Will's Canon of Influences Countdown - #2

I was just thinking that a nice entry or series of entries for the blog might be a list of some of the records that have inspired the project directly or indirectly. Maybe we could each do a top ten!

2.  Curtis or Sweet Exorcist by Curtis Mayfield

It's a toss up for me.  Curtis is one of the most beautiful albums ever made by one of the greatest guitar players, singers, and songwriters ever. It captures the joy I hear in Arthur as well the defiance. When I imagine the legend of Arthur levitating during a Sweet World set, it's to a song like "Move on up." The Sweet World at its height would sound like the Curtis Mayfield Experience. Sweet Exorcist, on the other hand, is an album with a lot of great songs, but very little quality control. The production of the album is terrible--the drums sound like cardboard and everything sounds muted, but it doesn't really matter--the genius speaks louder than the technical issues. I could see Arthur putting out an album like this at a time when all resources are depleted and Will is forcing him to record. Music I Wrote for the Movie Street Heat probably has the tone of Sweet Exorcist.