Led by the multitalented Curtis Mayfield -- who sang, composed, produced, and played guitar -- the Impressions scored more than a dozen Top 40 pop hits between 1961 and 1969. The nine classic Impressions hits comprising this collection feature Fred Cash, Sam Goode, and Mayfield effortlessly harmonizing over lush, gospel-rooted musical arrangements, a combination that's particularly effective on "I'm So Proud" and "Amen." The thread running through all of Mayfield's material was a social consciousness that drives the civil rights anthem "Keep on Pushing" and the optimistic cry for brotherhood "People Get Ready." Mayfield's uplifting music and message reached artists far and wide, influencing British rockers like
Rod Stewart, who covered "People Get Ready" in the '80s, as well as Jamaican artists Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, and
Peter Tosh, who modeled
the Wailers' early, doo-wop vocal style after the Impressions. Rounding out this hearty compilation are Mayfield's only two Top 10 solo hits -- "Freddie's Dead" and the title track from the blaxploitation touchstone film SUPERFLY. With a sound and a vision this inspiring, it's no wonder that Mayfield's music continues to influence a younger generation of artists, including
Lauryn Hill,
D'Angelo, and
Maxwell.
Dave Gil de Rubio
