The three albums Gil Scott-Heron recorded for Bob Thiele’s Flying Dutchman label are some of the most important in the history of black music.“The Revolution Begins” gathers together every piece of music released by Gil on Flying Dutchman, including a track recorded with Bernard “Pretty” Purdie which has never been previously reissued. Also includes an alternate version of Gil’s third album, “Free Will”.

• 1-1 Lady Day And John Coltrane
• 1-10 When You Are Who You Are
• 1-11 Free Will
• 1-12 Or Down You Fall
• 1-13 The Needle's Eye
• 1-14 The Middle Of Your Day
• 1-15 A Sign Of The Ages
• 1-16 Who'll Pay Reparations On My Soul?
• 1-2 Home Is Were The Hatred Is
• 1-3 Save The Children
• 1-4 The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
• 1-5 Did You Hear What They Said?
• 1-6 Pieces Of A Man
• 1-7 Speed Kills
• 1-8 Everyday
• 1-9 I Think I'll Call It Morning
• 2-1 Introduction/The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
• 2-10 Plastic Pattern People
• 2-11 The Get Out Of The Ghetto Blues
• 2-12 Artificialness
• 2-13 Ain't No New Thing
• 2-14 Brother
• 2-15 Evolution (And Flashback)
• 2-16 The King Alfred Plan
• 2-17 Enough
• 2-18 Paint It Black
• 2-19 Omen
• 2-2 Whitey On The Moon
• 2-20 Wiggy
• 2-21 Comment #1
• 2-22 The Subject Was Faggots
• 2-3 No Knock
• 2-4 Small Talk At 125th And Lenox
• 2-5 Billy Green Is Dead
• 2-6 Sex Education: Ghetto Style
• 2-7 The Vulture
• 2-8 The Prisoner
• 2-9 ...And Then He Wrote Meditations
• 3-1 Did You Hear What They Said? (Alt Take 1)
• 3-10 Billy Green Is Dead (Alt Take)
• 3-11 ...And Then He Wrote Meditations (Alt Take)
• 3-12 No Knock (Breakdown Alt Take)
• 3-13 Free Will (Alt Take 2)
• 3-2 The Middle Of Your Day (Alt Take 1)
• 3-3 Free Will (Alt Take 1)
• 3-4 The Get Out Of The Ghetto Blues (Alt Ending)
• 3-5 Speed Kills (Alt Take 3)
• 3-6 The King Alfred Plan (Alt Take)
• 3-7 No Knock (Alt Take)
• 3-8 Wiggy (Alt Take)
• 3-9 Ain't No New Thing (Breakdown Take)