There's No Place Like America Today＜Blue Vinyl＞

【祝・LP再発】達郎『レコード針がすり減るまで聴いた。』。
達郎氏曰く「とにかく(1)を何回聴いたかな、レコード針がすり減るまで聴いたけど、何がそうさせたのか分かんないんだよね。ただそういう音楽は生まれて初めてだった。音楽には、力づけるとか慰めるとかいろんな効用があるけれど、カーティスのあの作品だけはそういうアクティヴな要素で押すんじゃなくて耳元で囁くというか、諭してくれる。」(クイックジャパンVOL.62より)。当時のアメリカのハードな世相をシリアスに描写しつつ、カーティスのハートフルな歌声が癒しをもたらす75年ニューソウルの名盤!
(C)新宿店:村越 辰哉

The title is intended in an ironic way, as illustrated not only by the cover -- a grim parody of late-'40s/early-'50s advertising imagery depicting white versus black social reality -- but the grim yet utterly catchy and haunting opening number, "Billy Jack." A song about gun violence that was years ahead of its time, it's scored to an incisive horn arrangement by Richard Tufo. "When Seasons Change" is a beautifully wrought account of the miseries of urban life that contains elements of both gospel and contemporary soul. The album's one big song, "So in Love," which made number 67 on the pop charts but was a Top Ten soul hit, is only the prettiest of a string of exquisite tracks on the album, including "Blue Monday People" and "Jesus" and the soaring finale, "Love to the People," broken up by the harder-edged "Hard Times." The album doesn't really have as clearly delineated a body of songs as Mayfield's earlier topical releases, but it's in the same league with his other work of the period and represents him near his prime as a composer. ~ Bruce Eder