Winter in America - Music and Lyrics

Music and Lyrics

Similar to his studio debut album Pieces of a Man, Winter in America has Scott-Heron exercising his baritone and deep tenor-singing abilities with some spoken-word elements. The album served as a move into more conventional song structures, in contrast to the Scott-Heron's debut live album, A New Black Poet - Small Talk at 125th and Lenox (1970), which was composed entirely of spoken-word poetry, and the rapping style of his previous album Free Will. According to music writer Karl Keely, Pieces of a Man and Winter in America exhibit further departure by Scott-Heron from his prominent "angry and militant poet" persona. BBC Online writer Daryl Easlea wrote that it "captures Scott Heron at a turning point, largely leaving his heavier raps behind in favour of a floating ambience, with his poetry and song being illuminated by Jackson's superb instrumentation". In addition, the album features more themes of social commentary, Afrocentrism and balladry than Pieces of a Man. Winter in America features a more stripped-down production and melancholy mood along with songs that exceeded four minutes, as opposed to Free Will, which was criticized for its brevity and time constraints.

Scott-Heron's characteristic sound on the album is rooted in the blues, jazz, and soul music. He referred to his mellow fusion of style as "bluesology, the science of how things feel." Scott-Heron's and Jackson's compositions for Winter in America incorporate elements of African music, heavy percussion, and chants. They also feature scene-setting, spoken word intros and mystical interludes, which were influenced by the free jazz stylings of contemporary artists such as Pharaoh Sanders and Abdullah Ibrahim. Jackson wrote arrangements that tended to be more straight-ahead material, incorporating classic jazz bridges in his compositions. Scott-Heron, as the main lyricist and vocalist, exhibited more pop sensibilities with his compositions and created indelible hooks that were influenced by the black popular music of the time. By combining their distinct approaches to composing, Scott-Heron and Jackson produced a multicultural, diffused sound that evoked the afrobeat and world music style of artists such as Fela Kuti during the African music scene's popularity.

Winter in America conveys themes of nostalgic hope juxtaposed to the social problems present during the early 1970s, specifically in the black community and inner city. Also a prominent theme in Scott-Heron's lyrics is people's faith in their culture in a bleak, impoverished environment. The album features Scott-Heron's examination of maintaining one's cultural roots in an environment that can pressure change. Other themes present on the album include love, fatherhood, freedom, alcoholism and political scandal. The themes of social disillusionment and the human condition featured on the album are also depicted on the Winter collage, representing the grim, sullen images of poverty, decay, and death in generally urban areas and ghettos. Created by artist and Scott-Heron associate Peggy Harris, the collage was featured on the original LP's inner sleeve and in the liner booklet of Winter in America's CD reissue.