Ah, this may just be Scott-Heron at his very finest. His black street poetry/proto-rap is most neatly summarised in the politically charged “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,” and his sharp social awareness penetrates many of the songs on “Pieces of a Man”. Musically, Scott-Heron plays a sort of fusion blues/jazz, with loose drumbeats and some thick, pounding bass lines, incidentally the formula he would use for much of his later work through the 1970s and 80s as well. Gil Scott-Heron has a way of creating warm music with a slick production, perhaps falsely so if one takes time to listen to the lyrics which are at times full of accurately directed anger and melancholic tales telling the tragedy of oppressed and torn black youth. His tribute to jazz stars Billie Holliday and John Coltrane, entitled “Lady Day and John Coltrane” shows off Scott-Heron’s at his poetic finest, using his vocal abilities to their fullest.

It’s clear why Scott-Heron would come to influence generations of musicians, from jazz players and hip-hop rappers. He plays damned good music, and remains a powerful and relevant voice of dissent to this day. The opening track is guaranteed to bring shivers down your spine because so much of what he writes and sings remains true even thirty years after its release. Sadly.

Year Released: 1971
Label:
Related Link: Gil Scott-Heron Tribute
Date Reviewed: 2003-12-24
Author: Andreas