ALBUM: Superfly Original Soundtrack (1972)
MVC Rating: 4.5/$$$$
I feel like I’ve been remiss in not touting Curtis Mayfield enough. My early exposure to soul when I was around 9 or 10 was mainly from Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding and Aretha. Oh yes, Al Green a little later.
But I recollect I loved the song ‘People Get Ready,’ an overt religious gospel piece that Rolling Stone ranks as the 24th of the 500 best songs that shaped rock music.
And Superfly is one jammin’ soundtrack, with a message for the ‘man.’
And at about the same time Marvin Gaye (another favorite) started becoming socially conscious in songs such as ‘What Going On?.’
Superfly, the soundtrack from the movie was in that vein. Mayfield with his ever-present falsetto sang about the junkies, the pimps, the violence, injustice from the street level.
Song was punctuated with: Trying to get over — Superfly.
Besides being a great songwriter and singer, Curtis could play some guitar.
The album is funky fun from 1 to 9 cuts with standouts such as the title song, Pusherman, Freddie’s Dead and Little Child Runnin’ Wild.
I’m not sure why they called movies like Superfly blaxploitation films. Shaft was another favorite of mine by Isaac Hayes. Do they call ‘Rambo’ a whitesploitation film?