Curtis Mayfield - Little Child Runnin' Wild (1972)

I watched Superfly a few weeks ago for the first time and enjoyed it for what it was - what the fuck does that even mean? - but found that Mayfield's songs completely stole the film. You'd think the songs would be a nice push behind what you're seeing on screen but you sit there listening to Mayfield's words and that voice ... it's a better movie than the movie.

I go back and forth on what's the best soul record from this era - Mayfield's Superfly soundtrack or Lee Dorsey's "Yes We Can". The Al Green records are right there too but Mayfield captured something on this album that Green could never approach. It has a bigger scope, not only the words but the arrangements. Listen to the horns and the strings on this thing. It's a huge production but somehow it feels like it's rising off the sewer grates of NYC.

Little Child is the first song on the album. Then it runs right into Pusherman... it's ridiculous how good this one-two punch is. The first two lines of Pusherman are fucking classic.