Curtis Mayfield & The Inpressions – The Anthology

This is Chicago soul. With Mayfield singing (lightly, sweetly, gently), playing subtly amazing guitar, and writing songs, and Johnny Pate arranging with a deceptively easeful mastery, the group quietly charted the progress, triumphs, and failures of the Civil Rights movement under the cover of dozens of songs that, at first hearing, seemed simply romantic or devotional. You may think you've never heard of the group, but upon contact with "People Get Ready," "It's Alright," and "Keep On Pushin,'" you'll whisper to yourself, "Ohhhh, I know that song!" (At least, your parents will). After Dr. King's assassination in 1968, Mayfield was one of the few black songwriters who maintained his vision (check out "Choice of Colors" and "This is My Country”). After the group disbanded, he was called upon to score a blaxploitation film called Superfly, and responded with a set of songs (highlighted by "Freddie's Dead," "Pusherman," and the title track) that critiqued the message of the film itself—and later made him one of the most sampled artists in hip-hop history. He met a tragic and premature fate, all the more reason you should check this out post-haste.

DISC 1:

1. Gypsy Woman
2. Grow Closer Together
3. Never Let Me Go
4. Little Young Lover
5. Minstrel And Queen
6. I'm The One Who Loves You
7. Sad Sad Girl And Boy
8. It's All Right
9. Talking About My Baby
10. I'm So Proud
11. Keep On Pushing
12. You Must Believe Me
13. See The Real Me
14. Amen
15. I've Been Trying
16. People Get Ready
17. It's Hard To Believe
18. Woman's Got Soul
19. Meeting Over Yonder
20. I Need You
21. You've Been Cheatin'
22. Man Oh Man
23. Can't Satisfy
24. We're A Winner
25. I Loved And I Lost
26. We're Rolling On (Part One)

DISC 2:

1. Fool For You
2. This Is My Country
3. Choice Of Colors
4. Check Out Your Mind
5. Move On Up
6. If There's A Hell Below, We're All Going To Go (Don't Worry)
7. Makings Of You, The
8. Beautiful Brother Of Mine
9. Freddie's Dead
10. Superfly
11. Pusherman
12. So In Love
13. Only You Babe - (single edit)
14. Do Do Wap Is Strong In Here - (single edit)