Small Talk at 125th and Lenox
Small Talk at 125th and Lenox | ||||
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Live album by Gil Scott-Heron | ||||
Released | 1970 | |||
Venue | 125th & Lenox Nightclub (New York, New York) | |||
Genre | Jazz poetry, proto-rap, spoken word | |||
Length | 44:01 | |||
Label | Flying Dutchman/RCA FD-10143 | |||
Producer | Bob Thiele | |||
Gil Scott-Heron chronology | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
![]() 2001 reissue cover | ||||
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Billboard | (favorable)[2] |
Virgin Encyclopedia | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Uncut | 7/10[4] |
A New Black Poet - Small Talk at 125th and Lenox, also known simply as Small Talk at 125th and Lenox,[5] is a live album and the first release of recording artist Gil Scott-Heron, released in 1970 on Flying Dutchman Records.[6] Recording sessions for the album were originally said to have taken place live at a New York nightclub located on the corner of 125th Street and Lenox Avenue,[5] but liner notes included in the 2012 box set The Revolution Begins: The Flying Dutchman Masters, Scott-Heron himself insists that a small audience was brought to "the studio" and seated on "folding chairs".[7] By the time of the recordings, Scott-Heron had published a volume of poetry and his first novel, The Vulture.[8] Well received by music critics, who found Scott-Heron's material imaginative,[2][3] Small Talk at 125th and Lenox has been described as "a volcanic upheaval of intellectualism and social critique" by AllMusic editor John Bush.[1]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Gil Scott-Heron
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Introduction/The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" | 3:17 |
2. | "Omen" | 1:45 |
3. | "Brother" | 2:35 |
4. | "Comment #1" | 4:26 |
5. | "Small Talk at 125th & Lenox" | 1:20 |
6. | "The Subject Was Faggots" | 3:10 |
7. | "Evolution (And Flashback)" | 3:20 |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Plastic Pattern People" | 2:50 |
2. | "Whitey on the Moon" | 1:57 |
3. | "The Vulture" | 2:00 |
4. | "Enough" | 8:37 |
5. | "Paint It Black" | 0:30 |
6. | "Who'll Pay Reparations on My Soul?" | 4:20 |
7. | "Everyday" | 4:20 |
- "Who'll Pay Reparations on My Soul?" runs at 5:14 on CD reissue.[5]
Personnel
- David Barnes – percussion, vocals
- Charlie Saunders, Eddie Knowles – congas
- Gil Scott-Heron – guitar, piano, vocals
- Technical
- Charles Stewart – cover art
- Bob Thiele – producer
Legacy
Leon Bridges performed a new rendition of "Whitey on the Moon" in the 2018 Damien Chazelle film First Man, which was also included on the film's soundtrack album.[9]
Notes
- ^ a b Bush, John. Review: Small Talk at 125th and Lenox. AllMusic. Retrieved on 2009-07-31.
- ^ a b Columnist. "Review: Small Talk at 125th and Lenox". Billboard: 14: October 2, 1971
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin. "Review: Small Talk at 125th and Lenox". Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music: March 1, 2002.
- ^ Williamson, Nigel (September 2015). "Gil Scott-Heron: Small Talk At 125th And Lennox". Uncut. p. 94.
- ^ a b c Track listing and credits as per liner notes for Small Talk at 125th and Lenox CD reissue
- ^ Small Talk at 125th and Lenox (LP) Archived 2011-06-04 at the Wayback Machine. Discogs. Retrieved on 2009-07-31.
- ^ Gill Scott Heron The Revolution begins-The Flying Dutchman Masters 3 cd including booklet with notes by Dean Rudland, Ace Records 2012
- ^ Bordowitz, Hank. "Gil Scott-Heron Archived 2008-10-03 at the Wayback Machine". American Visions: June 1, 1998.
- ^ NPR "First Man Considers Glory, Grief And A Famous Walk On The Moon" Archived 2020-06-06 at the Wayback Machine by Linda Holmes, October 11, 2018 (retrieved October 12, 2018)
References
- Gil Scott-Heron, Nat Hentoff. Small Talk at 125th and Lenox. reissue liner notes. BMG Victor Inc.
- Colin Larkin (2002). Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Edition 4. Virgin Books. ISBN 1-85227-923-0.
External links
- Small Talk at 125th and Lenox at Discogs
- v
- t
- e
- Pieces of a Man (1971)
- Free Will (1972)
- The Mind of Gil Scott-Heron (1978)
- Real Eyes (1980)
- Reflections (1981)
- Moving Target (1982)
- Spirits (1994)
- I'm New Here (2010)
- Nothing New (2014)
Co-billed with Brian Jackson |
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with Jamie xx |
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with Makaya McCraven |
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- Small Talk at 125th and Lenox (1970)
- It's Your World (1976; with Jackson)
- Minister of Information: Live (1994)
- Tour de Force (Live) (2004)
- The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (1974)
- The Best of Gil Scott-Heron (Arista) (1984)
- Tales of Gil Scott-Heron (1990)
- Glory: The Gil Scott-Heron Collection (1990)
- Ghetto Style (1998)
- The Gil Scott-Heron Collection: Sampler 1974-1975 (1998)
- Evolution (And Flashback): The Very Best of Gil Scott-Heron (1999)
- Save the Children (2004)
- Anthology: Messages (2005)
- The Revolution Begins: The Flying Dutchman Masters (2011)
- "Home Is Where the Hatred Is"
- "The Bottle"
- "Johannesburg"
- "B-Movie"
- "Superman"
- "Hello Sunday! Hello Road!"
- "Storm Music"
- "Re-Ron"
- "Winter in America"
- "Space Shuttle"
- "Don't Give Up"
- "The Klan"
- "Me and the Devil"
- Discography
- Brian Jackson
- Perpis-Fall Music, Inc.
- Flying Dutchman Records
- Strata-East Records
- Proto-rap
- Orange Man