Released March 29, 1994 Length 56:34 (CD) Label Mother Records | Recorded April 1993 Release date 29 March 1994 | |
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Similar Gil Scott-Heron albums, Jazz albums |
Spirits is the 1994 album by Gil Scott-Heron. The title track is an interpretation of the John Coltrane piece, and "The Other Side" is a live version of Scott-Heron's 1971 track "Home is Where the Hatred Is" with a new arrangement and many new verses that expand the original to nearly twenty minutes. It was later sampled for "Home" on the 2011 Jamie XX collaboration album, We're New Here.
Contents
In the liner notes, Scott-Heron discusses the new, jazzier tone of the record, and the attempts to define his sound:
What do you call reggae, blues, African vibration, jazz, salsa, chants and poetry?... Seriously trying to define it, I've said it's Black music. Or Black American music. Because Black Americans are now a tremendously diverse essence of all the places we've come from and the music and rhythms we brought with us.
This was Scott-Heron's first album in twelve years, and it would be sixteen more years before he would release another. "Lady's Song" and "Work for Peace" were omitted from the vinyl issue, while other songs were edited slightly for runtime.
CD
- "Message to the Messengers" (4:57)
- "Spirits" (7:49)
- "Give Her a Call" (5:44)
- "Lady's Song" (3:14)
- "Spirits Past" (3:00)
- "The Other Side, Part I" (5:25)
- "The Other Side, Part II" (6:11)
- "The Other Side, Part III" (6:40)
- "Work for Peace" (7:33)
- "Don't Give Up" (5:58)
LP
- "Message to the Messengers"
- "Spirits"
- "Give Her a Call"
- "Spirits Past"
- "The Other Side" (parts I-III)
- "Don't Give Up"
Songs
1Message to the Messengers4:58
2Spirits7:49
3Giver Her a Call5:44