Liner Note Author: Neil Tesser.

Spanning 1970-1972, this superb collection takes us back to Gil Scott-Heron's early years, when he was working with jazz producer Bob Thiele -- a man who had been in the studio with everyone from John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders to Coleman Hawkins. But The Revolution Will Not Be Televised isn't a jazz collection per se; it's a collection of innovative R&B and spoken poetry that contains jazz influences and finds Scott-Heron employing such jazz musicians as flutist Hubert Laws and bassist Ron Carter. Like the Last Poets, Scott-Heron has been described as "one of the first rappers" -- and while he was hardly the first person to speak in rhyme to music, there are definitely parallels between angry sociopolitical poems like "Whitey on the Moon," "No Knock," and "Brother" and hip-hop commentary from the 1980s. Poetry, however, doesn't dominate this album -- most of the selections illustrate Scott-Heron's excellence as a singer, including "Home Is Where the Hatred Is," "Did You Hear What They Said?," and the poignant "Save the Children." One of the collection's less political tracks is "Lady Day and John Coltrane," an R&B classic that articulates how easily jazz can lift a person's spirits. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised isn't the last word on Scott-Heron's artistry -- he recorded many more treasures after leaving Flying Dutchman for Arista in 1975. But it's one of the collections to acquire if you're exploring his artistry for the first time. ~ Alex Henderson

Gil-Scott Heron was one of the most significant forerunners of rappers, and THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED, a compilation of work recorded between 1970 and 1972, is a great place to start exploring his discography. Heron combines spoken word, R&B, jazz, and an unwavering eye toward racial and economic injustice in America in a unique and hard-hitting way. The title track, Heron's most famous, is a strong attack on the way the racist media can manipulate and distort. Cutting and humorous, Heron gets to the heart of the matter and his literate panache explains why he wrote his first book at the age of 12.

Heron's excellent singing voice is sometimes overshadowed by the strength of his socially conscious spoken word, yet several cuts on REVOLUTION showcase his fine voice. A cross between Mark Murphy and Jackie Wilson, Heron's voice is especially emotive on "The Get Out Of The Ghetto Blues" and "Save the Children." These lilting tracks balance perfectly with brutal commentary like "Whitey on the Moon" and "Sex Education Ghetto Style." A definitive overview of Heron's innovative early work, this compilation is musically riveting from beginning to end, in addition to weighing in as an important historical document.