This Is My Country – THE IMPRESSIONS****

They Don’t Know/Stay Close To Me/I’m Loving Nothing/Loves Happening/Gone Away/You Want Somebody Else/So Unusual/My Woman’s Love/Fool For You/This Is My Country

I’ve Gotta Be Me was the first album from the soul group The Impressions on the Curtom label, created by their noted lead singer and songwriter Curtis Mayfield. (US:107)

“There are the traditional Impressions' harmony rich love songs and ballads, mostly in the slower mid-tempo style. Gone Away is one of my favourites here. The call and response harmony is impeccable, a relic from their doo-wop early days. The lyrics are heartfelt, and Mayfield's falsetto/tenor is vulnerable. Love's Happening is an upbeat, somewhat hippie vibin' cool jam. I'm Loving Nothing is more of a later-age doo-wop song with background humming and a slower tempo, a heartbreaker for sure. The Impressions dab into social commentary and race relations in songs like the string laden They Don't Know, and the title track.”

“The Impressions are my favourite group from the 1960s, they had a style and charisma that was uniquely their own, and this helped them to become one of the most important musical voices of the civil rights movement. They were truly one of the groups whose songs not only made wonderful contributions to music but also helped, in many ways, shape the society they lived in.”

“This album is filled with beautiful message music and writing by Curtis Mayfield and friends. While most other R & B groups concentrated on the traditional love and romance songs, The Impressions seemed to be at the forefront of the black pride sentiment that swept across black America during those troubled times.”

“Lush arrangements and production, with tracks ranging from beautiful soul songs to others with intelligent and political lyrics, making for some absolute classic tracks.” ,p> “By 1968, The Impressions had developed a great deal since their founding when they were predominantly a doo-wop group. The vocal arrangements had become less overwhelming, and the focus had shifted more towards the instrumentation. One thing that remained consistent was the quality of their recordings.”

“This Is My Country gets the political awakening treatment but it does leave the more common themes - love, relationships, personal belonging, on the sidelines.”