Reviews (page 6 of 7)
Quite mild, which always surprises me.
Kinda groovy and funky, with a cool laid-back sound. Not a bad listen on a sunny afternoon looking out at the melting snow in the yard. I guess this is what defines easy listening music.
last song was really good, the rest was pretty okay
Songs were long but easygoing Yes, I liked the song that is the name of the album Sababa
Interesting but not something I would listen to on a regular basis
Interesting, jazzy. but doesn't capture me that much. Has some nice moments, the bootle is good and H20gate blues is a nice spoken word kinda thing.
I appreciate the lo-fi-ness of this.
Not on Spotify. Didn't listen gave what current rating is
This didn't quite do it for me, but it's better than some stuff I rated a 2.
Easy listening lounge jazz
I've got the album with 'The revolution will not be televised' and I reckon it's a better one that this, and probably also more 'meaningful' from a 1001 albums to hear before you die pov. Still, this was a good listen, especially on the faster tracks with the bass dancing all over the place.
Jazz and poetry blend to speak the ageless message of human struggle. His voice was pitchy pretty often but his calm style and the musical performances, especially the flute kept me listening.
It was just easy listening until I got a little way in then it started to get more funky. 3*
Liked this. Although again I couldn't listen to it easily whilst working/concentrating. It demanded my attention.
Lots of smooth bossa on this and the MCing makes you feel like your in the room. The ryhme scheme and figurative language were my favorite things from this album; delivery is so good its hard not to pay attention to what he's saying. I would say the first half was on the weaker side. I'm sure a lot of influence was taken from this; from the samples to the ryhmes.
Sounded like a very groovy soul album. His voice and the music were chill. Not available on Spotify so had to listen through YouTube.
Spoken word better than the singing
Good album, I have a hard time differentiating it from other music if this genre. Not sure what makes it stand out. Favorite track is the bottle
Was some nice renaissance jazz!
This album was one of the harder ones to find but I think I got it. Honestly, I really liked it! The fact that it was harder to get to kind of made it worth it more in a way?
El tema inicial és soul jazz en tota la seva intensitat. Després entra 'Rivers of My Father', un tema de més de 8 minuts que segueix l'estil incorporant la veu i les lletres característiques de l'autor. El tema més conegut és 'The Bottle', que juntament amb 'Back Home' són els més animats del disc, com a mínim pels seus ritmes, que no per les seves lletres. Un disc que s'aprecia més pel valor líric d'Scott-Heron i per la seva expressió vocal, amb uns acompanyaments de primera classe, sobretot en aquest cas el treball a les tecles de Brian Jackson
I really enjoy this record, but it's SO contemplative. I can't just have it on. It demands attention and thought and that's not always where I am. Thus, my listening enjoyment and analysis of this record changes depending on where, when, and how I'm listening. In some way, I feel like that's the quintessential nature of great jazz records. To say that I "enjoy" this record is not quite right. To say that I "appreciate" this record is a massive understatement.
I had not heard of the artists or heard their music. Smooth and soulful, and the lyrics are a powerful reflection of (or response to) what was happening at the time. Musically, I like the way quite a few of the songs leave space for things to sink in or simmer. They want to say what's important to them and it's not rushed at all. Hard to do because I think a lot of bands or musicians who want to say something they believe is important can sometimes push too hard, which dilutes what they seem to want to get across. When they groove, they really groove superbly. I can hear the jazz and blues influences on their soul style, and it's really good. Solid album, and I also think it's important to keep the history alive. The struggle is real and still around today, unfortunately. We can do better. I honestly believe that, painful as the past and present are. We can do better. We have 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
While not currently available on spotify, it is found on youtube. This was an interesting album to listen to with unexpected flute
Had one play through and it's seems pretty good, I wish it was a bit more accessible
its alright i guess
I've never heard of Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson, and Winter in America was all new music for me. I don't know if I liked the album, but I know I didn't dislike the album. Mostly I tried to listen, and waited for the album to finish. It was music.
Rivers of My Fathers
Chill and definitely gets you thinking
groovy
The music is a bit too mellow for my listening taste, but it was nice. The best for me was the Watergate Blues, I like his spoken word poetry.
I’ve previously known Gil Scott-Heron to be more of a spoken word poet but he has a very nice, expressive singing voice here. And he’s accompanied by some terrific jazz piano/keyboard. The album has a calming, soothing sound. (“The Bottle” is a jam though!) Ooh “H2Ogate Blues” is great — this is the Gil Scott-Heron I’m more familiar with. I love how loose the performance is. So funny (sad, really) how much of this still rings true today. I don’t know every Watergate reference he drops here but it reminds me of the scandals within scandals that I used to follow so closely when Trump was in office.
I've heard some of Gil Scott-Heron's stuff over the years but never got too deep into it. Some of his spoken word lyrics I've found to be a little bland actually and I have heard a lot of praise for him so maybe I've just missed some of the better stuff by chance? Or maybe it just never moved me. Sometimes when I look at poetry I wonder if it's normal for people to be as divided on poetry as I tend to be. I find myself reading something that doesn't really do anything for me and I quickly forget about it, or I find something that connects with me on many levels and I will read it every day for a week. And I don't really find myself coming across poetry/spoken word that is in the middle, where I think "hey this is neat", it's usually on one end of the love/hate spectrum. Regardless of that, this album was pretty nice. I liked the music behind the vocals and it seemed like there were plenty of parts where the lyrics were sung on this record instead of strictly in a spoken-word delivery. It might warrant another listen to really dig into everything because this album flew by for me.
nothing to saY
A little boring but very soulful and relaxing!
this just made me think of the fast show. nice.
Better than The 1975
Fijn ook dat Leo R. zeker wilde stellen dat ik het laatste nummer zou horen....Verder is het soms wat zeikerig, soms zeer ok. Het wordt een beetje uitmiddelen. Kom ik op een 2,5. Ik moet voor deze lijst wellicht wat schappelijker zijn / mijn verwachtingen bijstellen. Ik rond het af naar een voldoende.
Nešta sam pohvatao po youtubetu. Uglavnom, solidan album, nažalost nisam se previše uveo u album.
not a big fan of this style, but I could get why people like it
Good album
A little too heavy on the flute
If you like beat poetry, then this album is up your alley. If you are not a fan of beat poetry, this is definitely not your thing. I had heard the iconic "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" so I knew more what to expect. The music part takes more of a backseat to a lot of the lyrics. Gil-Scott Heron is a pretty good singer, I'd like him to be more expressive and emotive. I would also have liked to have heard more of the band. But the lyrics and the poetry was obviously more important, so... I liked it for what it was, but since I am not a beatnik or a hippie I do not think I will be coming back to this one any time soon.
Torn here. There's a solid jazz foundation on every track, but the lyrical themes don't always elevate it to the next level. I want more H2O Gate (or The Revolution Will not Be Televised from his prior album) and less Your Daddy Loves You. The latter is sweet and all, but there's not much to it. Jackson's soft piano adds a biting contrast when placed together with Scott-Heron's incredible lyrics in the former. And that's who Scott-Heron is, a brilliant lyricist with much to say and much for us to pay attention to. The Bottle was also fantastic; edgier sound and brilliant lyrics. The opening and closing Peace Go With You, Brother tracks didn't have quite the same bite (though the opener shows potential for where the album could go). Ditto for Rivers of My Fathers (it wanders a bit). I couldn't figure out whether he was trying to do something more profound with A Very Precious Time than singing about first love. Feels like a 3.5, but I think I shrugged more than I perked up.
Jazzy bluzzy groovy saddening reminder that as much as we change we still stay the same
Ik las dat hij een dichter was en dat kon ik terug horen. Ik vond het mooie, maar ook moeilijke muziek.
This is pretty cool, I really dig the sound. Kinda scary to hear the political messages since nothing has changed in 50 years... Still lots of beauty in this album, doubt I visit it again fully but some songs I'll give more of a listen and the message will stick.
Could only find 1 song of his, it was fine.
When you turn on up-beat jazz like this, you know the bass, drums, keys, and sax have come to PLAY. That is the case with this album. Most of the tracks just get you dancing and grooving. Vocals were the only sore spot for me, not very meaningful. There was also a lot of talking between tracks, not fun to listen to, would have been an easy 4 without that.
I dig this overall thing these guys are doing on this record. The band is great, especially the bassist. But I find myself both attracted and repulsed by this guy's voice. On some songs the music backs him up perfectly. On the ballads, though, less so. Scott-Heron doesn't have the most subtle approach to singing; he comes in hot on every song. Anyway, this is a good album and I'll definitely listen to some of the songs on here. I checked out his earlier album, Pieces of a Man, and I liked that a lot more.
This album was not available on Spotify and I almost did not check out. But Jen sent me a YouTube link and I'm so glad to have a listen! I don't know if Gil is classified as smooth jazz but I think he's smooth and jazzy and cool.
Couldn't find this album anywhere to listen to
This was a delightfully refreshing, honest, and hopeful album. 3.5.
Other than the first track that almost gave me a migraine by bouncing the sound back and forth between channels, i thought this was a very pleasing album and a refreshing change of pace.
My first exposure to Gil Scott-Heron was on the documentary about Weather Underground, as Winter in America soundtracked the downfall of the movement and its ideals as the 70s progressed. And while the song isn't featured on the album, the titular project isn't lacking in interesting soundscapes. As much of it is Gil's album, the backbone of it is Brian Jackson, who serves as the integral piece of the Scott-Heron puzzle and whose absence from the eventual later records becomes too pronounced. But here the duo are operating at the peak of their powers and it is a pretty solid album to dive into. Favorites: Rivers of My Fathers, Back Home, The Bottle, Your Daddy Loves You, H20 Gate Blues.
3/5
Spotify couldn't find this album. I blame Joe Rogan and Neil Young. In light of this, I've listed to Johannesburg which is a live album by GSH featuring the song "Winter In America". This reminded me of some live poetry performance on stage in some bowery bar and getting stoned in the alley before going in for a beer. Super lounge-y, relaxing and all around mellow. The rest of the album he comes off like a true a performer, working the room with lots of positivity and good energy. I really liked his interaction with the audience and introductions between tracks.
This album is OK. I went back and forth between preferring to not listen and intrigued. The spoken word poetry is nice. The Bottle was my favorite track. The jazz background is not improvisational, so that was welcome. Overall a pleasant album that I could listen to again, but will not.
Chilled jazz, counter culture political lyrics. Very cool, but not enough hooks to get me coming back.
This wasn't on Spotify. I listened to a few other Gil Scott-Heron tracks instead.
Thoughtful, jazzy, a pleasant interlude to accompany dinner.
The bottle 👌
I liked Watergate Blues. Rest was ok.
3.8 - Wait, this one doesn't have "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"?? "H2O Blues Gate" serves as a compelling stand-in. Some terrific piano and electric piano work on here, and I love the flute on "The Bottle."
Not really to my taste, though I did enjoyed the bluesy jazz style of some of the album.
Mostly not a fan of the slower stuff although the musicality is to be commended. The uptempo tracks such as the Bottle and Back Home did it for me more. Somewhat depressing lyrical content. Especially in current times.
This one started out fantastic with five strong songs and on track for 4 or even 5 stars. Then thing completely broke down for the second half with three 2 or even 1 star tracks that were a huge drag to get through before the final minute was nice again. A real shame.
Swag in amerikkka
Lyssnade tyvärr inte så noga... ber om ursäkt
A nice listen
I'm not a big jazz guy, so I wasn't expecting to like this. However, I found it to be a bit more of a fusion between jazz, R&B, blues, and soul, which I think worked pretty well. Some songs I liked better than others. I liked Rivers of My Fathers a lot. The piano playing and the chord progressions were beautiful. But I didn't care at all for A Very Precious Time. It sort of made me want to puke. Overall not great, but not bad. 3 stars.
Ohhhh... The bottle
This was alright. Nice jazzy funk sound but not really for me. 6/10.
solid jazz piano sound.
Soul, R & B
Fine.
Pierwszy Heron na liscie, a obecnosc nie dziwi, bo jeden z najbardziej cytowanych tworcow swojej epoki, choc w samym czasie tworzenia nie zyskal popularnosci pozwalajacej mowic o komercyjnym sukcesie, ale tak rewolucyjnych wartosci jakie sprzedawal w swoich materialach ciezko o poklask, ktory swoim mocno osobistym, a jednoczesnie odnoszacym sie do calej spolecznosci soulem przetarl szlaki dla politycznego hip hopowania, winter in america byl nagrywany w duecie z Brianem Jacksonem, ktorego mozna uslyszec glownie na pianinie i elktrykowych klawiszach oraz flecie, do pana Gil naleza natomiast praktycznie cale wokale tego 44 minutowego nagrania oraz niektore partie klawiszowe, dodatowymi artystami bioracymi udzial w nagraniach byli Danny Bowens na basie i Bob Adams od drumow, tak jak juz przyzwyczail w swoich poprzednich albumach zongluje wokalnie w okolicach barytonowego tenoru, ktory przeplata momentami proto rapu, wiec elementami recytacji, spotifaj jakas dziwna wersje serwuje, bo plyta niby z 74 z 9 utworami i 44 minutami, a reedycja z 75 ma juz dodatkowe dwa traki, ktore i tak sie nie pokrywaja z tym co jest na spoti, wiec troche misz masz, ale i tak tematycznie nadal w klimatach amerykanskiej zimy, dobry pick na ich lipcowe swieto, chociaz nie jestem pewny jak odnosil sie w stosunku do tej sprawy pan Scott, w kazdym badz razie jest to mocno czarny album, co wyczerpuje calkowicie jego podsumowanie liryczne
Je n'ai qu'un vague souvenir de cet album (plus de trois semaines séparent mon écoute de cette critique). La seule chose qui me revient est que j'ai lancé son écoute en plein atelier de réflexion lors de mon séminaire de fin d'année. Ce jour-là, les animateurs expliquaient sereinement le programme qui nous attendaient pendant la matinée lorsque l'un d'eux s'interrompit: « - Quelqu'un a vu robcachetière ? - Non, son siège est inoccupé depuis une trentaine de secondes. » Je me trouvais en effet caché derrière d'énormes baffles de la marque BOSE (les mêmes qu'à la piscine). Je les fis soudain gronder l'intro de Winter In America, laissant mes collègues dans un état de stupéfaction extrême.
Eh bien j'ai envie de vous dire pourquoi pas.
It is not on Spotify.
The Bottle is a standout, the rest is fine.
Found myself bobbing along to a lot of this. 3.5 rounded down
Chill sounds, nice to listen to.
Jazzier than I expected from GSH, and mostly not for the better. It was enjoyable, but slow and same-y. A few highlights (The Bottle), but otherwise a bit too downbeat for me.
Not bad, enjoyed it as easy listening in the background while working. Then the talking part came and I had to focus on that, which was interesting but generally not what I listen to music for.
Nope 👎
The beginning of the first song was a bit disorienting in my headphones. The noise went from one ear to the other. I liked the rest of the song. The second song was just ok. I love the h20 gate poem. Easily my favorite song on here.
Soul jazz fusion. Ni fu ni fa.
Good start and end. It lost me a bit in the middle. The last track was great and clearly influenced Kendrick Lamar
Great. 7/10
bit jazzy, but i lap him up and would be better if i was stoned.
Most of the album was mildly annoying jazzy improv. The last track was more beat poetry and was great - unfortunately still highly relevant today.
Muy interesante disco, con arreglos de piano o teclado que desde el principio son lo más llamativo de cada canción. Encima, la importancia de Gil Scott-Heron como predecesor del hip hop se va notando conforme avanza el disco, donde al principio básicamente canta como cualquier Jazz suave, pero en la rola acerca de Watergate ya se ve perfectamente como es una piedra importante de ese género que estaba arrancando.
This feels like one that’s wrong to listen to on steaming, this was meant for vinyl. Had some good songs, liked H2O gate blues the most. 6.5/10
Chill and snazzy
Very calming music. Enjoyed the listen. All the songs were a bit similar.
It's fine
It took several tracks, but the album locked into a groove at one point that I enjoyed.
what a pleasant listen! yet filled with such purpose and themes. i loved paying attention to these autobiographical lyrics. i also loved hearing the variety of genres here! i'm happy this album made the list. "h2Ogate blues" (a rather clever name) deviates from the rest of the album for some spoken-word, but it was so meaningful. i have to imagine it packed quite a punch in 1973. "i'm sorry, the government you have elected is inoperative."
Give it an average three because the link didn’t work and I couldn’t find it.
good not my cup of tea though
malo premelankolično za mene, ali baš lipo dočara taj zimski ugođaj. Da ga slušan uz komin i šalicu vruće čokolade, možda bi bila i veća ocjena
A nice listen, but not something I’ll rush back to.
Neat mixture of music, poetry and politics. Enjoyable
Soul
What a great way to start an album - great sounds. Peace Go With You Brother! Enjoyable experience. 3/5
The bottle.
Enjoyed this artist…. Storytelling
Já já, þokkalegt.
Gil Scott-Heron on the mic! Brian Jackson on the keyboard! Albumet osar av coolhet från första tonen, vilket också var den bilden jag hade av Gil Scott-Heron sen innan. Hans röst är samtidigt så len och så kraftfull, och den gifter sig fint med Jacksons keyboard. Vissa låtar blir dock liiite för beroende av just keyboardet, och några hissmusiks-varningsklockor sätts igång. Exempelvis låten A Very Precious Time, som är en fantastiskt vacker och poetisk beskrivning av en första kärlek, hade nog gynnats av lite mer fart, lite mer jazz, några fler instrument. Gil Scott-Heron sjunger bra, men hans basröst kommer mest till rätta i någon sorts spoken word. Bäst är det i H2OGate Blues, som är både politiskt allvarlig och MYS. När Gil i början pratar till publiken och säger: "But, first, I wanna do a little background on the Blues and say what it is", så är det bara att luta sig bak och NJUTA i 8 härliga minuter. Gillar också The Bottle och Song for Bobby Smith. Hade albumet funnits på Spotify hade båda åkt rakt in i spellistan. Bästa låt: H2OGate Blues.
First thing to admit is that you will never be as cool as GSH. Now that's out the way, this album is a mix of poetry, jazz and soul. Ron Burgundy jazz flute abound with late night piano and warm tones of an electric piano hugging you. Ham and eggs coming at you. The depressing (and predictable) thing is lots of the issues that he raps/sings about here still exist. Best Tracks: Rivers of my Fathers; Back Home; Daddy Loves You
-literally 2 of these songs are on Spotify, so this is just a review of "The Bottle" and "Your Daddy Loves You" -"The Bottle" was an awesome song with a sweet jam and cool bass solo -"Your Daddy Loves You" was a meh R&B song -Overall can barely rate because I only listened to 2 tracks
Solid and I can see the quality but not really my thing to be honest. I enjoyed The Bottle and H2Ogate Blues but a lot of this album just washed over me without leaving an impression.
I've listened to gil Scott heron before but not this album. Decent.
Mukavaa kuunneltavaa. Parasta antia oli kuitenkin lopun poliittinen monologi. Huh!
Good stuff
Amazing lyrics from the no 1 voice of America. Music was a bit flurry.
Love the lyrics but the music doesn't really let them shine
I didn't listen on the day we had it, as it wasn't on Spotify, but I've now listened on YouTube. It's decent enough, enjoyable chillaxed vibes.
Pretty good. Liked "Back Home" and "The Bottle" the best. Not super exciting though.
I don't know what to make of this. It was interesting and pleasant enough, but I don't know if I would enjoy this so much as tolerate it if someone just had it on in the background. Will have to try again sometime in the future.
Very interesting to hear and see some hip hop prototypes and learn about an interesting crossroads in Jazz history and eclecticism.
Decent jazz album that's great as background music but fails to really convince as the only source of entertainment
Forgettable.
Suspect impactful at the time and interesting in terms of the issues of they and good social insight, but not a great listen musically
Not my thing but I get the concept
Nope. Had to skip H2Ogate Blues because I just couldn't.
I think my preference definitely leans towards upbeat funk-type jazz rather than the solemn, soulful kind. My enjoyment of this album definitely hinged on the energy of the individual track. "The Bottle" for example was very much my thing, though the bass line could have been more interesting, the flute and vocals were great. The start of the album, in contrast, I found a bit dull. The spoken word stuff is just really not my thing, but it was quite well done and the lyrics still made sense and had power today, so I do appreciate it for what it is. Overall definitely not my favourite Jazz album, but it had its moments and it made OK background. Not one I'm going to return to though so going to have to drop it down on that basis.
Really liked H2OGate Blues. Feels as relevant as ever
I wanted to like this more than I did. I didn't really think any of it went together.
I can’t get over how much I do not like the vocals.
So boring. Obnoxious flute. Skipped through most of it.
As the title suggests, Winter In America is a slow (jazz), depressing, grey (blues) album. It hits all the buttons to make The 1001 Must Hear List; political unrest, substance abuse, and the spoken word. The Bottle (top track) and H2Ogate Blues are prime examples. A bit dated but certainly list worthy. (2.2*s) Scott-Heron & Jackson make a good duo.
Rough start to the Winter In America, picks up on Side B with a little funk and drum work. "The Bottle" is top track but I think "H2Ogate Blues" probably assisted with the album's success. Wild to hear the unrest with the "cesspool" government of the 70s when you compare with that of today's. Hate to think what it will be in another 50 years. Overall, this record was a little boring but different. The stripped down sound is not jiving with me but if this influenced hip-hop, I'll give Scott-Heron a fist-bump. Still not ranking too high at 1.61 stars...take a gill, Gil.
While I wasn't huge on any of the individual musical segments, I can see why this album is on the list. I imagine Winter In America struck a chord in 1978 and provided some fitting social commentary at the time of its release. It has the gravity to tackle some heavy topics while preaching an overall message of peace so I can see why it would be held in high regard from a critical standpoint. It's got quite a few minimalist spoken word sections which only get the listener so far nowadays. It does pick up some steam after a couple of songs and hits its peak with the middle musical tracks in Back Home and The Bottle. I didn't hate my time with Winter In America but I also don't expect I'll ever hear this again. I can understand why it endures within hip-hop and neo-soul samplings. It's a tough album to put a number rating to because the subject matter, artistic approach and what the project likely meant to its audience is wholly separate from whether I enjoyed the music or not. 1.63 stars
Snooooorrrrrreeeeee 2/5
Rivers Of My Fathers
Not my thing
was ok
Incredibly dull for most of the album. The bottle was a lot more energetic and h2oblues was enjoyable. I thought the last song was also pretty good but the album had already ended and some other song by this guy was playing which was significantly better than everything on this album.
Liked it…for awhile 2.5
I loved much of the music. The singing just didn’t fit for me. His voice is fine but it just doesn’t blend well enough for my ears. In fact, the longer I listened, the harder it is for me to listen. 2
not for me
Mostly dull jazz
I think I prefer Gil as a straight up spoken word guy.
Great voice with soulful sounds. Liberal use of stereo phasing effects which can get quite distracting. Some parts were quite slow but some parts were funky. Nice use of the flute. 2/5
Как музыка это ни о чём. Лирику оценил, революционно.
ig weiss immer no nid.
I can tell this album is doing something, but it is opaque to my tastes.
Not for me. The Bottle was an easier listen than any of the others, almost-Disco, but really didn't like any of the backing music tracks. The vocals were meaningful, but not especially musical. If there was a time for this style of music, I missed it.
as much as i recognize this is good music, it doesnt do much to me
Eh, singing over piano just wasn't clicking for me. H2OGate went pretty hard tho. It gets an extra star for that.
Dug the music, and the message, but the vocals were a little off putting for my tastes. Came off a bit too much like gospel or Christmas songs at times. 2.5⭐️
Man, I really wish the whole album was like the poetry/rapping track. That thing was worth the wait after those slow R&B songs.
2026.08.23.
A 2
His Album was not available on Spotify, so I listen to other songs by him. I did not know if he’s the one that did The Revolution Will not be Televised.
I started listening to this album with headphones on, and they're doing the thing where the sound is racing back and forth between the left and right channels, and I started getting dizzy. Definitely need to stay off amusement park rides at this stage of my life. I really only know the Revolution Will Not Be Televised album in the GSH catalog. Revolution / Televised and Whitey's On The Moon are great. But his is at best a hit or miss oeuvre. I wanted to like this album, I gave it a listen in good faith, I don't like this album. He's not a singer, and this album relies on him singing. The music has its moments, but ... it's just not happening.
This was a huge disappointment. I really did not enjoy this and I always held Scott-Heron in pretty high esteem. This was hard to get through.
Interesting but not really my thing 2
Not the biggest fan, but wow H2Ogate Blues
He has a cool voice and a couple songs were ok. But this was very very boring.
Coincidentally an alright summer album
Oh to be sat in a piano bar, drinking martinis and flirting. Cool cats in every booth.
A thorough bore.
Liian jatsia minun makuun
One Poet + One Jazz Pianist - maybe not the two together. I love protest music but what makes protest music last, is its timelessness - not sure this record shouldnt have been left behind in the with Watergate. Brian Jackson though has some grooves.
Interesting - I like some of it, but for me it was a little too long. Also it wasn't on Spotify, so I had to go to YouTube. Not as good as an experience as Spotify.
It's interesting in parts but I wouldn't listen again. I like his voice but not much you can get into
I probably need to listen again and focus on the lyrics because that appeared to be what this album is known for. The music was fine but didn't really move the needle for me.
RATING: 5/10 HIGHLIGHT: H20 Blues LOWLIGHT: Rivers of My Fathers
note on spotify... # crazy
Personal enjoyment: 2/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5
I put this on and kind of forgot I was listening to it. I'm not sure what that means but at the very least it wasn't offensively bad.
Solo he encontrado una lista en Youtube para intentar oírlo. Sonaba bastante bien, pero al no poder seguir bien por donde iba no he podido disfrutarlo. No sé cómo puntuarlo. Lo dejo en un 2.
The song writing is terrific here. His singing voice got to me a little after a while.
Не чув про таких) Соул-джаз, мудачливий музончик)
2.2 1x youtube
more spoken word & less singing-overlaid on some repeated simple loops. was bored by end.
Even though it's technically a compilation album, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" is the only Gil Scott-Heron album that should be on this list.
Skaplig jazz, inte för mig
Not for me!
I have a lot of respect for him…some of his songs are on my liked list. But this album was a bit much jazzing for me.
Jazz hands everywhere. He is undeniable though.
This album was just ok, nothing to call home about. I don’t love the singer’s voice, it feels very scratchy to my ears.
Hard to find online... but fun and unique! Might listen again just to experience it differently, because it didn't really click this time for me. I liked his tangent about the different types of blues though.
Although there were some bright spots - mostly where the songs and style were upbeat - I found much of album overly tedious and tiresome to the point of wanting to fast forward through it.
I feel that I was not in the proper headspace to hear this. It is a great soul record of its own right yet I do not enjoy it as much as I do 'Pieces of a Man'. 7/10 [KEEP]
Just meh. A heavy vocal album like this didn't do it for me. And it got pretty political there for a bit.
Not available though Apple Music and I’m not killing myself to track it down .
not on spotify so had to find low quality version. It was fine but the hassle brings it down a bit
Den her var bare jævlig. Stygg sangstemme, men noe jazz- og RnB aktige backingspor. Leste nå at at fyren driver med spoken word og at plata handler om afroamerikanske temaer. Hjelper ikke. Drit!
Very pretty album but also I don't think I ever wanna hear it again. Each piece on its own is very nice but as a whole I get bored. 2.25/5
Meh?! Nice enough vocals but it was all very bland for me
01) Peace Go with You, Brother (As-Salaam-Alaikum) - 6,0 02) Rivers of My Fathers - 5,0 03) A Very Precious Time - 4,5 04) Back Home - 5,5 05) The Bottle - 6,5 06) Song for Bobby Smith - 4,5 07) Your Daddy Loves You - 5,5 08) H2Ogate Blues - 4,5 09) Peace Go with You Brother (Wa-Alaikum-Salaam) - 4,0 TOTAL: 5,11 (51/100) Current ranking: 757/824
Thought this started promising... But then... it didn't really go anywhere for me.
Piano led soul/blues. Seemed like a nice version of this sort of music but not a genre that really appeals to me. The H2Ogate blues was my favourite, the loose and angry feel gave it a bit of edge. Otherwise I'm not sure if come back to any of it. 2.5.
Lots of pootling about on the keys. Meandering, lots of analogies and metaphors, very political, but not overly interesting - more of a manifesto than a music album. Appreciate its place in history. Would have preferred The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
113/1001 First listen. Sounds like it’s being made up on the spot. Just generic noodling. I’m sure there’s more artistry here but it’s over my head. 3/10
Smooth sounding jazz (both the music and the singer's voice itself). While it does have its groovy moments, it's just not for me.
Jazz poet, hoo boy, glad I've not got to listen to it because Spotify doesn't have the album.
Not my type of music.
Strange choice - I'd have thought Revolution Would Not Be Televised or either of his first two studio efforts would've been a more prescient pick. I think this is a bit wonky
Kind of boring
Not my kind of music.
Horatio Velveteen but without the charisma.
2.33
It’s alright in parts, but overall a bit boring.
Ah, nice enough sound but toooooo laid back for me, zzzzzzzz...
Some really boring mellow jazz with barely-sung vocals. I especially dislike the intermittent parpings of the flute. I like the lyrics, a whistlestop tour on race and inequality in America, but not enough to listen to this album again instead, of, say, reading a book about it.
Never heard of this album or artist before, and frankly this cover is throwing me for a loop. I've no clue what to expect. Is this going to be a psychedelic album? Soul. Jazz. Blues. Dead wrong on my prediction, though I can respect this spread of genres. Not my cup of tea, as usual. I enjoyed this as something to space out to, though there was nothing in here which held my attention or impressed me. There's a lot of dead air on these tracks, and many of the songs are stretched out to hell and back. If I am to be positive, I think the piano numbers are pretty nice, and the vocals from Scott-Heron/Jackson are both well-suited to this genre. Book time. Influential within African-American music. Scott-Heron is widely considered to be the "godfather of rap". Particularly influential with regards to its subject matter. Yeah, sure. These guys seem to have earned their stripes. I cosign this inclusion.
Lovely voice but only a couple of good songs. The start of the album was agonisingly slow.
no bueno
Only listened to 1-2 songs because not on spotify. Those were okay.
Had long, boring lulls.
Not my favorite. The instrumentals were alright... But I didn't like the singing
An album that I thought I should like, but just couldn't get into it
Was alright, but nothing to get particularly excited about
Found it pretty dry
Bit wanky. Dangerously close to heavy jazz flute.
Hard to find! Smooth, jazzy. Happy that I now know there's a piano guy called Brian Jackson (iykyk). Not that exciting though tbh...
Not really for me
I can see why people say they like this, I can see why it's important. It's not "good." It simply is not one of the best 1001 albums, or an album you'd need to hear. I'd never say to someone, "oh shit you gotta hear this album!" 2/5.
Overall, relatively forgettable album with the exception of the spoken word piece about Watergate.
Didn’t listen
Started very good, but kinda droned on as the album continued.
Ok. Not as much spoken word as I expected. 2/5
Lite jazz.
I still fear the jazz
Uinspirerande
2.5
probably bc i just listened to bb king immediately followed by miles davis but i’m respectfully bored i need a complete vibe change
Not bad but definitely not my vibe and kinda irritating
Cool for certain vibes but not as much my thing
This was okay. Annoying that it’s not on Spotify though.
#603. Jazz 2/5: jazz
I have to be honest - I'm not feeling it. Wikipedia says "Winter in America has been recognized by music writers as one of the prominent examples of early rap" and I'm sorry, what? This just sounds like smooth jazz - where the fuck are people getting "early rap" Music writers love to group black artists together, even if they're completely different genres. Anyway, I don't love it. I feel bad giving it two stars, but I never want to listen to it again, and that's kind of my litmus test.
I couldnt find this on spotify. I listened to a live version of a few of the songs, but the performances were kinda shitty. Not really fair but moving on
Not bad as background music, but if I actually focused on and listened to it, it was not great.
This was mostly incredibly boring. It was talk singing over piano noodling. The two songs where there was actually structure and other instruments were fine but nothing special. Watergate blues was interesting, it made me realize the US has been through shitty stuff before and came out okay, so it gave me hope for the future.
Pas facile.
Not really for me,
Jazz
Not on spotify?
Jazz? Didn't find the full album.
fine
The backing jazz piano/keyboard is nice. Kind of reminds me of something from Charlie Brown or Hey Arnold. That's about the only good thing I have to say about this. Not a fan of the voice and it's all just really boring. 3.75/10 (1.875/5)
Nothing Memorable
Some of the lyrics are quite powerful - relevant - timeless, but too often everything feels a little aimless and ambling. I guess spoken word doesn't really draw me in enough to have the content overcome the approach.
forced singing voice a bit. lots of focus on vocals and seems shout-singing at times. lovely jazzy music, but there's better out there.
Maybe it was the version I listened to, but the production is absolutely abysmal on the electric piano on the first track. The vibration of it and its constant changes in volume made the song positively unlistenable and I almost stopped the album entirely. However, I persisted and found some really great (parts of) Jazz/R&B crossover gems. Nevertheless, not one of the songs came even remotely close to justifying its length, with many tracks ending with two or three minutes of repetition. Additionally, the slow jams were less jammy and more drifty, leaving me frustrated – as did this album as a whole, because it has a lot potential. Addendum: H2Ogate was a beautiful take-down of Nixon. 2.0/5.0: Disappointing
Not the best a little boring
maybe eh gut, aber not on spotify also werd i's eh nie hören
27/02/25 I do tend to like my jazz albums. I don't think this was one that really excelled though.
This left me really looking forward to the end of it, which is a shame as I was keen to hear this! Not my cup of tea it seems.
Like some of this, mostly the upbeat funky ones. The slow songs didn't do it for me as much.
Not my favorite.
Hate when I have to listen to these on YouTube but very good
Album not available. Other stuff was aight.
It had its moments but overall it really struck me as a parody of a lounge act in a seedy bar of the 70s
I’ll be perfectly honest…this did nothing for me. I don’t really like 70s jazz, blues, or soul, and this was the personification of all those things. I appreciated the lyrics, though.
Jazzy but not that gripping
Some pretty boring stuff here
It was okay
Mostly annoying
I was gonna give this one star but then H2O Gate Blues came on and I got a kick out of it
I can imagine H2O was groundbreaking. The rest is boring.
not my cup of tea.
It’s fun to listen to him call out all the political criminals on “H2Ogate Blues”, but apart from that this was a loooong listen for me. Doesn’t help that I can’t stand the flute and struggle with jazz appreciation. I would have given it one star but that song, which is way towards the end, bumps it up to two.
Interesting sound, very mellow, but not my cup of tea - Jazz poetry? No thank you
I wanted to like this album more than I did. I can't say I remember a single one of these tracks. While listening I know that everything sounded good, but there wasn't really anything to grab onto.
1.5
Talent and skill is undeniable. Really incredibly interesting to see this album isn't on Spotify or streaming besides YouTube.
Boring
This is one of those, yeah, sure, the political part is good, it’s interesting, you ever read Nixonland? It’s like that. But uh. The music? The fun of listening to this? Not really. It’s just not an enjoyable album.
too inconsistent. also not on spotify.
Not my thing at all
I had never heard of this album nor these artists. What a politically charged and timely album despite being 50 years old. I particularly liked the tacks Back Home and The Bottle. I really loved the song H2O Gate Blues - such a powerful song about the events in 1974. I’m not huge fan of the flute in jazz, I always think of the awful Zamfir, but it works for this album. Overall, a soulful and delightful album.
Political jazz music. Nah. It’s like combining squash and oatmeal. Not a good combination for me.
It wasn't available on Spotify....altho he had a ton of other music on there. Not everyday listening type stuff....fine background jazz.
4.5/10
Trop minimaliste. Manque d'improvisation pour cette musique apparentée au Jazz.
Decent music and vocals just not my vibe
The album started off kinda dragging for me, quite contemplative and melancholy. They were working out their troubles, but I couldn't stay engaged. Unfortunately I found the music a bit boring and repetitive at times, and the vocals were not that interesting either. Every line seemed to end with a word containing extra syllables added, like smile became smah-ha-hile, girl became guh-huh-hurl. But I was craving something more lively and melodic, less droning music and meandering melisma. “The Bottle” brought some energy, finally, with its bouncy bass line and funky flute. a dolla-nine, get a bottle o’ wine! a dolla-nine, get a bottle o’ wine! a dolla-nine, get a bottle o’ wine! a dolla-nine, get a bottle o’ wine! Then we were back to another soporific number after it ended. The only other one that grabbed me is “H2O Gate Blues”, which I quite enjoyed. The more things change…
Couldn't really get into this. It sounded like a few guys doing a rough rehearsal. The talent was there, but the songs just didn't go anywhere. No dynamics. The bottle song sounded like they were trying to practice one section of of a song over and over. Two chords for seemingly ever.
Not my thing but it was kinda interesting. Had to listen to it on YouTube which sucked.
Well, some of this is a stone groove, and I think maybe Benjamin Clementine is a fan? But I much prefer Benjamin. Gil's voice is cool but the tracks, dare I say, get a bit boring. Emma would love the flute solos!
I like him but don't like the ultra slow jazz style of most of this album. One big exception is the live track, 'Watergate Blues' is great.
Did I really need to listen to this? Yes it has social implications and messages. Yes it paints a picture of a guy disappointed with the civil rights movement. But, the delivery and craft does not hold you
wow. i get it. relevant message of the times and likely still important today. but not this musical approach, and certainly don't need the soulful poetry lecture.
This was a unique listen. A mixture of 70s political poetry, jazz, blues and soul. Very much a product of its time. The vocals and piano often seem out of sync for the first 15 minutes, giving off a strange vibe. It's like they were on different pages of the same sheet music. While it's not necessarily what I was anticipating, it's exactly what I was expecting (if that makes sense).
This was a bit of a meh, especially in comparison to the revolutionary Pieces of a Man. Plus I couldn't find it on Tidal nor Qobuz had to resort to youtube. Anyway did not find it in anyway essential. One great song that I know, The Bottle so that helped but the rest didn't connect 2.5 stars
Relaxed and warm jazz ambience from the piano, with a touch of 70s funk from the keys and electric organs. Woodwinds add a classic 40s element both tonally and to the harmonies - but god I hate flute noodling. The jazz crooning vocals get pretty grating at times. Higher tempo songs with a strong bass parts popping along and melodically connecting the changes are much stronger than the slow ones that just dwell in washy unresolved chords. They're playing with the contrast between the form/content: loungey vibes and funky fusion are the delivery mechanism for GSH's angry portraits of the persistent injuries to Black life post Civil Rights era and poetic condemnations of the failures of the imperial American state. The point of the contrast being that the backing music is drawing from and adding to the deep well of Black creative tradition that expresses that and transforms it to something sustains and inspires nonetheless. A poetry album that paves the way for the wordy native tongues school of 90s hip hop and backpack rap to follow (lets not talk about the thousands of cringe slam sessions too). Favorites: The Bottle, Peace Go With You, Rivers, H20 gate blues
Wildly inconsistent in terms of quality and was such a chore to listen to
Bit twiddly
A fairly boring album from a musical standpoint. Doesn't move the boundaries on a jazz or blues front, nor from a production standpoint. About the only thing that differentiates this album from others is the lyrical subject matter. Perhaps would have been better as a poetry chapbook. Currently unavailable on any of the streaming services in the U.S. Had to make do with an album length file on YouTube, so it was not a pleasant listening experience. Perhaps having better access to it would have increased my rating.
it's fine, not my jam Will I listen to again: 0%
H2O gate was interesting, overall fine just not for me
Ekki minn tebolli.