Winter In America

Really enjoyable. Reminds you how little has changed in politics since the 70s. (Could not find on Spotify, YouTube link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnkDjMDD3JQ)

I love the electric piano, the bluesy jazzy fusion feel, the political lyrics and his pained voice. GSH sings like he has lived every word (the opposite of Paul Simon). My gripe is that 1001 shouldn’t have picked this album over his 1971 release “Pieces of a Man”. While I may grumble a bit about their choice of Allman Brothers or Alice Cooper or Steely Dan albums, not including “Pieces of a Man” is a serious oversight. It’s a historic release, with the epic “The Revolution Will Not be Televised” who many say was the first hip-hop song and there’s at least a half-dozen other epic tracks. I’ll never get tired of “Lady and John Coltrane” or “Home is where the Hatred Is”. It’s a highly listenable LP, back-to-front. I was going to post a complaint on reddit/1001 but I didn’t want to interrupt a heated discussion about the merits of Napalm Death.

Its emotional and political. Gil and Brian used their art and their talents as an extension of the community, to reflect the mood, the sensitivity, the circumstance of the community and America at that time. The wo derful "The Bottle" did unfortunately become a self fullfilling prophesy for Gil Scott Heron and I also believe H20gate Blues is as much about the politics of America today as it was nearly 50 years ago. Now on to listen to another two of his tremendous albums Pieces of a Man and Free Will. Gil Scott Heron is forever in my heart.

Not for me

I also do not know if this should be in the miscellaneous, jazz, or on which shelf. I know it should be on my shelf.

Unique album, albeit it is dated. The music and lyrics seem to be going in their own directions at times, but work well together.

A powerful, beautiful blend of musical styles. Despite what the lyrics are talking about, which is important and serious stuff, the instrumentals were soothing and just a joy to listen to. The piano work in this is amazing. And damn, 'H2OGate Blues' is such a good, poignant, powerful song.

Very Soulful. Powerful lyrics as well, society sucks man. Love the hard panning in the Rhodes Piano at the beginning, very Spacey, but not Kevin Spacey.

Did nothing for me. Music is good, voice is good, but it just doesn't gel to something great. 2.5/5

This Heat Pere Ubu Outsiders Nation of Ulysses Mars Trojans Black Dice Todd Terry The Germs Section 25 Althea & Donna Sexual Harassment a-ha Dorothy Ashby PIL The Fania All-Stars The Bar-Kays The Human League The Normal Lou Reed Scott Walker Monks Niagara Joy Division Laurent Garnier The Creation Manuel Göttsching Rammelzee Sun Ra Scientists Royal Trux 10cc Eric B. and Rakim Index Basic Channel Soulsonic Force Juan Atkins David Axelrod Electric Prunes GIL! SCOTT! HERON! Everytime I hear GSH, my mind goes to LCD Soundsystem. In a good way, obvs. It then goes to my disappointment at buying this record about 10/15 years ago convinced it had ‘the revolution will be televised’ on, only to find it didn’t. Don’t know why I didnt check. I think I was just swayed by how mega influential and respected it is. And they’re all right, those that love it. it’s an amazing record. One that kinda changed things a bit for me. Kinda forces you to appreciate the lyrics of it, and I think the more stripped back jazz / blues alongside it really helps. Works so well. I think America in 2026 could learn a lot from this record.

This was really good, has a way with words. I liked his explanation of The Blues and the jazz song about Watergate. Reminds me of antiwar icier men like Michael Franti and Billy Bragg

I knew this guy sounded familiar. He was the poet in Kanye West's Who will survive in America. This is a great, soulful jazz album. I love the political lyrics, and I'm a sucker for spoken word tracks so the second to last track was awesome. Loved this.

I really like the contrast between the chill vibes of the music and some of the heavier lyrics. And always good to know that the problems we have today have been persistent for decades. Not depressing at all Felt the mixing could have been better. Vocals seemed to really overpower the music, though that could easily be a problem of the YouTube version I listened to.

Mostly aimless jazz noodling, not great apart from The Bottle and some Watergate ranting later on. On Amazon Music if you're looking for it

Winter in America It’s such a shame this is a YT listen as I think it would be something I’d return to a lot if access was easier. I love the rippling electric piano of Peace Go With You, Brother, setting up the floating jazzy feel of the whole album, with Rivers of My Fathers leaning much more into piano jazz, and I love how it patiently and tastefully unfolds over its 8 minutes, supporting it’s lyrical themes of history and cultural identity. A Very Precious Time on occasion with a slightly anodyne electric-piano jazz feel, but on repeat listens it really grew on me, again the jazz-tastefulness is appealing to me. Back Home is really great though, with excellent bass and piano and lovely flute accents. The Bottle, the one song from this album I was previously aware of, is also of course excellent with a similarly superb bassline and flute and latin-dancey rhythm against the sad despair of the lyrics. I love the downtempo soul-jazz of Song for Bobby Smith and especially Your Daddy Loves You (despite some Ron Burgundy-isms on the flute on occasion), sandwiched between The Bottle and the truly excellent H20gate Blues. This is more in the vein of his proto-rapping style, and is typical of GSH in that he somehow manages to make/sing/rap social commentary in a way that isn’t at all heavy handed. I guess the continuous flow of images and ideas keeps it interesting and stops it getting bogged down in bad sixth form poetry or cringeworthy slam poetry. And I love the return of Peace Go With You, Brother, bookending the album beautifully. It’s a great album, one that I’d never heard before and is easily a 5. 🪾🇺🇲🪾🇺🇲🪾 Playlist submission: H20gate Blues or The Bottle? I’ll go The Bottle

listened to the revolution will not be televised since winter in america wasn’t on my streaming platform

absolutamente inacreditável que nunca tinha nem ouvido falar disso aqui

Even though I've heard of Gil Scott-Heron (or at least his name), I've never really known much of anything about him, nor knowingly heard any of his and Brian Jackson's songs. (Technically, I suppose I *have* heard something from Scott-Heron, namely the classic "The revolution will not be televised", plus all the samples from his works by later rap/hip-hop artists, but until now I didn't have a name for the voice.) This album is a *great* introduction to a very talented and thoughtful duo, to say the least. As I listened, I kept thinking that *this* kind of musical social commentary is what several other 70s albums in this collection tried to do but failed in various ways--Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On", Funkadelic's "One Nation Under A Groove", Sly & The Family Stone's "There's A Riot Goin' On", even Fela Kuti's "Zombie". Admittedly, it's a little uneven at times, but very few tracks seem at all dated (except perhaps the acidic "H2Ogate blues", but it's an entertaining relief valve), and all of them feel just as relevant in 2026 as they likely did in 1974. A shame that the title track didn't make it onto the album proper, as it's arguably even better than the rest, and sadly as prophetic today as it was in Nixon's America (what a sad but true line "democracy is ragtime on the corner / hoping for some rain"). Probably the biggest accolade I can give is that, after reading about the album and Scott-Heron's/Jackson's history, I went and listened to their earlier (1972) "Free Will", which was also impressive, and while it's not as accomplished as "Winter in America", I'm guessing it was even more of an inspiration for the likes of Public Enemy as this album.

I've enjoyed "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" many times and at first was sorry we didn't get that. But this spoken word meandering with flute and keyboard grows on you and even the flaws (here, sometimes too talky) are likeable.

So damn good. This is about to launch my Gil Scott-Heron obsession era. Favorite track: The Bottle 4.5/5

This is why I sign up for this service. While this album is not on Apple Music currently, I found “the revolution will not be televised” and gave that a listen while searching. So excited to listen to this album on YouTube now. When I hear an album like this I always wonder how it took me so long to find it. This is great. Is this the record that gave us Public Enemy? As I listen to this I hear so much Chuck D. This is a great album.

I like this record; it's quickly recorded jazz-funk/soul, mostly sung and pretty right-on. I'm not sure what makes this specific album the one you must listen to (other than The Bottle, which is, admittedly, a classic), but why wasn't it any of his other early albums? I would argue that The Revolution Will Not Be Televised or Whitey's On The Moon are more influential songs. But maybe too political, too racially explicit for this list? 3.5 stars, rounding up, because I don't mind a bit of 70s jazz-funk/soul.

Whoa this one was cool. Politically charged with similar themes we can relate to today. It blurs the line between jazz, blues, and soul. I would have never found this album on my own. Good listen.

“The Bottle” runs away with this LP - that bumble-bee bassline alone unmoored my eyeballs - but this is a sweet record. The quietness of “Song for Bobby Smith” stuck close to me. Heron’s voice doesn’t bang it out with his contemporaries in the song forms he’s playing with here, but I like its matter-of-factness, his talking the melodies - he plays to his strengths even here. The record’s atypical for Gil Scott Heron, more tuneful, jazzier, less rap, less fierce, and deserved more than today’a inattentive playthrough and the later, urgent skip across for better grasp. “Winter in America” is a terrific title. Brian Jackson’s work is sometimes luminous, bell-like in its resonance; cheerfully Broadway elsewhere. But are the songs strong enough to make this a great? One listen was not enough to convince. Skipping through again, I hear much that is exquisite, I don’t think I can bear rating this a three a day after giving Def Leopard a four, and “Rivers of My Fathers” might pay back its duration, so to conclude….

This was so slow an excruciating. "The Bottle" was decent, almost the only saving grace, until "H20Gate." If the whole album had been intense, passionate, and intelligent spoken word poetry with a jazzy/bluesy backing, "Winter in America" would have been so much more interesting. Then again, anything is more interesting than most of this album.

I was just about to give up when 'H2O Gate' came on and I realized I had heard this artist before and that I liked his other spoken word pieces (namely 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised'). His spoken tracks have popped up on the radio from time to time, but I never heard them attributed to an artist's name. I'm glad to now have a name and to be able to make the connection back to LCD Soundsystem's 'Losing My Edge' track. But, back to 'H2O Gate'... I didn't really enjoy the majority of this album. While the tracks did have a nice chill vibe and the keyboardist (I'm assuming Gil) has got some great chops, the flow and tonality and lyrical content all felt off. 'H2O Gate', on the other hand, felt perfect. It cleverly and deftly pulled me into focus and then set my mind sprinting to keep up. The message was urgent, eloquent, thought provoking and enduring. The pacing was exciting, and I am sure that I only scratched the surface of understanding all that was said. I will need to revisit this album somewhere down the road and see if it lands differently with me then. For now though, outside of one brilliant track, I just couldn't connect with what was happening enough to enjoy it much.

2, wasn't liking it for most but there were moments

this just really was not my vibe at all like it was funky and groovy but just not the type of music i’d listen to ever.

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Brilliant stuff, chill R&B/blues. For me it’s kind of background music but in the best possible way, I can enjoy this while doing just about anything or nothing at all. Lyrics bite. Torn between giving this a 4 or a 5. Still not exactly my genre. Basslines clinch it. The Bottle is a great single.

by chance the second gil scott-heron album i've listened to this month and this guy is just so awesome. consistently great, consistently relevant

Smooth and effortlessly cool, this was quite the discovery. I was weary if I would vibe with this, but Gil Scott-Heron's golden voice put any concerns I had to bed. He has a very laid back delivery and can see how he was a massive influence on hip-hop. He is able to be incredibly commanding without having to shout. The lyrics are very powerful and takes aim the government as well as focusing on the experience of being a black man in the US at the time. Adding piano and flute to the mix, the jazz stylings of Brian Jackson further contributed to the mellow vibe. The instrumentation starts out as sparse and gets busier as the album progresses, perhaps as a way to ensure that the listener is hanging onto every word that comes out of Scott-Heron's mouth. I've heard from others that this isn't even one of his best albums, so I look forward to checking out his other albums.

Groove leads you into a protest against social injustice. This isn’t a divisive record, it’s warm and welcoming yet it deals with some serious stuff in a way that is accessible to all. A wonder.

"Winter In America" is not merely an album; it is a profound, somber, and deeply influential work of art that serves as a poignant time capsule of the American socio-political landscape in the early 1970s. Released in 1974 by the iconic jazz label Strata-East, this collaboration between poet-musician Gil Scott-Heron and keyboardist Brian Jackson is widely considered their magnum opus—a masterpiece of soul-jazz and a foundational text in the history of hip-hop and neo-soul . Its brilliance lies in its stark, unflinching lyricism, its masterful minimalist production, and the palpable artistic synergy between its two creators. ### 🎵 Musical Style, Production, and Core Themes The sound of *Winter In America* is defined by its striking sparseness. In a deliberate departure from their earlier, more fully arranged work, Scott-Heron and Jackson crafted an album of remarkable intimacy and restraint . The instrumentation is often minimal, relying heavily on Jackson's evocative piano and electric keyboards, subtly underscored by percussion, with Bob Adams (drums) and Danny Bowens (bass) contributing to only a few tracks . This stripped-back production, recorded in a small studio in Silver Spring, Maryland, places Scott-Heron's commanding baritone and poetic narratives at the absolute forefront . The music, rooted in jazz, blues, and traditional R&B, creates a hypnotic, melancholic atmosphere that perfectly complements the lyrical content . Lyrically, the album is a masterclass in social commentary. The title serves as the central metaphor: "winter" represents a prolonged, chilling period of stagnation and decay for America, particularly for its marginalized communities. Scott-Heron saw the assassinations of leaders like John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr. as the end of a metaphorical "summer" of hope, plunging the nation into an ideological and moral winter . The album explores the resulting despair, poverty, and political cynicism plaguing the African-American community and the inner city . From the poignant reflection on legacy in "Rivers of My Fathers" to the scathing political critique of "H2Ogate Blues," the album paints an unflinching portrait of a nation in crisis. ### ✨ Pros: The Unassailable Strengths * **Masterful Lyricism & Poetic Vision**: This is the album's greatest strength. Scott-Heron delivers his "bluesologist" philosophy with razor-sharp wit and profound pathos. The lyrics are dense with meaning, painting vivid pictures of struggle and resilience without ever becoming preachy . * **Innovative & Stripped-Back Production**: The minimalist production was a bold, creative choice that pays off immensely. By stripping away the layers, the emotional weight of the lyrics and Jackson's nuanced keyboard work are given space to breathe, creating an atmosphere that is both haunting and deeply personal . * **Perfect Artistic Synergy**: The collaboration with Brian Jackson is at its peak. Jackson's ability to translate Scott-Heron's poetic and political concepts into powerful, evocative music is remarkable. His piano and keyboard work provide the perfect emotional and melodic foundation for Scott-Heron's delivery . * **Profound and Lasting Influence**: The album's DNA can be heard in countless artists who followed. As a precursor to conscious hip-hop and neo-soul, its fusion of political and social commentary with jazz and soul set a blueprint for a generation of socially aware musicians . * **Commercial Success Despite Indie Roots**: Released on the independent Strata-East label with limited initial distribution, the album still managed to reach number six on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart and sell over 300,000 copies, a testament to its powerful resonance with the public . ### ⚠️ Cons: Potential Points of Criticism * **Dense and Unrelentingly Somber Tone**: The album's mood is one of persistent, melancholic reflection. For a listener seeking escapism or uplift, the unyielding weight of its themes can be emotionally draining. There is little respite from the "winter" it so vividly describes . * **Sparse Arrangements Can Feel Repetitive**: While the minimalist production is a defining strength for many, others might find the sparse arrangements—particularly the reliance on Jackson's electric piano—somewhat repetitive across the album's extended tracks, which often run over eight minutes . * **Limited Historical Context**: While a timeless classic, some of the most potent and specific political commentary (like the Watergate scandal addressed in "H2Ogate Blues") is deeply rooted in the context of its time, which might slightly diminish its immediate impact for a modern listener unfamiliar with that specific era. "Winter In America" is an essential, monumental work of art that stands as a powerful testament to the role of the musician as a social critic. Its strengths are so immense that any perceived weaknesses are largely a function of its unflinching artistic vision. It is an album that demands to be heard, felt, and contemplated—a true classic that speaks as much to the past as it does to the present.

Such a beautiful, educational, and poignant album.

I'd probably say 4-4.5 for the album itself but I'm imagining I'll be looking into more of him

As my quick, only rating number, have indicated on my limited deep dives, this was an album I had more time for. Beautiful, exciting. Although little weird mixing on this record, it somehow worked.

Loved this.

oh mein Gott, der sound ist lush, die vocals sind smooth, die texte sind relevant und die vibes sind immaticulate

Love this. A snippet of time showing music, politic, humour and it sad how much of what is being dealt with doesn't seem to have changes much in the interveening years.

Delightfully surprised and enjoyed greatly

i'd been lookin forward to this one, and im glad it didn't disappoint. it's pretty fucking bleak thematically, especially given how a lot of the topics covered havent really improved much in the 50+ years since its release, and so the music is often fittingly moody. gil scott-heron got a great voice both speaking and singing and the instrumentals fit perfectly, even when they swing in the total opposite direction to the vibe of the lyrics, like "the bottle" for example, which pairs a series of tales of folks drinking themselves to ruin with a slick funk groove. its a fun use of tonal dissonance for effect and i enjoy it. every single track here is so solid but i think my favourite might be "h2ogate blues", although that mostly just comes down to it having a more tangible anger and bite to it, which is a great change of pace at the end of this otherwise very melancholy album. again though.... always kinda hurts to be reminded how little shits really changed since then huh. yeesh. great album. im kinda bummed out now tho. mannnn.........

No notes. The album said everything that needs to be said.

Just unbelievably smart and smooth and cool and warm and many other positive adjectives. It’s a fantastic combination of soul vocal stylings (as well as some really good spoken word) with a laid-down jazz style (as well as some funk and blues when they want it) to make this fascinating pioneering work, which also just sounds lush as fuck to listen to. By the time I got to “Your Daddy Loves You”, my emotions were getting swelled for damn real.

Absolutely phenomenal work

Very personal album. I can transport myself into a concert.

This ruled, especially H2Ogate Blues

This is what political poetry and music is about. I knew Gil Scott-Heron for "The revolution will not be televised". I thought that was good, but this album is top notch stuff. Great poetry, a great voice, jazzy music, and a strong political message. It can't really get any better than this, to be honest. The pain in his voice can only be matched by the pain he'd feel in nowadays political world. Peace go with you, brother. Your music spoke to countless people, and will eternally do so. Peace go with you, brother.

Gio introduced me to Gil's 'Pieces of a Man' about a decade ago. I remember having the album on repeat, but I didn't explore much outside of that album. I wish I did since I liked 'Winter in America' album a ton... the music was muted and reflective (with a little lively energy from H20gate Blues).

This is very good. Powerful, jazzy, bluesy, political, poetry. A great listen.

Love the DC references.

Truly awesome record. I didn't know Gil Scott-Heron at all, but it's amazing how much of our current period is reflected in this album. H2OGate blues is the most obvious connection here, but there are a lot of our current musical tendencies (jazz rap, neo soul) embedded in this. I love this record because GSH is very much doing his own thing, but he's obviously tied to a larger tradition (soul, blues, jazz). The best music, to me, is individual and subversive while tied to something larger, and that's what this one does. Wow.

Wow.

I am a Kendrick Lamar sample identifying machine on this list and here we are again. What a sick origin for Poe Man's dreams. This album is beautiful. Just feel like I'm floating listening to this, is this going to be the like fourth 5 this week? Crazy. Just absurd keyboard instrumentals, a beautiful voice, the songs are all amazing. Good pull, list.

Beautiful!!

People rightfully point to Scott-Heron & The Last Poets as the progenitors of hip-hop, but Gil is the more explainable & precedented phenomenon in that he's carrying on the legacies of folk like Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, & Sly Stone. Never a great singer, he yet doesn't need to be, nor does he have to be a great lyricist, even tho the lyrics are more front & center than the voice. This is a record/an artist of religious vivacity, + a keyboardist in Brian Jackson w/ enuf Jarrett & Monk in him to distinctly impress. 'Rivers of my Fathers / Could you carry me home?' Afrocentrism certainly didn't begin w/ Heron, & he's not only that kind of artist ('A Very Precious Time'), but one's gotta count him amongst the best movers of those perspectives.

Pretty darn good and the end message felt relevant even today.

"Four more years..."

Winter in America es una obra de una honestidad profunda y una reflexión social necesaria. Aunque no conecté tanto con la metáfora climática del título, el álbum destaca por su realismo y su capacidad para retratar la calle. En piezas como "The Bottle", el ritmo te atrapa de inmediato, pero al prestar atención a la letra entiendes que no es una fiesta, sino una crónica del alcoholismo; esa dualidad es una genialidad que solo los grandes logran. La instrumentación se percibe como una conversación íntima y orgánica entre el piano y la voz, manteniendo una claridad que permite apreciar cada matiz. La voz de Scott-Heron tiene una fuerza y calidez que impone autoridad, especialmente cuando transita entre el canto y la palabra hablada, dándole al disco un aire más agresivo y moderno en su mensaje que otros trabajos de su época. Es un álbum que, aunque puede llegar a ser pesado por sus temáticas, resulta fascinante por su factura artesanal y humana.

You need to save this in a vault

The rabbit hole down YouTube to listen to this is well worth it. The keys, the flutes, Heron’s voice all work so well together to create a cohesive smooth still thematically relevant listen decades after its release. Likes: Peace Go With You, Brother; Rivers of My Fathers; Back Home; The Bottle; Songs for Bobby Smith; Your Daddy Loves You

Really cool jazz, soul, blues almost folk? This is real American music. Its hard to give it a label, I want to say soul and gospel, but it even has some elements of folk and blues to it. Maybe its vocals, which are good, but really unique. He kind of croons and cries, but also has a touch of apathy in his voice. It kind of reminds me of Andre 3000. Which I guess is why this is such a huge influence on Hip Hop because he definitely raps on a few songs. H20gate Blues is a song that every American should listen to. It should be required in history classes for high schoolers. The social commentary, the songs about love all kind of make this record really solid.

You can hear the influences of this album in thousands of releases that followed, by a huge range of artists. Musically it is beautifully put together, so easy to listen to. I don't think anyone would claim that the vocals are the strongest part - the message being delivered is clear though. A classic album, I was not disappointed.

next album we've got a little mood change, a groovy soul album that's centered on... well, the american dream. with the current state of affairs, gil essentially asks the question. "so what did all this shit lead up to?" meaningful, creative, melodic, dreamy... it really hits a lot of the checkmarks in my mental music goal list. it's full of life, and even with the relaxing and arguably warm sound... it's very somber and cold. i absolutely dig that sweet sweet rhodes. a very different way to talk about the state of the world, less rage and more... i don't know. exhaustion. like a simple "what are we doing?! what are we even doing right now?" i react the same every other day.

Best discovery so far

Great album.

Still relevant

Familiar with the name but can't say I've ever listened to Gil Scott-Heron. Man I have been missing out, this is excellent. I listened to some of his other recordings and Pieces of a Man should be on this list also. Chuck D and Public Enemy borrowed heavily from these cats. Highly enjoyable.

Mitt eneste forhold til Gil Scott-Heron, utover noen enkeltsanger og å vite kæm han va, e egentlig slampoesien til Sarah Jones og «Your Revolution Will Not Happen Between These Thighs». Som jo mer e en nabo til Scott-Herons originale. Som jo ikke engang e på akkurat det her albumet. Men æ kom liksom ikke helt blindt til det, bare mest blindt. Så æ blei ikke overraska over at æ likte det, men æ blei kanskje litt overraska over kor godt æ likte det. Stemninga, musikken, stemmen, alt fungere.

Nooit naar Gil Scott-Heron geluisterd, en dat bleek een grote fout. Wat een plaat. De man is duidelijk niet de beste zanger, maar z'n muziek is zo levendig en scherp. 'Winter in America' (het nummer in bijzonder) is helaas actueler dan ooit. Niet op streaming, dus tijd om deze plaat te pakken te krijgen.

A marvellous album, combining jazz, funk, and a wise, dark poetic worldview

Amazing discovery

What a album! What a artist! Loved the bass lines!

There is something so honest, confrontational, and emotionally sublime about Gil Scott-Heron's work with Jackson that you cannot help but be drawn into it on multiple levels. On the one hand it is a time capsule, but it is also relevant and poignant. Musically, it is mesmerizing. I'm no Jazz expert, but the mood created by both voice and keyboard is haunting and demanding. So, so, good. Peace Go With You Brother is exhortation, benediction, and desperate prayer rolled into one. There is a sense of pleading in this album that stands out against much of the rage, complaint, and rebellion in a lot of the albums on this list. Amazing.

Glorious. This wasn't on Tidal so I went via YouTube. The additional live tracks on the rerelease are fine, but very much bonus material. Judged on the original 9 tracks, this is pretty much perfection. I was already a GSH fan, but this adds a spiciness to the chords and music that some of his earlier stuff missed. Compare the opener here to Pieces of a Man, for example - this is much darker and more complex in it's choices musically. H2O gate is biting and funny, The Bottle is harrowingly trance inducing. I loved this from beginning to end. 5.

Great and sadly still very topical

Five stars because Scott-Heron should be a household name in America

What a prohetic piece of poetry, especially H2Ogate Blues and Winter in America. The fact that so much of this is still relevant is honestly depressing, but Gil Scott-Heron does such a good job articulating his frustrations from the time. I also really loved the song Daddy Loves You, as a new father. And The Bottle has an amazing bassline and is just a great song. This album blew me away on many different fronts and I wish it was a bit easier to listen to. Still awesome though.

peace go with you - amazing whole thing amazing tbh

Amazing album. Gil Scott-Heron is the man. Fave Tracks: A Very Precious Time, The Bottle, Your Daddy Loves You, H2ogate Blues 5/5

album existiert nicht, der song ist VOLL GUT

Politically relevant musically soothing

guay aunque lo escuche desde youtube de un link de reddit

Right off the bat, this is cool as hell. I'm not familiar with the album although I've heard bits of it here and there. Sits nicely in the junction of jazz and soul. H20 Gate Blues is amazing. Not much changes I guess, but if anyone is making a song like this now I would like to hear it. Not something that I would listen to very often, but when I'm feeling right for it this would hit hard. I wish I'd gotten it in the summer time, feels like a summer time album despite the name. Had this down as 4 stars, but after H20 Gate Blues I'm calling it 5 stars. Moved by this album and will be checking out some of his other work.

I love the lyrics and the music. What a great discovery.

Gil Scott-Heron is a badass

This is a powerful album both in terms of content and in terms of being beautiful to listen to. Gil Scott-Heron's voice is amazing and is backed by Brian Jackson's smooth performance. It's a pity that the album is a little difficult to find - unfortunately, the issues this album tackles are just as pressing today as when it was recorded. "H2Ogate Blues" makes for an... interesting listen in 2026. Favorite track: probably "Rivers of My Fathers"

Outstanding. Tremendous work; political and a blistering commentary on the United States.

Can’t hear the whole thing in the US but love him

2/1001 Banger opener, I really dig that kind of atmospheres Somehow it doesn't feel too quiet (as I tend to think of, for example, Lonnie Liston Smith's stuff) Gil's voice is very addictive H20Gate Blues is the obvious highlight here, but the more musical titles are all good and I can definitely see myself listening to this album a lot Oh and of course, that's the "The Bottle" album Fuck it, 5/5

Loved it so much! Had to listen on YouTube and sure wish I could add it my collection on Pandora!

couldn't find this on spotify so i just listened to the most popular songs by the artist the revolution will not be televised 1971 soul, jazz, r&b sounds united states

Absolutely amazing. Have found a new artist to follow and love.

A true original singer

All-time classic!

Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: The Bottle, H2OGate Blues, Winter In America This album was fantastic. I am visiting my folks for Thanksgiving and they were surprised when I put the album on. My dad shouted, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised! Which 1) True, and 2) is not actually part of this album, but close enough. The Bottle is the standout track for me. The music is somehow upbeat despite the subject matter. I though H2OGate Blues and Winter In America are also both amazing. I think I was reading a YTM comment on one of the tracks, and there was some mention of Gil Scott-Heron's music being sort of proto-rap/hip-hop music, and I wasn't really sure how that was the case until H2OGate Blues came on. The entire track is basically spoken word song with loose rhyming. And, none of this is to mention how prescient and relevant the track is in today's America. My only sadness about the whole thing is that this is not an official album on YTM, only a user-uploaded playlist, which makes it tough to reliably save to my library. It's too bad there's no official album in YTM.

This shit ain’t on Spotify, so we’re running Johannesburg instead. Gütentag mf. This motherfucker is smooth. Vibey ass music for work

Sometimes it's just not possible to compare an album to those around it, when the musicianship and the songwriting are both so excellent that it wouldn't even be fair to cast anything else into its shadow. My favorite track from my (first) listen is "H₂Ogate Blues."

What a treat. Slightly familiar with Gil Scott-Heron before this (about as familiar as anyone else) but never explored his more melodic work. My goodness, what an artist. Paired with Brian Jackson and you got PB&J. A healthy, smooth, salty yet sweet treat combination that can be enjoyed at anytime of day. The bookends of "Peace Go with You Brother" were by far my highlight.

Well, what a surprise. To be honest all I knew about Gil was The Revolution etc. This is something else; his voice is extraordinary, quite a range, he can rap it and croon it. The simple stripped back instrumentation is superb, Jackson can play. H2O Blues is extraordinarily prescient, take out the Watergate references and you could release it today. Back home is beautiful, and The Bottle equally cool, Precious Time is 70's smooth. Wonderful record.