Winter in America: Best Winter Clothing & Gear for Cold Weather - Cozy Jackets, Boots & Accessories for Snow, Skiing & Outdoor Adventures

Winter in America would be the first album that Gil Scott-Heron would release in which collaborator Brian Jackson was given equal billing. Up to this point, Scott-Heron was best known for his social commentary on the injustices and inequality that existed during the time as well as the biting tone in which he delivered his message. Even jazzier tracks like "Freewill" showed his anger at the forefront. However, Winter in America shows a new found maturity in Scott-Heron's work. With Jackson's impeccable piano work leading the way, Scott-Heron's songs carry a very introspective tone throughout the release. With this newfound maturity also comes a quantum leap in Scott-Heron's vocals as the choppy, occasionally off-key vocal performances of his previous releases would be a thing of the past from here on out.The album starts with "Peace Go With You Brother", which with its dark tone, would make you believe that this is a prelude of things to come. However, the next track "Rivers of My Fathers" is an outstanding ballad that sets the tone for the rest of the album. Led by one of Scott-Heron's most impressive vocal performances and Jackson's improvisational yet melodic piano work, it is one of their finest compositions. "A Very Precious Time", "Song for Bobby Smith", and "Your Daddy Loves You" are all tender piano ballads that continue the album's introspective tone. The upbeat "Back Home" is one of the best tracks here, sounding like one of those memorable theme songs that opened a lot of the sitcoms back in the day. "The Bottle" is one of his most enduring tracks and certainly one of his funkiest. While it shows Scott-Heron using his gift of intelligently observing the social problems of the day that politicians pretended didn't exist, in this case alcoholism among the black population in the inner cities, his anger is reined in, making his message more effective. However, Scott-Heron's angry and accurate observations of the Watergate scandal on "H20gate Blues" show that the fire still burns. The remastered version contains several bonus tracks, including stellar live versions of "Your Daddy Loves You" and "The Bottle/Guan Guanco" as well as a live version of the timeless "Winter in America", which in its original form wouldn't be released until his next album The First Minute of a New Day. All told, Winter in America shows a softer side of Gil Scott-Heron while not abandoning his roots or his message.