We've posted once before about our admiration for Gil Scott-Heron, so no need to repeat except to say that he was a wholly original and dynamic force to reckon with.
For my part, I count myself lucky to have heard his music at crucial points in my life. Or, as someone wiser than me has said, "Say not in grief that 'he is no more,' but live in thankfulness that he was.
You WILL be missed Gil. Rest easy.
Showing posts with label gil scott-heron. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gil scott-heron. Show all posts
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
Wash Your Troubles Away
The music we love becomes the soundtrack to our lives. Not a very original thought, I know, but facts is facts. Over the course of my life so far, I've been very fortunate to have discovered a lot of music. Or rather, at times, it's seemed that the music has found me.
One artist I return to often in CD spins and playlist creation is Gil Scott-Heron (b. April 1, 1949). If you only know him as the man behind "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," you are missing out.
His first studio album, Pieces Of A Man, released in 1971 initially received only modest critical response. The album looked unblinkingly at issues such as race relations, the breakdown of families, drug use, self respect, and the power of music to communicate and heal. The power of the compositions and particularly Scott-Heron's intensely personal vocal delivery has forced many reassessments since it's release.
"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" is the easy track to highlight and has even been called the birth of rap, but rap, hip-hop, neo-soul, and dance all owe huge debts of gratitude to all the tracks on Pieces Of A Man. It fostered styles and conventions that are now so common place that it's easy to forget how groundbreaking it was upon release.
And I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Gil Scott-Heron. His music has been the backdrop to many critical points in my life. Highs and lows, ups and downs, his music has enhanced the good times and helped me through the bad.
Happy birthday, Gil! And thank you.
Amazon
iTunes
Please BUY music and support touring artists.
His first studio album, Pieces Of A Man, released in 1971 initially received only modest critical response. The album looked unblinkingly at issues such as race relations, the breakdown of families, drug use, self respect, and the power of music to communicate and heal. The power of the compositions and particularly Scott-Heron's intensely personal vocal delivery has forced many reassessments since it's release.
"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" is the easy track to highlight and has even been called the birth of rap, but rap, hip-hop, neo-soul, and dance all owe huge debts of gratitude to all the tracks on Pieces Of A Man. It fostered styles and conventions that are now so common place that it's easy to forget how groundbreaking it was upon release.
And I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Gil Scott-Heron. His music has been the backdrop to many critical points in my life. Highs and lows, ups and downs, his music has enhanced the good times and helped me through the bad.
Happy birthday, Gil! And thank you.
Amazon
iTunes
Please BUY music and support touring artists.
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