There’s No Place Like America Today

Some flickers of interesting stuff, and solid musically. Glad I've heard it, but probably not one I'll go back to

The Good: We’re traveling to Oz!
The Bad: Oh, wait, this isn’t Kansas…
The Ugly: The state of America today?

Did you see what I did there? I made this political, when this shouldn’t be political…

I know of Curtis Mayfield, and I’ve heard his staple hits as I’ve been listening to popular music since for ever, yet I was totally unaware of this album. It listens easy, made the 34 minutes go by without a hitch, but not once was there something which made me sit up straight and really pay attention… maybe that’s just me, or maybe I am becoming insensitive to music due to this 1001 list?

Shooting this one straight down the middle… 3*

Cool album. I never quote acclimate to Mayfield's voice and that sort of a nice thing. When in in the mood for it there is no substitute. Guy has character in every note.

I said the same for his other album - sounds like a 70's porno soundtrack

3 ⭐️

Nothing wrong with this. Classic soul/funk.

A great soul album … but hoping for better from Curtis elsewhere in this list.

Barely noticed I was listening to this throughout

This man can do no wrong. I listened to it twice. Sweet butter.

A really cool album. In the long run, Curtis Mayfield's high falsetto voice is a bit exhausting. I really enjoyed listening to the album. 4/5

Pretty cool vibes but can be a little samey.

Overall pretty solid, even if it’s not inherently my thing.

3.5/5

According to Mayfield, yesterday's 'America today' was 'scufflin' times': 'A lot of scars - that kind of scare you to remember.' It's more like collapsin' times in today's 'America today,' but this record remains timeless. Mainly, this is political music that gets going b/c it negotiates the mundane with sweetness and honesty: 'Waking up now in the morning / A little morning sigh / Ready not to get it together.' This is truth music b/c Mayfield is attuned enuf to appreciate that 'Truth is not the whole question.' Musically, this is a funky cry, and a crying funk: 'The way you do it - is to get right to it.' Amen. And even an atheist like me can get down w/ 'Jesus.'

I appreciate the message, but it's not for me.

Something about this album goes over my head. I find myself playing it over and over (cos it's really good), but not much sticks. I think this is my fault.

You don't really know this album until you're depressed and listening to it in a dark closet smoking a cigarette

This album was OK. Not my type of music and not something I can ever see myself listening to again though.

Favourite song: couldn’t pick one
Least favourite: again couldn’t pick one
Album artwork: Cool cover

Kind of got fed up of the sound of the singing quite early on. Didn’t really do much for me.

Funky. I like that there are some wind instruments. I like the album cover. I don't like the combo of a high voice and a slow tempo, even if the lyrics are good. Too operatic for me!

Tangentially, there are so many artists with songs called 'Blue Monday', including Curtis here, yet there is not a lot of online clarity re: where this term originated. Some say it's from a travel company in the UK in 2005, which is clearly not the whole truth. The dictionary tells me it's from the 1800s, re: sad laborers, and I guess that's the intended meaning here. A term that endures!

Curtis Mayfield is a pimp, there's no other way to say it. This is just really good, really smooth 70s soul music - what's not to love?

Well, actually, there is one thing: It gets a bit preachy/churchy/Jesus-y at points. YMMV but that annoys me. Enough to knock it down a star? Probably not. I would maybe give it 3.5 stars if I could but in this format, I think it deserves 4 stars because you kind of know what you're going to get going in, and it does that thing extremely well.

DELÍCIA ESSE HEIN
que pedrada. só baixão de qualidade. r&b na melhor forma, gostosinho e tranquilo.