CURTIS MAYFIELD-CURTIS.

dereksmusicblog ♦ October 5, 2011 ♦ Leave a comment

CURTIS MAYFIELD-CURTIS.

By 1970, Curtis Mayfield had left The Impressions, and decided to become a solo artists. This wasn’t the only major change in his life at this time. The other change was his founding of Curtom Records, an independent record label. Curtom Records released albums by Leroy Hutson, The Impressions, Donny Hathaway and The staple singers. In September 1970, Curtom released Curtis Mayfield’s debut album Curtis. On the album was music very different to the pop-soul sound of his former group The Impressions. Instead, the music on Curtis was a combination of soul, funk and psychedelia that featured music with a social conscience, music about the politic and social problems of that time.  Although the album was very different to his previous music, the album was both critically acclaimed and a huge commercial success, reaching number one on the Billboard Black Charts, where it spent five weeks at number one and number nineteen in the US Billboard 200. Two of the tracks on the album (Don’t Worry) if There’s A Hell Below, We’re All Going To Go and Move On Up, are among the most memorable songs Curtis recorded as a solo artist. Much of the music on the album reflected the problems that black America was facing politically and socially, and how they united to help deal with these problems. This was a new direction for Curtis, one he’d wanted to move his music towards, for some time. So between May and July 1970, Curtis entered the studio, producing what’s quite simply, it’s a hugely powerful album, full of social comment, that sees Curtis combine soul, funk and psychedelia.

Curtis opens with (Don’t Worry) if There’s A Hell Below, We’re All Going To Go a track that showcases Curtis’ new funk based sound. It’s an epic track, nearly eight minutes long, that opens with muted conversation, a woman talking about religion accompanied by a buzzing bass, before Curtis, like a prophet of boom forecasts our collective descent into hell. This announcement is all encompassing, regardless of race or religion. Thankfully, after this somewhat depressing opening, the sound becomes brighter, with Curtis’ voice retaining that hugely soulful sound. The arrangement is quick, sounding like something from a Blaxploitation soundtrack, with funk laden rhythm section, bursts of bright, blazing repetitive horns, lush sweeping strings, chiming guitars and keyboards. It’s a fulsome and dramatic funk laden sound, the perfect accompaniment to Curtis’ lyrics, which have a bleakness, as he forecasts the demise of us all, and our decent into the pits of hell. As the track progresses, and the arrangement grows, it’s obvious that this is a hugely powerful, dramatic almost prophetic track. Here, the lyrics are full of social comment, about the problems of the time, which Curtis’ lyrics and vocal brings to life. By the end of this compelling track, you realize that this is indeed funk laden masterpiece, full of drama, anger with Curtis acting as a nation’s social conscience.

When The Other Side of Town opens, the sound is grandiose and dramatic, sounding like something from a film soundtrack. The track opens with a sweeping piano, combining with booming dramatic drums, lush strings, blazing horns and guitars combining before Curtis’ tender vocal enters. Behind him, the powerful and dramatic arrangement provides a total contrast to his vocal. It’s humble and thoughtful, full of sadness and regret as he sings about poverty, and all the things he missed out on, never knew and never learnt about. Horns as if angry interject, blazing, while strings sweep grandly, as rhythm section, guitars and keyboards produce an arrangement that dramatically helps brings home the abject poverty, and is sympathetic to the bitterness, anger and regret that Curtis must feel. This is another hugely powerful track, one makes you angry and annoyed at the poverty some people experience and the opportunities that they miss out on. 

There’s a slightly theatrical, yet dramatic sound to The Makings of You, with piano, harp, rhythm section then dramatic blazing interjections of horns make their presence felt. This seems a fitting introduction to Curtis’ hugely tender, gentle and thoughtful vocal, as he sings a song about love, against a sweeping backdrop of strings, horns, rhythm section, harp and chiming guitars. Together, they produce an arrangement that one minute has a gentle and understated strings and a harp central to the sweeping sound, the next it’s loud and powerful with horns blazing and interjecting. However, together, they produce a beautiful and fitting backdrop for an equally beautiful and gentle vocal from Curtis, on one of the album’s best tracks.

On We Are the People Who Are Darker Than Blue, Curtis addresses the problems of racism and who best to deal with it. In the song, he says that what people say, mustn’t become a self fulfilling prophecy. As the track opens, brass, strings and rhythm sections combine with piano and guitars to produce a slow arrangement, that’s full of emotion and drama. This is perfect for Curtis’ thoughtful and intelligent lyrics. Here, his voice is full emotion, rising as if anger and annoyance is just below the surface. The arrangement reflects this, with horns and drums injecting anger and drama. Later in the track, the head veers off into funk territory, after the track slows down, with drums and percussion starting this frantic, funk workout. Curtis joins in, his voice almost an early rap, as he gets across the problems and his feelings about them. After this, the track slows down, to its former tempo and sound. Like other tracks, it’s deeply moving and hugely powerful, with Curtis again, using his music to become spokesman for those effected by these problems. Here, he uses a masterful combination of soul and funk to get an important message across, and does so brilliantly and powerfully.

Earlier in this review, I said that one of Curtis’ best known tracks was Move On Up. This track has almost become synonymous with Curtis, and is one of the album’s highlights. It’s a joyous explosion of uptempo, feelgood music, that features an outstanding vocal from Curtis. Opening with Drums, horns, strings, bass and guitars, accompanying a joyful Curtis Mayfield. Horns joyous, drench the track, as they interject, while frantic drums and percussion combine and strings sweep in and out of the track. A piano plays subtly in the background, but is hardly audible. However, it’s Curtis vocal that steals the show. Together with the arrangement, it’s a joyous, celebration nearly nine minutes long, that combines elements of soul, funk and even jazz. Here, his band demonstrate just how talented and tight a band they were, heading into a funk workout, where they can each showcase their individual and collective talents. It almost becomes like a track of two parts, the first that you usually hear as a single, and the second equally good part, which is partly a funk workout. By the end of the track, you’ve been swept along by some brilliant, joyous music, that’s so catchy it’s almost infectious and laden with hooks.

Miss Black America opens with a slow piano solo, accompanied by gentle drums and percussion provides the backdrop for a telephone conversation between a father and his young daughter, who wishes to become Miss Black America when she grows up. When the conversation ends, the arrangement changes drastically, bright, blazing horns, piano, rhythm section and guitars combining to accompany Curtis, who is accompanied by backing vocalists. They soulfully unite, providing a perfect accompaniment to Curtis vocal that celebrates Miss Black America, her beauty, talent, and intelligence. The arrangement has an equally, joyous, celebratory sound, full of grand, bright horns, driving rhythm section and sweet, soulful backing vocals. Together with Curtis’ tender, yet joyful vocal, they combine to produce a hugely melodic and dramatic track, that celebrates the accomplishment of Miss Black America.

Wild and Free dramatically bursts into life, a blaze of horns, quick, driving rhythm section, harp and guitars, accompanying a powerful, emotive vocal from Curtis. Later strings sweep, grandly in, adding even more drama to this fulsome arrangement, which unfolds into waves of dramatic, powerful music. It’s a combination of interjections from horns and strings, which are at the heart of the arrangement and a rhythm section that power the track along, providing the track’s heartbeat. Guitars chime, while a harp melodically contributes. All of these instruments contribute to one of the best arrangements on Curtis. Speaking of the man, Curtis’ delivers lyrics about one of nature’s free spirits with combination of emotion and power, demonstrating his talent and versatility as a vocalist, on this great track.

Curtis closes with Give It Up, another track that’s laden in drama, with waves of emotive music revealing itself on a track that’s hugely soulful. Brass, string and rhythm sections combine with chiming guitars and keyboards, as Curtis delivers a tender, thoughtful and sometimes, powerful vocal. During the track, his voice is full of emotion, sadness and regret, as horns, strings and guitars provide an arrangement that veers between subtle and melodic and dramatic and powerful. This matches the emotion of Curtis’ lyrics, and his delivery of them, on a track that show Curtis doing what he does best, singing soul music. For some reason, this seems a fitting end to his debut album, with a track that features great vocal from one of soul and now funk music’s legends Curtis Mayfield. 

As someone who has previously listened to a lot of The Impressions music, which features Curtis Mayfield, Curtis was quite a contrast when I first heard it. The music was totally different, but hugely powerful Curtis’ music dealt with the political and social problems of 1970, and he became the spokesman and social conscience of a generation of people. His music spoke for, and represented people who didn’t have a voice, and couldn’t make their feelings, protests or presence felt. In a way, Curtis’s music was like a conduit for them. Through him and his music, their worries, fears and anger was heard, not just in America, but worldwide. This demonstrates the power and potency of music, and how music can cause debate and even, cause change. On Curtis, the music may have a message, but it’s among the best music Curtis ever recorded. Together with a crack band of musicians, and over a three month period, they recorded eight great tracks. Each of these tracks is of the highest standard, featuring powerful and intelligent lyrics, great vocals from Curtis and some great arrangements. Not only did Curtis sing vocals, write each song and produce the album, but he also played several instruments, including guitar, bass, drums, piano and saxophone. He was truly a hugely talented musician, and during the seventies and eighties, he released some great albums. Sadly in August 1990, he was paralyzed from the waist down, when a lighting rig fell on top of him. Nine years later, in December 1999, Curtis died, aged just fifty-seven. Although he died far too young, the legacy he leaves behind, is some brilliant music, including his stunning and powerful debut solo album Curtis. Standout Tracks: (Don’t Worry) if There’s A Hell Below, We’re All Going To Go, The Makings of You, We Are the People Who Are Darker Than Blue and Move On Up.

CURTIS MAYFIELD-CURTIS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UViLoH-yORw