As a memorial on the third anniversary of his passing, I offer a potential 10@10 set of my favorite
works from Gil Scott-Heron: musician, poet, visionary. While many notable musical talents have
been lost in the struggle with drug (ab)use, I think that his was perhaps the greatest loss.
1. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
2. Lady Day and John Coltrane
3. Johannesburg
4. Winter In America
5. Racetrack In France
6. Shut Um Down
7. Blue Collar
8. Inner City Blues
9. Gun
10.B Movie
If I had to recommend just one song, I'd go with B Movie -- its rap will grab you from the
first line, and thirty years later it's still very relevant. I found it uncannily prescient in the months
before the 2008 Presidential election. It's long though, and gets repetitive at the end, so if you're
pressed for time, try Gun. It's about four minutes of an upbeat, surprisingly danceable R&B
tune with spot-on lyrics that are still applicable today. If there was any justice in the world, this
would have been a big hit in 1981.
