Roots is Curtis Mayfield’s second studio album, released in October 1971. Having received critical praise from a variety of publications, the album is regarded as not just one of Mayfield's best works but also as a classic release of the '70s soul era, with Allmusic critic Bruce Eder stating that "the album soars on some of the sweetest and most eloquent... soul sounds heard up to that time". The album became a commercial success as well, hitting the #6 slot on Billboard's Top R&B Albums chart.[2]
| Roots | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 1971 | |||
| Recorded | RCA Studios, Chicago, Illinois | |||
| Genre | Progressive soul[1] | |||
| Length | 39:15 | |||
| Label | Curtom | |||
| Producer | Curtis Mayfield | |||
| Curtis Mayfield chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B−[3] |
| The New Rolling Stone Album Guide'' |  [6] |
| Rolling Stone (1971) | (unfavorable)[4] |
| Rolling Stone (1999) | (favorable)[5] |
| Tom Hull – on the Web | A−[7] |
Track listing
editOriginal release
editAll songs written and composed by Curtis Mayfield, except as noted.
- "Get Down" – 5:45
- "Keep On Keeping On" – 5:08
- "Underground" – 5:15
- "We Got to Have Peace" – 4:44
- "Beautiful Brother of Mine" – 7:23
- "Now You're Gone" (Mayfield, Joseph Scott) – 6:50
- "Love to Keep You in My Mind" – 3:48
Bonus tracks
editIn 1999, Rhino Records re-released the album with four bonus tracks including a demo version of "Underground" and single edits for "Get Down', "We Got to Have Peace" and "Beautiful Brother of Mine".
- "Underground" [demo version] – 3:17
- "Get Down" [Single edit] – 3:55
- "We Got to Have Peace" [Single edit] – 3:39
- "Beautiful Brother of Mine" [Single edit] – 3:09
Personnel
edit- Curtis Mayfield - vocals, guitar
- Craig McMullen - guitar
- Joseph "Lucky" Scott - bass
- Tyrone McCullen - drums
- Henry Gibson - percussion
- Leroy Hutson, Michael Hawkins - background vocals
- Johnny Pate, Riley Hampton - arrangements
Chart positions
edit| Chart (1971) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Top LPs | 40 |
| Billboard Top Soul LPs | 6 |
References
edit- ^ Donovan, Charles (March 6, 2019). "Chapter One of Curtis Mayfield's Solo Career Gets a Much-Needed Makeover". PopMatters. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
- ^ a b Eder, Bruce. Roots at AllMusic. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: M". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 7, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ "Roots". Rolling Stone. 1972-02-17. Archived from the original on 2017-01-03.
- ^ "Roots". Rolling Stone. 1999-01-25.
- ^ Hoard, Christian (November 24, 2004). "Review: Roots". Rolling Stone: 523–524.
- ^ Hull, Tom (June 22, 2021). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
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