Stars: Gil Scott-Heron

Summary: The tracklist features 'Three Miles Down', 'We Almost Lost Detroit', 'Angel Dust', 'Winter In America', 'Johannesburg' and 'The Bottle'.

Musician, Poet, Novelist, Legend. All titles afforded to Gil Scott Heron, who provides a link between the protest song movement of the sixties and contemporary rap. This DVD captures him live in concert in London in 1990.

WIN DVDs by rating this DVD

Average User Rating:

WIN DVDS by being amongst the first to review this DVD. Reviewing DVDs earns you bonus entries and lets you WIN DVDs!Please login before reviewing this DVD. If you're a new user, register for free and enter to WIN FREE DVDs!

Recorded live at London's Town &Country Club in 1990, Tales of Gilsees old-school funk's most congenial, but also political figure in full smooth effect, backed by a band of jazz-funk virtuosos. The word "virtuosos" is intended as much as a warning as a compliment: those with sensitive musical sensibilities might struggle through the lengthy bass solo interludes. Otherwise, this is Scott-Heron at his best, mixing polemic with rare jazzy groove and between-song patter. No one was able to sugar the political pill quite like Gil. "Three Miles Down", a tribute to the lives of coal miners, might come across as austere and hectoring in some hands but Scott-Heron delivers it sweet. Disappointingly, he doesn't perform his most famous song, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", his 1970 proto-rap against media airbrushing of the underprivileged, which establishes him as the missing link between 1960s black jazz radicalism and Public Enemy. However, he does perform "Johannesburg", bristling with new relevance with Nelson Mandela having been released from jail just weeks prior to this performance, and ends with the at once rousing and despairing "The Bottle", his lament for alcoholism, whose languorous, flute-driven funk earned him fresh popularity in the 80s.

On the DVD:Tales of Gilis presented in 4:3 aspect ratio and the principal extra feature here is an introduction by British writer Kevin Le Gendre, who explains Gil Scott-Heron's contemporary relevance and role as Godfather of rap. --David Stubbs

Aspect Ratio:	4:3 Full Frame
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Introduction, Track By Track Audio Review From Kevin Le Gendre
Year:	1990
Release Date:	September 30, 2002
Runtime:	62 minutes
Certification:	Exempt.
Catalogue Number:	S V E 3017
Keywords:	Tales, Music, His, Rock, Heron, Pop, Scott, Express, Gil, Amnesia, Performing, Arts, Popular
Genre:	Music/Performing Arts