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“Move On Up” – Curtis Mayfield
(Words/music: Curtis Mayfield, available on Curtis, Rhino 1970)
On its own, the first four minutes of “Move On Up” accomplishes everything it needs to accomplish. Mayfield threads together his inspirational lyrics, stone-cold groove, and shouting horns for a three minute celebratory burst that makes even the most bashful singers break out their best falsetto. In many ways, it’s the epitome of the “secular gospel” sound Mayfield cultivated (Buffalo Tom’s Bill Janovitz quotes Mayfield as calling his music “church songs” without the word “God” in his Allmusic writeup). Yes, Mayfield’s lyrics sound like an emotional pep talk, but it’s the sheer joy that permeates every note of the song that makes it great, from the crispest snare drum to the loudest horn.
It’s this sense of joy and celebration that gives the song a second act. After essentially ending the song with a closing fanfare, the drummer brings the band back in. One by one, Mayfield’s band starts back in and builds on the groove. While there’s an excellent saxophone solo during the first half of this vamp, the focus remains on the groove, as the drummer and conga players furiously lay down the beat and the horn section hits their figures. In some cases, such an extended coda might feel self-indulgent. Here, it’s a celebration of the perfect groove and jubilant horn phrase. Even as it approaches the nine minute mark, “Move On Up” never overstays its welcome. Instead, it takes its good ideas and gives them the space to play themselves out. Whether listening to just the first half of the song (or something like The Jam’s accelerated take on it) or the entire extended version, it’s impossible to resist Mayfield’s electric charm.
More on Curtis Mayfield: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm
