Genius. Great track selection. Horrible, low audio.
This is not a review of Mr. Gil Scott-Heron's work or legacy. I am a believer and own many of his albums on either vinyl or (yes I'm serious) 8 Track. I specifically bought this compilation on CD to finally have a clean sounding, easy-to-play format.

The problem with this CD is that the audio is transferred to the CD at a very, very low volume. Much lower than any of my LPs or carts. At first I thought I received a bad CD and promptly exchanged it. The second one was as bad as the first.

For perspective, an average CD, LP or even 8 Track on my system is decently loud at -27 dB to -19 dB. Rarely do I turn my system up past -15 dB - and I like my music LOUD. This recording has to be turned up to -6 dB before it sounds reasonably listenable. To put it another way, should I take this one out and put in another CD without adjusting the volume, it would be so loud I would possibly ruin my speakers, my eardrums, set off nearby car alarms and drive the neighbors to call the cops.

And believe me, I promptly took the CD out, adjusted my tuner to - 26 dB, popped in the new Gnarls Barkley which sounded just fine.

It's too bad. Great music. Highly gifted artist. Could it be a bad batch? Two in a row? Anyone else experience this?

Real Inspiration for Futurama Title Song
This poet's rendition of the title track is the real inspiration for Fox's Futurama title song.

Gil Scott -Heron is a Genius
I have this album already I just needed the CD to listen to in my car.
Gil Scott-Heron is remarkably a talented and true to the word genius. I haven't listened to other CD's since I purchased "The Revoution Will Not Be Televised". Go out and purchase this DC and listen to each and every word.

Nothing More Powerful
"The revolution will not be right back after a message
about a white tornado, white lightning, or white people."

More than 30 years after its release, this album remains a powerful message of the realities faced by real people in the real ghetto of real America. With jazz and R&B as the backdrop, Gil Scott-Heron - in 17 tracks - raps straight about the truth from the streets.

"You will not have to worry about a dove in your
bedroom, a tiger in your tank, or the giant in your toilet bowl."

From one of the greatest tracks ever recorded - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised - to the smooth Lady Day and John Coltrane and the pointed questions - Brother - this is music achieving its full potential through poetry.

"The revolution will not go better with Coke."

My second favorite track remains Whitey On The Moon, with its dripping sarcastic lyrics comparing the squalor at home with the "triumph" in outer space. The Prisoner - because its the final cut - may not receive the props it truly deserves.

"The revolution will not fight the germs that may cause bad breath."

Scott-Heron was forging a path for the best elements of punk rock and hip-hop. But it says something about those genres that few artists could truly look outward, see clearly & write with any meaning at all. And what does it say about leadership and priorities when Scott-Heron's lyrics remain the motif of the struggle?

"The revolution will put you in the driver's seat."

Proto hip hop and jazz protest music with soul
Soulful, melodic and biting social commentary circa 1974 is what you'll find on "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised." Gil Scott-Heron pulls no punches in his assessment of America. This is not some feel good R&B or cartoonish gansta rap. Social protest and commentary are the order on this album. Kind of like the Public Enemy of his day, Gil Scott-Heron stays grounded in the real and the here and now. Musically I'd say that this is insightful and swinging proto hip hop with definite jazz influences. Conga and flute driven funk. Lyrically some of this stuff is funny yet caustic social comment and satire, and some is a bit more seriously political, sad and heartfelt. The song "Lady Day and John Coltrane" celebrates two powerfully emotive and creative musicians. Gil was influenced by The Last Poets with whom he played on his first album (I think), arguably the first rap group, and in turn influenced modern artists such as the Roots. Protest music rarely gets as soulful, funky and emotional as this. I still get as much of a kick from Whitey On The Moon now as I did when I first heard it back in the seventies. The ghetto is crumbling and people don't have enough to eat, and we'll spend millions to put a man on the moon. Talk about getting your priorities straight. Scott-Heron was putting a magnifying glass on black american society and experiences that were largely ignored by white majority America. This is one of Gil Scott-Heron's best works and not for those easily offended. Sometimes the truth hurts. He's out to wake people up, not put them to sleep.