#SRCZ Album Flashback #30: Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here
The comeback album is almost a genre
in and of itself. But In amongst the many hundreds and thousands of comeback
albums there are many examples of the rule of change is a bad thing.
I won't go through the list as that's
an entirely separate article from this, but suffice to say that the late and
great Gil Scott Heron's first album after a fifteen year break wasn't one of
them. In fact, the title I'm New Here belies the fact that his debut album was
released in 1970 and that his style hadn't changed much over the years except
for the hip-hop inspired backing that this album works with so well.
The most noticeable thing in fact is
how his voice had changed, gruffer with the experiences of addiction and
incarceration he has been through recently. But whilst these experiences would
make many a person give up completely, Heron had lost none of his wit or verbal
sensibility and these qualities shine through especially on the opener and closer
On Coming From A Broken Home, an unrelentingly honest and thankful reading that
really makes you think.
In our original review of this album
we wrote that "If this is his final album, then he certainly has given us
an excellent present to remember him by..."
In actual fact, the follow up remix
album We're New Here, a collaboration with The xx's Jamie xx was the final
release of his mortal career. But in both of these releases there is truly much
to enjoy still now. Inevitably,
people will compare this to his more well known works, and in this writers
opinion that is a valid yet pointless comparison.
I'm New Here is an older and wiser
Heron discussing life after an addiction and much more besides from the
perspective of the wisdom it gave him. In a way, it's title is startlingly
succinct in that fifteen years is a long time away and in a way, Heron's first
album released in the digital era where a revolution can not only be televised,
but transmitted, printed, digitized and much more besides is a landmark in
music. Many will not know him by name, but his Revolution is known by all.
Needless to say, give it a listen. You will be inspired, awed and
impressed.
(C.Agent)