Album Of The Year 2010? A contender

[thegrumpybiker]

Just been listening (via Grooveshark) online to I'm New here by Gil Scott-Heron.
The once clear and powerful voice is more croaky and slurred due to his recent personal demons but still powerful.
Considering that this man is known as "The Godfather of Rap" it's a crime he's not as well known as imposters like Jay-Z and the like.
If this doesn't get into end of year lists as a top 20 album, it'll be a sign of either a) An exceptional year for quality music or Reviewers without a clue.

 

[trustysteed]

If this doesn't get into end of year lists as a top 20 album, it'll be a sign of either a) An exceptional year for quality music or Reviewers without a clue.

or c) personal choice?

more of a dr dre fan myself..

 

[Fnaar]

I used to go and see Gil regularly, before his drug-related lost years. Had a listen to this... will buy, but it doesn't really do it for me like (a lot of) his old stuff.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I got flamed on The Guardian site for daring to suggest that this album was very difficult to listen to and that Gil Scott Heron (one of absolute favourite artists full stop) has declined in a painful way. This is still my view. I can't listen to this album again. There's perhaps two complete and important songs on it, one of which is artificially split into two (I reckon to give the album a false semblence of unity). The music (backing tracks, basically) generally has no organic relationship to the words, especially if you compare it to the Brian Jackson days. His voice is shot. He seems tired and broken.

I think it will get into many reviewers Top 20 for the opposite reasons to grumpy - there is a herd-mentality amongst professional reviewers who have already decided that it's 'great'. Personally, I find listening to the wreckage of great talent brought down by the sytem and his own personal problems unpleasant and not a little exploitative. But apparently this view is not shared...

 

[Damaged Hero]

My vote goes to Glee The Music:Vol 1