The Bottle

From a picture of a bottle in the previous post to a picture of The Bottle, that is a 1981 UK issue of an album by Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson first released in 1974 and originally & otherwise known as Winter in America. ‘The Bottle’ is the best-known track on the record, kicking off side B. The record label must have hoped that renaming the album would reel in more would-be purchasers who remembered the song. I bought it for £25 from Heart of the Valleys Records in Blackwood a few weeks ago. I wouldn’t normally spend that much on old vinyl, but I had some spare cash that day and thought it would be a good record to hear in analogue format.

My knowledge of Scott-Heron’s work didn’t extend beyond a half dozen numbers (‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’, ‘Whitey On The Moon’, ‘Lady Day And John Coltrane’, ‘Home Is Where The Hatred Is’, ‘The Bottle’ and ‘I’m New Here’). It feels good to make a start on getting to know his music better. On what is predominantly a melancholy, introspective album, the penultimate track ‘H₂Ogate Blues’ offers a more topical and satirical message, which, while very much of its time, nevertheless resonates with current events. Winter is here; winter is coming.