Pieces of a Man
by Gil Scott-Heron
- Type: Album
- Released: 1971
- Label: Flying Dutchman
- Country: United States
- Length: 1:00:47
- Community rating: 4.37/5 from 11 ratings
Album Notes & Community Reviews
'Pieces of a Man' documents Gil Scott-Heron's decisive shift from spoken-word poet to singer-songwriter, establishing his seminal collaboration with musician Brian Jackson. The album's fluid blend of soul, jazz, and funk, featuring top-tier session musicians like Ron Carter and Hubert Laws, creates a supple backdrop for Scott-Heron's empathetic singing and incisive lyricism. Its songs range from cinematic narratives of personal struggle, such as the title track and "Home Is Where the Hatred Is," to the enduring proto-rap anthem "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," securing its legacy as a foundational work of politically conscious music.
Genres
Descriptors: spoken-word, storytelling, social-commentary, piano, soulful
Tracklist
- The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (03:07)
- Save the Children (04:27)
- Lady Day and John Coltrane (03:36)
- Home Is Where the Hatred Is (03:21)
- When You Are Who You Are (03:22)
- I Think I'll Call It Morning (03:31)
- Pieces of a Man (04:54)
- A Sign of the Ages (04:02)
- Or Down You Fall (03:13)
- The Needle's Eye (04:50)
- The Prisoner (09:26)
- Chains (03:25)
- Peace (06:08)
- A Toast to the People (03:25)
Credits
- Gil Scott-Heron - guitar, piano, vocals, writer
- Brian Jackson - piano, electric piano, co-writer
- Hubert Laws - flute, saxophone
- Burt Jones - electric guitar
- Ron Carter - bass, electric bass
- Bernard "Pretty" Purdie - drums
- Johnny Pate - conductor
- Bob Thiele - producer
- Bob Simpson - mixing
- Charles Stewart - cover photo
- Haig Adishian - design