LP - 180g Black Vinyl. An all-analaog remastered edition of Gil Scott-Heron’s 1972 album taken from the original master tapes. Includes in-depth notes.
This Gil Scott-Heron album is special as one side consists of songs all but one written with Brian Jackson and the flipside is of poetry. Both forms showcase the political and the personal, in a way where even the time-specific lyrics transcend their era. Gil and Brian are backed an all-star band consisting of Bernard Purdie, Gerry Jemmott, Hubert Laws and David Spinozza. These help bring out the pathos in the achingly sad Did You Hear What They Say one of Gil's finest pieces of writing. Gil's final album for Flying Dutchman, it capped a hugely creative period for him when he wrote many of his best-remembered songs.
Ace have embarked on a series of all analogue re-mastering projects, to bring the listener as close to the sound captured on tape as possible. The first release was Gil Scott-Heron’s Pieces Of A Man which was released early in 2023 and this second outing is Free Will. Ace took the original master tape to Frank Merritt at the Carvery who transferred the audio and mastered it before making this new cut himself. Ace then had it pressed on 180 gram vinyl and the only wish now is that you drop the needle, sit back and go back to 1972 to enjoy Gil Scott- Heron in his prime.
Tracklist:
Side One
1. Free Will [3:30]
2. The Middle Of Your Day [4:30]
3. The Get Out Of The Ghetto Blues [5:04]
4. Speed Kills [3:15]
5. Did You Hear What They Said? [3:28]
Side Two
1. The King Alfred Plan [2:45]
2. No Knock [2:12]
3. Wiggy [1:38]
4. Ain't No New Thing [4:29]
5. Billy Green Is Dead [1:30]
6. Sex Education: Ghetto Style [0:50]
7. ... And Then He Wrote Meditations [3:14]