I write about Gil Scott Heron quite a lot on this blog. He is one of my favourite writers, performers, musicians, famous people... and all that. He's been around a long time (put his first album out in 1970) and sometimes he even gets called 'the godfather of hip hop' – mainly because he has always mixed sung words with spoken ones (to great effect). I've liked some hip hop over my years as a listener but really only selected tracks here and there... for me a lot of hip hop fans and makers could do with listening to this godfather a lot more. Listen to how carefully he chooses and uses words, listen to how musical he is in everything he does, listen to his gentleness (even when he's very, very angry), listen to how you can hear every word he says, to how anyone could understand what he is saying and to how much he cares about that. Then when you're done listen to him again and again... until your brain throbs with envy at quite how amazing his work is.
OK, I'm gushing now.
Here are a couple of tracks from his latest album 'I'm new here'. After much hard living GSH is looking and sounding older than his 61 years and this album is a bit different to some of his earlier work too – produced as it was by XL's Richard Russell. It's a great piece of work though.
Here's the album's opening track 'On coming from a broken home (part 1)':
and here's 'I'm new here':
Don't ever say I don't give you anything.
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14 comments:
cool, will have to revisit and check him out, can't listen from where I am, but your description makes a great case for him
Love this kind of music but know absolutely nothing about it - so thanks for the chane to listen.
I didn't explain the post's title...mainly it's a reference to my unchristened (and therefore also godparentless) status. This occurred to me partly because yesterday I was listening to the so excellent 2009 Stephen Fry and Christopher Hitchens videos (taking part in a debate about catholicism) and they mentioned the unchristened and where our souls go. And what with the papal visit and all it seemed timely.
The Fry is here.
and the Hitchens is here.
And no I'm not interested in Ann Widdecombe's contribution. Hell, I'll be seeing enough of her in Strictly Come Dancing this year (daughter insists she will still watch - even without Gran).
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Both of those clips have short ads at the beginning...but they're a small price to pay for enlightenment really.
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Sublime.
Isn't it? You'd love the album, TFE. There's no-one quite like him.
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I would love the album.You buyin'? :)
Truth rings like a bell.
Sorry , not truth.Honesty.Two totally different things.
It was a friend gave it to me (good friend, old friend). Maybe I'll swap you one for a Poetry Bus mag...
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excellent! been looking forward to a listen to this.
my sister claims a relationship with him. so she says...
TFE had the word. Sublime.
A story there, Swiss..?
Glad you all appreciate the sounds.
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Delicious, I won't spoil it by watching the disco video tonight.
Quite right too.
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