Gil Scott-Heron: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised - 1974

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This is jazz-blues poet Gil Scott-Heron's most famous album. It contains examples of Scott-Heron's spoken poetry but also some excellent fusions of jazz, blues and r'n'b. 

The poetry doesn't dominate the album at all, (there are only four short poems) it acts as tough, reality-check interludes between some really impressive, soulful cuts from an artist who had a good singing voice and a great ear for a funky melody. He was an artist overflowing with talent and creativity. Scott-Heron has quite a lot of the feel of Bill Withers about him, both musically and lyrically. The material perfectly tapped in to the increased black consciousness of the What's Going On and Wattstax era and in many ways influenced the rap and hip/hop acts of the eighties and beyond. It was amazing just how much great music and strong messages came out of the 1968-1973 period for soul music - so vibrant, so hard-hitting, so creative, so influential.

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised is one of Scott-Heron's most famous songs, and indeed the phrase has become a quotable one on issues of social disquiet, cynicism and distrust of the media. It is basically an angry socio-political poem narrated by Scott-Heron, frenetically, over a delicious bass, fatback drums and funky flute backing. It is packed full of killer lines, coming at you rapid-fire, one after the other, ending with "the revolution will be live...". Great stuff. Sex Education Ghetto Style and No Knock are short, vituperative but wryly witty raps.

Home Is Where The Hatred Is was popularised by Esther Phillips as a "Blaxploitation" song. Scott-Heron delivers his own song in suitably funky fashion, with some gorgeous cymbal-driven percussion. It is more convincing, however, as a song sung from a woman's point of view. It is a soul of utter hopelessness, though, despite its appealing sound. 

Brother is a scathing condemnation of militant black hypocrisy. As with most of the album, an angry narration is followed by a slice of soul and it happens again here for the beautiful tones of Save The Children. The message is stark, though, in a What's Going On way, full of poignancy, particularly when Scott-Heron tells of his children's ambitions for the future. 

The album's most catchy and breezy number is Lady Day And John Coltrane - Scott-Heron's jazz funk tribute to Billie Holiday and John Coltrane. What a bassline it has. Pieces Of A Man is a sombre, piano and vocal ballad of self-pity. Get Out Of the Ghetto Blues and Did You Hear What They Said? are in the same vein.Whitey On The Moon is a cynical observation of life in 1969, when the moon landings took place a long way above the housing projects of Harlem. "I think I'll send these doctor's bills, Airmail special, to "Whitey on the moon"...". 

In just over a minute or so, Scott-Heron nails the zeitgeist of 1969, man.

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