First Minute of a New Day
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CD Details
Edition: Music CDAudio: English (Original Language)
Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 1998-04-07
Music Label: Tvt
Soundtracks:
- Offering
- The Liberation Song (Red, Black And Green)
- Must Be Something
- Ain't No Such Thing As Superman
- Pardon Our Analysis (We Beg Your Pardon)
- Guerilla
- Winter In America
- Western Sunrise
- Alluswe
- A Talk: Bluesology/Black History/Jaws/The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (Live From Wax Museum...
- Winter In America (Solo Version)
Music reviews of First Minute of a New Day
Music Review: 4 1/2 stars-- a powerful statement.
Rating: 4 Stars
Armed with a contract from the fledgling Arista record label and building on the success of the stripped back "Winter in America", Gil Scott-Heron and musical partner Brian Jackson entered the studio to record "The First Minute of the New Day". Whereas "Winter in America" was largely just Scott-Heron and Jackson, "The First Minute of the New Day" is fully arranged music sitting close to a vocal jazz style, but with a healthy dose of funk overtones. The sound on this record is distinctive and quite unlike much of Scott-Heron's other work-- in part because of the presence of additional vocalist Victor Brown. Brown's high tenor provides a fantastic offset to Scott-Heron's lower register, and the two harmonize to great effect. The band supporting them is essentially a sax quartet (Bilal Sunni Ali on reeds, Jackson on piano, Danny Bowens on electric bass and Bob Adams on drums) augmented by a trio of percussionists-- Charlie Saunders, Eddie Knowles and Barnett Williams. The band whips up a blues/jazz/funk stew, anchored effectively by Bowens, who proves stunningly agile and effective, weaving in and out of the delicate wall of percussion and the melodies.
The pieces themselves on the album are staggering in their diversity, from a mournful blues ("Winter in America") to a delicate and serene jazz ballad ("Offering") to deep funk ("The Liberation Song") and spoken word ("Pardon Our Analysis"). As expected, Scott-Heron's lyrical wit is in full effect, whether discussing the politics of Africa, the Nixon administration, the state of the nation or just reflections on everyday life, he's nothing short of brilliant.
This reissue augments the album with a pair of bonus tracks- an extended spoken word piece including a reprise of Scott-Heron's famed "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" (and one of the most brilliant performances on record by him in spoken word) and a solo performance of "Winter in America" from the late '70s. All of this is remastered and sounds superb.
It's not quite the masterpiece that it's predecessor ("Winter in America") or its successor ("From South Africa to South Carolina") is, but "The First Minute of a New Day" is a fantastic album, capturing an artist at his peak. Highly recommended.
Description of First Minute of a New Day
Digitally remastered edition of this 1975 album. Gil Scott Heron is justifiably recognized as one of the most unique black music artists of all time. His music transgresses all musical barriers in the same way that Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley and Marvin Gaye did. First Minute Of A New Day was the first album that Gil and collaborator Brian Jackson recorded with the fantastic Midnight Band, and is a revelation throughout. The album reflects all the aspects of Gil and Brian's music, a mixture of Soul, Jazz and other influences sometimes powerful, mellow at others, but always compelling. But it is the lyrics and messages of the songs that really made Gil Scott Heron stand out from his contemporaries, always telling a story and informing us of situations that needed attention.If you're considering digging into the stack of Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson reissues, this is the place to start. First Minute is one fantastic, seminal album--just bursting with Jackson's serious piano, Bilal Sunni Ali's deluxe woodwinds, and Barnett Williams and Charlie Saunders's relentless percussion. The entire Midnight Band, in fact, positively struts, cajoles, and freaks the funk out all over this 1975 powerhouse. Scott-Heron himself raps ("Pardon Our Analysis"), rocks ("The Liberation Song"), and rolls ("Alluswe") in that magic voice that critic Neil Tesser once described as "mahogany, sunshine, and tears." First Minute also boasts the Scott-Heron classics "Ain't No Such Thing As Superman" and "Winter in America." The 11-minute bonus track, "A Talk," makes this set nearly indispensable. --Michael Ruby
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