I Plan to Stay a Believer

Reception

In his review for AllMusic, arwulf arwulf states "Any and all recordings made by William Parker and his troupe in honor of Curtis Mayfield really should be obtained and played at high volume for all to hear. This is music of global relevance and cosmic importance. It is also distinctly approachable and, one might even say, embraceable". Pitchfork Media stated " I have no idea what Mayfield would think of these versions of his songs, but it's hard to imagine him being anything but flattered by the immense thought and planning that clearly went into these arrangements. To pull and stretch these songs so much and still preserve their essential identity is a true feat of art". The All About Jazz review noted "On the surface of it there might not seem to be much continuity between the music of William Parker's and Curtis Mayfield, but scratch away at it and the overlap is revealed. On a social level both men were/are activists, conscious of rights human as well as merely social and, on the basis of the evidence caught in this double live set, both men were/are capable of galvanizing bands to a level of spontaneous joy that's uplifting as well as heartfelt".

Track listing

All compositions by Curtis Mayfield except as indicated

Disc One:

1. "I Plan to Stay a Believer" - 12.52
2. "If There's a Hell Below" - 21.23
3. "We the People Who Are Darker Than Blue" - 17.41
4. "I'm So Proud / Ya He Yey Ya" (Curtis Mayfield / William Parker) - 15.15
5. "This Is My Country (Paris)" - 5.44

Disc Two:

1. "People Get Ready/The Inside Song" (Curtis Mayfield / William Parker) - 14.38
2. "This Is My Country (New York)" - 10.56
3. "It's Alright" - 5.13
4. "Move On Up" - 17.27
5. "Freddie's Dead" - 11.26
6. "New World Order" - 6.59

Personnel