GIL SCOTT-HERON Free Will (2024 US 11-track LP pressed on 180-gram black vinyl, cut all-analogue by Frank Merritt at The Carvery, London. Originally released in 1972, Free Will stands as a pivotal companion piece to Pieces of a Man- a work that deepens Gil Scott-Heron's fusion of radical poetry, incisive social commentary and songcraft. Recorded across two focused dates, the album divides cleanly into its two creative modes. The song side, cut with Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, Hubert Laws, David Spinozza, Jerry Jemmott and Brian Jackson - with Horace Ott handling arrangements - features some of Scott-Heron's most potent performances: the deeply affecting Vietnam commentary "Do You Hear What They Said?", the flowing and urgent "Free Will," and the beautifully crafted "The Middle of Your Day." The poetry side, recorded with Jackson, Eddie Knowles and Charlie Sanders from Black & Blues, dives directly into the politics of the moment with "No Knock", "The King Alfred Plan", and Scott-Heron's moving Coltrane tribute, "…and then he wrote Meditations." For this all-analogue reissue, BGP worked directly from the original Flying Dutchman master tapes, long admired for the exceptional recording quality overseen by producer Bob Thiele. The tapes were transferred and mastered by Frank Merritt at The Carvery, who cut this new edition with minimal intervention to preserve the clarity and impact of the original sessions. Pressed on 180-gram Black Vinyl, it presents one of Scott-Heron's most vital works in its fullest analogue form. Housed in a deluxe gatefold picture sleeve with hype sticker, factory sealed. Recommended).