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Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. Peace Go With You, Brother |
| 2. Rivers Of My Fathers |
| 3. A Very Precious Time |
| 4. Back Home |
| 5. The Bottle |
| 6. Song For Bobby Smith |
| 7. Your Daddy Loves You |
| 8. H2OGate Blues |
| 9. Peace Go With You Brother |
Product Description
Review
Winter In America was poet and writer Gil Scott Heron's fourth album, and the first to be co-billed with his flautist, keyboard player and co-writer Brian Jackson.
Recorded in September 1973 and released the following year, it captures Scott Heron at a turning point, largely leaving his heavier raps behind in favour of a floating ambience, with his poetry and song being illuminated by Jackson's superb instrumentation.
Rivers Of My Fathers is a marvellous, meandering work that ebbs and flows for eight and a half minutes; Scott-Heron's spoken utterance of ''Africa'' at the end chimes with the afro-centricity of the early 70s, and is conveyed great emotion and honesty.
The album's commercial centrepiece, The Bottle, is one of the most exuberant catalogues of ghetto alcoholism ever committed to tape. It truly struck a chord and has been much loved as well as covered by artists as diverse as Joe Bataan and Paul Weller. There is sweet and personal content here, too. A Very Precious Time is a reverie of adolescent reminiscence and the sweetness of Your Daddy Loves You shows that not all revolutionaries could be on the frontline permanently.
However, Scott-Heron had not abandoned his militant, witty, political poetic roots on H20Gate Blues, dedicated to the then-recently departed US Vice President Spiro Agnew. The title track wasn't on the original album, but a live version has been subsequently added to the reissue. It is should be played as standard on all modern history courses as a snapshot of the stilted hopes and aspirations in the post Watergate and Vietnam War mid 70s America.
Winter In America is probably Scott-Heron's most complete album. It certainly is one of his most compelling; it also highlights how great a foil Brian Jackson was to him. An affecting work. --Daryl Easlea
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CD Description
Gil Scott Heron has just returned with the critically acclaimed album, I’m New Here. His first record for over 15 years, the album has been hailed as return to form from a genuine musical innovator following years in the wilderness. He may have spent much of the last 20 years either in jail or struggling with drug addiction but when Heron emerged in the early seventies his unique brand of hard-talking street poetry, combined with soulful jazz arrangements, paved the way for the hip-hop explosion and tracks like The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, Johannesburg and The Bottle remain a touchstone for generations of artists. This new re-issue, which has been carefully re-mastered from the original tapes, allows fans to hear this legendary performer at his peak. The album has comes packaged in a slip case and features expanded liner notes. Tracks: Peace Go With You, Brother / Rivers Of My Fathers / A Very Precious Time / Back Home / The Bottle / Song For Bobby Smith / Your Daddy Loves You / H2OGate Blues / Peace Go With You Brother
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
One of the earlier, more jazz influenced albums, Winter in America lost none of Scott Heron's direct political attack. Written with Brian Jackson, Scott Heron's most stable and dependable collaborators, this album has fewer funkier, more dance orientated songs than some of his later records.
That said, The Bottle, without doubt Scott Heron's most well know song, continues to pack dancefloors to this day. A scathing attack on drinking and the society's double standards when it comes to the acceptability of alcohol.
The title track sets out Scott Heron's criticism of the state of America in the mid-1970s, a country he felt was in serious danger.
The album finishes off with H2O Gate Blues, again an angery attack, this time on the Nixon administration.
While some of the politics is dated (who cares about Nixon now?) the social concerns and the underlying humanity are as relevant in the 21st Century as they were then.
Underpinning Scott Heron's poetry is Brian Jackson's beautiful jazz-inflected music. To my ears much more sophisticated and interesting than some of Scott Heron's later musical accompaniment.
Compare H20 Gate Blues with Re-Ron from the early 80's to see my point.
The pair went on the record 'From South Africa to South Carolina', another record with a lyrical punch but musical kidd gloves.
Scott Heron is often described as a forefather of rap. When one listens to 'The Message' or 'Rebel Witout A Pause' one can see the link.
However, the tragedy is not only that rap today has lost any social comment other than 'keeping it real', but that all music seems to have been politically neutered.
Buy this album and be reminded of a time when musicians wanted to change the world and not just get a gold record.
That said, The Bottle, without doubt Scott Heron's most well know song, continues to pack dancefloors to this day. A scathing attack on drinking and the society's double standards when it comes to the acceptability of alcohol.
The title track sets out Scott Heron's criticism of the state of America in the mid-1970s, a country he felt was in serious danger.
The album finishes off with H2O Gate Blues, again an angery attack, this time on the Nixon administration.
While some of the politics is dated (who cares about Nixon now?) the social concerns and the underlying humanity are as relevant in the 21st Century as they were then.
Underpinning Scott Heron's poetry is Brian Jackson's beautiful jazz-inflected music. To my ears much more sophisticated and interesting than some of Scott Heron's later musical accompaniment.
Compare H20 Gate Blues with Re-Ron from the early 80's to see my point.
The pair went on the record 'From South Africa to South Carolina', another record with a lyrical punch but musical kidd gloves.
Scott Heron is often described as a forefather of rap. When one listens to 'The Message' or 'Rebel Witout A Pause' one can see the link.
However, the tragedy is not only that rap today has lost any social comment other than 'keeping it real', but that all music seems to have been politically neutered.
Buy this album and be reminded of a time when musicians wanted to change the world and not just get a gold record.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Gil Scott-Heron is one of the great recording artists of the 20th century; it is a shame that he is relatively unknown. He work is always interesting and I would recommend (almost) all of his albums. If you are unfamiliar with his work then this album is a good place to start although it is not altogether typical of his work.
This is one of Gil Scott-Heron's most mellow sounding albums with a very strong jazz sound, reflecting the influence of Brian Jackson, his 'best' and most important collaborator.
It is lyrically less overly political and angry than some of his albums but politics and anger are never entirely absent from Scott Heron's work. There is a strong social commentary (for example 'The Bottle; about alcohol and society) and political commentary (H2Ogate blues - a searing indictment of the Nixon administration - although more than 30 years later I'm not sure anybody really cares).
I'm not sure that this is Gil Scott Heron's best work although it does include the stand out track 'The Bottle' but it is one of my personal favourites and certainly the one I listen to most.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This sees Gil in thoughtful mood. From the opening calling for the unity within Americas black population, to the intensly proud 'Rivers of my Fathers'. Gil shows a lot of domestic love in the bulk of the albums songs. This album of course features two Scott-Heron classics - the funky 'The Bottle' cutting about alcoholism and the raw, prophetic 'H2O GATE Blues' in which Gil slams the Nixon administration 17 months before Nixon's resignation.
Gil has the rare ability of a social commentator not to judge or preach - but shows anger and humour. He breaks down problems by pitching himself as the victim. All these traits can be seen here.
Make sure you buy TVT Records re-released copy as this contains 4 bonus live tracks. Including the title track, which does not appear on the original but on the equally excellent 'First Minute of a New Day' album.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Puzzled
This album doesn't do it for me - I admire the guy and caught an impressive performance on the OGWT - but the vocals are too high in the mix and somehow forced - and the lyrics... Read more
Published 28 days ago by johnny outlook
Warning - the SONG 'Winter in America' is NOT here
This is indeed a great album - it's one of my favourite Gil Scott-heron CD's - but you need to know that he's always had a policy of recycling song titles and album titles, and... Read more
Published on 8 April 2007 by Richard Vernon
Wonderful
Gil Scott-Heron is one of the great recording artists of the 20th century; it is a shame that he is relatively unknown. Read more
Published on 4 May 2005 by John E. Davidson
Masterful
Heron's masterful recording of environmental and sociological destruction is as poignant and relevant today as it was when first released. Read more
Published on 27 April 2003 by R. Fraser
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