GIL SCOTT-HERON – PIECES OF A MAN (FLYING DUTCHMAN/RCA)
The debut studio album from Gil Scott-Heron is a magnificent piece of work. It is an album that shits many gears and surfs several genres as it crosses streams to capture Scott-Heron at the height of his powers, at the most meaningful with his words.
Recorded and released in 1971 the album of eleven songs is as strong a debut as anybody, comparable and equal to most milestone records in black music history. Even though his dad played for Celtic here was (and is) a performer heavily entrenched in political dissent serving as both an informer and trailblazer.
It opens with “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” which remains his most famous song. Often considered one of the first rap songs (definitely a prototype) over the years it has served as inspiration to thousands (maybe even millions) it pounds like an elephant as Scott-Heron’s voice booms over proceedings. This song is sharp and blunt all at the same time, explicitly name checking so much that were wrong with the times while acting as some kind of wakeup call to his public (the black public) in an attempt to address the issues that were going unreported in the media. In the past my friends and I have laughed out loud at the sheer velocity of the track, the determination in the delivery is to be truly admired. This is the toughest song to ever feature jazz flute and easily up there with the best album openers in the history of music.
From here the record maintains a high standard. High on stirring emotions Scott-Heron covers so many important issues of the day in addition to offering escapism and some kind of option for his listeners caught in similar positions and situations.
It doesn’t take long for the album to deliver another solid as “Lady Day And John Coltrane” resembles one of the most upbeat and optimistic songs in the trough of history. In essence only a song about his favourite music, its sentiments are akin to “Rubber Ring” by The Smiths but delivered in a much more assertive manner than suggests a more positive and cathartic outcome in the power of music. Suddenly Scott-Heron is not only performer but also fan and listener, very much at one with the listener as he expresses the importance of music in selfless fashion. It’s a glorious song.
The tone swings again as “Home Is Where The Hatred Is” tells the story of drug addiction and its impact on home life. This was urban ahead of its time. The voice being expressed is somewhat autobiographical exhibiting a rare degree of conscience in much and a real earnest attitude, almost confession. Again there is something exhilarating and oddly upbeat with the way in which this is delivered. The music is heart stopping as you sense the protagonist nearing home and where issues most raise their head.
The title track is a devastating croon laced with pain. It is the most succinct telling of how life can break a man and tear apart families that you are ever likely to hear.
With this the album is filled out by songs of optimism and such as “When You Are Who You Are” prior to returning to a sense of pummelling realism via “A Sign Of The Ages”. It is quite the emotional rollercoaster with it’s author laying everything on the line.
Towards the end “Or Down You’ll Fall” smacks with the chorus “the world is just a simple circle, you got to keep turning” which serves to warn and inspire all at the same time. Its just a smart message.
It concludes with the almost ten minute “The Prisoner” which is the most avant jazz piece of the record. With its piano drops it features Scott-Heron at his most reflective while sending out another message to his audience to not fall make the mistakes he has over the course of his, at the time, brief journey so far. He describes an example of his people’s struggle and plight, of being stuck in vicious routine lacking the social mobility to climb out of the situation and the blues that arise from. This is addressing what I call the great lie. All in all it ensures the album does not end with a false dawn. There is only so much optimism to be taken from the world and sadly it is not necessarily where the ending and solution lie.
To be rediscovered year after year after year.
Thesaurus moment: time.
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