csberry

MusicCatalog_C_Curtis Mayfield & Impressions, The - The Anthology 1961-1977_Curtis Mayfield & Impressions, The - The Anthology 1961-1977

This is a 40 song collection of songs released by Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions and during his solo career. Of the 40 tracks, only 10 are from his solo career. So, this is mostly a group retrospective. This aspect is the most frustrating aspect of the album. While my understanding is that Curtis's solo output was quite varied, his time with The Impressions is just okay. These are good songs. The voices are smooth and harmonious. But I don't understand what is special about The Impressions to warrant such a large collection for anyone other than fans.

What you get is ¾ of a collection that shows the general evolution of R&B over the 60's. Then when Curtis went on his own, things get more eclectic. R&B is a backbone, but these solo songs explore spoken word, sound collages, funk, and some pop balladry. The solo material seems so much more important than most of The Impressions songs, so I have to imagine there is a better compilation at encapsulating what was great about Curtis Mayfield.

Songs I Knew I Liked: “It's All Right,” “Freddie's Dead,” “Superfly,” and “Pusherman,”

Songs I Now Like: “Can't Satisfy”

Songs I Don't Want to Ever Hear Again: I wouldn't miss most of The Impressions songs, but they aren't bad, so why slag 'em more?