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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

From the top it's very soulful. Some of it is very jazzy. The lyrics are solid - some of it is very loving and some of it is very political (of its place and time, but applicable more broadly). I'm quickly enamoured of Brian Jackson's playing and arrangements. The whole is tasteful and sensitive, varied but coherent. It's Pretty Wonderful, 9/10.

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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.

Pre Thoughts: I LOVE GIL SCOT HERON. I'm excited. 1st Track : peace go with ya brother. Man what an atmosphere. I love the mood this album and just this era of Jazz puts me in. It's a state of political disillusionment and unease regarding the WaterGate scandal and just the fall out of Vietnam and the cold war. America! The international Jekyll and Hyde The land of a thousand disguises Sneaks up on you but rarely surprises Can't you see it? Can't you feel it in your heart? Love it. Banger, wish it was still on Spotify and I didn't need to bootleg it. Want the Vinyl

Good stuff

Peace Go With You, Brother // Rivers of My Fathers // A Very Precious Time // Back Home // The Bottle // H20 Gate Blues //

What do I say, it's one of the best albums I've ever heard. A whiplash of an album to listen to through this current political climate, lots of feelings swimming around right now, a mix of I feel so lucky to hear such great music that is so heavy but so easy to love, and nothing in this country has changed in fifty years. This is one I will keep revisiting and a highlight of this entire project so far, this really did a number on me.

This was a really good album, the vocals were great with interesting lyrics to back then up. The beats were awesome too

My introduction to Gil Scott-Heron was through the song Me and the Devil off his more recent album I'm New Here. I had that album in my rotation for a long time, but it's been a while since I've given it a listen. I absolutely love the jazzy electric piano riffing with Gil Scott-Heron's heavy soulful singing on Winter In America. The Bottle is a killer track; the flute soloing is amazing. The spoken word blues/jazz poetry of H2O Gate Blues is also phenomenal and is sadly incredibly relevant even with its outdated references. Also, I don't want to diminish Winter In America, but I do have to say that I'm surprised Pieces of a Man isn't in the list as the track the Revolution Will Not Be Televised is absolutely amazing and rather important historically as it’s considered one of the predecessors to modern hip-hop. I think Winter In America is going to lead to a bit of a deep dive into Gil Scott-Heron's work again today.

10/22/25. Great discovery today! Really enjoyed the musicianship on this. With the vocal delivery, it helped create hip hip. I always listen to the music first which explains my rating, but I'm sure once I grasp the lyrics I'll like this even more.

Smooth, thoughtful, and exactly what I needed on a Monday morning. It’s jazzy, but not the kind of complicated jazz that sends my ADHD brain running for the skip button. Gil Scott-Heron’s voice is warm and poetic, his lyrics full of quiet power, and the whole album feels like a calm conversation about chaos. Timeless, soulful, and grounding.

I don't mind it.

Great lyrics and great music. "The Bottle" is timeless, not to mention how many of the topics still being salient to this day.

One of the most strikingly beautiful first listens of an album on this list so far. Gil Scott-Heron pours his heart out with Brian Jackson accompanying him for some excellent instrumental performances/lyrical storytelling. An anomaly in the context of this list, this record actually gets better with each song, leading to a captivating end. All the while, explorations of socio-economic hardships and the struggles of being a black American are told in ways both hyper-specific and universal, all at once. The opening "Peace Go With You, Brother (As-Salaam-Alaikum)" was a wonderful mediation on self-restraint, and anger pervading black male social circles. Little did I know this song would bookend the record! I don't have much to say on the lyrics of "Rivers Of My Fathers", but GSH's voice is superb on this one, and the piano work is sooo soothing. If I had to pick a lowlight, it would be "Very Precious Time". It's a lovely track with a bit of a twist in perspective on reflecting on young love, but considering the topics of the songs to come, this track sticks out from the rest just a bit. "Back Home" made me think about all the nice homely things I hold dear, the warmth GSH conveys through this track is infectious. "The Bottle" sets the bar for songs that are lamentations on cycles of alcohol abuse and cycles of social struggles that black americans are especially susceptible to - whether it's the 1970's or present day. "Song For Bobby Smith" followed by "Your Daddy Loves You" are heartbreakingly bittersweet songs that act as a tender pulling back of the curtains a bit. The latter especially just felt so universal, so humane - much like Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely". Somehow, it got better from here. Because "H2OGate Blues" rocked my world. A sprawling, colorful, vitriolic-yet-measured exploration of the United State's governmental wrongdoings, crimes, misdirection, and chaos all at once. While this song centers around Watergate and a number of crisis situations of it's time, I found myself making many a connection to the frustrations of this songs era to the times of today. American citizens attention being diverted by it's government, mentions of companies like Lockheed/Boeing skirting around the fact that they were profiting off the war in Vietnam. Paranoia on a widespread scale, the failure to stop fascism on the rise, the rich attempting to crush the lower and middle class. I'm in awe of how prescient and relevant these observations are. This is genuinely a top 10 song I've heard from my 550+ albums so far, and probably the best protest song I'll ever hear. The 1001 albums list giveth today, in a huge way. I encourage everyone to sit with this album, it's easily a 5/5 for me

THIS is political music done right. clear and concise in its messaging without being too on-the-nose. a powerful message from a powerful vocalist

So good. A poet that uses his syllables and vocals as an instrument playing with the instrumentals. I found the album really well structured and The Bottle makes me want to move. Brian Jackson flute playing, a thing of beauty.

Beautiful & raw, they both inspired a future generation, many a sample taken! Gil Scot Heron's voice is unmistakable and I struggle to hear anyone else over the year's that sounded quite like him. Brian Jackson is such a talented musician and as a pair they were a dream team. Lyrics on H2Ogate Blues about the politics & turmoil of the States in the 70's could still be relevant in 2025- just change the names. The Bottle track is pure gold, the tune just grooves along, Gil at his lyrical best, Brian on his flute. Had the absolute pleasure seeing Brian Jackson and his band play a few years back where he covered a lot of the tracks on this album as if we were was back in the 70's again, still fresh - wonderful!

Damn Gil, you’ll get me listening to jazz yet. This was a truly great album, and still goddamn relevant.

Stunning blend of soul jazz, blues and political consciousness. One of those albums that might not be that well known but has had a huge influence on music since. Covers everything from racial solidarity to alcohol addiction and the Watergate scandal and sounds incredibly cool while doing it. H2O Gate gets a special mention for being a proto-rap number.

Listening to H2Ogate Blues is 2025 is fascinating. So many of the issues Gil eloquiently brings up are still major issues today. It made me genuinely sad, and isn't that the purpose of art? 4.5/5

Well shit, this is just spellbinding, like this is the sort of thing that could probably make you a better person. I like jazz, but sometimes I sort of have a mostly intellectual connection with it, which frankly, may be a way to miss the point. But Winter In America, whether because it brings in some other influences, or because of the incredible poetry, or just because it is fucking immaculate art just completely shatters this sort of wall. While I understand this album is ultimately about The Black Experience in America, which I can safely say I am outside of, I honestly think the lens used here reveals some more universal truths about America in its many forms. I mean just listen to H2OGate Blues, Gil Scott-Heron is getting to the heart of some serious shit here. And frankly, a lot of it feels awfully familiar in a modern American environment. Gil Scott-Heron is really a genius poet and thinker and the evidence is all over this thing. This album is dense: it's juggling bitterness and tentative hope, it's exploring the patterns that America runs on, and often it brings it all to a deeply small scale, getting into how structural, social issues are almost always kind of people issues in a way. I really don't feel like I can analyze it effectively. But, I will say I can *feel* this thing, and it seems like it wants more than anything to be felt. And honestly, for as much as I've talked about Gil Scott-Heron, Brian Jackson is co-billed for a reason. His playing is incredible, he lays stuff down for Gil Scott-Heron without forgetting to get a word in himself: He is clearly a fantastic musician with incredible compositional chops. I have few if any complaints, and for a cold listen, I feel pretty confident about what I'm hearing here, I'm giving it a 5.

Single. It is good though!

Couldn't find the album on apple music, but listened to the single, and listened to his other albums. Fantastic artist and musician. 10/10 would recommend.

Beautiful album. I'm surprised this isn't more well known - I had only heard The Bottle until now. You can see the roots of hip hop in this and Pieces of a Man. Lovely jazz piano and flute too. Had to listen to it on YouTube unfortunately, but I will look into getting a copy of this asap.

Wow wow. Really loved this. Last track id a gut punch that rings true all these years later. Insane

Loved it. Not to knock Scott-Heron's poetry or whatever but I think the thing I liked *most* was actually Brian Jackson's instrumentals here? Would enjoy this almost as much if it was just a faintly jazzy/soul instrumental album. Best Song: Rivers of my Soul

Unfortunatly I could hear only two songs of this album on my Streaming Platform but these songs are excellent jazz and R&B compositions.