| People GET READY: PORTRAIT OF A SOUL MAN by Robert Lashley |
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If one wanted to look to a singular artist
as an example for how unbelievably subtle
an art form soul music is, the first artist to
come to mind for many would be Curtis
Mayfield. Drawing his inspiration from the
diverse sounds of Chicago Soul, doo-wop,
Charles Stephney's avant-garde works
and psychedelic funk; he created a
massive and magical body of work where
deep and idiosyncratic messages are
blended in a rich four-chord structure, funk
grooves are morphed with gospel nuances
and art-soul concepts are blended with
beautiful pop trappings to create some of
the most brilliant works in the history of
modern music
as an example for how unbelievably subtle
an art form soul music is, the first artist to
come to mind for many would be Curtis
Mayfield. Drawing his inspiration from the
diverse sounds of Chicago Soul, doo-wop,
Charles Stephney's avant-garde works
and psychedelic funk; he created a
massive and magical body of work where
deep and idiosyncratic messages are
blended in a rich four-chord structure, funk
grooves are morphed with gospel nuances
and art-soul concepts are blended with
beautiful pop trappings to create some of
the most brilliant works in the history of
modern music
| Curtis Mayfield |
If The Impressions could evoke doo-wop's
tenants of untenable romantic sorrow,
they could keep credence to the genre's
testaments of a pure romantic joy. "We're
In Love"; sterling beauty makes its clichés
seem as truthful as gospel. If the lyrical
concept, loving a woman so much that
he's ready to build a house for her on the
other side of town, seems kitschy, the
song's vivacious enthusiasm, puppy love
sensitivity, and rhythmic bounce more than
makes up for it. Curtis' touches give this
song a jovial glow.
tenants of untenable romantic sorrow,
they could keep credence to the genre's
testaments of a pure romantic joy. "We're
In Love"; sterling beauty makes its clichés
seem as truthful as gospel. If the lyrical
concept, loving a woman so much that
he's ready to build a house for her on the
other side of town, seems kitschy, the
song's vivacious enthusiasm, puppy love
sensitivity, and rhythmic bounce more than
makes up for it. Curtis' touches give this
song a jovial glow.
If "Can't Work No Longer" and "Get Up and Move" have the airs of a
misbegotten trend-driven calypso era, their unique catchiness, subtle
romanticism, and rhythmic teeth will leave you too busy dancing to
care. "Move" is one of the most realistic swing influenced soul
compositions I have ever heard, taking more of an influence from
Basie than Brown. Add The Impressions’ smooth baritone harmonies
and you have pop too sugary for its own good, but two sweet to
ignore. In "Can't Work No Longer," you can hear the rhythmic dynamic
that enthralled Jamaican teenagers Robert Nesta Marley, Peter Tosh
and Bunny Livingston, who used The Impressions work as an
inspiration for their mid-'60s records. The song itself violates the
tenants of critical sense. A calypso/ska backbeat made by Chicago-ites
isn't supposed to sound as real and authentic as this, but it does, and
you could hear Livingston's (who later became Bunny Wailer) vocal
inspiration in Mayfield's graceful falsetto.
You can also hear what influenced Marley in the album's breathtaking
title track. "People Get Ready" is one of soul's most mountainous
evergreens, whereby embodying the traits of the song,
(righteousness and aural beauty) they embrace a civil rights moment
in its prime. The first thing I always notice with the song is the
opening hum, and how the lyrics and vocals never stray from the
hum's rhythmic cadence. Why that's important is that throughout the
history of black music, the hum has played a huge part as both a
soothing tone-driven vocal exposition and, as a symbol of inner peace,
harmony and serenity. It has been one of the central tenants of the
music and its history.
It also sets the tone for the song duration, as the sparse melodic
textures of the musical background and the subtle poignancy of the
protest lyrics, make it one of pop's music greatest musical prayers.
Like many great gospel songs, "People Get Ready" brings the church
to the listener. The message's subtle persistence infuses an old-time
religion ethic to the song, as it gives you a slice of the church's ritual
and pageantry. There have been songs that may have been more
politically in depth, and there have been songs that have been lyrically
deeper (many of them written by Mayfield himself), but rarely has a
political song had this much of a combination of righteousness and
beauty to it.
But my absolute favorite song on the album, as well as one of my
favorite songs of all time, is one of the greatest irony plays in the
history of soul. "Woman's Got Soul" is one of Curtis' numerous "Sista,
I love you" odes, but if you listen to The Impressions' delivery, you can
hear one of the more subtle critiques of classism ever put on wax. It
starts intentionally odd, a regular four-chord track, with two vocal
lines in a sentence.
“She might not be the best looking woman I ever did see. Nor have the
finer charms of high society”
The Impressions response: So what?
“But the woman's got soul! Worth all the money and gold, and the love
that I have belongs to the woman with soul”
The song isn't an attack on classy women, but on the matter of class
itself. Who makes the rules of beauty? So what if my woman ain't fine
by the majority's standards? That doesn't make her any less beautiful
than she is. "Woman's Got Soul" is one of the most nuanced "black is
beautiful" anthems of all time, in which The Impressions say more
about race and class in 2:19 than Franti, Harper, Hill and every other
bougie bigot will ever say in their entire lifetimes.
Mayfield's star would burn white hot for another decade. The
Impressions would score dozens of hits. The straight from the church
"I'm So Proud of You" and "Keep on Pushin'," to the politically
trenchant "Choice of Colors" and "This Is My Country”. There was the
nimble funk of "We're Rolling On," along with the exquisitely crafted
psychedelia of "Check Out Your Mind". All this without mentioning his
first four aforementioned solo albums, which if you don't have in your
record collection, you are musically lacking.
Curtis Mayfield's status as one of soul's most gifted stars burns as
bright today as it did during his prime. “People Get Ready” still
provides musical sparks and embers
misbegotten trend-driven calypso era, their unique catchiness, subtle
romanticism, and rhythmic teeth will leave you too busy dancing to
care. "Move" is one of the most realistic swing influenced soul
compositions I have ever heard, taking more of an influence from
Basie than Brown. Add The Impressions’ smooth baritone harmonies
and you have pop too sugary for its own good, but two sweet to
ignore. In "Can't Work No Longer," you can hear the rhythmic dynamic
that enthralled Jamaican teenagers Robert Nesta Marley, Peter Tosh
and Bunny Livingston, who used The Impressions work as an
inspiration for their mid-'60s records. The song itself violates the
tenants of critical sense. A calypso/ska backbeat made by Chicago-ites
isn't supposed to sound as real and authentic as this, but it does, and
you could hear Livingston's (who later became Bunny Wailer) vocal
inspiration in Mayfield's graceful falsetto.
You can also hear what influenced Marley in the album's breathtaking
title track. "People Get Ready" is one of soul's most mountainous
evergreens, whereby embodying the traits of the song,
(righteousness and aural beauty) they embrace a civil rights moment
in its prime. The first thing I always notice with the song is the
opening hum, and how the lyrics and vocals never stray from the
hum's rhythmic cadence. Why that's important is that throughout the
history of black music, the hum has played a huge part as both a
soothing tone-driven vocal exposition and, as a symbol of inner peace,
harmony and serenity. It has been one of the central tenants of the
music and its history.
It also sets the tone for the song duration, as the sparse melodic
textures of the musical background and the subtle poignancy of the
protest lyrics, make it one of pop's music greatest musical prayers.
Like many great gospel songs, "People Get Ready" brings the church
to the listener. The message's subtle persistence infuses an old-time
religion ethic to the song, as it gives you a slice of the church's ritual
and pageantry. There have been songs that may have been more
politically in depth, and there have been songs that have been lyrically
deeper (many of them written by Mayfield himself), but rarely has a
political song had this much of a combination of righteousness and
beauty to it.
But my absolute favorite song on the album, as well as one of my
favorite songs of all time, is one of the greatest irony plays in the
history of soul. "Woman's Got Soul" is one of Curtis' numerous "Sista,
I love you" odes, but if you listen to The Impressions' delivery, you can
hear one of the more subtle critiques of classism ever put on wax. It
starts intentionally odd, a regular four-chord track, with two vocal
lines in a sentence.
“She might not be the best looking woman I ever did see. Nor have the
finer charms of high society”
The Impressions response: So what?
“But the woman's got soul! Worth all the money and gold, and the love
that I have belongs to the woman with soul”
The song isn't an attack on classy women, but on the matter of class
itself. Who makes the rules of beauty? So what if my woman ain't fine
by the majority's standards? That doesn't make her any less beautiful
than she is. "Woman's Got Soul" is one of the most nuanced "black is
beautiful" anthems of all time, in which The Impressions say more
about race and class in 2:19 than Franti, Harper, Hill and every other
bougie bigot will ever say in their entire lifetimes.
Mayfield's star would burn white hot for another decade. The
Impressions would score dozens of hits. The straight from the church
"I'm So Proud of You" and "Keep on Pushin'," to the politically
trenchant "Choice of Colors" and "This Is My Country”. There was the
nimble funk of "We're Rolling On," along with the exquisitely crafted
psychedelia of "Check Out Your Mind". All this without mentioning his
first four aforementioned solo albums, which if you don't have in your
record collection, you are musically lacking.
Curtis Mayfield's status as one of soul's most gifted stars burns as
bright today as it did during his prime. “People Get Ready” still
provides musical sparks and embers
His range was as massive as it was exquisite, from the doo-wop soul
of Jerry Butler's early '60s records to the pop masterworks of the
early Impressions, to his dizzying apex of a solo career where he had
a mountain of knowledge at his fingertips and made records (Curtis,
Curtis Live, Roots, Superfly) that moved heaven, earth and record
sales.
“People Get Ready” stands as, besides being a gorgeous slice of
mid-'60s soul, the first time Mayfield showed many of his massive gifts
on a record. Mayfield's earlier Impressions records had benefited from
his populist "make music for the people" ethic and the church
nuances that he still had, but what made “People Get Ready” special
was that he kept that unwavering dedication to make great pop
while adding a beautiful sense of self and a highly intelligent world
view. One that he would master and refine until it would be at the
core of his '70s art soul records.
Although it's an album known for its socio-political singles, the "filler"
gives it the meat to be on the short list of all-time great soul albums.
And what made the Impressions records great was that they made
songs that were gorgeous to listen to. Although Mayfield began to
spread his lyrical vision here, he still valued and never really left the
doo-wop and early-'60s pop that got him his audience in the first
place.
“
You Must Believe Me ", “I Made a Mistake" and "Emotions" are
Mayfield, Fred Cash and Johnny Pate recalling that street corner
sound and slavish romanticism that are doo-wop's main traits, but
they are buffeted by the Impressions ethereal harmonies and
Mayfield's sparse four-chord production. As they beg their babies
back, they serve as a emotional triple helix: Cash, the sorrowful
brother all too ready to pay a penance for his sins, Mayfield, the hip
brother with the smooth rap ready to convince you to not believe
your lying eyes, and Pate, the nice brother who is somewhere in the
middle. All the voices come together to make an exquisitely cohesive
message of romantic dissonance, as their romantic schizophrenia
adds a hint of realism to the lyrics of romantic strife.
of Jerry Butler's early '60s records to the pop masterworks of the
early Impressions, to his dizzying apex of a solo career where he had
a mountain of knowledge at his fingertips and made records (Curtis,
Curtis Live, Roots, Superfly) that moved heaven, earth and record
sales.
“People Get Ready” stands as, besides being a gorgeous slice of
mid-'60s soul, the first time Mayfield showed many of his massive gifts
on a record. Mayfield's earlier Impressions records had benefited from
his populist "make music for the people" ethic and the church
nuances that he still had, but what made “People Get Ready” special
was that he kept that unwavering dedication to make great pop
while adding a beautiful sense of self and a highly intelligent world
view. One that he would master and refine until it would be at the
core of his '70s art soul records.
Although it's an album known for its socio-political singles, the "filler"
gives it the meat to be on the short list of all-time great soul albums.
And what made the Impressions records great was that they made
songs that were gorgeous to listen to. Although Mayfield began to
spread his lyrical vision here, he still valued and never really left the
doo-wop and early-'60s pop that got him his audience in the first
place.
“
You Must Believe Me ", “I Made a Mistake" and "Emotions" are
Mayfield, Fred Cash and Johnny Pate recalling that street corner
sound and slavish romanticism that are doo-wop's main traits, but
they are buffeted by the Impressions ethereal harmonies and
Mayfield's sparse four-chord production. As they beg their babies
back, they serve as a emotional triple helix: Cash, the sorrowful
brother all too ready to pay a penance for his sins, Mayfield, the hip
brother with the smooth rap ready to convince you to not believe
your lying eyes, and Pate, the nice brother who is somewhere in the
middle. All the voices come together to make an exquisitely cohesive
message of romantic dissonance, as their romantic schizophrenia
adds a hint of realism to the lyrics of romantic strife.