Gil Scott-Heron – Reflections (1981)

"Reflections" is an album by the American poet and musician Gil Scott-Heron, released in 1981. It was his second album without Brian Jackson. Scott-Heron supported the album with a North American tour. The album peaked at No. 106 on the Billboard 200.

Arista Records mailed a copy of "'B' Movie'" to every member of Congress. "'B' Movie" was a hit on Black radio stations.

Recorded at TONTO Studio, the album was coproduced by Malcolm Cecil. Scott-Heron was backed by the Midnight Band. "'B' Movie" is a criticism of Ronald Reagan, whose image appears on the album cover in one of the lenses of Scott-Heron's glasses. "Inner City Blues" is a version of the Marvin Gaye song. "Grandma's Hands" is a cover of the Bill Withers song.

Robert Christgau called "'B' Movie" Scott-Heron's "smartest political rap ever"; Knight Ridder deemed it "a bitter tour de force." The Tucson Citizen labeled the album Scott-Heron's "slicing philosophy of America's determined return to the years before social conscience and civil rights." The Philadelphia Daily News praised the "brilliantly articulated bad-tidings."

The Independent deemed the album "a classic." The Guardian concluded that, "unlike some of those he influenced, Scott-Heron had enough intellectual and musical flexibility to ensure that his medium wasn't crushed under the ponderous weight of his message."

Tracklist:

1."Storm Music" 4:51
2."Grandma's Hands" 5:24
3."Is That Jazz?" 3:43
4."Morning Thoughts" 4:37
5."Inner City Blues (Poem: 'The Siege of New Orleans')" 5:46
6."Gun" 4:00
7."'B' Movie" 12:10

Gil Scott-Heron – Reflections (1981)

(320 kbps, cover art included)