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People Get Ready: Curtis Mayfield Story

Curtis Mayfield - People Get Ready: Curtis Mayfield Story Audio CD

A fair review of the Curtis Mayfield "People Get Ready: Curtis Mayfield Story" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Curtis Mayfield reviews here, or go back to the Curtis Mayfield tabs.

Band: Curtis Mayfield
Title: People Get Ready: Curtis Mayfield Story
Rating:

Release Date: 1996-02-27
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Gypsy Woman - The Impressions 2: It's All Right - The Impressions 3: I'm So Proud - The Impressions 4: Keep on Pushing - The Impressions 5: Amen - The Impressions 6: People Get Ready - The Impressions 7: Woman's Got Soul - The Impressions 8: We're a Winner - The Impressions 9: I Loved and I Lost - The Impressions 10: Fool for You - The Impressions 11: This Is My Country - The Impressions 12: Choice of Colors - The Impressions 13: Makings of You - The Impressions 14: (Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Going to Go - The Impressions, Curtis Mayfield 15: Move on Up - The Impressions, Curtis Mayfield 16: We the People Who Are Darker Than Blue - The Impressions, Curtis Mayfield 17: Check Out Your Mind - The Impressions 18: Mighty Mighty (Spade and Whitey) - The Impressions 19: Stone Junkie - The Impressions, Curtis Mayfield 20: Beautiful Brother of Mine 21: Get Down 22: We Got to Have Peace 23: Freddie's Dead 24: Superfly 25: Give Me Your Love 26: Pusherman 27: Future Shock 28: If I Were Only a Child Again 29: Can't Say Nothin' 30: Kung Fu 31: Sweet Exorcist 32: To Be Invisible 33: Mother's Son 34: Billy Jack 35: So in Love 36: Only You Babe 37: Party Night 38: Mr. Welfare Man 39: Show Me Love 40: Do Do Wap Is Strong in Here 41: You Are, You Are 42: Do It All Night 43: You're So Good to Me 44: Between You Baby and Me 45: Love's Sweet Sensation 46: Love Me, Love Me Now 47: Tripping Out 48: She Don't Let Nobody (But Me) 49: Baby It's You 50: Homeless 51: Do Be Down

The Definitive Curtis Mayfield Collective...Minus One!
The only reason I am giving ths box set of the great
Curtis Mayfield 4 stars is because it is missing two
jams that I love and that's. . "Right On For The Darkness",
which was used in the 1995 film classic "Dead Presidents"
as well as "Little Child Runnin' Wild" which set the opening tone
of his classic soundtrack "Superfly", which is where most of the
young-headz know about him from!
Other than that oversight, this is the definitive
portrait of a great artist whose music was influential
to alot of people and whose songwriting and
lyrical skills inspired everyone from
Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen. . . Stevie Wonder,
Marvin Gaye & Sly Stone to Bob Marley!!
Not to mention countless of millions who are
discovering and rediscovering his genius today! .

People - Get Ready For The Great Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield was a complete package. This 3-CD anthology is a fitting and thorough tribute to an often overlooked master. His pure and fragile falsetto put The Impressions on the map. His songwriting ability was striking, especially his socially aware and brutally honest lyrics. His guitar playing was always fresh and very influential. Any one of those would have been enough to build a career.

But the real magic of Curtis Mayfield was the man himself, his vulnerability, his soul, his sincerity. In a cynical age such as ours, the depth of feeling required to write a song like My Country is almost unknown. And a song like I'm So Proud Of You, well, if that doesn't melt your heart, you ain't got one. The big hits from Superfly are here, because they have to be. They're good, especially Pusherman. But this compilation lets you stretch out and get a full appreciation of Mayfield, as generous and brave as any artist I've ever experienced. .

We're a Winner
The first 13 songs alone-all gems-are worth the price. When I hear the music of Curtis Mayfield in this three-disc box set (51 songs), especially the early stuff, I feel really uplifted. To my knowledge, they are not available together on any other recording.

In thinking about the contribution he's made to music, it occurred to me that Curtis had all of the rare qualities that made the Beatles so great. He was: (1) a fabulous songwriter; (2) a stone soul singer; (3) a crack musician; (4) a music pioneer; and, (5) politically conscious. Indeed, born in '42, he was a contemporary of the Beatles and was perhaps ahead of them in many ways. While the Beatles were singing, to teenaged girls, "I Want to Hold Your Hand," (early '64), Curtis was telling a woman "I'm So Proud of Being. . . Loved by You. "

His music had a maturity and political consciousness ahead of its time. By 1965, for example, he had penned "Woman's Got Soul"
"She may not be the best-lookin' woman, I ever did see,
or have the charms of the ladies of high society.
But the woman's got soul,
worth all the. . . gold"

As large corporations increasingly dominate our politics, media, and culture, Curtis's words from 1968 are still right on the money:
"Some people think, we don't have the right,
to say, "It's my country'.
Before they give in,
they'd rather fuss and fight,
than say, `It's my country'".

I guess what I like the most about Curtis Mayfield is the honesty of his songs and the pure, sweet expression of his voice. He could really do a heartbreak song, as shown in
"I Loved and I Lost. . . and I might as well confess"

Probably my favorite song of all is the single "The Makings of You," which, apparently (incredibly), did not chart in 1970.

"Add a little sugar,
Honeysuckle Lamb,
a great big expression of happiness. . .
The joy of children laughing around you,
these are the makings of you. "

Actually, it doesn't matter what he's singing on this song. The purity and soulfulness of his voice is apt to bring a tear. And the music is so pretty; it could be on the soundtrack to a movie.

Many people enjoy the "Superfly" era of Curtis Mayfield (roughly 1970-73)-with it's funk-like rhythms and orchestration on songs such as "Move on Up" "Freddie's Dead" "Get Down" and "Pusherman". In fact, that's the music most people probably think of when they hear his name. That period is well represented in this set, mostly on disc two. My favorites are "We Got to Have Peace," "If I Were Only a Child Again" and 1975's "So in Love. "

There are three live songs at the end of disc one, "Check Out Your Mind," "Mighty Mighty (Spade and Whitey)", and "Stone Junkie" which shows a different side of Curtis-as the leader of a band that could funk and groove, and connect with a live audience.

On disc three ('76-`90), Curtis exhibits a more laid-back approach, including a return to love songs such as "Between You Baby and Me" (with Linda Clifford), "Love Me, Love Me Now" and "Tripping Out". He never lost his social conscious, however, as represented in the songs "Mr. Welfare Man" and "Homeless"

I enjoy discs two and three but, overall, I'm partial to the stuff did with the Impressions (12 songs), and his earliest solo stuff (on disc one). This disc, by itself, is worth every dime you pay for the set.

This box set includes a well-written booklet about Curtis's music career, with many great photos.

about the title speechless
if there's a hell brlow is deep with lyrics saying everybody snorting use the pill and the dope, or everybody praying and everybody saying but when it comed time to do everybody's laying, deep, curtis is talking about times then and now for not much has changed, the song we the people who are darker than blue is deep where curtis tells all black people dark, and light skinned that we are in the same boat. i'll try to keep this short as i can, curtis was a leader in soul, a funk pioneer, rock legend, a street scholar, ghetto prophet, and more we lost a great man in 1999-curtis predicted these things back in the 70's and i'll be damn if these things are not being fulfilled now. kung fu is dope, future shock dope, freddie's dead is where a junkie gets murdered, lyrics saying everybody's misused him ripped him off and abused him another junkie plan pushing dope for the man a tyerrible blow but that's how it go ooh freddie's on the corner now if you wanna be a junkie wow. deep deep,yes drugs continue to destroy the black community. please get this to hear some of the best soul music ever recorded. young kids should check this out to see where real hip hop came from not the mainstream . . . you hear on bet, amd mtv, and vh1.

Very Black&Strong R.I.P
His Genius Spoke&Face Race,Sex,Class&Everyday Struggles Upfront without Pulling any Punches. Curtis Mayfield's Music Is Very Uplifting&Strong. As A Writer,Arranger,Producer,Instrumentalist,Vocalist&As A Man He was A Powerful Brother. From The ImPressions to His Solo Career Curtis Mayfield never stopped Challenging&Asking Questions. He Is One Of The Baddest Artists That the Music World Has Ever Known.

You can see a complete list of all Curtis Mayfield discography, or go back to the Curtis Mayfield tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.