Anthology: Messages [Vinyl] [Import]

Gil Scott-Heron | Format: Vinyl

Product Details

• Vinyl (July 19, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Soul Bros Classics
• ASIN: B000AQKUTU
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,024,710 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Bottle

2. Johannesburg

3. Winter in America

4. Liberation (Red, Black & Green)

5. It's Your World

6. Home Is Where the Hatred Is

7. Racetrack in France

8. Hello Sunday Hello Road

9. We Almost Lost Detroit

10. Delta Man (Where I'm Coming From)

11. Angel Dust

12. Show Bizness

13. Madison Avenue

14. Shut 'em Down

15. Alien (Hold on to Your Dreams)

Editorial Reviews

Gil Scott Heron is one of the most influential black music artists of his generation. Like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley and Curtis Mayfield his music transgresses all music boundaries, and he is heralded in rock as in soul and jazz circles. Along with his partner and lyricist Brian Jackson, Gil wrote and recorded some of the most memorable songs of the 70's always with poignant lyrics. 'The Bottle' has been a club favourite since its release in 1973, 'Johannesburg' predicted the unrest in South Africa two years before Soweto, 'Its Your World' has been in demand for past ten years or so. This album puts together 15 of the best and most in demand of their recordings from 1973 to 1980, and is the first collection covering that period for 15 years. Many of the tracks have not appeared on CD since then and some are making their first appearance on CD. Soul Brother Records. 2005. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Collection..., November 10, 2005

By 

B. Bowman "Double B" (Jersey, United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Anthology: Messages (Audio CD)

I have purchased every Gil Scott-Heron disc I can get my hands on, and although the price of this is steep for a single disc, this one is well worth getting. This anthology contains songs from Gil's long out of print albums "Bridges", "Secrets", and "1980" which were never released on CD. In fact, only six of the songs on this 15 song anthology are available on other Cd's; the other nine are not available anywhere else. I had never heard Gil's work from the 1977-1980 period before and am really glad that some of it is finally available as it is no less important than the rest of his work as it marked the final years of his collaboration with Brian Jackson (who also contributed some of the liner notes for this CD). This collection serves as a great introduction to their work, although I would recommend getting some of Gil's pre-1973 music also such as "Pieces of A Man" or the collection "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised". To me Gil Scott-Heron stands as one of the most important artists of the past thirty years and he remains incredibly underrated. I have never heard anyone blend the blues, funk, R&B, and jazz as seamlessly as Gil Scott-Heron did. If you haven't heard him before or are a fan, this collection is highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Gil Scott-Heron Anthology On the Market, August 24, 2011

By 

joe mama "joe mama" (marin county, ca) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anthology: Messages (Audio CD)

While Messages sadly fails to represent Gil Scott-Heron's first three albums (Small Talk at 125th and Lennox, Pieces of a Man and Free Will), it does include many of the best songs from his most fertile period -- the mid to late '70s with musical collaborator Brian Jackson. Although Scott-Heron continued to make great music for the rest of his life, it's safe to say he reached a creative peak during the years covered here. Every song on this disc is great, and many -- like "The Bottle," "Johannesburg," "Winter in America" and "We Almost Lost Detroit" -- are essential.

If you're looking for "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," I would suggest another anthology from 2009 called The Best of Gil Scott-Heron. It, conveniently, covers the periods not covered here. If you follow my advice and buy both anthologies, then you'll have a much bigger problem -- wanting to buy everything Gil Scott-Heron ever recorded. That's a tough assignment, but well worth the effort.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anthology: Messages, July 17, 2009

By 

Denese Oguejiofor - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Anthology: Messages (Audio CD)

I bought this as a gift for a friend who was very pleased with the quality