THERE´S NO PLACE LIKE AMERICA TODAY by CURTIS MAYFIELD

180 gram exact repro reissue, manufactured by Rhino. Originally released in 1975 on Curtom. "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