It's near the end of
African-American History month (AKA
Black History Month), and I've realized that I haven't posted anything acknowledging it. I decided
Gil Scott-Heron's 2010 LP "
I'm New Here", his final LP before his death in 2011, was a good candidate. I reviewed his cover of "
Me and the Devil Blues" in 2011 and said I'd review the LP "later", so I guess it's time to get around to it.
As I stated in 2011, prior to this LP I didn't know that much about GSH other than his "hits" ("
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" & "
Whitey On The Moon"). "I'm New Here" was his first LP since 1994 ("
Spirits"), and his prior LP to that was 1982 ("
Moving Target"). This means that while he was dormant, a lot happened in music, and his 1970s experimental jazz sound would have sounded dated in 2010. Instead, his LP was produced by
Richard Russell (of XL Recordings), who gave him a menacing and minimalist electronic soundtrack, arguably a "
Witch house" sound (though that label is often disputed). The shrill saxophones have been replaced with thin, dark drone, which to my ears is a perfect complement to GSH's weathered and weary voice. On songs like "Me and the Devil", the combination is simply amazing.
How you feel about this LP will largely depend on how you feel about "songs" that are mostly spoken word with limited actual singing. On the other hand, if you like
Lou Reed and songs like "
Dirty Boulevard", well... you should revisit Gil Scott-Heron.
Standout songs: "
Me and the Devil", "On Coming from a Broken Home" (
Parts 1 and
2), "
I'm New Here", "
Your Soul and Mine", "
New York Is Killing Me", "
Where Did the Night Go"
Skip 'em songs: none
Final score: 9/10
