Eugene Mcdaniels

Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse Eugene Mcdaniels Limited, 50Th Anniversary Purple Vinyl edition

"It was a black man in open, conscious resistance of

the power that was trying to keep him enslaved--that

was me... At last I had a chance to say what I believed in

my deepest heart about politics, slavery, and about the

genocide of Indians."--Eugene McDaniels a/k/a the left

rev mc d. talking about his album, Headless Heroes of the

Apocalypse, Pitch Magazine 2002

The Nixon administration tanked the album, Questlove

called him a genius, Prince put his music on his Paisley

Park party playlist, Aloe Blacc compared him to Gil-Scott

Heron and Marvin Gaye, but, as he said, "the lyrics are 10

times more potent", Beastie Boys, A Tribe Called Quest,

Pete Rock, Gravediggaz, Busta Rhymes and De La Soul,

among others, sampled tracks from this album, yet most

people have never heard of this psychedelic soul jazz

underground cult classic or of Eugene McDaniels himself.

Now, 50 years after its release, Headless Heroes of

the Apocalypse makes a timely and triumphant return in

a special anniversary edition curated by Eugene's widow,

Karen McDaniels. Inside the newly-created gatefold jacket

are artwork from Eugene's private collection and unseen

writings, while a 4-page insert features handwritten

lyrics, the original lyric sheet, quotes from such admirers

as Vernon Reid, Adrian Younge, Chicano Batman, and

Alphonse Mouzon (who played on the record along with

his Weather Report band-mate Miroslav Vitous) and new

liner notes by Mark Anthony Neal, Professor of African

and African American Studies, Duke University, Author,

and host of Left of Black podcast. Neal's essay gets to the

heart of Headless Heroes: "Years after its release, Headless

Heroes of the Apocalypse remains one of the most blatantly

political musical tomes ever released commercially by a

major label. The album contained critiques of blue-eyed

soul ("Jagger the Dagger"), examined the phenomenon

of "shopping while black" ("Supermarket Blues")--years

before "racial profiling" entered into the national lexicon--

and the futility of race hatred ("Headless Heroes"). "The

Parasite" was McDaniels' most stinging critique though, as he gets at the root of American

Imperialism and its relationship to the genocide of America's native populations."

Real Gone Music's deluxe, 50th anniversary release of Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse is limited

to 1750 copies pressed in purple vinyl, and cut from the original LP master. It's an album whose relevance--

and prescience--reverberate ever more loudly. To quote the title track: "Better get it together, Better

get it together, And see what's happening, To you and you and you"