Gil Scott-Heron - Revolution Begins: The Flying Dutchman Masters CD

Revolution Begins: The Flying Dutchman Masters songs I'm New Here is a shock. It's a wallop filled with big nasty beats, a wide range of sonic atmospheres, and more -- sometimes unintentional -- autobiographical intimacy than we've heard from Gil Scott-Heron than ever before. Produced by XL Recordings head Richard Russell, I'm New Here is his first record in 16 years. It is a scant 28 minutes and doesn't need to be a second longer. It's unlike anything he's previously recorded, though there is metaphoric precedence in his earliest, largely spoken word albums. Its production pushes forcefully at the margins, and Scott-Heron embraces it without a hint of nostalgia. It opens with "On Coming from a Broken Home," the first of a two-part poem that bookends the album. Over a piano and a sampled string loop (from Kanye West's "Flashing Lights"), he reflects on his upbringing filled with strong female figures and an unconventional structure, with a startling epiphany at the end. It segues immediately into a slamming read of Robert Johnson's "Me and the Devil," with enormous hip-hop drums, sampled strings, and sonic effects that create a sense of brooding menace as Scott-Heron wails with bracing rawness to hair-raising effect. Just as quickly, the album shifts dramatically. A lone acoustic guitar introduces the Bill Callahan-penned title track. Scott-Heron recites the verse but sings its refrain: "No matter how far wrong gone/You can always turn around." It feels like he's speaking into a mirror with a dawning awareness of who -- and what -- he's become as he accepts it. He now owns this song. A Burial-like wall of effects over a cello loop introduces "Your Soul and Mine." It's Scott-Heron's unflinching look at death, and the way it feeds, yet ends with a warrior's words: "So if you see the vulture coming/Flying circles in your mind/Remember there is no escaping/For he will follow close behind/Only promise me a battle/For your soul, and mine." It's not all darkness, however. A reading of Bobby "Blue" Bland's "I'll Take Care of You," features Gil's soulful piano with a small string section. He sings it tenderly, in a now-raspier but still deeply expressive voice; it stands out sonically, but belongs here because of its intimacy. "New York Is Killing Me," based on a John Lee Hooker blues, has been reinvented with almost entirely new lyrics and arrangement. Singers from the Harlem Gospel Choir; handclaps, bass drums, cymbals, synths, and guitar are treated spatially by Russell; Scott-Heron's lead vocal roars from the center. "The Crutch" is a burning atmospheric poem about a junkie's life. Scott-Heron doesn't distance himself from his subject; it isn't mere observation, but an empathic elegy, and Russell's suffocatingly close production brings it home. Forty years after his debut, I'm New Here contains the artful immediacy that distinguishes Scott-Heron's best art. The modern production adds immeasurably to that quality, underscores his continued relevance in reflecting the times, and opens his work to a new generation of listeners while giving older ones a righteous jolt. [XL is also offering a limited editon of 300 copies with seven bonus tracks. These include unreleased material from the album's sessions, as well as new versions of "Winter In America" and "Home Is Where The Hatred Is."] ~ Thom Jurek Recording information: Clinton Studios, NY; Looking Glass Studios, NY; XL Studios, London. Photographer: Mischa Richter. Personnel: Gil Scott-Heron (vocals, piano). Audio Mixers: Lawson White; Rodaidh McDonald.

Revolution Begins: The Flying Dutchman Masters album for sale The legend of Dennis Brown lives on. Selected as one of National Public Radio's 50 great Voices in 2010, music fans of all stripes were introduced to his golden voice in the company of Nat Cole, Johnny Cash and other iconic musical figures. Dennis Brown is the archetype of reggae vocalists. His unique, soulful sound earned him legions of fans during his lifetime including Bob Marley who rated Dennis Brown as his favorite singer. Since his passing in 2000, his songs have continued to play in dancehalls and on radio. Now, this deluxe package pays fitting tribute to this great artist. The bonus DVD presents Dennis Brown in concert backed by Lloyd Parks & We the People Band in a 1979 performance and offers up eight additional hits not included on the audio discs. Jackie Mittoo is featured on one track. Photographer: Beth Kingston. Personnel: Dennis Brown (guitar); Errol Nelson, Franklyn "Bubbler" Waul (guitar, keyboards); Lennox Gordon, Dwight Pinkney, Earl "Chinna" Smith , Eric "Bingy Bunny" Lamont, Noel Bailey, Mikey Chung, Robbie Shakespeare, Tony Chin, Bingy Bunny (guitar); Deadly Headley, Danny Walters, Herman Marquis, Nambo Robinson, Tommy McCook, Vin Gordon, Bobby Ellis (horns); Harold Butler, Gladstone, Jackie Mittoo, Keith Sterling, Ansel Collins, Robert Lyn, Steely, Winston Wright (keyboards); Style Scott, Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, Max Edwards, Santa Davis, Sly Dunbar, Mikey "Boo" Richards (drums); Ruddy Thomas, Bongo Herman (percussion). Liner Note Authors: Donald Clive Davidson; Carter Van Pelt.