Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Curtis Mayfield Edition

“Keep On Pushin’” wasn’t just a Curtis Mayfield song, it defined the philosophy of this legendary Chicago soul man. He started in The Impressions, and after some success in the late ’50s, the group relocated to Chicago and with Mayfield writing the songs, they were one of the leading R & B vocal groups of the decade. And Mayfield changed with the times, and by the second half of the decade, The Impressions were adding social commentary to their silky soul sides, resulting in classics like “People Get Ready”. In 1970, Mayfield went solo, adding urban and funk elements and influencing disco, as best reflected on the classic soundtrack to the blaxploitation movie Superfly. Sadly, he was paralyzed when a light tower fell on him at a concert, yet, from a wheelchair, he managed one more critically lauded album, New World Order. Let’s pay tribute to a soul giant, by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle, and sharing the first ten songs that come up.

1. The Fuzztones — Cinderella (Lysergic Emanations): The first time I ever heard this classic garage rocker from The Sonics was via this cover by these ’80s garage revivalists. This version isn’t quite as manic, but Deb O’Nair’s Farfisa organ and Rudi Protudi’s solid vocal make this work pretty well. Rudi is still at it, as The Fuzztones recently put out a new album.
2. The Shazam — Sleepy Horse (The Shazam): A nice mid-tempo Dixie fried power pop song from this Nashvile band’s debut. Hans Rotenberry sings with a nice drawl, while the song mixes a McCartney-esque melody with a rhythm section that’s between The Move and Faces.
3. Toots & The Maytals — Desmond Dekker Came First (Time Tough — The Anthology): This is a history lesson, with the great Toots Hibbert paying tribute to the first ska star to break through around the globe. This has a loping, skanking beat, swell horns and Toots sings like he means it, because, well, he does mean it.
4. Freddie Scott — Are You Lonely For Me (Beg, Scream and Shout!): It’s no longer in print, sadly, but if you can snag this incredible six CD box set, you will have one of the finest collections of ’60s soul ever compiled. Rhino Records set out to make a soul compilation that only had a smattering of well known hits, mixing in lots of lesser known gems. This Freddie Scott tune is a fine example — this is a great deep soul side, with Scott showing off an impressive voice.
5. The Meters — Cissy Strut (Beg, Scream and Shout!): Apparently, my iPod can’t get enough of this box set. Not a problem. The Meters are a classic New Orleans combo, who were led by Art Neville (yes, as in The Neville Brothers). The Meters put their own stamp on funk, using New Orleans second line rhythms to move R & B in a new direction. This was one of their best loved songs.
6. Randy Newman — Rollin’ (Good Old Boys): The Onion recently had a good interview with Mr. Newman that is well worth checking out. Many consider Good Old Boys to be his masterpiece. Certainly, Newman honed his mix of classic American songwriting and pithy commentary to a sharp peak. This manages to be bluesy while still fitting in a swell string section.
7. Jay Reatard — Man Of Steel (Watch Me Fall): Hmm…the title of Jay’s last album was kinda prophetic, huh? This song is pretty typical of his later output. He wastes no notes, moving into the verse and quickly to the chorus. He knew how to use dynamics and could manipulate melodies to make things so catchy. The instrumental break is a good example of how his music was growing in sophistication. It’s like he was the 21st Century garage punk Buddy Holly.
8. Jamey Johnson — Can’t Cash My Checks (The Guitar Song): Johnson has a smooth voice that’s as thick as molasses. His low key country extends the tradition of Merle Haggard, Don Williams and John Anderson, with a bit of Southern rock blended in from time to time (like the extended guitar solo at the end). He is great at singing laments about how low he has sunk and can’t go any lower, as exemplified in this song.
9. Lyle Lovett — What Do You Do/The Glory Of Love (Lyle Lovett and His Large Band): Whereas Johnson is trying to bring country back to its roots, Lovett spent the ’80s using it as a springboard to tie together many forms of American music. Here, Lovett, duetting with Francine Reed, marries a bluesy original with a classic song that was a hit for Benny Goodman in the ’30s. He contrasts marital squabbling with a paean to the joys of love to great effect.
10. Stevie Wonder — Living For The City (Innervisions): Curtis Mayfield blazed a trail for Stevie Wonder, who also pushed soul music forward. This is the most famous of his social commentary songs, with an amazing vocal, Wonder’s clavinet playing and the stunning synthesizer line that takes the song out of the chorus — an truly indelible melody whose sad beauty contrasts the gritty urban feel of the rest of the track. And the spoken word portion before the last verse inspired a similar section in Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five’s hip-hop classic “The Message”.