Curtis Mayfield: Curtis version on vinyl LP in Standard edition. This particular edition was published in Europe in publishing company Curtom on 17. June 2013.

The sun is shining on the cover of the book "Curtis", Curtis is sitting there in his cool yellow suit, looking powerful. And he's right. The whole album is brimming with power. He's 27 years old, has been successful with the Impressions for more than 10 years, and is now embarking on a solo career, under his own label. In the context of all those great classic LPs that came out in the 1970s, it's easy to forget that this debut was actually one of the first records to transform and reinvent soul in the new decade. Released in October 1970, before Sly's "There's A Riot," before Marvin Gaye's "What's Going," before "Shaft" and even before Stevie Wonder's liberating hit "Where I'm Coming From," this record offered a new perspective, and not just musically, Lyrically, songs like "If There's A Hell Below" and "We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue" - in keeping with Mayfield's positive approach - contained a positive civil rights message, but also said that the fight was not over. Above all, however, this disc is an artistic-emancipatory manifesto. Mayfield bids farewell not only to 1960s soul as performed by the Impressions, but also to the commercial, hit-making Motown that was still heavily represented in 1970 (Jackson 5, Supremes, etc.). He focuses on the songs, on the melodies, often putting the guitar in the middle as a supporting instrument and setting the stage for "blaxploitation" with a "wah wah" pedal and clever use of soulful brass sections. On the other hand, the ballads, which are often accompanied by strings, never sound mushy and overwrought, but very organic and down-to-earth. Even as a producer, he puts a very fundamental emphasis here and defines exactly the sound that makes up his next and best albums. As a songwriter, he hasn't had to prove anything to himself or the world since "People Get Ready" at the latest, but with this album he has pioneered a new, confident and completely independent soul sound.

Album spans genres Funk / Soul, Soul and Funk. 180g Gatefold Vinyl.