BGP Vinyl & CDs

Review: One of Gil Scott-Heron's most renowned live performances gets a reissue here via BGP. Performing his then best-known musical poetry hits at the time - at an obscure venue on East 125th Street & Lenox Avenue in Harlem, New York - Small Talk At 125th And Lenox was officially Scott-Heron's first album. It was received by a small audience, and contained such greats as 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised', 'Brother', 'Evolution' and 'Paint It Black'. Backed by hand drums and jazz piano, our favourite from this classic has to be 'Who'll Pay Reparations On My Soul?', a musical-philosophical masterpiece that nails the unquantifiability of psychic grief.

Review: Originally planned for release last year to mark the 50th anniversary of the album's creation, Gil Scott-Heron's most renowned full-length returns in stunning, audiophile quality sound. This time round, the album has been stretched across two discs, both of which have been pressed at 45rpm for louder sound. Created by Scott-Heron and musical sparring partner Brian Jackson with the assistance of producer Bob Thiele, Pieces of a Man remains an incredible album, with a string of classic cuts - think 'Home is Where The Hatred Is', 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised' and 'Save the Children' - being joined by such lesser-celebrated delights as the fizzing 'Lady Day and John Coltrane', the blissful 'I Think I'll Call It Morning' and 'A Sign of the Ages'.

Review: Gil-Scott Heron was at the peak of his powers when he recorded Free Will as a follow-up to career highlight Pieces Of A Man. Originally released in 1972, it's steeped in the song craft of its predecessor and charged with the polemic that elevated his work to some of the greatest to ever shine a light on the Black American experience. The likes of 'Speed Kills' show just how tender Scott-Heron could be, while 'Did You Hear What They Said?' Ranks as one of the most heartbreaking tracks he ever committed to tape. 'The King Alfred Plan' and 'No Knock' prefigure rap as the legend's impassioned poetry rides on the rawest of percussion tracks. It's, quite simply, a masterpiece.