s Boutique (1989) release. Still, this is a loud, bold and confident tune that has not aged a jot. Absolutely awesome music to listen to, with palm-muted wah-wah guitar, brass sections and other tasty arrangements of instrumentation, this is quite clearly a winner. Cool and awesome, this is one of those tunes to wear a nice pair of expensive sunglasses to. Absolutely top throughout, this is a historic moment in music which sounds as decent and relevant today as it did in 1972. A truly and purely fantastic song that is era-defining for African-American Music, especially compared to the likes of other acts that were far more popular at the time. Above all, a gorgeous and intelligent piece of music. This concludes the main part of the album. Fantastic.

10. Freddie’s Dead – Theme From ‘Superfly’; Single Mix is a nice little addition to the re-release of this album. It sounds rawer, punchier and more powerful than the main track on this album. Of course, you don’t really need to hear this again, but it sounds as excellent as the main track on this album. A shorter, simpler and more concise listening experience that sounds interesting and punchy, the string section and other instrumentation sound really great throughout. A brassy section of horns emerges, which sounds smooth and great. Absolutely awesome to hear, this deep, dirty and gritty tune sounds very direct and interesting. A nicely arranged and layered tune that sounds like a warning to those who use/abuse fentanyl today. Great to hear again.

11. Superfly – Single Mix Version is the final track on this re-release. It begins with the recognisable instrumentation introduction and trippy sounding drums, launching into a shorter and more concise, yet rawer mix of the title track. It is great to hear it again, and this is again an era-defining track to listen to. This music is a top listen, full of Funk-based Soul Music and ear candy galore. This finishes off an album that sounds like a genuine classic album to listen to and enjoy for when you need some socially aware lyrics to match with some smooth, luscious music from the early 1970s. A sheer brilliant tune to listen to, and something memorable for the ages. The guitar throughout is really fantastic as well. A really great tune to listen to, this sounds fresh, inspired and amazing, to this day. Excellence.

This album is a historical music moment that seriously deserves more love, per se. It is fresh, funky, imaginative (and likely drug-influenced) Psychedelic Soul Music that is top-notch. Curtis Mayfield had many great pieces of music within him. However, this motion picture concept album soundtrack is enough to inspire one to listen to other forms of music out there. A solid gold album. Should you listen to this album? If you want to hear some interesting African-American music rooted in Soul, give this a shot. Fans of more postmodern genres of music may not warm to this, however.

Bold, colourful, brilliant and fantastic.

9/10