Unsung Heroine [Import]

unsung heroine [import]

Track Listings

1. Double Blank

2. Electric Rain

3. Where Love Resides

4. Snow in Berlin

5. Empty Streets

6. Violence of the World

7. She Came from West Virginia

8. Painting by Matisse

9. Unsung Heroine

10. Spiritual [*]

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Fourth Studio Effort from the Eclectic Norwegian Pop Quartet and Third in the Triology of the Prior Releases 'olsens Lot' (1996) and 'amsterdam Stranded' (1998).

Unsung Heroine,Midnight Choir,Glitterhouse Records,Adult Alternative Pop/Rock,Alternative Country,Alternative Country-Rock,Folk-Rock,Norway,Pop,Rock/Pop

Unsung Heroine [Import]

Average customer rating:

Nothing More Powerful
Proto hip hop and jazz protest music with soul
This Might Not Be the Album You Want
Great CD.
One of the great protest records, and avant-garde to boot!

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Gil Scott-Heron
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Old School | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

The Last Poets
Winter in America
Evolution (And Flashback): The Very Best of Gil Scott-Heron
Pieces of a Man
The First Minute of a New Day

ASIN: B000002WAW
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Sex Education - Ghetto Style
The Get Out Of The Ghetto Blues
No Knock
Lady Day And John Coltrane
Pieces Of A Man
Home Is Where The Hatred Is
Brother
Save The Children
Whitey On The Moon
Did You Hear What They Said?
When You Are Who You Are
I Think I'll Call It Morning
A Sign Of The Ages
Or Down You Fall
The Needle's Eye
The Prisoner

Customer Reviews:

Nothing More Powerful.......2007-02-27

"The revolution will not be right back after a message
about a white tornado, white lightning, or white people."

More than 30 years after its release, this album remains a powerful message of the realities faced by real people in the real ghetto of real America. With jazz and R&B as the backdrop, Gil Scott-Heron - in 17 tracks - raps straight about the truth from the streets.

"You will not have to worry about a dove in your
bedroom, a tiger in your tank, or the giant in your toilet bowl."

From one of the greatest tracks ever recorded - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised - to the smooth Lady Day and John Coltrane and the pointed questions - Brother - this is music achieving its full potential through poetry.

"The revolution will not go better with Coke."

My second favorite track remains Whitey On The Moon, with its dripping sarcastic lyrics comparing the squalor at home with the "triumph" in outer space. The Prisoner - because its the final cut - may not receive the props it truly deserves.

"The revolution will not fight the germs that may cause bad breath."

Scott-Heron was forging a path for the best elements of punk rock and hip-hop. But it says something about those genres that few artists could truly look outward, see clearly & write with any meaning at all. And what does it say about leadership and priorities when Scott-Heron's lyrics remain the motif of the struggle?

"The revolution will put you in the driver's seat."

Proto hip hop and jazz protest music with soul.......2005-05-06

Soulful, melodic and biting social commentary circa 1974 is what you'll find on "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised." Gil Scott-Heron pulls no punches in his assessment of America. This is not some feel good R&B or cartoonish gansta rap. Social protest and commentary are the order on this album. Kind of like the Public Enemy of his day, Gil Scott-Heron stays grounded in the real and the here and now. Musically I'd say that this is insightful and swinging proto hip hop with definite jazz influences. Conga and flute driven funk. Lyrically some of this stuff is funny yet caustic social comment and satire, and some is a bit more seriously political, sad and heartfelt. The song "Lady Day and John Coltrane" celebrates two powerfully emotive and creative musicians. Gil was influenced by The Last Poets with whom he played on his first album (I think), arguably the first rap group, and in turn influenced modern artists such as the Roots. Protest music rarely gets as soulful, funky and emotional as this. I still get as much of a kick from Whitey On The Moon now as I did when I first heard it back in the seventies. The ghetto is crumbling and people don't have enough to eat, and we'll spend millions to put a man on the moon. Talk about getting your priorities straight. Scott-Heron was putting a magnifying glass on black american society and experiences that were largely ignored by white majority America. This is one of Gil Scott-Heron's best works and not for those easily offended. Sometimes the truth hurts. He's out to wake people up, not put them to sleep.

This Might Not Be the Album You Want.......2003-06-18

I purchased this album because I am a fan of the Last Poets. Upon listening to the samples provided by Amazon.com, I thought I was getting an album that would contain very similar content to the Last Poets: some great politically charged poetry, perhaps accompanied by some funky beats. However, when I listened to the whole CD, I was disappointed to find out that the vast majority of the tracks sound the most like "Get Out of the Ghetto Blues." If more of the tracks had the sound of the title track, this would be a five-star album, in my opinion. True, Scott-Heron has a lot of great social commentary throughout the album, but not in the form I had hoped for. I would take the Last Poets' album "This Is Madness" over this particular Scott-Heron album.

Great CD........2003-03-01

I love this CD. Gil Scott Heron is brilliant. I particularly like "Whitey on the Moon" and "The Revolution Will Not be Televised." The message is still socially relevant today.

One of the great protest records, and avant-garde to boot!.......2002-06-14

This is a unique and forward-thinking collection from the Godfather of Hip-Hop, Gil Scott-Heron. This record, produced by the jazz great Bob Thiele, is provocative, melodic, and urgent at the same time. Many of the tracks are nice, jazzy, hopeful jaunts ("When You Are Who You Are," "I Think I'll Call It Morning"). Many are ahead-of-their-time hip-hop joints (the title track, "Whitey on the Moon," "Brother"). Yet the most powerful tracks are the mournful ballads ("Did You Hear What They Said?," "Home Is Where The Hatred Is"). The entire album evokes all of the joys, pains and petitions of the black community. The work of Common, Mos Def, The Roots and Public Enemy, among others, contain clear echoes of Gil Scott-Heron's impressive work on this record.

Tracks:

Peace Go With You, Brother
Rivers Of My Fathers
A Very Presious Time
Back Home
The Bottle
Song For Bobby Smith
Your Daddy Loves You
H20gate Blues
Pease Go With You, Brother
Winter In America
Song For Bobby Smith
Your Daddy Loves You
The Bottle/Guan Guanco

Amazon.com

In the early 1970s Gil Scott-Heron's tough-talking jazz-rock came across like a slap in the face, fiercely filling the Establishment in on issues ranging from substance abuse to the poverty and desperation raging through the black community. Winter in America was his breakthrough, with pianist Brian Jackson's dense arrangements matching the words blow for blow on the uncompromising title track (actually a bonus cut), the stinging "H20gate Blues," and the grooving anti-alcohol warning of "The Bottle"--"Don't you think it's a crime," Scott-Heron riffs, "the way time after time, people hit the bottle?" Some of Jackson's music may now sound a bit dated, but the years have done little to dull what writer Nathan George called Scott-Heron's "uncomfortable truths." --Michael Ruby

Customer Reviews:

Great CD!.......2007-03-26

Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson put their best foot forward on this album. It's in depth and speaks to the issues of today just like those of the late 60s - early 70s. The music is interesting and you're sure to learn something if you buy the album. I recommend it.

Amazing album.......2006-01-22

I cannot believe that it has taken me this long to discover Gil Scott Heron. The music and musicianship is amazing and GSH's singing sends chills down your spine. The sometimes politically charged but always very human lyrics are more relevant today than ever. Most soul/jazz music of today pales in comparison in terms of substance. It's a great bonus in this CD-age to get a live version of the song 'Winter in America' not included on the original release.

Another side of Gil Scott-Heron .......2005-11-06

Winter in America would be the first album that Gil Scott-Heron would release in which collaborator Brian Jackson was given equal billing. Up to this point, Scott-Heron was best known for his social commentary on the injustices and inequality that existed during the time as well as the biting tone in which he delivered his message. Even jazzier tracks like "Freewill" showed his anger at the forefront. However, Winter in America shows a new found maturity in Scott-Heron's work. With Jackson's impeccable piano work leading the way, Scott-Heron's songs carry a very introspective tone throughout the release. With this newfound maturity also comes a quantum leap in Scott-Heron's vocals as the choppy, occasionally off-key vocal performances of his previous releases would be a thing of the past from here on out.

The album starts with "Peace Go With You Brother", which with its dark tone, would make you believe that this is a prelude of things to come. However, the next track "Rivers of My Fathers" is an outstanding ballad that sets the tone for the rest of the album. Led by one of Scott-Heron's most impressive vocal performances and Jackson's improvisational yet melodic piano work, it is one of their finest compositions. "A Very Precious Time", "Song for Bobby Smith", and "Your Daddy Loves You" are all tender piano ballads that continue the album's introspective tone. The upbeat "Back Home" is one of the best tracks here, sounding like one of those memorable theme songs that opened a lot of the sitcoms back in the day. "The Bottle" is one of his most enduring tracks and certainly one of his funkiest. While it shows Scott-Heron using his gift of intelligently observing the social problems of the day that politicians pretended didn't exist, in this case alcoholism among the black population in the inner cities, his anger is reined in, making his message more effective. However, Scott-Heron's angry and accurate observations of the Watergate scandal on "H20gate Blues" show that the fire still burns. The remastered version contains several bonus tracks, including stellar live versions of "Your Daddy Loves You" and "The Bottle/Guan Guanco" as well as a live version of the timeless "Winter in America", which in its original form wouldn't be released until his next album The First Minute of a New Day. All told, Winter in America shows a softer side of Gil Scott-Heron while not abandoning his roots or his message.

A Classic.......2005-10-13

This was the first CD I bought by Gil Scott Heron and it prompted me to get all the CD's of his that are still in print and search for copies of those that aren't. This remains one of my favorite CD's no matter what mood I'm in. This disc has a little of everything. "Rivers of My Fathers" is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard and contains some amazing piano work. "The Bottle" has a great groove and an awesome bass line. "H2O Gate Blues" is an example of one of the roots of rap. "A Very Precious Time" and "Song for Bobby Smith" are mellow and jazzy. The bonus tracks are really good too and give his band room for extended solos. Although Gil Scott Heron was known for playing a Fender Rhodes, I don't feel like this makes his work here sound dated. I have found myself pulling out this CD pretty frequently over the years. If you are into old school R&B you will enjoy this album.

The season of frozen hopes........2005-06-14

In 1973, after having established his reputation with three recordings on the Flying Dutchman label, Gil Scott-Heron moved on, to a recording for Strata East and to a different sound. Having honed his spoken word craft and an electric jazz vibe, evolution brought him to a minimalist approach. With sparse accompaniment (Scott-Heron or co-conspirator Brian Jackson on keys, Jackson occasionally on flute, and on five tracks, bassist Danny Bowens and drummer Bob Adams) and unnervingly strong compositions, "Winter in America" is a dark reflection on what Scott-Heron saw as the state of the country, that the seasons had past and winter had descended (he would alter compose a piece of this title, but at the point this was recorded, he had no intention of it).

If only Gil Scott-Heron would record music to reflect the current season our country had fallen in, I think sometimes we need it.

But this was over thirty years ago, and the music is beautiful-- some of it is dark, reflections on hope for unity ("Peace Go With You, Brother"), the horror of alcohol addiction (the unnervingly direct "The Bottle"), and the firmly tongue-in-cheek "H2OGate Blues" ("Watergate"). But there's a strong sense of nostalgia, of first loves ("A Very Precious Time", "Back Home"), and of hope for children (the stunningly beautiful "Song for Bobby Smith", "Your Daddy Loves You") that keep the mood shifting and make it easy to maintain interest in the record. Musically, its a lot of bluesy stuff, even the upbeat material has a sense of the blues to it, but it works well.

The TVT reissue cleans the sound nicely and augments the releae with a handful of bonus tracks-- an alternate of "Song for Bobby Smith", a live take of the title track (a great bluesy song that wouldn't've been out of place on the record), a great live take of "Your Daddy Loves You" and an extended and powerful take of "The Bottle" filled with hope, even in its darkness. These really do serve to nicely compliment the album.

Its not going to be for everyone, the production's kind of odd and the vocals sometimes feel jaggid because of this, but the music here is fantastic, and it is really a superb and powerful record. Recommended.

Evolution (And Flashback): The Very Best of Gil Scott-Heron

Average customer rating:

The Very Worst of Gil Scott-Heron
Essential
Before Michael Moore there was Gil Scott-Heron
Before there was rap, there was Gil Scott-Heron
This CD is REAL

Evolution (And Flashback): The Very Best of Gil Scott-Heron
Gil Scott-Heron
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Old School | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Musicals | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
The Very Best of the Last Poets
Winter in America
The First Minute of a New Day
Pieces of a Man

ASIN: B00000HZTD
Release Date: 1999-02-09

Tracks:

Paint It Black
Evolution (And Flashback)
Free Will
Whitey On The Moon
The Vulture
Small Talk At 125th And Lenox
Billy Green Is Dead
Ain't No New Thing
Get Out Of The Ghetto Blues
The King Alfred Plan
No Knock
Enough
Who'll Pay Reparations On My Soul?
Home Is Where The Hatred Is
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

Amazon.com

No artist articulated the pride, pain, and passion of African Americans in the post-civil rights era better than singer, poet, author, pianist, and composer Gil Scott-Heron. These 15 selections from his historic Flying Dutchman recordings from 1970 to 1972 capture the sting of his social commentary and scope of his artistic dimension. The Chicago-born, Tennessee-reared, New York City-bred Scott-Heron drew equally from the blues, gospel, Latin, funk, and soul and created beautiful art out of the angst of those turbulent times. Together with lifelong partner Brian Jackson on keyboards, and occasionally backed by flutist Hubert Laws and bassist Ron Carter, Scott-Heron spoke about the ills and illuminations of black life: from the conga-pulsed identity issues of "Paint in Black" and the title cut, to the vast economic gap between white and black he so eloquently expressed on "Whitey on the Moon." "Small Talk at 125th Street" paints a nuanced picture of the famous Harlem street, and "Home Is Where the Hatred Is," with its Fender Rhodes chords and soulful and cinematic sound, and "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" not only prophesized America's future race and class problems, but also foreshadowed the rap and hip-hop movement, which Gil Scott-Heron birthed through his intensity and honesty. --Eugene Holley Jr.

Customer Reviews:

The Very Worst of Gil Scott-Heron.......2007-03-12

What I thought would be a funk CD is instead a compilation of Whitey-Bashing. . .don't be fooled!

Essential.......2006-10-11

Before there was rap, there was Gil Scott-Heron. Before there was techno, there was Gil Scott-Heron. Before there was jazz-rock, there was Gil Scott-Heron. After 6 years of George Bush, where are you Gill Scott-Heron?

We need you now more than ever!

Before Michael Moore there was Gil Scott-Heron.......2004-01-18

Before the ultra popular retoric of Michael Moore there was the lone black voice of Gil. Literaly every one of the socio-political issues that Moore tackles through his books and films on the subject of America have been covered by GSH on this collection and his back catalogue. Of course GSH could not have reached as large an audience as Mr. Moore but none the less Gil's flag was flown there first!....His revolution was not Televised! Word to Brian Jackson on the keys and arrangments, brother Ron Carter(the most recorded Bassist in music History 500 Sessions +)and the underatted Pretty Purdie on drums and the eloquent Hubert Laws on Flute/Ts.
Get this first as an introduction and then try "Winter in America".
FMCD

Before there was rap, there was Gil Scott-Heron.......2003-12-31

Gil Scott-Heron was truly an artist who was ahead of his time. Evolution (And Flashback) is a compilation of tracks from his first three albums. After those albums, actually starting with his 3rd album Free Will, he'd go into a direction more based on jazz and funk. But his early work is truly revolutionary and would become influential several years later for highly political artists such as Public Enemy and Rage Against The Machine.

Many of the tracks here just consist of Scott-Heron's beat poetry over a set of bongos. His lyrics and delivery are biting and go right for the throat, particularly on the tracks "Whitey On The Moon", "Ain't No New Thing", "The King Alfred Plan", "Evolution (And Flashback)", and "Enough", which all deal with the racism which was still very prevalent in this country at the time. "No Knock" and "Small Talk at 125th & Lenox" are also strong tracks with the former discussing a new law at the time which gave police the right to enter one's property without warning. Many of the other tracks, such as "Who'll Pay Reparations For My Soul", "The Vulture", "Home Is Where The Hatred Is", and "Get Out Of The Ghetto Blues" continue in a similar lyrical path, albeit not as militant, and are backed by the stellar musicianship of long-time collaborator Brian Jackson. "Free Will" is also a very strong track driven by its jazzy bass line and excellent flute solo. Finally, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" with its political lyrics and its funky bass line would influence countless rap acts several years later. Highly recommended, particularly to fans of music which discusses social issues.

This CD is REAL.......2001-10-26

I am in my early thirties and I was a child when Gil Scott was laying down these lyrics/poems. For the Generation Y'ers out there, particularly African-Americans who were not even born when these tracks were recorded, you need to get this album. Why? Because many of you have been anesthized by the consumerism and materialism of the post-soul era and really don't know the hard times and despair with no social safety net of the late 60's and early 70's that Gil Scott is describing on these tracks. The despair and hardship of urban life or in some urban communities that is exploited and commercialized in so-called gangsta rap had its origins in the policies of benign neglect that were implemented in urban areas in the late 60's and early 70's. Gil Scott is giving you that realness with out the over the top violence, drug abuse-drug dealing and mysogny of today's "reality" artists. Two of my favorite tracks are:"Ain't nothing new" and "Enough". "Ain't nothing new" deals with how Black culture has been ripped off by non-black artists who went off and made millions while their Black patrons got jerked. Sounds familiar? Hence the title:"Ain't nothing new". The track "Enough" is just a vent of a man who just had enough of this society's abuse and now that man is telling this society what he thinks. I know that this is a stretch, but you can almost say that "Enough" is Gil Scott's Post-word to the books "Invisible Man" and "Ex-biograghy of a Colored Man".

Tracks:

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Save The Children
Lady Day And John Coltrane
Home Is Where The Hatred Is
When You Are Who You Are
I Think I'll Call It Morning
Pieces Of A Man
A Sign Of The Ages
Or Down You Fall
The Needle's Eye
The Prisoner

Customer Reviews:

Best of EARLY GIL..........2007-04-09

Although yes... Gil is probably better known to the acid Jazz generation for his funkier Midnight Band/Amnesia Express sounds a few years later, the truth is, Gil Scott Heron was a POET/ACTIVIST/STREET PERFORMER/ SONGWRITER first and "singer" second... though he did all of them well, I think as an unapologetic poet with something to say, this 1971 recording represents the ESSENCE of Gil. (- - Later albums were much "funkier" and "jazzy" in the "Roy Ayers"/flying dutchman 70's sense of the word and were just as politically aware, but I think this album features Gil the social/political troubador at his rawest.)

Naturally, the best known tune here is "THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED" (actually it was... saw it on CNN, and the sponsor was WHITE people... not sure about the white lightening, but I heard a report about a white Tornado.) That said... though REVOLUTION may be the best known of his tunes, listen to this album and you'll hear that he wasn't just an angry millitant. Gil has and had a lot of things to say to a lot of people about a lot of things... and over the years has never watered ANYTHING down. My favorites include HOME IS WHERE THE HATERED IS and LADY DAY, both musically driving, yet lyrically potent.

Featuring tunes about everything from revolution, personal aspiration, uniqueness, individuality, being for real, pain, hope and struggle, the album also features a near legendary Jazz ensemble... yet in a rare twist of fate, its actually GIL's lyrical story telling that puts them all in their place. -- Backing musicians include Ron Carter, Hubert Laws and Bernard Purdie - - however, Gil at all times is more than just a "front" or new type of Jazz singer - - he's really in a league of his own - - as an example, his voice definitely fits in with his music's roots, rhythms and influences, but his strong political messages make him almost like a new type of folk singer - - only one who played Fender Rhodes and had the baddest Afro, Jean Jackets and rhythm section in the world.

All in all, I've been listening to these tunes since I was a young teen, and they've never worn off.

As for "funky" Gil, I really wish BRIDGES would get re-issued and IT'S YOUR WORLD is high on my list --
(In addition, back in the 70's Esther Phillips recorded a mean version of HOME IS WHERE THE HATERED is!)

Completely satisfied, Excellent condition........2007-04-04

I am completely satisfied.
The product is excellent.

Thanks,
Larry4Good

Call on Lady Day/John Coltrane.......2006-04-15

Back when spoken word and free expression were more a social movement than what is currently commercialism and record sales, there was Gil Scott-Heron. This album you'll find to be quite profound and thought provoking as he uses traditional jazz as the genre back-drop to convey government oppression and negligence in American society in the 60s & 70s through his eyes. Note the late Ron Carter on bass. Produced by Bob Thiele who worked on several Coltrane recordings.

out spoken & truthful.......2005-06-08

Gil Scott-Heron Has always been one of my favorite artists. I own
many of the albums he put out from the seventies. The first one
I went out and purchased on cd was pieces of a man. The songs
are so powerful even today 30+ years later. Nearly every song
has its own useful message. Pieces of a man and Save the Child-
ren offer powerful messages. This is yet another cd that has aged gracefully and it has lost none of it's message. This music
is much more powerful that today's rap. It cuts to the core with
out cursing. Enjoy! Jaye Price Beltsville Md.

The best of Scott-Heron's Flying Dutchman recordings........2005-06-03

Having produced an album of aggressive spoken word, Gil Scott-Heron began moving into the direction he would spend his career. Taking his political and social commentary from "Small Talk At 12th & Lenox" but this time backing it with jazz arrangements (accompanied by long-time collaborator Brian Jackson and a series of New York sessionmen), this album is probably the best of Scott-Heron's early work.

Musically, its deep in a funky jazz vein, with an absolutely incomparable rhythm section of ROn Carter and "Pretty" Purdie holding down the groove. Lyrically, Scott-Heron is looking on a bit smaller of a scale then he did on that previous album, while there's still some of that sort of far reaching social material (openers "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", this time given a full arrangement and the achingly beautiful "Save the Children"), the majority of it is much more personal. Nothing illustrates this more clearly than "Home is Where the Hatred Is", one of the most direct and honest assessments of drug addiction I've ever heard. If you're ever known someone in the throwsof addiction, you'll realize just how painful this piece can be to listen to. Ditto for "Pieces of a Man", a dark social commentary about people being unable to continue coping. But what thing that separates this album from its predecessor in mood is there is more variety-- the thoroughly optimistic "I Think I'll Call It Morning" for example, and the ecstatic "Lady Day and John Coltrane".

All in all, a fine jazz vocal record, recommended.

Average customer rating:

Completely satisfied, Excellent condition.
Gil's best IN PRINT album
4 1/2 stars-- a powerful statement.
Gil & Brian cookin it up
Powerful music with a strong message

The First Minute of a New Day
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson
Manufacturer: Tvt
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Old School | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Poetry | Poetry, Spoken Word & Interviews | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Winter in America
From South Africa to South Carolina
It's Your World
Pieces of a Man
Reflections

ASIN: B000005ZD1
Release Date: 1998-04-07

Tracks:

Offering
The Liberation Song (Red, Black And Green)
Must Be Something
Ain't No Such Thing As Superman
Pardon Our Analysis (We Beg Your Pardon)
Guerilla
Winter In America
Western Sunrise
Alluswe
A Talk: Bluesology/Black History/Jaws/The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (Live From Wax Museum...
Winter In America (Solo Version)

Amazon.com

If you're considering digging into the stack of Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson reissues, this is the place to start. First Minute is one fantastic, seminal album--just bursting with Jackson's serious piano, Bilal Sunni Ali's deluxe woodwinds, and Barnett Williams and Charlie Saunders's relentless percussion. The entire Midnight Band, in fact, positively struts, cajoles, and freaks the funk out all over this 1975 powerhouse. Scott-Heron himself raps ("Pardon Our Analysis"), rocks ("The Liberation Song"), and rolls ("Alluswe") in that magic voice that critic Neil Tesser once described as "mahogany, sunshine, and tears." First Minute also boasts the Scott-Heron classics "Ain't No Such Thing As Superman" and "Winter in America." The 11-minute bonus track, "A Talk," makes this set nearly indispensable. --Michael Ruby

Customer Reviews:

Completely satisfied, Excellent condition........2007-04-04

The title says it all.

Thanks,
Larry 4good

Gil's best IN PRINT album.......2006-03-16

Gil Scott-Heron is one of the most sampled artists of the 70's (besides Roy Ayers and George Clinton). You can find Gil's work on more than a few modern-day hip-hop albums. The reason? Gil's music, particularly on this album, is funky and pretty unique...no one blended political lyrics, world and jazz music, and wonderful arrangements quite like Gil Scott-Heron. This album is definately one of his best and has all of the above-stated elements in place to be considered a masterpiece. The only better album of Gil's would have to be "Bridges" which sadly has been out of print for a very very long time (although it can be found on vinyl pretty easily and cheaply). However, this album is his second best, and definately the best of his albums that are currently in print. A good album for those wanting to get initated to Gil Scott-Heron's music. If you like this album other albums to explore further would be: Bridges (vinyl only unfortunately), It's Your World (good live album), Pieces of a Man, and Winter In America. But this one is a really great place to start.

4 1/2 stars-- a powerful statement........2006-02-15

Armed with a contract from the fledgling Arista record label and building on the success of the stripped back "Winter in America", Gil Scott-Heron and musical partner Brian Jackson entered the studio to record "The First Minute of the New Day". Whereas "Winter in America" was largely just Scott-Heron and Jackson, "The First Minute of the New Day" is fully arranged music sitting close to a vocal jazz style, but with a healthy dose of funk overtones. The sound on this record is distinctive and quite unlike much of Scott-Heron's other work-- in part because of the presence of additional vocalist Victor Brown. Brown's high tenor provides a fantastic offset to Scott-Heron's lower register, and the two harmonize to great effect. The band supporting them is essentially a sax quartet (Bilal Sunni Ali on reeds, Jackson on piano, Danny Bowens on electric bass and Bob Adams on drums) augmented by a trio of percussionists-- Charlie Saunders, Eddie Knowles and Barnett Williams. The band whips up a blues/jazz/funk stew, anchored effectively by Bowens, who proves stunningly agile and effective, weaving in and out of the delicate wall of percussion and the melodies.

The pieces themselves on the album are staggering in their diversity, from a mournful blues ("Winter in America") to a delicate and serene jazz ballad ("Offering") to deep funk ("The Liberation Song") and spoken word ("Pardon Our Analysis"). As expected, Scott-Heron's lyrical wit is in full effect, whether discussing the politics of Africa, the Nixon administration, the state of the nation or just reflections on everyday life, he's nothing short of brilliant.

This reissue augments the album with a pair of bonus tracks- an extended spoken word piece including a reprise of Scott-Heron's famed "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" (and one of the most brilliant performances on record by him in spoken word) and a solo performance of "Winter in America" from the late '70s. All of this is remastered and sounds superb.

It's not quite the masterpiece that it's predecessor ("Winter in America") or its successor ("From South Africa to South Carolina") is, but "The First Minute of a New Day" is a fantastic album, capturing an artist at his peak. Highly recommended.

Gil & Brian cookin it up.......2005-11-11

This is one of the most important r & B soul albums ever made.
The strength, power and clarity of Gil's voice is unmatched.
Gil is drippin in soul in "Aint no such Thing as a Superman" and both versions of "Winter In America" are inspiring. Politically, this album is scarily relevent to today's events in America.
This is what doods should be singing about NOW!
Soul, R & B and blues music lovers need to discover this jewel.

Powerful music with a strong message .......2005-10-13

The First Minute of a New Day is where Gil Scott-Heron and multi-instrumentalist Brian Jackson truly hit their stride. Unlike Winter In America, which was a very introspective album, this release stirs up the pot musically. Scott-Heron's vocals, which could be choppy on his earlier albums, are in fine form throughout and his spoken word observations are more focused without losing any of their conviction. It's also here where the music truly matches the power of Scott-Heron's message. The album's opening track, "Offering", is very solemn and is carried by an emotional flute line by Jackson and great harmonies from both Scott-Heron and vocalist Victor Brown. Tracks like the cool R&B of "Must Be Something", the jazzy "Western Sunrise", and the funky "No Such Thing As Superman" are top notch and feature great sax playing from Bilal Sunni Ali. Heron's lyrics remain as poignant as ever on the mid-tempo turned shuffle of "Guerilla" and the aforementioned "Must Be Something." The track "Alluswe" is an elegant ballad similar to those on Winter In America and feature smooth vocals from Scott-Heron and beautiful piano from Jackson. While the spoken word pieces "Pardon Our Analysis" and "A Talk..." may sound dated today, they're both clever and intelligent as he correctly observes the social inequalities that were present in the mid-1970's. Although everything here is first rate, there are two tracks that take the album to another level. "The Liberation Song (Red, Black, and Green)" is the most exciting track that Gil Scott-Heron has ever performed. Driven by an intense performance from the Midnight Band, the music matches their plea for equal rights perfectly. Finally, "Winter In America" is a haunting ballad with some of his most thoughtful lyrics. The solo version included at the album's conclusion featuring just Gil and his piano is just as powerful. All told, The First Minute of a New Day is the strongest studio release from Gil Scott-Heron, Brian Jackson, and the Midnight Band. Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

What's the word?
More jazz-oriented than their previous albums
Not flashy but solid
have you heard the "word"..
You Gotta Get

From South Africa to South Carolina
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson
Manufacturer: Tvt
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The First Minute of a New Day
Winter in America
It's Your World
Pieces of a Man
Reflections

ASIN: B000005ZCZ
Release Date: 1998-04-07

Tracks:

Johannesburg
A Toast To The People
The Summer Of '42
Beginnings (The First Minute Of A New Day)
South Carolina (Barnwell)
Essex
Fell Together
A Lovely Day (Bonus Tracks)
Johannesburg (Live From Scott-Heron: Black Wax)
South Carolina (Barnwell) (Live From The No Nukes Concert At Madison Square Garden)
Save The Children (Live From Blues Alley, Washington D.C.)
Let Me See Your I.D. (From Sun City: Artists United Against Apartheid)

Amazon.com

Gil-Scott Heron pulled few punches on this powerful 1975 release, his second effort with the Midnight Band. The jazz here ("Summer of '42," "Essex") is hard, flint-edged stuff, dipped in funk and Latin percussion. The ballads ("Beginnings," "A Lovely Day") are pretty, and the lyrics (especially on "A Toast to the People") are potent. The Clash's Mick Jones, a fan of Scott-Heron's, once told Rolling Stone that "people would rather dance than fight wars," but "Johannesburg" and the nuclear-power-protesting "South Carolina (Barnwell)" prove you can do both at the same time. Bonus tracks include live versions of the latter as well as the in-your-face anthem "Let Me See Your I.D." from the 1985 Sun City project. --Michael Ruby

Customer Reviews:

What's the word?.......2006-02-15

The mid 1970s was an extraordinary period for Gil Scott-Heron, peaking in my assessment with "From South Africa to South Carolina". Having established his reputation as politically aggressive and relevent on his Flying Dutchman recordings and cooled off on "Winter in America", Scott-Heron and musical partner Brian Jackson assembled "The Midnight Band" for "The First Minute of the New Day". The band stayed intact for "From South Africa to South Carolina", and the strength of familiarity shows.

Perhaps the most notable is the ability for the three vocalists-- Scott-Heron, Jackson and Victor Brown, to harmonize together. Two and three part harmonies rise and fall together, with Scott-Heron's baritone, Brown's high tenor, and Jackson somewhere in between blending into a fantastic mix. Below then, Jackson leads the band from the piano, joined by reedman Bilal Sunni Ali, bassist Danny Bowens, drummer Bob Adams and percussionists Charlie Saunders, Barnett Williams, and Adenola. On 'First Minute', it felt like Bownes was the dominant voice, head and shoulders the most unique and sticking out-- now the band works together in a stronger fashion and provides a superb framework, performing ably in jazz, blues, funk and rock forms.

Scott-Heron again tackles a number of topics in various atmospheres, from the then under-documented apartheid in South Africa (the superb funk of "Johannesburg") to toxic waste ("South Carolina"), from optimistic laments ("Beginnings", with an absolutely stunning three part harmony) to a touch of pure hopefulness (the simply fantastic "A Lovely Day").

The reissue augments the recording with a trio of live tracks-- fantastic readings of "South Carolina", "Johannesburg" and "Save the Children" (from "Pieces of a Man", several years earlier) and the anti-apartheid benefit piece "Let Me See Your I.D.", featuring Scott-Heron prominently amid a number of rappers and the trumpet of Miles Davis. The recording is also remastered and sounds fantastic.

This may be the best of Scott-Heron's catalog-- it all came together, the political vibe, the funky jazz aesthetic, they don't really get better than this. Hihgly recommended.

More jazz-oriented than their previous albums .......2006-01-02

1976's From South Africa to South Carolina shows Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson continuing to stir the pot musically. There is a heavier jazz influence this time around as Jackson's piano work plays a more prominent role. Whether it's Victor Brown adding his soaring vocals to "A Toast to the People" or Scott-Heron providing his moving baritone on the gentle "A Lovely Day", Jackson always provides the perfect accompaniment. This trend continues on the subdued "Beginnings (The First Minute of a New Day)" and "Fell Together", which both feature Jackson on flute. Although Scott-Heron has no spoken word performance, his political awareness remains intact on the R&B hit "Johannesburg" and the funky "South Carolina (Barnwell)" which attacks the social issues of apartheid and nuclear waste respectively. "Essex" is the most experimental track as it bounces from free form jazz ala John Coltrane to a slow R&B before returning to its original theme and then slowly fading out. The best track here is the hard funk of "Summer of `42", which features great vocal interplay from Scott-Heron and Brown as well as a memorable electric piano line similar to Stevie Wonder's work at the time. The live bonus tracks include a jazzier take on "South Carolina (Barnwell)" from the No Nukes concert featuring great sax work from Bilal Sunni Ali, a spirited performance of "Johannesburg", and a touching version of "Save the Children." The final bonus track, "Let Me See Your ID", complete with its old school rappers and production, has not aged well and sounds out of place. While not as enduring as The First Minute of a New Day or the live album It's Your World, From South Africa to South Carolina is another strong release from Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson.

Not flashy but solid.......2003-12-06

Despite the '70s crowd-pleasing, anti-apartheid anthem, "Johannesburg", this album remains a bit of an obscurity in the discography of Gil Scott-Heron.

Gil hit a nerve with street-inspired poetry and powerful rhythms that presaged rap on tunes like "Whitey on the Moon", "Brother", "The Bottle", and of course, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," which has become not only widely sampled, but even -- undeservedly -- reduced to something of a cliche. "South Africa to South Carolina" displays Gil's and Brian Jackson's lyrical side with ideas and rhythms more subtle than "Johannesburg."

The strong lyricism is best illustrated by "Beginnings" and, especially, the disarming "A Lovely Day," which recalls, for me, the beautiful "Very Precious Time" from the great "Winter in America." Both of the tunes make me think of the "Doonesbury" line in which Mark, the hard-core ideologist, confesses, "Even revolutionaries like chocolate chip cookies." The revolutionary on this album shows his chocolate chip cookie side with "A Lovely Day," a song that this writer turned to often back in the day for solace during dark times.

A bit of a hodge-podge in styles, and in some ways much a product of its times, this album may not be of use for all, but I still consider it a strong piece of work from a very important American artist whose name and contributions to the current scene should be kept alive.

have you heard the "word".........2002-08-08

..well, unfortunate, as of 2002, GSH was encarcerated,little publicized, of course-and another "voice of dissent" stilled.(temporarily, one hopes..)

This cd release of his 2nd recording for Arista Records is very interesting, as it contains a nice 50/50 split of his Electric piano/African percussions driven jazz influences of his Flying Dutchman/Strata East recordings and the more "funky" and groove oriented things that followed.

For me, the passion , both in GSH words, and his alternate firey rasp to gentle crooning in his vocals (although on this cd, nice lead and background vocals are also provided by bandmembers,with some intriguing harmonic intervals worthy of Eric Dolphy, very "outside")--some of his musics has driven me to being misty eyed through the years,"Pieces of A Man", Song for Bobby Smith", "Lady Day & John Coltrane", and many of the other compositions from the early days, and on this cd, the eloquent "A Toast to the People", and the simple Fender Rhodes piano acompaniment on "Lovely Day", and "Beginnings".
(Honest, these compositions really tug at my heartstrings,it IS a sad and beautiful world, to parafrase Roberto Begnini, hehehe--and GSH captures this paradox in the uncompromising passiom of his musical/spiritual convictions.)
The fire is turned up some degrees with the paen to the liberation of South Africa, "Johannesburg", and the homegrown problems discussed in "South Carolina.." funky stuff, and "Essex" which burns a jazz fire!

Long time musical partner Brian Jackson's understated but fluent keyboard/piano/flute and arranging are augmented by the first(and for me, best) version of his "Midnite Band". Jazz/funk/spiritual sounds in the Gary Bartz NTU troop/ Lonnie Liston Smith bag. Although I prefer "winter in America", the quintessential GSH, this recording has a lotta heart!

Personally, I prefer these simmering percolating sounds to the noisy rock n' roll ANY day of the week. Hot , passionate , the sounds of the heart blend with the sounds of the street! Food for the soul and feet!

Glad one thousand times GSH musical output is so readily acessable on cd re-release!

Viva GSH!

You Gotta Get.......2000-03-18

this disc is blazing in so many different styles.Gil-Scott Heron goes straight for the Music here.his words always hit Hard.he connects here and never lets up.that's the Genius of his mind.

Average customer rating:

Decent but not the best
Gil at his very best
A Treasue
Release Secrets! Release Secrets!
An Incredible Listening Experience ! ! !

It's Your World
Gil Scott-Heron
Manufacturer: Tvt
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The First Minute of a New Day
Winter in America
From South Africa to South Carolina
Pieces of a Man
Reflections

ASIN: B000056VIT
Release Date: 2001-01-23

Tracks:

It's Your World
Possum Slim
New York City
17th Street
Trane
Must Be Something
Home Is Where The Hatred Is
Bicentennial Blues
The Bottle
Sharing

Album Description

1976 release, includes rare masters of live classics and vintage studio tracks. Included here are gruop arrangements of pieces that had been previously recorded, 'Home Is Where TheHatred Is', 'The Bottle' and 'Must Be Something' as well as new material, '17th Street' and 'Tomorrow's Trane' all performed with live crowds in Boston. Standard jewel case. 2000 release.

Customer Reviews:

Decent but not the best.......2006-08-20

When compared to other Scott-Heron discs, this one falls just short. Still, a great artist with much to say. As poignant today as ever.

Gil at his very best.......2005-11-01

Although Gil Scott-Heron has created several strong studio albums, his best being The First Minute of a New Day, and one of the most influential songs in music with "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", it's on the It's Your World album where the artist peaked in all aspects of the game. Divided equally between stellar studio tracks and killer performances from a live show in Boston, this is Gil Scott-Heron and the Midnight Band at their very best.

The album starts off with the soulful "It's Your World", which is carried by its snappy horn lines and a very catchy chorus. "Possum Slim" is a very funky tune featuring a memorable keyboard riff ala Stevie Wonder and a killer sax solo from Bilal Sunni-Ali. "New York City" is Scott-Heron's tribute to the city itself, featuring a smooth jazz arrangement which unexpectedly changes to salsa for a brief period before returning to its original theme. Then the live tracks begin and they're all fantastic. "17th Street" features great vocals from Scott-Heron and melodic flute playing throughout from Brian Jackson. "Trane", whose music was written by Alice Coltrane, features a great solo from Sunni-Ali as well as a great percussion workout near its close. "Must Be Something", with Sunni-Ali's excellent sax work, is much jazzier than the original. "Home Is Where The Hatred Is", featuring an extended melodic piano solo from Jackson and Victor Brown's accompanying vocals, make this a much stronger version than the original. "Bicentennial Blues" is arguably Scott-Heron's best spoken word performance. Using both words of the title as an analogy throughout the piece, it is an intelligent and accurate portrayal of the political corruptness of the 1970's which saw the gap between the rich and poor continuing to widen, something which is still very real today. The ultimate live version of "The Bottle" follows and features an extended solo from the rhythm section with Scott-Heron improvising throughout. "Sharing" is a great ballad with soaring emotional vocals from Brown that brings the album to a close. All told, Gil Scott-Heron and the Midnight Band are at the top of their game on It's Your World. Highly recommended.

A Treasue.......2004-08-07

wow, how can you describe the output of Gil and Brian in a few words??? Of all the releases, this one is the strongest and timeless in my opinion, as well as several others by Gil and Brian. This is solid soul/funk/jazz/rock!!! This one features new studio tunes as well as a few live renditions of classic material including a 12 minute version of Home is where the hatred is. A lot of these two artist's work feature social and political statements of the time, this album only features a few songs as commentaries but the music just smokes, man, can they play!!!! Make sure you check this one out!!! Then try to find Bridges, another timeless album!!! Enjoy

Release Secrets! Release Secrets! .......2004-07-29

His 1978 Album, 'Secrets' is far and away his best commerical LP. He stays real, but gets so funky that you can't sit still. 'Three miles down,' a song that shoots right at the Taft-Hartly Act still rings in my head. 'Madison Ave' is a another song that I have sung to my kids to explain how advertising jingles effect us all. As Gil said, 'They can sell sand to man living a desert. They can tuna to the chicken of the sea...'

Release Secrets. It's overdue.

An Incredible Listening Experience ! ! !.......2002-12-24

In his hey day Gil Scott Heron was not merely an entertainer, he was a social institution and attending his shows were a gathering that transcended merely going to a club... as if his street poetry and political diatribes weren't enough, he had some of the funkiest and Jazziest rhythm sections on the planet... (often fronting them wearing a jean jacket, blue jeans, an unkept beared and afro and sitting at that old Fender Rhodes.) - - During his show, it was almost like attending some kind of mystical state of the union... he'd hip you to the world (as you definitely wouldn't hear it on the 6:00 news) yet at the same time, he made it clear that you were attending a party... and at the helm was his midnight band.

This CD, in my opinion, represents Gil at his peek. The only greater chance you'll ever get to catch his band in action at such full form is his concert video "Black Wax" (highly recommended) - - The tunes on this album are very '70s... mixing the funky fusiony Jazz of that time with great rhythms, great story telling, and some deep messages. It is the type of listen that is best heard with the lights turned out, plenty of room to tap your feet and move your body, and your imagination at its peek... and never does the CD experience any lulls... by the time it is finished, you will feel emotionally exhausted, also as if you've been on a long journey.

Recorded during the Bicentenial at a club and a few in studio (though you wouldn't know it unless you read the liner notes), the line up features Brian Jackson, Danny Bowens, Victor Brown, Bilal Sunni-Ali, Barnett Williams, Tony Duncanson, Reggie Brisbane and Delbert Taylor. Nice CD booklet with lyrics !

Heron King Blues
Average customer rating:

Cool experimentation

Califone.

Pass me some o' that Wingbone

A good indie album

Glad I discovered them today

Heron King Blues
Califone
Manufacturer: Thrill Jockey
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
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Yellow House

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Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain

Horn of Plenty (w/Bonus Remixes)

Person Pitch

ASIN: B00013VI3Y
Release Date: 2004-01-20

Tracks:

Wingbone
Trick Bird
Sawtooth Sung a Cheater's Song
Apple
Lion and Bee
2 Sisters Drunk on Each Other
Heron King Blues
Outro
I Walk on Gilded Splinters

Customer Reviews:

Cool experimentation.......2006-05-09

A step in a new direction, this is some great experimentation from the Chicago and L.A.-based group. A ground-breaking work that allows the band to get creative and stay interesting without becoming boring or annoying.

Califone........2005-09-01

Califone know how to rub you down with a gentle massage of sonor beauty and still manage to dig their knuckles into that sore spot...that jagged feeling of nerve into bone which feels uncomfortable yet achives wonderful results in the long run. When you put this cd on read into the lyrics and let the music paint pictures of nightmarish wonderment in your head. Califone manages to create a very dirty southern blues sound and blend it with avant scraping beating and hum. If you want something new and totally different - pick up this album.

Pass me some o' that Wingbone.......2004-07-23

Having picked up the latest release from these guys recently, and not having listened to them before, I am pretty floored. I guess I had them mixed up with Calexico or something (stupid me), which couldn?t have gotten me more off track when I prepared to listen to them the first time. This band is absolutely amazing, taking pages from the alt-country playbook and mixing in psychedelic bluesy noise, and calling the occasional funky groove audible. Take ?2 Sisters Drunk on Each Other?? its like a P Funk cover band is laying it down in the back room with the throaty Layne Staley singing. Man, does it ever sound sweet. The panoramic title track is an album highlight and one of the best songs. It twists you up, pushes you down and around, and springs you like a jack in the box over the course of its fifteen minute expanse. Please pass some of that alt-country feelin? stuff? Here you go, try ?Wingbone?, what might have been had we somehow managed to splice together some Sam Beam and Beck?s great underground K release ?One Foot in the Grave?. And, oh, the sweet psychedelic outro, drizzling screeching guitar break offs over some sort of weird sound that might have once been a seventies sit com but reversed and reverb?d. Mostly though, I?m struck by and forced to compare this release to Beck? the singer often sounds very similar and the eclectic song structures make it unavoidable. Don?t take that as a cut, it?s just an undeniable influence. This band has much more of a jam-band feel than the studio concoctions of the aforementioned songster.

A good indie album.......2004-04-04

Califone are a US indie band who make music somewhere between the indie jam session ethos, sweet alt-country and luscious post-rock. Tracks like opener 'Wingbone' are more conventional, folky, acoustic ballads, while those like 'Trick Bird' juggle more disparate sounds, with weird beats, flickering guitars and thick atmospherics underpinning a sinister yet restrained sound, incredibly well-produced. Sometimes the album drifts into background-music status, but it usually has an attention-holding collage of sounds floating around, if somewhat unfocusedly at times. The standout, though, is the excellent '2 Sisters Drunk On Each Other', which features a funky wah-wah guitar over its template, adding real colour and interest to its psychadelic textures, which build, ebb and flow through the song. The title track is an epic quasi-instrumental. These are really original sounds here, especially when it gets noisy, but it just ocassionally lacks the focus and clarity between songs to be essential. An underground record well-worth investigation, though.

Glad I discovered them today.......2004-03-19

I can't be so critical of this band's work comparing it with their previous albums (as most of the other reviewers), because this is my first approach to Califone, and I sure am happy I ran into them. From the get-go, "Wingbone" caught my attention and I worked along with the album in the background in a loop most of the afternoon, with a permanent smile of [glad] surprise in my face. Looking for more info about them, I ran into this description captures their essence perfectly: "nobody cross-pollinates the blues, folk music and broken electronic instruments like califone..." Think Wilco and you'll probably fall short, but you will have a good idea about how Califone sounds like.

Tracks:

Bottle
Johannesburg
Winter in America
Liberation (Red, Black & Green)
It's Your World
Home Is Where the Hatred Is [Live]
Racetrack in France
Hello Sunday Hello Road
We Almost Lost Detroit
Delta Man (Where I'm Coming From)
Angel Dust
Show Bizness
Madison Avenue
Shut 'Um Down
Alien (Hold on to Your Dreams)

Album Description

Gil Scott Heron is one of the most influential black music artists of his generation. Like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley and Curtis Mayfield his music transgresses all music boundaries, and he is heralded in rock as in soul and jazz circles. Along with his partner and lyricist Brian Jackson, Gil wrote and recorded some of the most memorable songs of the 70's always with poignant lyrics. 'The Bottle' has been a club favourite since its release in 1973, 'Johannesburg' predicted the unrest in South Africa two years before Soweto, 'Its Your World' has been in demand for past ten years or so. This album puts together 15 of the best and most in demand of their recordings from 1973 to 1980, and is the first collection covering that period for 15 years. Many of the tracks have not appeared on CD since then and some are making their first appearance on CD. Soul Brother Records. 2005.

Album Details

Gil Scott Heron is One of the Most Influential Black Music Artists of his Generation. Like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley and Curtis Mayfield his Music Transg Along with his Partner and Lyricist Brian Jackson, Scott Heron Wrote and Recorded Some of the Most Memorable Songs of the 70's Always with Poignant Lyrics. 'the Bottle' Has Been a Club Favourite Since Its Release in 1973, 'johannesburg' Predicted the Unrest in South Africa Two Years Before Soweto, 'its Your World' Has Been in Demand for Past Ten Years Or So. This Album Puts Together 15 of the Best and Most in Demand of their Recordings from 1973 to 1980, and is the First Collection Covering that Period for 15 Years. Many of the Tracks have Not Appeared on CD Since Then and Some Are Making their First Appearance on CD. This Anthology Will Raise it Further and is Sure to Attract Airplay and Substantial Press in Both Broadsheets and Music Publications, and to Be One of the Biggest Selling Albums on the Label to Date.

Customer Reviews:

long awaited.......2007-06-10

this is the grandfather of rap. i always look forward to any release from Gil Scott-Heron. this is one extremely talented genius! i already own most of this stuff either on cd or vinyl. he is highly recommended. PLEASE RE-RELEASE BRIDGES!!!!

Great Collection..........2005-11-11

I have purchased every Gil Scott-Heron disc I can get my hands on, and although the price of this is steep for a single disc, this one is well worth getting. This anthology contains songs from Gil's long out of print albums "Bridges", "Secrets", and "1980" which were never released on CD. In fact, only six of the songs on this 15 song anthology are available on other Cd's; the other nine are not available anywhere else. I had never heard Gil's work from the 1977-1980 period before and am really glad that some of it is finally available as it is no less important than the rest of his work as it marked the final years of his collaboration with Brian Jackson (who also contributed some of the liner notes for this CD). This collection serves as a great introduction to their work, although I would recommend getting some of Gil's pre-1973 music also such as "Pieces of A Man" or the collection "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised". To me Gil Scott-Heron stands as one of the most important artists of the past thirty years and he remains incredibly underrated. I have never heard anyone blend the blues, funk, R&B, and jazz as seamlessly as Gil Scott-Heron did. If you haven't heard him before or are a fan, this collection is highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Decent comeback
Uneven but still masterful
Message from the Messenger.
Oh yeah, that's nice baby, real cool, just the way I likes it
Fine return to form

Spirits
Gil Scott-Heron
Manufacturer: Tvt
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Reflections
It's Your World
Winter in America
The First Minute of a New Day
Pieces of a Man

ASIN: B000000GRC
Release Date: 1994-03-29

Tracks:

Message To The Messengers
Spirits
Give Her A Call
Lady's Song
Spirits Past
The Other Side, Part I
The Other Side, Part II
The Other Side, Part III
Work For Peace
Don't Give Up

Amazon.com

On this 1994 release, his first new recording in more than 10 years, Gil Scott-Heron revives all the phases of his career. He turns to biting social commentary on "Message to the Messengers," a diatribe about antisocial, often nihilistic trends in hip-hop; then, on "Work for Peace," he critiques American militarism with a particular focus on the Gulf War, offering the tidbit, "The military and the monetary / Get together whenever it's necessary / Turning our brothers and sisters into mercenaries / They are turning the planet into a cemetery." The title track and "Don't Give Up" (which was produced by Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest) recall Scott-Heron jazz-funk classics like "Lady Day and John Coltrane." The singer-poet also does a savvy updating of his 1974 hit "The Bottle," interpolating it into a three-part suite called "The Other Side," which features affecting guitar and keyboard solos. Unlike many of Scott-Heron's live shows, which are laden with nostalgia, this release looks back and ahead with equal power. --Martin Johnson

Customer Reviews:

Decent comeback.......2006-11-15

Gil Scott-Heron's 1994 album, Spirits, is a respectable comeback after being out of the spotlight for over a decade. Throughout his career, Scott-Heron was the most socially conscious artist in music as his commentaries about the injustices of the system were usually spot on. Along with these observations, the music that accompanied it was often very impressive, especially his mid-70's albums with Brian Jackson. While there are several strong tracks on Spirits, the music is less challenging overall as the recording is reigned in by a contemporary production. Also worth noting is that Scott-Heron's voice had lost much of its power which hurts the slower tracks on the album.

The album opens with "Message to the Messengers", which is a talk to the rappers who had come to dominate the musical landscape in early-90's. His message is simple: `If you're going to preach to your fans, make sure your info is correct.' "Work for Peace" is the other socially conscious track here and both prove that Scott-Heron's observations are still razor sharp. The album's centerpiece, "The Other Side", is awesome. Starting out very mellow, Scott-Heron plays the role of an addict (something he has struggled with throughout his life) as the song gains momentum into a sizzling Santana like jam before going to into a wicked version of his classic "Home Is Where the Hatred Is." On the same note, the very jazzy title track resembles his mid-70's work and is also top notch. The rest of the tracks such as "Give Her a Call", "Spirits Past", and "Lady's Song", are all laid back R&B tracks. While some of his past work in this vein has been excellent ("Winter in America", "Lovely Day", "Your Daddy Loves You", etc), the arrangements here are too safe and Scott-Heron no longer has the voice to carry these songs. All told, while Spirits isn't on the level of The First Minute of a New Day or Winter in America, it is a respectable comeback as "The Other Side" and the title track are both worth checking out.

Uneven but still masterful.......2006-10-18

There are a few songs on this release that still don't appeal to me even after 12 years of listening. "Spirits Past" is a Christmas song, of sorts; why listen to it year-round? "Lady's Song" and "Don't Give Up" are okay but don't measure up to the rest of GSH's work in my opinion.

This said, the rest of the album is mindblowing. For me it climaxes with the 3-part suite "The Other Side"--this is overwhelming, the most powerful piece of music I have ever heard about addiction. It borrows heavily from his earlier song "Home is Where the Hatred Is" but also takes it to a whole different level with new lyrics, a tight jazz-rock arrangement, and one helluva searing guitar solo. GSH has had his own battles with addiction over the years and here we are getting a raw, scary glimpse into an addict's life: "You keep saying/Kick it, quit it, kick it, quit it/God, but did you ever try?/It turns your sick soul inside out/So that the world/So that the world/Can watch you die"... God, it still gives me chills.

"Work for Peace" deals with Gulf War One and the military actions of the early 1990s but it also speaks to the folly of war in the present day, taking an incisive bite out of the military-industrial complex and the politicians who serve its will. "They took the honor from the honoraries/Took the dignity from the dignitaries/Took the secrets from the secretaries/But they left the bitch in obituary." GSH is right: peace isn't coming this way, we have to work for it. This is a message everyone needs to hear.

"SPIRITS" is perhaps not the first album to get for someone unfamiliar with GSH's work, but it's worth having even for those who aren't serious fans.

Message from the Messenger........2006-02-17

In 1994, Gil Scott-Heron had not released a studio album in over a decade since by dropped by Arista in the 1980s. A lot had happened since then-- Gil Scott-Heron's musical children had gained in popularity and it seemed the so-called godfather of rap felt it was time to reassert himself.

What's remarkable is that his neither his songwriting nor his performing abilities have deteriorated-- embracing his many sounds of hte past (with many of his old cohorts alongside him including Malcolm Cecil, Brian Jackson and Ron Holloway), Scott-Heron opens the album tackling his children-- "Message to the Messengers" is a cautionary message to the rappers, delivered in spoken word over a looped spoken rhythmic figure, thumping bass, and hip hop beat. Quite honestly, it's powerful stuff, and it sets the stage for the rest of the record.

Scott-Heron proves remarkably diverse-- tackling Coltrane (proviing lyrics for "Spirits", which gets a rip roaring performance and a real highlight for Holloway), smokey r&b ("Give Her a Call") and his own jazz infused roots ("Don't Give Up"). Along the way, he brings forth a Christmas prayer as moving as anything I've ever heard ("Spirits Past") and provides a frighteningly relevent spoken word piece concerning the military industrial complex on "Work For Peace", with rhythms provided by Ali Shaheed Muhammed of A Tribe Called Quest.

But with all this, the centerpiece of the album is an extended remake (nearly 20 minutes) of "Home is Where the Hatred Is", retitled "The Other Side". A meditation on drug addiction, it provides a remarkably passionate, powerful, beautiful and horrible presentation of a man gripped by drug addiction. Scott-Heron's vocal is so powerful, given his recent troubles one can't help but wonder how autobiographical it is.

Bottom line-- there's no shortage of brilliance on this record. Comebacks are often embarassing, but this one stands up among the best of his work. It's only a pity Scott-Heron can't seem to get it together enough to release a followup. In today's political climate, "Spirits" proves as relevent as any piece written in the intervening twelve years, and it stands as a critical part of the legacy of a giant. Highly recommended.

Oh yeah, that's nice baby, real cool, just the way I likes it.......2005-10-27

Oh yeah, that's nice baby, real cool, just the way I likes it. Not rock. Rock of ages. Not rock and roll. Rocks da house. You feel what I'm feelin! It might not be such a bad idea to buy it again. You know what? I get my wallet out and put my money right where my mouth is. Yeah, you bet! Right now. Mr Gil Scott-Heron rocks da house and the house damn gone and liked it. Five out of five from this mofo. Go out and get it brothers and sisters. With a quickness.

Fine return to form.......2004-07-28

This 1994 album was Scott Heron's first release of original music after an absence of ten years. Spirits is an album of mostly intimate music in his inimitable style that is a seamless bend of jazz, soul and intelligent rap. Standout tracks include the jazzy title track, the gentle soul song Give Her A Call and The Other Side, an impressive 3-part suite with tempo changes, brilliant instrumental solos and delicious funky sections. With its poetic lyrics, Work For Peace is a great rap number, whilst Don't Give Up is another mellow track with great melody and vocals. Spirits was a welcome return for the original rapper in the 1990s.

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