The First Minute of a New Day is an album by American vocalist Gil Scott-Heron, keyboardist Brian Jackson, and the Midnight Band—an eight-piece musical ensemble. It was released in January 1975 on Arista Records.[2] Recording sessions for the album took place in the summer of 1974 at D&B Sound in Silver Spring, Maryland.[3] It was the follow-up to Scott-Heron's and Jackson's critically acclaimed collaboration effort Winter in America. The First Minute of a New Day was the first album to feature "Winter in America", the title track of Scott-Heron's previous album which was not featured on its original LP release.[4] The album was reissued on compact disc by Scott-Heron's label Rumal-Gia Records in 1998.[5]
Music and lyrics
The First Minute of a New Day served as Jackson's and Scott-Heron's debut for the Arista label and featured the eight-piece Midnight Band.[5] With the Midnight Band and better financial support from Arista, the album benefited from a larger supporting cast and slicker production, in contrast to the sparse production on Winter in America.[5] The Midnight Band would later be featured on following Scott-Heron albums, assisting in production and back-up instrumentation.
The songs on The First Minute of a New Day, which feature themes ranging from spirituality ("Offering") to revolution ("The Liberation Song") and oppression ("Winter in America"), contain jazz melodies by the Midnight Band and funk influences.[5][6] "Winter in America" featured themes of struggle and had Scott-Heron singing of social, geographical and environmental oppression. The album's only spoken word cut, also a live take, "Pardon Our Analysis" was a sequel to Winter in America's "H2O Gate Blues" as a criticism of President Richard Nixon's pardon, though this time the track did not feature a musical backing of any kind.[7]
Following the little commercial success experienced by Scott-Heron's previous LPs, the album had multi-chart success, which seemed promising for their new record label.[13] Even though Scott-Heron's previous albums, in specific Pieces of a Man and Winter in America, featured singles, they did not chart. However, no singles were released for The First Minute of a New Day, off the album or for promotion.[13]
Following heavy promotion by Arista,[6] the album entered the Top Jazz Albums chart at number 17 on February 8, 1975.[14] It later peaked at number 5 before falling off the charts on July 19, 1975, 24 weeks after its original appearance.[14]The First Minute of a New Day also peaked at number 8 on the Black Albums chart and number 30 on the Pop Albums chart.[13] While not as critically acclaimed as Jackson's and Scott-Heron's previous effort Winter in America, The First Minute of a New Day gave Scott-Heron wider recognition among fans and critics, due in part to its heavy promotion.[6] Tim Sheridan of Allmusic called it "solid, decidedly left-of-center jazz-R&B" and went on to write:
This output, with the opening meditation of "Offering" and the right-on "Ain't No Such Thing as Superman," solidifies Heron's place in the pantheon of jazz poets.[7]
— Tim Sheridan
Music critic Neil Tesser described Scott-Heron's singing voice for the album as "mahogany, sunshine, and tears."[15] The contributions by the Midnight Band were also praised by critics.[15]Robert Christgau of the Village Voice noted that "the free-jazz-gone-populist band generates so much rhythmic energy that it carries over the weak spots".[9]
Track listing
All songs written by Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson, except where noted.[16]
Side one
"Offering" – 3:34
"The Liberation Song (Red, Black and Green)" – 6:18
"Must Be Something" (Jackson, Danny Bowens, Scott-Heron, Bob Adams) – 5:16
"Ain't No Such Thing As Superman" (Scott-Heron) – 4:13
"Pardon Our Analysis (We Beg Your Pardon)" – 8:01
Side two
"Guerilla" (Scott-Heron) – 7:49
"Winter in America" (Scott-Heron) – 6:09
"Western Sunrise" (Bilal Sunni Ali) – 5:16
"Alluswe" – 5:04
Bonus tracks
All bonus cuts for the CD reissue were managed and produced by Malcolm Cecil.[3]
"A Talk: Bluesology / Black History / Jaws / The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" - Live at The Wax Museum 1982 – 10:41
