Reflections (Gil Scott-Heron album)
| Reflections | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1981 | |||
| Studio | TONTO | |||
| Label | Arista | |||
| Producer | Gil Scott-Heron, Malcolm Cecil | |||
| Gil Scott-Heron chronology | ||||
| ||||
Reflections is an album by the American poet and musician Gil Scott-Heron, released in 1981.[1][2] It was his second album without Brian Jackson.[3] Scott-Heron supported the album with a North American tour.[4] The album peaked at No. 106 on the Billboard 200.[5]
Arista Records mailed a copy of "'B' Movie'" to every member of Congress.[6] "'B' Movie" was a hit on Black radio stations.[6]
Production[edit]
Recorded at TONTO Studio, the album was coproduced by Malcolm Cecil.[7][8] Scott-Heron was backed by the Midnight Band.[9] "'B' Movie" is a criticism of Ronald Reagan, whose image appears on the album cover in one of the lenses of Scott-Heron's glasses.[10] "Inner City Blues" is a version of the Marvin Gaye song.[11] "Grandma's Hands" is a cover of the Bill Withers song.[9]
Critical reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [9] |
| Robert Christgau | B+[12] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [13] |
| The Guardian | [14] |
| Knight Ridder | 7/10[15] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [16] |
Robert Christgau called "'B' Movie" Scott-Heron's "smartest political rap ever"; Knight Ridder deemed it "a bitter tour de force."[12][15] The Tucson Citizen labeled the album Scott-Heron's "slicing philosophy of America's determined return to the years before social conscience and civil rights."[17] The Philadelphia Daily News praised the "brilliantly articulated bad-tidings."[18]
The Independent deemed the album "a classic."[19] The Guardian concluded that, "unlike some of those he influenced, Scott-Heron had enough intellectual and musical flexibility to ensure that his medium wasn't crushed under the ponderous weight of his message."[14] AllMusic wrote that the cover of "Inner City Blues" "swings convincingly, [but] has a lengthy spoken-word riff that fails to embellish on the pain implicit in the original."[9]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Storm Music" | 4:51 |
| 2. | "Grandma's Hands" | 5:24 |
| 3. | "Is That Jazz?" | 3:43 |
| 4. | "Morning Thoughts" | 4:37 |
| 5. | "Inner City Blues (Poem: 'The Siege of New Orleans')" | 5:46 |
| 6. | "Gun" | 4:00 |
| 7. | "'B' Movie" | 12:10 |
References[edit]
- ^ McEnroe, Colin (25 Sep 1981). "Scott-Heron's Music Is Political Forum". The Hartford Courant. p. D5.
- ^ "Gil Scott-Heron: Angry Voice?". New Pittsburgh Courier. 3 Oct 1981. p. 6.
- ^ Patrin, Nate (May 30, 2011). "Gil Scott-Heron". Pitchfork. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- ^ Goodin, M.A. (17 Oct 1981). "Musical 'Muckraker' to Bring His Message Here". Michigan Chronicle. p. 3.
- ^ "Gil Scott-Heron". Billboard. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- ^ a b Harrington, Richard (3 Apr 1982). "Gil Scott-Heron". The Washington Post. p. C11.
- ^ Maucéri, Thomas (2023). In Search of Gil Scott-Heron. Titan Comics.
- ^ "Gil Scott-Heron Biography by John Bush". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Reflections Review by Dan LeRoy". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- ^ Blackistone, Kevin B. (8 Oct 1981). "A Voice for Change". Calendar. The Boston Globe. p. 1.
- ^ "Gil Scott-Heron: Reflections". Louisville Defender. 8 Oct 1981. p. A8.
- ^ a b "Gil Scott-Heron". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press.
- ^ a b Sweeting, Adam (6 Aug 2004). "Friday Review: Gil Scott-Heron". Guardian Friday Pages. The Guardian. p. 14.
- ^ a b Shefchik, Rick (31 Oct 1981). "Music". Muncie Evening Press. Knight Ridder. p. T8.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 622.
- ^ Graham, Chuck (24 Oct 1981). "Album Reviews". Sounds. Tucson Citizen. p. 15.
- ^ "Hot New Record Releases Solve Gift Woes". Philadelphia Daily News. 18 Dec 1981. p. 58.
- ^ Maycock, James (30 May 2011). "Gil Scott-Heron". Viewspaper. The Independent. p. 8.
