Back To The World is a powerful concept album dealing with America's social issues, the aftermath of the Vietnam War, the environment (years before it became fashionable), as well as Curtis' optimism for the future.

What’s remarkable about Mayfield and this album seems to be nothing less than the cyclical emotions that make up the beats on the strong pulse of black life. Curtis covers a lot of sensory ground — bitterness, ambivalent feelings, ecstasy — and he sings as both participant and observer, always managing to dip his persona in edgy, get-back funk.