The United States of Mind
| The United States of Mind | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Compilation album by Horace Silver | |
| Released | October 5, 2004 |
| Recorded | April 8 & June 18, 1970, November 15, 1970 & January 29, 1971, January 17 & February 14, 1972 |
| Genre | Jazz |
| Length | 119:19 |
| Label | Blue Note |
| Producer | Francis Wolff & George Butler |
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz | |
The United States of Mind is a compilation album by jazz pianist Horace Silver, released on the Blue Note label in 2004 compiling the three separate 'Phases' previously released as That Healin' Feelin' (1970), Total Response (1971) and All (1972). It features performances by Silver with Randy Brecker, George Coleman, Houston Person, Cecil Bridgewater, Harold Vick, Richie Resnicoff, Bob Cranshaw, Jimmy Lewis, Mickey Roker and Idris Muhammad, with vocals by Andy Bey, Salome Bey, Gail Nelson and Jackie Verdell.
In a 1974 radio interview published in 2009, Silver stated "I got interested in writing lyrics about that time and, well, became interested in Metaphysics and Indian philosophies, and Yoga philosophies. I have always been interested in health foods, vitamins; you know, the health thing. So, I was trying to get the physical thing, the mental thing, and the spiritual thing altogether. I was doing a lot of reading, a lot of soul-searching, a lot of meditation; and I put it altogether and came up with the The United States of Mind, which deals with all of that which I just mentioned; dealing with the physical, the mental and the spiritual things".
The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek awarded the album 4 stars (a higher rating than any of the individual albums received) and states "To say that these albums were misunderstood is to understate the case. Silver had been one of Blue Note's most reliable and steady hard- and post-bop artists since the late 1950s. There was nothing in his catalog that prepared listeners for this adventurous undertaking that linked spiritual concepts and social consciousness to modern jazz as it encountered soul, funk, and pop at the dawn of a new decade... Ultimately, these records deserve a new hearing. Perhaps Silver's traditional fans who worship the hard bop material still won't get them, and that's fine. But those investigating jazz funk, '70s soul, or seeking out lost grooves from back in the day would do well to listen hard because the reward is bountiful. The quality and vision of the music here is unquestionable, and the bigger message found on these albums is as timely and eternal".
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