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Curtis Mayfield - Back to the World Audio CD

A fair review of the Curtis Mayfield "Back to the World" 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.

Curtis Mayfield Band: Curtis Mayfield
Title: Back to the World
Rating:
Release Date: 2006-08-29
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Back to the World 2: Future Shock 3: Right on for the Darkness 4: Future Song (Love a Good Woman, Love a Good Man) 5: If I Were Only a Child Again 6: Can't Say Nothin' 7: Keep on Trippin'

Timeless Lyrics
Curtis Mayfield is absolutely brilliant with his arrangements here. This album may be one of the hidden jewels of the music industry. "Back To The World" is a poetic statement of the soldier returning home from war.


(3.5 stars) A bit of a letdown but still good
Mayfield had a pretty big hit here with the funky groove of "Future Shock"; the title track's mellow, heavily political groove is pretty good too, prolonged a bit to make room for a cool sax solo; "If I Were a Child Again" mixes "ignorance-is-bliss" nostalgia with a funky arrangement powered by saxes and wah-wah; "Can't Say Nothin'" has a steady gospel-funk feel. This isn't as good as the tremendous efforts that came before it, but it's worth hearing anyway. However, problems are trying to set in: "Right on for the Darkness" has the look and feel of one of those Hayes-like orchestrated epics, but totally misses the scope and falls way flat, while "Future Song" is thin outside of Mayfield's clear falsetto parts, and the psychedelic "Keep on Trippin'" does not fit Mayfield at all. And nothing on this album is as good as anything from Curtis!, Roots or Superfly. It's still a good listen, just not as good as what came before.


His Best
Most of us knew this album because it was about a Vietnam Vet coming back to the States. I played this album on the air at Utapao Royal Thai Naval Air Force Base in 1973 and 1974 over the American Forces Radio and Television station. Curtis Mayfield was a great musician and a wonderful human being. He is missed.


A great album from the late,great Curtis Mayfield
It was originally released in 1973 and was required listening during my days in the US Army. This one's my favorite Curtis Mayfield release after Superfly. Oh what great memories! Highly recommended!!.


right on for the darkness
When he says "it's the educated people. This record has my alltime favorite curtis tune, and I love a whole lot of curtis tunes to death. . . making up the rules, holding back the schools" I couldn't agree more. But much like his debut, Curtis, the hypnotic and apocolyptic ("hell below" on that one) is balanced by more upbeat stuff. Maybe the best Curtis cover art, too.


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.

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