ALBUM REVIEW: Curtis Mayfield - Superfly

    By 1972, Curtis Mayfield was entering his golden era - two years prior, his towering Chicago soul debut with his self-titled Curtis was not only backed with iconic tracks like "Move On Up" or "(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Going to Go", but showcased the raw talent of Mayfield as a signer, songwriter, and guitar player throughout, all while pushing the boundaries of soul into the ever-growing territory of funk music. His following album, the gritter Roots, continued this trend further, sometimes being even more ingrained in the sounds of funk. In 1972, however, Mayfield's biggest moment would come when he was approached to create the soundtrack of the blaxploitation film Superfly, directed by Gordon Parks Jr., son of director Gordon Parks (Parks had directed Shaft the previous year, whose soundtrack was a similarly flavorful production by soul legend Isaac Hayes). While the movie Superfly did receive its fair share of critical acclaim and commercial success (grossing around $30 million on a $500,000 budget), Curtis' fusion of funk and soul is undoubtedly the most enduring facet of the film. The appeal of the album almost seems universal, and Mayfield's observation of urban decay and the perils of drug abuse help it fit in right alongside the great album of the era from the likes of Marvin Gaye and Sly and the Family Stone. It is undoubtedly the towering achievement of Mayfield's career.

    Past the superficial comparison to Shaft at the beginning, I should note that these two albums are pretty different - most significant here is that Superfly is a much more socially conscious and dark album, stewed in urban misery and squalor that's reminiscent of an album like There's a Riot Goin' On from the year prior. Ironic for an album that soundtracks a movie about a grand drug sale, Superfly paints a depressing picture of drug abuse and poverty in the United States - the Top 5 hit "Freddie's Dead" is an uncompromising and dark look at drug abuse and the resulting aftermath, and the rich funk background with its mysterious textures adds to the dark atmosphere of the song's contents. It's certainly one of Curtis' defining moments. This depressive feel and sound is present on the preceding "Pusherman" as well, backed with a killer riff and the hope of escaping the ghetto while being dragged down by drug dealing and "the man" in the progress. The entire album is painted in desperation, and brilliantly so, and Curtis' performances often boost this element - every song sounds in point, vamping and energetic while also maintaining an air of ambiguity to the music presented. Mayfield's manufacturing of the mood on this album is second to none, and it's one of the most enduring aspects of Superfly to this very day.

    It helps that Superfly is not just a great album in a great catalog, but it's by some measure his most consistent album since his debut. Even with two instrumental tracks (the fast-paced "Junkie Chase" and the more thoughtful "Think"), Superfly is a powerhouse of action and moments that's consistently flowing from one song to the next with power and momentum. This momentum is maintained throughout the album, even if the first half does blow its load a bit in terms of being a bit front heavy - "Running Child Running Wild" being immediately followed by "Pusherman" which is then followed by "Freddie's Dead" makes for a truly unbeatable first half, but it does come at the slightest expense of the second half. Of course, the second half has its own worthwhile set of songs, from the funky "Give Me Your Love (Love Song)" and the more traditional soul sound of "No Thing on Me (Cocaine Song)" being amongst the album's most optimistic moments, and brilliantly in line with some of Curtis' best early work. The second half also, of course, contains the soaring title track, which is both emphatic of the album and also still amongst the album's most enduring songs. "Eddie You Should Know Better", sitting in the middle of the album, may be forgotten, but I encourage you to listen to this rich and foreboding track, every bit as captivating as any other moment on this album.

    It's almost hard to believe that record executives didn't expect Superfly to do good numbers, although perhaps that isn't as surprising when you learn that a similar case happened to Marvin Gaye's What's Going On. Curtis Mayfield hits is pinnacle on this album, which remains nothing short of an artistic triumph outside of the context of a film - it's a brilliant fusion of soul and funk through and through, and in many ways still remains poignant with its paintings of turmoil in the American ghetto. It remains very little surprise to me that the album remains a staple all these years later; everything great about Curtis Mayfield is on this album, through and through.

RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

Listen to Superfly.