― dave q, Tuesday, 24 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― rener, Tuesday, 24 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― ethan, Tuesday, 24 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
Agree with Andrew and John - 'Curtis Live!' is a great place to start, one of my favourite live albums. Most of his best songs, performed beautifully in a low-key setting.
Also search 'Curtis', 'Superfly', 'Roots', 'There's no place like America today', and any Impressions albums you can get your hands on. (I've not heard a bad one yet.)
They've got the 'Soul Legacy' box set in Fopp for £20. Should I buy it even though I've got a lot of his individual albums?
― James Ball (James Ball), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 09:37 (twenty years ago) link
― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 09:59 (twenty years ago) link
― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 10:09 (twenty years ago) link
― M Specktor (M Specktor), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 15:21 (twenty years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 15:35 (twenty years ago) link
― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 16:37 (twenty years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 16:40 (twenty years ago) link
Word
― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 16:46 (twenty years ago) link
― Neudonym, Wednesday, 21 May 2003 17:36 (twenty years ago) link
― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 21 May 2003 19:46 (twenty years ago) link
I also noticed a post upthread that says the following:
"despite the fact live albums suck and live soul albums (mainly) suck harder"
I totally disagree with this statement (at least the latter part). I can't think of any live soul albums that suck, and I have Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Mayfield, Donny Hathaway and others, and to me, they are superior to the other live albums that I own.
― Jonathan (Jonathan), Monday, 3 November 2003 18:00 (twenty years ago) link
― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 3 November 2003 19:45 (twenty years ago) link
― Will (will), Monday, 3 November 2003 20:47 (twenty years ago) link
― amateur!st (amateurist), Monday, 3 November 2003 21:01 (twenty years ago) link
― Sonny A. (Keiko), Monday, 3 November 2003 21:08 (twenty years ago) link
― Chuck Tatum (Chuck Tatum), Monday, 3 November 2003 21:18 (twenty years ago) link
― amateur!st (amateurist), Monday, 3 November 2003 21:22 (twenty years ago) link
― gaz (gaz), Monday, 3 November 2003 21:30 (twenty years ago) link
― Chuck Tatum (Chuck Tatum), Monday, 3 November 2003 22:00 (twenty years ago) link
― M Specktor (M Specktor), Monday, 3 November 2003 22:00 (twenty years ago) link
― amateur!st (amateurist), Monday, 3 November 2003 22:22 (twenty years ago) link
― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Monday, 3 November 2003 22:35 (twenty years ago) link
― Keith Watson (kmw), Saturday, 12 June 2004 12:35 (nineteen years ago) link
― shookout (shookout), Saturday, 12 June 2004 12:59 (nineteen years ago) link
― peter smith (plsmith), Saturday, 12 June 2004 17:05 (nineteen years ago) link
― Bimble (bimble), Saturday, 12 June 2004 17:35 (nineteen years ago) link
(Dave Q's comment will forever change the way I hear, etc.)
― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Saturday, 12 June 2004 18:55 (nineteen years ago) link
― amateur!st (amateurist), Sunday, 13 June 2004 03:04 (nineteen years ago) link
― mullygrubber (gaz), Sunday, 13 June 2004 05:45 (nineteen years ago) link
as someone else said, if you can find the demo versions of a lot of his songs on superfly and the curtis album (i got mine on a 3 cd cheapo box set love peace understanding), theyre a lot more understated than the finished versions. he didnt pretty them up with strings and extra ornamenation.
― thesplooge (thesplooge), Sunday, 13 June 2004 15:44 (nineteen years ago) link
― Sonny A. (Keiko), Sunday, 13 June 2004 16:45 (nineteen years ago) link
And also because the break down is great.
― Keith Watson (kmw), Sunday, 13 June 2004 16:49 (nineteen years ago) link
― thesplooge (thesplooge), Sunday, 13 June 2004 18:06 (nineteen years ago) link
― Sonny A. (Keiko), Sunday, 13 June 2004 18:25 (nineteen years ago) link
― thesplooge (thesplooge), Sunday, 13 June 2004 19:03 (nineteen years ago) link
― Patrick South (Patrick South), Friday, 18 June 2004 06:04 (nineteen years ago) link
I completely agree with all the praise too. I'm fairly new to Curtis; started listening to him because of the high praise Robbie Robertson (among many others) gave him as both a guitar player and songwriter.
I don't have near enough of his material - Impressions or solo.
― shorty (shorty), Friday, 13 October 2006 22:38 (seventeen years ago) link
― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Friday, 13 October 2006 22:43 (seventeen years ago) link
― A Radio Picture (Rrrickey), Friday, 13 October 2006 22:59 (seventeen years ago) link
― Haikunym (Haikunym), Friday, 13 October 2006 23:33 (seventeen years ago) link
(CM is totally classic obv)
― deej.. (deej..), Monday, 16 October 2006 23:31 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ruud Comes to Haarvest (Ken L), Tuesday, 17 October 2006 00:39 (seventeen years ago) link
― i am not a nugget (stevie), Tuesday, 17 October 2006 09:04 (seventeen years ago) link
Curtis > Roots > Superfly > Short Eyes > Back To The World > Curtis Live > Got To Find A Way
― Dimehitter Dwayne Hosey (dwaynehosey), Tuesday, 17 October 2006 11:34 (seventeen years ago) link
― i am not a nugget (stevie), Tuesday, 17 October 2006 11:51 (seventeen years ago) link
― def zep (calstars), Tuesday, 17 October 2006 13:15 (seventeen years ago) link
"Do Do Wap" was a common pick of mine when I dj'd out. Love that song. I had never heard the Patti Jo one, really diggin' my first listen.
― The Thelonius Monk of nu-ki? (Dan Peterson), Monday, 29 December 2014 19:03 (nine years ago) link
Doo Doo Wap is one of my favourite Curtis songs. Short Eyes is his most underrated album.
He did his own version of Make Me Believe In You on Sweet Exorcist but I think the first version I heard of it was Amerie's cover in 2007.
― Kitchen Person, Monday, 29 December 2014 19:26 (nine years ago) link
Never heard short eyes. Title always weirded me out a bit
― Οὖτις, Monday, 29 December 2014 19:27 (nine years ago) link
I assume he meant something else besides pedophile
― Οὖτις, Monday, 29 December 2014 19:35 (nine years ago) link
the first version I heard of it was Amerie's cover in 2007
same tbh
― The Reverend, Monday, 29 December 2014 20:01 (nine years ago) link
mayfield's records are pretty damn strong until the end of the 1970s, then they start getting soporific pretty quick.
― I dunno. (amateurist), Tuesday, 30 December 2014 00:06 (nine years ago) link
XP - Cusrtis' Short Eyes album is a soundtrack to a prison flick which details how child molesters are treated in prison.
So, yes, it is a pedo reference.
― austinato (Austin), Tuesday, 30 December 2014 00:33 (nine years ago) link
*Curtis'
― austinato (Austin), Tuesday, 30 December 2014 00:34 (nine years ago) link
75th Birthday Tribute event in Washington DC
*Curtis Mayfield tribute with Professor Aaron Cohen and DJ Jahsonic at 11 am Sunday December 17th at the National Gallery of Art East wing Theatre for free followed by movie Urban Soul at 1:30pm
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 17 December 2017 06:15 (six years ago) link
https://www.nga.gov/calendar/lectures/lectures-signings/curtis-mayfield-tribute.html
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 17 December 2017 06:16 (six years ago) link
An interesting presentation. Professor mentioned Mayfield's use of f sharp, and how Hendrix learned some from Mayfield when Jimi opened for him. He played a demo from when Mayfield was 15 and showed a video clip of Mayfield acting in a movie
― curmudgeon, Monday, 18 December 2017 21:52 (six years ago) link
Looking forward to Cohen’s book, although I also need to read that one by Mayfield’s son
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 19 December 2017 16:03 (six years ago) link
Over the years, I've become to really love "Here but I'm Gone". That tune is so lovely, sad and true. It even takes a whole other trip when you consider the circumstances that Curtis wrote and sung it. It is a rare piece of music that if considered, makes you check yourself.
― earlnash, Wednesday, 20 December 2017 04:03 (six years ago) link
Future Song (Love a Woman) slays
https://open.spotify.com/track/3hi078NgfqTvFj98hbECFR?si=tzu63FwrQ6-jDkJX5p824A
― calstars, Sunday, 31 December 2017 01:51 (six years ago) link
Shit is tight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpJtb3rL2SU
― calstars, Sunday, 31 December 2017 01:59 (six years ago) link
HAWTT uncut '72 set from Beat Club:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk4n52qwwlI
Soundcheck from same:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF1uF-28MZE
― a large tuna called “Justice” (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 28 February 2019 23:33 (five years ago) link
absolute perfection.
― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Friday, 1 March 2019 17:10 (five years ago) link
damn, curtis is so good
― tylerw, Friday, 1 March 2019 17:14 (five years ago) link
inner city blues, holy shit!
― voodoo chili, Friday, 1 March 2019 17:16 (five years ago) link
yeah this set is radical. whole band smokes.
― tylerw, Friday, 1 March 2019 17:28 (five years ago) link
XP IKR Silly me never realized until now how much of a Curtis song it is.
― a large tuna called “Justice” (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 1 March 2019 18:02 (five years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSoULq1pOsEThe Notations - Superpeople
Heard this and thought wow that's the most Curtis Mayfield-y thing I've ever heard. Turns out they were on the Curtom label. Dope song.
― A True White Kid that can Jump (Granny Dainger), Wednesday, 20 May 2020 20:08 (three years ago) link
So classic. I'm no expert or completist, but did Curtis ever sing in anything other than his falsetto?
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 20 May 2020 20:12 (three years ago) link
Tuomas being so dense itt.
― Is Lou Reed a Good Singer? (Tom D.), Wednesday, 20 May 2020 20:30 (three years ago) link
hmm. I mean I'd say technically he goes out of a true falsetto a lot but I can't think of anything that wasn't in a high register.
― A True White Kid that can Jump (Granny Dainger), Wednesday, 20 May 2020 20:32 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOzlCJDPjV0This song has the lowest register vocals from him that I've heard, and he still does a semi-falsetto in the chorus.
― Tuomas, Wednesday, 20 May 2020 20:50 (three years ago) link
Anyone know anything about the Rhino reissue of his first 4 solo albums that happened last year?
― Heez, Saturday, 6 June 2020 02:55 (three years ago) link
https://www.amazon.com/Keep-Keeping-Curtis-Mayfield-1970-1974/dp/B07KLS2XDZ/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=curtis+mayfield&qid=1591438979&sr=8-1
This one? It is a nice set.
― earlnash, Saturday, 6 June 2020 10:24 (three years ago) link
Yeah that one. Reading some good things
― Heez, Saturday, 6 June 2020 14:01 (three years ago) link
hard to beat that price tbh
― budo jeru, Saturday, 6 June 2020 14:18 (three years ago) link
Looks good, be prepared, tho, that Sweet Exorcist isn't quite as good as the first three. That and his other 1974 album Got to Find a Way are okay, then There's No Place Like America Today from 1975 raises the bar again, but that one is pretty much his last truly good album. The ones after that are still worth listening because they usually have one or two great songs, but his peak creative period as a solo artist was those five years from 1970 to 1975.
― Tuomas, Saturday, 6 June 2020 14:43 (three years ago) link
wrong, "sweet exorcist" is amazing
― budo jeru, Saturday, 6 June 2020 14:55 (three years ago) link
Oh lord that long LP version of "Move On Up" is one serious bongo jam.
― earlnash, Saturday, 25 July 2020 04:21 (three years ago) link
https://www.amazon.com/Keep-Keeping-Curtis-Mayfield-1970-1974/dp/B07KLS2XDZ/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=curtis+mayfield&qid=1591438979&sr=8-1🕸This one? It is a nice set.
― Heez, Saturday, 25 July 2020 13:10 (three years ago) link
boooo!
Oh lord that long LP version of "Move On Up" is one serious bongo jam.― earlnash, Friday, July 24, 2020 9:21 PM
― earlnash, Friday, July 24, 2020 9:21 PM
alltime jam.
― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Thursday, 30 July 2020 04:06 (three years ago) link
Two greatest 'wow's ever: Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront, when Rod Steiger pulls the gun on him in the backseat; "If you wanna be a junkie, wow."
― clemenza, Tuesday, 22 September 2020 03:20 (three years ago) link
Wow
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 22 September 2020 17:52 (three years ago) link
To be invisibleWill be my claim to fameA man with no nameThat way, I won't have to feel the painIndispensableJust a plain old human beingToday, don't mean a thingIn a world that's so meanA world that seems not for meSo privately, I'll be invisibleThat way, I won't have to explain a thing, if you know what I meanI won't even have to be here, on the sceneIt's so ridiculousBut the strife and the blissWill go right on through, right on through meTo have missedAll the things that hurt your soulNo one would ever knowThey'd never knowLife so preciouslyJust don't seem to beAs free as they claim freedom to beThings are going fastTo have found that all is in the pastTo have to take what you can getSure can make a heart upsetInconspicuousI must behave myselfFor somebody elseWho may have a little fame, fortune and wealthIt's so ridiculousBut the strife and the blissWill go right on through, right on through meTo have missedA world that seems not for meSo privately, I'll be invisibleThat way, I won't have to explain a thing, if you know what I meanI won't even have to be here, on the sceneIt's so ridiculousBut the strife and the blissWill go right on through, right on through meTo have missedAll the things that hurt your soulNo one would ever knowThey'd never knowLife so preciouslyJust don't seem to meAs free as they claim freedom to beThings are going fastTo have found that all is in the pastTo have to take what you can getSure can make a heart upsetSo I'll be invisibleInvisibleInvisible
Wow what an amazing lyric-So heartbreaking and profound
― X-Prince Protégé (sonnyboy), Friday, 30 June 2023 19:38 (nine months ago) link
The man had a highly rare sense of grace that was definitely captured in his music.
― The Artist formerly known as Earlnash, Friday, 30 June 2023 19:49 (nine months ago) link