"Composed, arranged, and produced almost entirely by longtime Isaac Hayes collaborator Dale Warren, the album draws marked comparisons to the lush, transformative arrangements penned by Warren for the seminal trio of Hayes albums: Hot Buttered Soul, The Isaac Hayes Movement, and ...To Be Continued. Often cited as one of the first concept albums in the soul/funk genre at a time when such boldly artistic statements were reserved for progressive rock bands like Pink Floyd, this 'soul opera,' is an entrancing mixture of lush, orchestral soul ballads and blaxploitation-era funk grooves, split into vignettes dealing with aspects of everyday life in some of America's poorest areas. Its unique blend of immaculately arranged grooves and socially conscious narrative launched the album into cult-classic status among DJ's and producers who have sampled it, most recently by Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Digable Planets, Dr. Dre, and many others.

Released as part of Craft Recordings' "Made In Memphis" series.

Includes:
- 180-gram vinyl cut at Ardent studios on the original Stax lathe and pressed at Memphis Record Pressing.
- Old-school style tip-on jacket with printed inner sleeve.
- New liner notes by Rob Bowman, Grammy® Award winning author of 'Soulsville U.S.A.: The Story of Stax Records'.

Spelling error on tracklisting on rear of cover. Track A2 = "POVERY'S PARADISE"