After spending the sixties with The Impressions, Curtis Mayfield pursued a solo career that reached its pinnacle of success with the soundtrack of the movie "Superfly." Although "Move On Up" has become one of the most popular songs of Mayfield's solo career, he had his only Top 10 solo hits with "Freddie's Dead" and "Superfly." In addition, this movie marked Mayfield's first foray into film songwriting, and it was a memorable debut. Most of the songs were soul with an edge that fit within the context of the film. Mayfield created an amazing musical tension that flies right off the disc and directly into the gut of the listener.

On its original release in 1972, "Superfly" was a nine-song, single album released on Mayfield's Curtom Records. To mark its 25 anniversary, Rhino Records, who now owns the Curtom catalog, expanded the single album to a two-disc set. The entire original album is included, along with the single mixes, demos, alternate mixes, other incidental music from the movie, and radio spots featuring Mayfield. The final track is Mayfield himself, speaking about his songwriting and his work on "Superfly." The total material on the two discs is more than double that of the original release, and not one second of it is superfluous. It's a tribute to a fine artist and one of his most memorable achievements.

Even though the character of Superfly himself is not the most heroic (he's a drug dealer trying to quit the business), Mayfield always looks for the positive slant that will strengthen the delivery of the music. For example, in one of the album's best-known tracks, "Pusherman," Mayfield describes the drug dealing life without pulling any punches. The musical arrangement is filled with guitars, horns, and percussion that underscore that starkness. Yet, Mayfield digs beneath the surface and gives this character a human face as he sings, "Just a hustler in spite of myself/ I know I can break it/ This life just don't make it." Mayfield paints portrait after portrait of mean streets whose souls hide their hope underneath a mean exterior. "Give Me Your Love" is a plea for acceptance as a man. The horn arrangements are at their most powerful on this song as well as on the instrumental "Junkie Chase." They give these songs their needed drive. The beautiful instrumental "Think" gives the album a mellow change of pace, with lovely guitar and sax work to match.

"Freddie's Dead" gave Mayfield his biggest hit. It's the cautionary tale of a man who paid the ultimate price for his involvement in the drug trade. "Just think of Fred" he warns as he tells the tale of the man's downfall. The other hit, "Superfly," closed the original album. The song has an upbeat tempo, but the horns and guitars sound happier. Mayfield sings with assurance, "You're gonna get your fortune, by and by." The first disc closes with the single mixes of the two hits from the soundtrack.

The second disc opens with "Ghetto Child," the one song Mayfield had written before he was commissioned to write the "Superfly" score. This song, with a few minor changes, became "Little Child, Runnin' Wild." The guitar and bass sound raw and mean, and show how this song fit in with the movie's theme. "Junkie Chase" is heard in its entirety, and the instrumental of "Freddie's Dead," which was heard instead of the vocal version in the film, is included. Virtually every second of music included in the film is on the expanded release. This release concludes with Mayfield speaking about his work in 1995, four years before his death. He tells us that he may have had to work within the framework of others on this score, but the end result was primarily his input.

"Superfly" was one of the biggest achievements in the career of Curtis Mayfield. In his observances, Mayfield noted that the more things changed, the more they remained the same. The music of "Superfly" is as topical and as powerful now as it was when it was first composed. Life on the streets can still be just as desperate as it always has been. Mayfield noted the desperation, but always left the door open for optimism. It's that optimism that makes "Superfly" an enduring work, and gives the soundtrack a power that cannot be denied.

Tracks - disc one:
1. Little Child Runnin' Wild
2. Pusherman
3. Freddie's Dead
4. Junkie Chase (Instrumental)
5. Give Me Your Love (Love Song)
6. Eddie You Should Have Known Better
7. No Thing On Me (Cocaine Song)
8. Think (Instrumental)
9. Superfly
10. Freddie's Dead (Theme From "Superfly") (single mix)
11. Superfly (single mix)

Tracks - disc two:
1. Ghetto Child (demo of "Little Child Runnin' Wild")
2. Pusherman (alternate mix)
3. Freddie's Dead (instrumental version)
4. Junkie Chase (Instrumental) (full length version)
5. No Thing On Me (Cocaine Song) (instrumental version)
6. Militant March
7. Eddie You Should Have Known Better (instrumental version)
8. Radio Spot #1
9. The Underground (demo)
10. Check Out Your Mind (instrumental version)
11. Radio Spot #2
12. Curtis Mayfield (on "Superfly" film & songwriting)

This has been my entry in the DD-1000 write-off hosted by flamepillar, where each entrant talks about a two-disc set in 1000 words or less. For more details, please go to this link: http://www.epinions.com/content_110710722180.

Thanks Tim.

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: At Work