Track Listing

1. Wild And Free
2. Move On Up
3. Something's Mighty Mighty Wrong
4. We Got To Have Peace
5. Never Say You Can't Survive
6. If I Were Only A Child Again
7. Billy Jack
8. Superfly
9. We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue
10. Underground
11. Back To The World
12. Keep On Keepin' On
13. People Get Ready
14. Give It Up

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4982 in Music
• Released on: 1999-06-11
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

So Cool!
This cat is just there, man! I mean, who else has released a greatest hits package that avoids all the corn and the cliches in order to produce pure quality?

Every track is really exciting and the lyrics are bloody mind blowing! I love how Curtis sings about being black and their struggle to fit into the American Way whilst also sounding as good, if not even better than top league artists like Micheal Jackson or Isaac Hayes!

"Move on Up" and "Superfly" are my absolute favourites, and, whilst also being a Jamiroquai fan, you can easily see where Jay Kay gets his influences.

Hugely entertaining, classy stuff, I'd say, so if you like your soul hot and buttered, cop this now!!

The king of soul
There are truly wonderful tracks on this album. For me, Curtis is the greatest of all contemporary musicians. His music is the most soulful of all the "Soul" artists in my opinion. In fact I'm not going to say "in my opinion" anymore when talking about Curtis, as it's obvious that it is my opinion. What I really want to say is that what I say about Curtis is the gospel truth !

His music is powerful, yet delicate, beautiful, uplifting, but also serious and heartbreaking. He sang in a very high pitched, cool, jazzy, falsetto voice which might take a while to get accustomed to and may not be to everyone's taste. His music could be funky or lavishly orchestral and sometimes both. Some of his songs are overpoweringly intoxicating to me and totally unique. No one sounded anything like Curtis and no music sounded anything like his. He is an example of a true artist, a genius who didn't get by on hype or good looks, just sheer talent. He was also a great guitarist and no one played guitar like him.

Of his great tunes, Move On Up is probably the best known, and indeed one of his greatest. The full nine minute version is the one to savour. This song was like an anthem to me when I was 15 and in fact still is. However, there are numerous other equally great tunes in his 1970-78 repertoire of timeless works of art.

Curtis sang from a stance of Afro-centricity with lyrics about being Black, the problems Black and poor people face, and also the failings of Black people, so it was a warts and all image he portrayed. His music was not just that though. He also sang about love between people of all races - the human race.

I revere him like no other artist (except maybe Mozart and Bach), but I do understand that his uniqueness and true greatness will not be recognised by the vast majority. It's probably something you either can feel or just can't.

Sadly Curtis was severely injured by falling scaffolding whilst making a comeback to the stage in 1990 and he lost movement in his limbs as a result. For the last 9 years of his life he was unable to move and wheelchair bound. He also needed assistance to breathe so it's amazing that he was still somehow able to produce music. Eventually he died in 1999 and his loss will always be something that hurts me. I sometimes wonder if artists with a short lifespan are put on this planet specifically to shine bright and inspire people before leaving prematurely.

Many of Curtis' songs make me want to cry and just thinking about some of the melodies I have loved for so long, sends shivers through me. People like Curtis never truly die, as their music lives on in people like me and as long as I'm alive, I'll never tire of the legacy he left behind. I feel like crying now.
Some of my favourite tracks are on this album, but please try to seek out the other great music he sang and performed which are listed as follows:
The best albums: Curtis, Never Say You Can't Survive, There's No Place Like America Today, Short Eyes Soundtrack, Got To Find A Way, Roots.
Greatest specific tracks are:
Billy Jack - We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue -
So In Love - The Makings Of You - People Get Ready -
Back Against The Wall - Blue Monday People - Jesus -
To Be Invisible - Sweet Exorcist - A Prayer - P.S. I Love You
So You Don't Love Me - Right On For The Darkness -
Give A Little Bit - Keep On Keeping On - All Night Long -
Show Me Love - Never Say You Can't Survive - Choice Of Colours - We're A Winner - Sparkle - Love To Keep You On My Mind -
After Sex - When You Used To Be Mine - Little Child Running Wild.
The list is long and there are many more great tunes to savour, but I just thought you'd like to know about the wealth of great music Curtis Mayfield, the genius, left for us to adore.

The epitome of 70s cool
Before deciding to buy this album, I read a review saying 'When Marvin Gaye was asking 'what's going on', Curtis mayfield was telling us.' That is just so true.
Mayfield's lyrics are some of the most socially aware of his era, but the intelligence of his writing is only the half of it.
What really impressed me so much was his ability to totally engage the listener from the very off and making music that was not only totally relevant, but also fantastic to listen to.
This is a hugely accessible collection of his very best tunes, which showcase his amazing vocal and musical range. It's the perfect album to ease yourself into his world if you're just getting into his music for the first time. And no matter how many times you hear 'Move on Up' it never ceases to dazzle. Surely it's one of the most amazing feel-good tunes of all time.
This album absolutely screams 70s cool. Buy it, love it, then check out the rest of his work.