The Album Club: "Super Fly" by Curtis Mayfield
 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ldSuperfly.jpg

You know what to do by now...

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There's only one thing wrong with this album: the title. Instead of being called Super Fly it should be called Supercool. I mean, I'm a scrawny, skinny, balding white guy in his fifties who couldn't shake his groove thang if his life depended on it, and even I felt like strutting the moment (if you'll forgive the inaccurate but I believe appropriate idiom) the needle hit the groove. Very apt, considering that a) this is the sound track to a movie about drugs and b) the album leaks and oozes groove all over the place. I know little of “blaxploitation” films, but the first thing that came to mind when the album began – and it's a good thing – was Shaft. The energy and exuberance this guy puts out is amazing, coupled with the darker lyrical subject matter, and I can see why this album is regarded as as influential on early soul and r&b as What's Going On? Phrases I'm not usually familiar with were trippin' off my tongue: things like “Awww yeah!” “Damn!” and “Testify, brother!” I've played it about nine times now, and it's only Monday. Every time it ended, I just restarted it. It's that good. As Occult would say, unassailable.

1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in?
Cool with a capital Smooth.
2. What did you think of the opening track?
Love it. I love Curtis's voice and the music was so seventies, of course. Great sax work and that sort of machine-gun orchestra hit that reminds me of, you guessed it, Shaft!
3. What did you think of the next track?
That was great, too. Got more of the funk in it. You can see where Prince would get some of his ideas ten years later.
4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions? (see note 1)
It's Curtis. You work it out.
5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not? (see note 2)
Yes, very cool, very funky, very smooth. I love that thing they did in the seventies with soul music, using the orchestra.
6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it (first time)?
Kept up a consistent excellence all the way through.
7. What did you think of the lyrical content?
Very socially aware. For this era, I think it was brave of Curtis to be talkign about the dangers of drugs, which would have been everywhere at that point, and more socially acceptable too.
8. Did you like the instrumental parts? (see note 3)
Yeah brother!
9. What did you think of the production?
Insert answer here
10. Did you know of this artiste prior to listening to the album, and if so, did that foreknowledge colour your perception of this album?
No. I also never heard of Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, BB King... :rolleyes:
11. Is this, generally, the kind of music you listen to or not?
Soul is not my thing, but I have to admit this almost transcends genres and is just cool music.
12. Assuming you listened to the album more than once, on repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less?
Liked it more each time.
13. What would you class as your favourite track(s), if you have any?
Loved everything, but the ones that stood out as gems among gems were “Freddie's dead”, “No thing on me” , “Think” (beautiful instrumental)
14. And the one(s) you liked least?
None
15. If the album in question is a debut, did that fact allow it, in your mind, any leeway, and if so, was that decision justified or vindicated? (see note 4)
n/a
16. Are you now looking forward to hearing more from this artiste, if you have not heard any of their other material?
Very much so
17. Were you surprised by your reaction - positive or negative - to the album?
No. I saw Curtis on The Old Grey Whistle Test (British music show) from the seventies and he was playing “Johannseburg”. He was so cool; playing for thousands or even millions but he made it seem so small and intimate, as if he was playing a tiny club. He didn't seen to even care that he was a big star; he was just totally into the music. So honest, so refreshing.
18. Did the album end well?
Oh yeah. Title track is a killer.
19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved?
I'd have to say no.
20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss?
Very cohesive, almost a concept I would have thought.

I'd be happy giving this the full 10/10. I'd rate it higher if I could.

Amen, brother! :beer: :afro:

And that is indeed my take. This has been in my music collection since the eighties. I considered it "unassailable" since I first heard it. It's definitive cool. It's blaxploitation and afrofuturism and beating the man. This is just it. There's nothing more sacred in this genre. It's voyeurism that'll make a stoned suburban boy gay for black cock. It alters your chromosomes. Humanity has evolved to want to be ****ed by this music.

Yeah love this album. Extremely funky beats, great soulful falsetto, well balanced orchestration. Highly recommended addition to any soul/funk collection.

Curtis is the man! :afro:
Anyone who says they don't like this album I will personally beat up a few eggs in a bowl, make an omelette and they can't have any.
:ar_15s:

Great album! It's a really good movie too. Anyone just listening to the album without watching the movie is really missing a lot.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ldSuperfly.jpg
Curtis Mayfield
Super Fly

I remember being in middle school/freshman in high school and was trying to expand my musical palate. And I felt the best way to do that was by trying to listen to all the albums on one of the more famous 100 greatest albums of all time lists. I remember I picked a list that was classic rock heavy, justifying it as me trying to pick a list that was close to my taste and therefore was more likely to have albums that I enjoyed on it. Subconsciously, I just didn't want to expand my taste so I went a list that would just re-enforce my music taste. Anyway, I mention that sad backstory because Super Fly was one of the albums I was going to listen to on that list, and I quit that exercise before I got to it. It's one of those albums where I've always meant to listen to it, but I never had the motivation of justification to do so... uuuunnnnntiiiiiillllllllll nnnoooooooooowwwwww.

Then again, what else am I supposed to say that hasn't already been said about Super Fly? It's sexy? It's smooth? Groovy? Funky? Not a single note or instrument is wasted for a single moment on the whole thing. The lyrics might be the weakest parts (relatively speaking), but it's negligible when the whole album and each individual song vibes so hard that your nitpicks about words end up being pointless when you actually listen to the music as a whole. That said, there is a nice dichotomy of the soundtrack being sorta ambivalent/negative about drugs, compared to a passively positive view on drugs by the movie.

Is Super Fly cliche sounding? Yeah, but only because anything this damn good is going to be copied and copied and copied to the point where what made it unique and original is lost due to saturation. I'm sure if I sat down and studied several other Blaxploitation soundtracks from the early 70's, I'm sure I'd find something that compares favorably or could be better than Super Fly. But, there's a reason this soundtrack was the cream that rose to the top and is still there nearly 50 years later. It's a damn masterpiece and it barely took more than a listen and a half to realize that.

duh/10

This is pretty ****ing special. Look at the results of the vote. Just LOOK at it! :tramp:

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Possibly the best yet. In either round.

To be the best pick it has to be something very interesting you probably wouldn't have heard anyway.

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"Super fly" means "super cool". Just throwing that out there.

Yeah I know. I was just so impressed. Hell, they could have dropped the "fly" and just left it as it was. :)

My previous funk exploits have centered around artists like The Meters, The JBs, the complete Parliament/Funkadelic catalog, and repeated spins of Issac Hayes’ passionate Hot Buttered Soul. But my familiarity with Curtis has been limited to A-sides, even with Superfly sitting upon my record shelf for over a decade. This week’s listen was a welcome initiation into Mayfield’s liquid cool funk.

The singles from this album live eternally in top 40 funk rotations, but the entire album functions incredibly well as a cohesive work. And while P-Funk rules the roost in their musical exuberance and, playfulness, Mayfield’s strength is his conscious and streetwise theme on this record. That, and his ceaseless and infectiously smooth rhythms. It’s smartly cool from start to finish.

This is a case where the soundtrack far exceeds the potency of the original film. It’s an undisputed classic of the genre. Thanks for the recommendation!

9/10

Really enjoyed the album. He has a great voice and it has a very cool and tight vibe. Curtis Mayfield is one of the soul/r&b figures that I just happen to have slept on over the years but was always aware of. In fact, I have heard several of these tracks before. 'Pusherman' in particularly sounded very familiar - and is an outstanding song. Overall I didn't really think there was a weak track, as it flowed so smoothly and everything felt in place. Sure, it wasn't the most exciting or life changing album of all time, and I may not return for a while, but I really enjoyed it.

7.5/10

I tried listening to this at work but I left my hat and cane home and it didn't feel right.

As long as you parked the pimpmobile outside, it's all good.

I've enjoyed my time with this album over the last few days, but I can't say I'm as blown away by it as it seems most of you are. By all means, this is a very well produced album full of smooth charms and infectious grooves. It is hard for me to really fault it for anything, which just goes to show that the best art isn't always the most flawless, as that is really not the thing that matters the most. In other words, while I don't find any direct fault with the album, it didn't leave much of an impression on me either.

While I like Curtis' singing voice, I guess the vocal lines didn't quite do it for me in terms of melody. It could have been more interesting for me when it comes to that.
Maybe the romantic, 'Hollywoody' strings and horns weren't exactly my favorite thing about the instrumentation either, but it was generally very well done instrumentally.

The most offensive thing I can say about the album is that I just find it to be very agreeable. Nice and smooth, but I don't feel any enthusiasm for it.

I don't have anything to say about the lyrics as that is just generally not something I focus on.

Listened to: ... some amount of times. I lost count after day two.
Rating: A small 7/10, which means I enjoy it but wouldn't buy it for my record collection.

This is album is awesome. Top-tier funky music with both intellectual and casual listening appeal. There's just so much going on with the guitar, bass, drum set, not to mention the various palm drums in the background. Curtis Mayfield is the star of the show, of course, a brilliant lyricist, vocalist, and songwriter. With various funky jams, such as "Little Child Runnin' Wild", "Pusherman", "Superfly", and "Freddie's Dead" opposing slower tracks such as "Think", "Give Me Your Love", and "No Thing On Me", it's an album that simply can't fail to put you in a good mood. If someone dislikes this album, they must be a real stick-in-the-mud. 10/10

On my list of favorite albums of all time:

Boards of Canada - Music Has the Right to Children
Curtis Mayfield - Super Fly
Tom Waits - Rain Dogs

Great, now I feel like an ******* for "only" liking it, not loving it :laughing:

As you should. Heathen. :p:
You've spoiled the 100% "Loved it" score on the poll. Shame on you.
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I took Janzsoon's advice and watched the movie after hearing the album a couple of times.

Slick as greased lightning. Cooler than superchilled atoms. Funkier than a pile of rotten fish. Groovy as a mother****ing seismograph. Black as vantablack and if you think that's racist then **** you for ever thinking that blackness is a bad thing. Better on coke than whiskey. Good amount of comparisons and metaphors? Cool. Damn those saxes. Damn those bongos and general percussion. Wah wah wah whaa wha wah. Budduh buh budduh buh budduh bububububububuh bass. The strings aren't just placed on top of what the music was intended to be. The more of this album that you consume, the better it tastes. Etc. I really liked it. I'm gonna be groovin on this one for a bit. 9/10

Near perfect album. Even though I'm a fan of heavily syncopated slap bass with my funk, and my first thought was "what if he'd got Marcus Miller or Larry Graham on bass", on further reflection the existing understated bass is just perfect for the album. My only minor gripe preventing a perfect score is that I felt a couple of numbers where too heavily orchestrated, especially Eddie You Should Have Known Better. But in the best moments, like when the vocals first kick in in Freddie's Dead - hot damn. Feel that thang. Move that booty. Touch your nipples. Or something.

9/10

Curtis Mayfield - Superfly

I've had this album for many years, and as others have pointed out it's pretty much a perfect early 70's funk record that works with or without the movie (though seeing it certainly doesn't hurt). I'd rank it right up there with what Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder were doing at the time in regards to its overall influence on R&B as well.

My favorite elements are probably the elaborate orchestration and the wide variety of instrumentation amidst the groovy basslines and congas. And in opener 'Little Child Runnin' Wild' (one of my favorites) you even get some tasty sax, not to mention flutes and even what sounds like a xylophone later on. 'Freddie's Dead' and 'No Thing On Me' have been long time favs and I've heard them on my fair share of compilations too. Flawless in any context.

On an unrelated note, if you guys love Superfly and Gaye's What's Going On, the missing piece of the holy trinity of elaborate early 70's soul/funk/R&B is Terry Callier's What Color Is Love. Go pick that up if you haven't.

10 out of 10

1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in?
This sounds like a soul/funk masterpiece.

2. What did you think of the opening track?
Same as above answer.

3. What did you think of the next track?
Same as above answer.

4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions?
The vocals worked beautifully within the songs.

5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not?
See answer to number 1. There's so much going on musically, the arrangements are superb, nothing sounds excessive, out of place, or wasted for even a second.

6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it?
Neither. It started out strong and never let up.

7. What did you think of the lyrical content?
Superb. Curtis was a fantastic lyricist and this album tells a complex story of money, greed, sex, love, drugs, strength, weakness, fate. All the ingredients for a great album, novel or film in the right hands.

8. Did you like the instrumental parts?
Absolutely!

9. What did you think of the production?
Top-notch all the way through.

10. Did you know of this artiste prior to listening to the album, and if so, did that foreknowledge colour your perception of this album?
Yes, I knew of him before I heard this album, so I figured it would be good but I had no idea it would be this damn good!

11. Is this, generally, the kind of music you listen to or not?
Yes. Soul & funk are played regularly on my hard drive, CD player, and turntable.

12. Assuming you listened to the album more than once, on repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less?
I've lost count of how many times I've listened to this album over many years since I first heard it. It never gets old or stale to my ears.

13. What would you class as your favourite track, if you have one?
They're all great.

14. And the one you liked least?
N/A.

15. If the album in question is a debut, did that fact allow it, in your mind, any leeway, and if so, was that decision justified or vindicated?
N/A

16. Are you now looking forward to hearing more from this artiste, if you have not heard any of their other material?
I've probably already heard everything he released.

17. Were you surprised by your reaction - positive or negative - to the album?
I thought it would be good, based on my previous listens to various songs by Curtis Mayfield, but I had no idea it would turn out to be such a stellar album.

18. Did the album end well?
Curtis saved the title track for last (instead of opening the album with it) and it works beautifully as the final track.

19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved?
Are you kidding? This is as good as it gets for any soul, funk, or soundtrack album.

20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss?
It hung together extremely well. As well as an album ever can.

10/10

You should.

I only liked it too to be fair. Not because I don't like Curtis Mayfield; I just think he has better albums out there, notably Curtis and There's No Place Like America Today.


So stick that in your cap, Ori :p:

I will

The cap of a poisonous mushroom, which I keep around to shove up the arses of people who don't love Super Fly