Gil Scott-Heron - Free Will (1972; 2014)

A reissue of Gil Scott-Heron's 1972 album taken from the original master tapes and additionally featuring alternate takes of all but one of the album tracks as bonus material. It is released in a digipak with in-depth notes.

The album is special as one side consists of songs - all but one written with Brian Jackson - and the flipside is of poetry. Both forms showcase the political and the personal, in a way where even the time-specific lyrics transcend their era.

Gil and Brian are backed by an all-star band consisting of Bernard Purdie, Gerry Jemmott, Hubert Laws and David Spinozza. These help bring out the pathos in the achingly sad Did You Hear What They Say - one of Gil's finest pieces of writing. Gil's final album for Flying Dutchman, it capped a hugely creative period for him when he wrote many of his best-remembered songs.

Also available as a 180g vinyl LP in gatefold sleeve (LP features original track listing only w/o alternates).

Tracklist:
3:42 | 01. Gil Scott-Heron - Free Will
4:33 | 02. Gil Scott-Heron - The Middle Of Your Day
5:11 | 03. Gil Scott-Heron - The Get Out Of The Ghetto Blues
3:19 | 04. Gil Scott-Heron - Speed Kills
3:31 | 05. Gil Scott-Heron - Did You Hear What They Said?
2:46 | 06. Gil Scott-Heron - The King Alfred Plan
2:11 | 07. Gil Scott-Heron - No Knock
1:37 | 08. Gil Scott-Heron - Wiggy
4:33 | 09. Gil Scott-Heron - Ain't No New Thing
1:29 | 10. Gil Scott-Heron - Billy Green Is Dead
0:51 | 11. Gil Scott-Heron - Sex Education: Ghetto Style
3:14 | 12. Gil Scott-Heron - ...And Then He Wrote Meditations
2:58 | 13. Gil Scott-Heron - Free Will (Alt take 1)
4:42 | 14. Gil Scott-Heron - The Middle Of Your Day (Alt take 1)
5:06 | 15. Gil Scott-Heron - The Get Out Of The Ghetto Blues (alternate ending)
3:20 | 16. Gil Scott-Heron - Speed Kills (Alt take 3)
3:31 | 17. Gil Scott-Heron - Did You Hear What They Said? (Alt take 1)
3:02 | 18. Gil Scott-Heron - The King Alfred Plan (Alt)
2:04 | 19. Gil Scott-Heron - No Knock (Alt)
1:32 | 20. Gil Scott-Heron - Wiggy (Alt)
2:40 | 21. Gil Scott-Heron - Ain't No New Thing (breakdown take)
1:34 | 22. Gil Scott-Heron - Billy Green Is Dead (Alt)
1:31 | 23. Gil Scott-Heron - ...And Then He Wrote Meditations (Alt)