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Track Listings
| 1. On Coming From A Broken Home (Pt. 1) |
| 2. Me And The Devil |
| 3. I'm New Here |
| 4. Your Soul And Mine |
| 5. Parents (Interlude) |
| 6. I'll Take Care Of You |
| 7. Being Blessed (Interlude) |
| 8. Where Did The Night Go |
| 9. I Was Guided (Interlude) |
| 10. New York Is Killing Me |
| 11. Certain Things (Interlude) |
| 12. Running |
| 13. The Crutch |
| 14. I've Been Mee (Interlude) |
| 15. On Coming From A Broken Home (Pt. 2) |
Editorial Reviews
Review
Gil Scott-Heron is timeless. --New York Times
Product Description
Gil Scott-Heron is one of the most influential and important singer/songwriters to have come out of America in the second half of the last century. Much can be said about why this Gil's lyrics are so original and powerful but ,it is important not to overlook his utterly singular voice which is so distinctive and rough and tender. It is a voice of experience.A new record from Gil Scott-Heron, forty years after his first solo album, is a cause for major celebration and something that the world needs now more than ever.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
45 of 46 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
The past decade has been tragically ironic for the iconic Gil Scott-Heron. The man has been the voice of a revolution whose impact reached well beyond the scope of his music; striving to rescue people from the pitfalls of society. The idea that the same man would be severing multiple prison sentences, battling drug addiction and facing a rumored HIV diagnosis in his later years is beyond belief... few have fallen from such heights. Yet, often the most masterful works result from the worst tribulations. Immersed in his personal demons "I'm New Here" follows this mold.
Followers of Scott-Heron's career might be thrown off by this record. No, he hasn't lost his mastery of words. Gil is as poignant as ever. His spoken word cuts are comparable to his earliest works and he knows exactly how to use his ailing voice to favor. It's musically and topically where this album is a grand departure from anything he's released. Scott-Heron sounds like he's literally been through hell. He touches on his demise, the fate of his soul, and living with the pain left by the sins he's committed. Tracks like the "New York Is Killing Me" are a kin to "Home is Where the Hatred Is", only further exemplified by the fact that he's no longer playing a role: he's lived it. The production of Richard Russel meets this tone head on by providing a sinister soundscape which is a perfect counterpart to the lyrics. It is more inline with the recent works of Portishead, Burial and Massive Attack than what one would naturally expect from the soul legend. Combining the man's ragged voice and the despair in his words with the dark production is a simply haunting experience.
I would honestly NOT recommend this album for people who are ONLY looking for a return to Gil's work with Brian Jackson. Even the tracks that break the bleak mold, borrow more from Hip-Hop than neo-soul. If the idea of combining Small Talk at 125th and Lenox with the atmosphere of American IV: The Man Comes Around over a Live with Me backdrop sparks your curiosity then I would highly recommend the record as the experience will be gorgeous and heartbreaking.
While Gil Scott-Heron still commands a response from his audience, he urges in a way that he never has before: that of a tortured soul, begging others not to follow his path.
(8.5/10)
Followers of Scott-Heron's career might be thrown off by this record. No, he hasn't lost his mastery of words. Gil is as poignant as ever. His spoken word cuts are comparable to his earliest works and he knows exactly how to use his ailing voice to favor. It's musically and topically where this album is a grand departure from anything he's released. Scott-Heron sounds like he's literally been through hell. He touches on his demise, the fate of his soul, and living with the pain left by the sins he's committed. Tracks like the "New York Is Killing Me" are a kin to "Home is Where the Hatred Is", only further exemplified by the fact that he's no longer playing a role: he's lived it. The production of Richard Russel meets this tone head on by providing a sinister soundscape which is a perfect counterpart to the lyrics. It is more inline with the recent works of Portishead, Burial and Massive Attack than what one would naturally expect from the soul legend. Combining the man's ragged voice and the despair in his words with the dark production is a simply haunting experience.
I would honestly NOT recommend this album for people who are ONLY looking for a return to Gil's work with Brian Jackson. Even the tracks that break the bleak mold, borrow more from Hip-Hop than neo-soul. If the idea of combining Small Talk at 125th and Lenox with the atmosphere of American IV: The Man Comes Around over a Live with Me backdrop sparks your curiosity then I would highly recommend the record as the experience will be gorgeous and heartbreaking.
While Gil Scott-Heron still commands a response from his audience, he urges in a way that he never has before: that of a tortured soul, begging others not to follow his path.
(8.5/10)
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
4 1/2 stars-- Uncompromising and intense-- in short, everything you wanted from Gil Scott-Heron
February 9, 2010
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
It's been quite some time now since Gil Scott-Heron's last record (Spirits) came out, long enough to make me question, between the inactivity of recording and his recent legal problems, whether or not Scott-Heron, whose political activist voice we so desperately missed during the Bush presidency, would ever return. Featuring a modern vibe from producer Richard Russell, Scott-Heron mixes blues covers, originals and spoken word pieces to great effect-- passionate to the point of painful, disarming in its honesty and at times fierce. In fact, if there was a criticism to make, it's that the record is brief (around 30 minutes). But brief as it may be, "I'm New Here" is a powerful record, and certainly one we've been waiting for.
The album has that feel of exorcism to it, whether it's the demons of stereotype ("On Coming From a Broken Home") or those more recent (the title track). Sparse instrumentation in a highly modern context-- more modern than you think an elder statesman of music like Scott-Heron could pull off, provide a backdrop for his world weary voice, having lost some of its smooth delivery but still capable of summoning extraordinary depth of emotion. I never thought I'd hear anyone match the haunted Robert Johnson, but Scott-Heron takes on the blues great on "Me and the Devil" and matches him. Likewise, he expresses a pragmatic tenderness on "I'll Take Care of You" and an odd regretfulness on "Running".
Something stops me from thinking of this like Scott-Heron's masterpieces of old-- maybe its the lack of political commentary, maybe it's the lack of explosive joy that his previous records all seemed to have-- there's no "Red, Black & Green" or "Your Daddy Loves You" or "B-Movie" on this one. But look, it's hard to speak of what could have been on an album I never expected to see. It's a great record on its own merits. Highly recommended.
The album has that feel of exorcism to it, whether it's the demons of stereotype ("On Coming From a Broken Home") or those more recent (the title track). Sparse instrumentation in a highly modern context-- more modern than you think an elder statesman of music like Scott-Heron could pull off, provide a backdrop for his world weary voice, having lost some of its smooth delivery but still capable of summoning extraordinary depth of emotion. I never thought I'd hear anyone match the haunted Robert Johnson, but Scott-Heron takes on the blues great on "Me and the Devil" and matches him. Likewise, he expresses a pragmatic tenderness on "I'll Take Care of You" and an odd regretfulness on "Running".
Something stops me from thinking of this like Scott-Heron's masterpieces of old-- maybe its the lack of political commentary, maybe it's the lack of explosive joy that his previous records all seemed to have-- there's no "Red, Black & Green" or "Your Daddy Loves You" or "B-Movie" on this one. But look, it's hard to speak of what could have been on an album I never expected to see. It's a great record on its own merits. Highly recommended.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By B. Bowman
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I've been delaying writing a review for this one for a while. As a life long Gil Scott-Heron fan I wanted to make sure I really let this one sink in before I reviewed it. This is a tough album to review at any rate; I'm sure a lot of Gil's fans would have loved a return to the work they remember from the 1970's after waiting sixteen years since his last release, but Gil is Gil. He has never pulled any punches, and he's not about to start now. It's no secret that Gil has a drug problem, has fallen victim to the worst of what he sang about in his classic song about addiction "The Bottle", and has been to prison since his last album was released. He doesn't gloss anything over with "I'm New Here". The many spoken word clips (and I say clips because in some instances they are not poems or full spoken word pieces, but could more aptly be described as studio banter) that make up half of this disc are confessions, self deprecating jokes in some instances, and thoughts from Gil. The two part "On Coming From a Broken Home" is more of a fully formed spoken word poem, and is the exception. Most listeners probably had the same reaction as I did when first hearing Gil's version of Robert Johnson's "Me And The Devil": that Gil's voice has seen better days. However, I saw Gil perform in New York city in November 2009, and his vocals were noticeably smoother than on some of the songs on "I'm New Here". I can only conclude that this strained vocal style was a production choice, and an odd one considering that Gil has never had to scream or strain his voice in order to convey emotion in the past. His vocals on the more relaxed title track and the standard "I'll Take Care Of You" are easier on the ear, and are that much more effective. Also effective is Gil's mix of restrained singing and spoken word on the track "I'm New Here".
To conclude, I had mixed emotions after listening to this album for the first time, and would have rated it two or three stars at best. Yes, I felt sad that Gil has fallen on hard times, and I was disappointed that this disc didn't leave me wanting to play it again. But I can appreciate the honesty and courage that it took for Gil to release such an album, when most music today is as transparent as saran wrap. As I stated before, I saw Gil perform in NYC in November of 2009, right before this album's release. He showed up over an hour late for the show, and did stand up comedy for the first 45 minutes, which was hysterical. Through it all the man had not forgotten how to laugh, and how to make others laugh. When he finally did sit down at the Fender Rhodes and play a few songs it was about the time that the show should have been over. However, I didn't take my eyes off the stage once. The naysayers may say, "Yeah, but you should have seen him with the Midnight Band back in the day...", but I can tell you, I had tears rolling down my face when Gil sang "Pieces Of A Man" that night. Through all the trials of his life, Gil still had not lost the power to communicate his gift and to reach people. This disc may not be the comeback album that any of us were hoping for, but it is an honest portrait of a broken man. Listen with open ears...
To conclude, I had mixed emotions after listening to this album for the first time, and would have rated it two or three stars at best. Yes, I felt sad that Gil has fallen on hard times, and I was disappointed that this disc didn't leave me wanting to play it again. But I can appreciate the honesty and courage that it took for Gil to release such an album, when most music today is as transparent as saran wrap. As I stated before, I saw Gil perform in NYC in November of 2009, right before this album's release. He showed up over an hour late for the show, and did stand up comedy for the first 45 minutes, which was hysterical. Through it all the man had not forgotten how to laugh, and how to make others laugh. When he finally did sit down at the Fender Rhodes and play a few songs it was about the time that the show should have been over. However, I didn't take my eyes off the stage once. The naysayers may say, "Yeah, but you should have seen him with the Midnight Band back in the day...", but I can tell you, I had tears rolling down my face when Gil sang "Pieces Of A Man" that night. Through all the trials of his life, Gil still had not lost the power to communicate his gift and to reach people. This disc may not be the comeback album that any of us were hoping for, but it is an honest portrait of a broken man. Listen with open ears...
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Album if you are up for something a little different
I really enjoy this album and have listened to it often. If you are up for a little change of pace with your blues then you will probably like this, too. Read more
Published 22 days ago by M. Sallee
5.0 out of 5 stars
Spoken word claustrophobia
Sounds at times like the album Ralph Ellison's invisible man would have made. At times claustrophobic, brutally honest. Read more
Published 25 days ago by Tiny tunes
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dear Gil Scott
If you love Gil, you must have this....his last words. Gil I knew you from the very beginning and I have stuck with you to the bitter end.
Published 2 months ago by Johnnie Roberts
5.0 out of 5 stars
An outstanding swan's song for Gil Scott-Heron
Great CD, wonderful lyrics interspersed with thought provoking dialogue. And the production was outstanding. He saved the best for last!
Published 3 months ago by Adam J. Hecktman
1.0 out of 5 stars
One star for the ONE good song on this album.
When Me and The Devil came up on my Pandora playlist, I immediately purchased the album it was attached too. Unfortunately, I paid $10 for an album with only two songs. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Sean A. Lama
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exactly what I wanted in great shape!!
This record came in quickly after I ordered it and was in great shape. It was wrapped in bubble wrap to prevent damage as well as preserved in original packaging. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Hayli Kirkpatrick
4.0 out of 5 stars
Short tracks, short album, but less may be more ;)
Great album...raw, gritty, mostly spoken-word blues....his voice, backed by the pounding, yet sometimes ethereal rhythms, is like an guiding force that lets you reconcile with the... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Steven Seagraves Jr.
5.0 out of 5 stars
An elegy by a visionary
If you can't understand the intense personal reflection of this album, please just sell it. This is an opus by one of the great singer/songwriters of the past 50 years. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Joel C. Watson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Long Time Waiting - Worth Every Minute
Great album from a true American iconic artist. Worthy of every library. New York Is Killing Me should hold up as well as The Revolution Will Not Be Televised which has stayed... Read more
Published 17 months ago by W. Prince
2.0 out of 5 stars
Where's the music?
I never knew Gil as a spoken word artist, I knew him as a soul singer. Songs like the revolution will not be televised wqas the closest I'd heard but even that has a nice funky... Read more
Published 19 months ago by NoPebbleTossed
