 Gil Scott-Heron It is a great mystery that Gil Scott-Heron has yet to be elevated in white critical circles to the highest echelon of songwriters, as he has in the more knowing world of hip-hoppers and DJs. Probably, his crack habit hasn't helped matters. But his music as a whole easily has the weight of a contemporary the likes of, say, Curtis Mayfield or Marvin Gaye (both recognized as "geniuses"). It's possible that he's too hard to define and pigeonhole as an artist; his voice isn't exactly pretty, but it's just as authoritative as, say, Bob Dylan's, or Chuck D's (both typical critic "darlings"). Sure, the critics will keep on trumpeting the same old tired clichés they always have. But an artist like Gil Scott-Heron, while less obvious, certainly has created as interesting (or moreso) a canon as any of Rolling Stone's VIP's. His music doesn't fall into an exact genre; you can find his albums variously in jazz, soul, spoken word, or rock/pop sections in the record store, depending on where you are. He's a jazz poet with a soul sensibility, one of music's wisest voices and most honest performers. Only recently, with a (seemingly aborted) reissue project devoted to firmly establishing Gil's place in the pantheon, has it seemed like the man has received anything approaching the recognition he deserves. After years of cut-out albums and shoddily assembled CDs, Gil Scott-Heron may be getting his due. So, as we wait impatiently for the further reissues of his later work, we content ourselves with Pieces of a Man, easily Gil's best album and in fact one of the all-time best. It's a shockingly great album – opening with his best-known song, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," which is of course masterful, and things do not let up from there. The lyrics are incisive; they move from the bitterness of "Home is Where the Hatred Is" to the revelry of "Lady Day and John Coltrane," to the cautionary interpersonal criticism of "When You Are Who You Are," and on to the emotionally devastating title song. The band is at once loose and tight, drawing on both jazz and funk sensibilities to create a perfect support for Gil's piercing lyrics. Produced in 1971 by Bob Thiele for his new Flying Dutchman label, Pieces of a Man features prime Gil at his wittiest and most intelligent, along with an incredible band: Ron Carter on (mainly electric!) bass, Hubert Laws on flute and sax, Pretty Purdie on drums (of his thousands of sessions, one of the best), Burt Jones on guitar, and Gil's longtime collaborator Brian Jackson on piano. The music has that groovy early-70s feel that marks a lot of the period's best works, similar to Joni Mitchell's or Shuggie Otis's 70s stuff. But it only serves to make the album more appealing, capturing an earnestness that seems long gone these days. Many of these songs, in a perfect world, should be acknowledged landmarks: "Home is Where the Hatred Is," "Save the Children," "Lady Day and John Coltrane," and "Pieces of a Man" are all about as good as pop music gets. It is tribute to the greatness of those songs that gems like "I Think I'll Call it Morning," "When You Are Who You Are," and "The Needle's Eye" seem to pale in comparison. The recurring theme of being trapped links the songs in a somewhat conceptual way (see "Hatred," "The Prisoner," "The Needle's Eye"), dealing honestly with the bleakness of urban life as Gil saw it circa spring '71. The last four songs of the album form a suite that reinforces the theme, stripping away the initial positivity to emerge with a vaguely depressing portrayal of black America that nevertheless is buttressed with the hope layed down in the first half of the record. It would be nice to see a cleaned-up CD issue of Pieces of a Man with some liner notes and crisper packaging … curiously, Free Will (a good but not as good album) has been remastered. The sooner the better. But however you find it, make it your business to get Pieces of a Man, some of the best music your ears can hear. Many can at least try to learn from Gil Scott-Heron, but even if you're not in the mood for the education, the music and his voice can still soothe you to the core.
Review by DEF & HIP |
