Gil Scott Heron, B Movie

'What this country wants is nostalgia, they want to look back even if it's only as far as last week..looking to the closest thing we can find to John Wayne..show me a time when heroes weren't zeroes...selective amnesia.

America, the Reagan era. Gil's smart words orchestrated to take the mood down lower jazz, his cool dude stage presence gets to the point. The point being the wholesale trickery of politicians, the way they pitch an image regardless of hard facts. Reagan was a Hollywood actor who after his leadership of the actor's union became a right-wing USA president. He peddled the good ole days, the good ole cowboy bang-pop where right shoots down wrong by drawing the pistol from the belt. 'This aint really your life, aint really your life, ain't nothing but a movie.'

Gil Scott Heron is sometimes describes as 'the godfather of rap'. He listened to rap because he was a poet and a musician, he liked listening to music with word power and he preferred the term 'bluesologist.' His critique of rap was 'they need to study music. I played in several bands before I began my career as a poet.'

B-Movie is easy to find on You-tube as are several others of his performance works. Brilliant and he makes it all look and sound so effortless. The revolution will not be televised.

Comments

I am a massive fan Elsie. Saw him live at Shepherds Bush and Kentish Town many years ago. Been playing a lot of his stuff recently and he has certainly influenced the way i write poetry.

I Think I'll Call It Morning is a favourite as is Johannesberg and The Bottle. Whiteys On The Moon makes me smile everytime I hear it and I Come From A Broken Home is just genius.

The great man is sadly missed.

 

Saw him live. Jolono I am truly envious!