Small Talk at 125th and Lenox

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Small Talk at 125th and Lenox
Small Talk.jpg
Live album by
Gil Scott-Heron
ReleasedFebruary 1970
Recorded1970
Venue125th & Lenox Nightclub
(New York, New York)
GenreJazz poetry, proto-rap, spoken word
Length44:01
LabelFlying Dutchman/RCA
FD-10143
ProducerBob Thiele
Gil Scott-Heron chronology
Small Talk at 125th and Lenox
(1970) 		Pieces of a Man
(1971)
Alternative cover
2001 reissue cover
2001 reissue cover
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic4.5/5 stars[1]
Billboard(favorable)[2]
Virgin Encyclopedia4/5 stars[3]

A New Black Poet - Small Talk at 125th and Lenox, also known simply as Small Talk at 125th and Lenox,[4] is the debut album of recording artist Gil Scott-Heron, released in 1970 on Flying Dutchman Records.[5] Recording sessions for the album were originally said to have taken place live at a New York nightclub located on the corner of 125th Street and Lenox Avenue,[4] but liner notes included in the 2012 box set The Revolution Begins: The Flying Dutchman Masters, Scott-Heron himself insists that a small audience was brought to 'the studio' and seated on 'folding chairs'.[6] By the time of the recordings, Scott-Heron had published a volume of poetry and his first novel, The Vulture.[7] Well received by music critics who found Scott-Heron's material imaginative,[2][3] Small Talk at 125th and Lenox has been described as "a volcanic upheaval of intellectualism and social critique" by Allmusic editor John Bush.[1]

Track listing[]

All tracks are written by Gil Scott-Heron.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Introduction/The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"3:17
2."Omen"1:45
3."Brother"2:35
4."Comment #1"4:26
5."Small Talk at 125th & Lenox"1:20
6."The Subject Was Faggots"3:10
7."Evolution (And Flashback)"3:20
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Plastic Pattern People"2:50
2."Whitey on the Moon"1:57
3."The Vulture"2:00
4."Enough"8:37
5."Paint It Black"0:30
6."Who'll Pay Reparations on My Soul?"4:20
7."Everyday"4:20
  • "Who'll Pay Reparations on My Soul?" runs at 5:14 on CD reissue.[4]

Personnel[]

  • David Barnes – percussion, vocals
  • Charlie Saunders, Eddie Knowles – congas
  • Gil Scott-Heron – guitar, piano, vocals
Technical
  • Charles Stewart – cover art
  • Bob Thiele – producer

Legacy[]

Leon Bridges performed a new rendition of "Whitey on the Moon" in the 2018 Damien Chazelle film First Man, which was also included on the film's soundtrack album.[8]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Bush, John. Review: Small Talk at 125th and Lenox. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2009-07-31.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Columnist. "Review: Small Talk at 125th and Lenox". Billboard: 14: October 2, 1971
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Larkin, Colin. "Review: Small Talk at 125th and Lenox". Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music: March 1, 2002.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c Track listing and credits as per liner notes for Small Talk at 125th and Lenox CD reissue
  5. ^ Small Talk at 125th and Lenox (LP). Discogs. Retrieved on 2009-07-31.
  6. ^ Gill Scott Heron The Revolution begins-The Flying Dutchman Masters 3 cd including booklet with notes by Dean Rudland, Ace Records 2012
  7. ^ Bordowitz, Hank. "Gil Scott-Heron". American Visions: June 1, 1998.
  8. ^ NPR "First Man Considers Glory, Grief And A Famous Walk On The Moon" by Linda Holmes, October 11, 2018 (retrieved October 12, 2018)

References[]

  • Gil Scott-Heron, Nat Hentoff. Small Talk at 125th and Lenox. reissue liner notes. BMG Victor Inc.
  • Colin Larkin (2002). Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Edition 4. Virgin Books. ISBN 1-85227-923-0.

External links[]

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