Episode 1 is called “I’m New Here” which is a record by Gil Scott-Heron. If I was going to sum it up real quick, I would say this is an album about loving your Mamaw.... And some other stuff.

This is one of the more unique releases in his catalogue. Less jazz/funk and more hip-hop/electronic.

Vibe History

Gil Scott-Heron is an absolute legend. If you aren’t familiar with the name, you might recognize the titles of some of his most famous songs.

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.

Home Is Where the Hatred Is.

We Almost Lost Detroit.

If you’ve never listened to his music, it’s hard to know where to start because his catalog is so deep. He put out 13 records from 1970 to 1982 alone (spoken-word poetry, jazz, funk, and RnB).

You can pick any record and it’s almost immediately evident how much of his content, style, and delivery would influential for hip-hop.

He was born in Chicago and spent his earliest years in Jackson, TN with his grandmother before eventually moving to New York for high school, then to Pennsylvania for college wanting to follow in the footsteps of his inspirations.

He goes on to put out a dozen records.

But life comes at you fast.

After 1982, Gil got Gonzo on us and started to have a lot of personal problems.

And one of those problems rhymes with crack cocaine. And smells like crack cocaine.

I assume it was many years of hard living and mental crisis, struggles with sobriety, mixed in with some jail and physical sickness until he made his final album, I’m New Here in 2010.

Now there are a lot of smart people who can tell you about his life and significance to music better than I can.

But right now, the Club is only paying me with drink tickets.

So I’m going to refer you to some free documentaries on YouTube. Or books at your local library.

If you know how to read, that is…

This is one of 12 records I bought when I first decided to pull the trigger and start buying vinyl records sometime in 2013.

I bought it purely off name recognition and the album cover.

It turns out this is still one of my favorite records. I hesitated to make it episode 1, because my original plan was to space out the records that are harder for me to let go of. But I think this might be the best record to start with, because one of my favorite things about this record is printed on the inner sleeve, and in all seriousness, I think about it every single time I have listened to a new record since….

It says:

“There’s a proper procedure for taking advantage of any investment.

Music, for example.

Buying music is an investment.

To get the maximum, you must listen to it for the first time under optimum conditions.

Not in your car or on a portable player through a headset.

Take it home.

Get rid of all distractions, even her or him.

Turn off your cell phone.

Turn off everything that rings or beeps or rattles or whistles.

Make yourself comfortable.

Play your LP.

Listen all the way through.

Think about what you got.

Think about who would appreciate this investment.

Decide if there is someone to share this with.

Turn it on again.

Enjoy yourself.

-Gil Scott Herron. “

Hear the rest of the episode in its entirety: https://fountain.fm/episode/xKVJHo8pigISM3y6j42v

Hot Wax Podcast https://fountain.fm/show/CO1lxw2tnqYM8e06mJpJ

@Logues

(originally published 2/26/26; metadata will be updated when we have that skill)