In a contemporary review, Mick Brown of Sounds gave the album 4 out of 5 stars and stated: "Gil Scott-Heron takes another step in carving out his singular niche as jazz musician/rhetorician extraordinaire – number one in a field of one".[4]Lawrence Journal-World writer Marshall Fine commended the "fluid aggregation of musicians" and praised the album's "integrity, intelligence and an involving musical style that belies the often-bitter nature of their lyrics".[8]Village Voice critic Robert Christgau said, "If anything proves how serious Scott-Heron has become, it's the infectious groove running through all four sides of this concert album".[3]
In a retrospective review, Maurice Bottomley of PopMatters complimented the album's incorporation of "ballads, poetry, jazz solos, Latin breaks and a hip funkiness", stating "It is raw, passionate and powerful, and at all times the rhythmic pulse and the solo explorations complement the lyrical wizardry".[9] Bottomley viewed that It's Your World features Scott-Heron, Jackson, and backing ensemble The Midnight Band "at their collective peak" and wrote that it "functions both as a document of a particular historical moment and as a fresh musical experience today".[9]U.S. News & World Report hailed it a "masterpiece", complimenting its "mellow funk" and "heartbreaking sonic portraits [...] seething with indignation and sorrow".[10]Boston Herald writer Brian Coleman perceived "an upbeat and compassionate side" to Scott-Heron on the album and cited it as "arguably Scott-Heron's most fully realized work, tempering his early-70s anger with soulful wisdom and uplifting words".[2]Allmusic writer Hal Horowitz called the album "a moving listening experience" and commended its themes with respect to "its Centennial-centric time frame", writing that it "loses little of its impact... [T]hese tunes have lost none of their lyrical edge or incisiveness throughout the years".[1] Horowitz cited it as "one of Gil Scott-Heron's best albums as well as a compelling musical time capsule ... proof of the artist's musical and lyrical acuity".[1]
Track listing
Side A (Just Before Sundown)
"It's Your World" (lyrics and music: Brian Jackson) (3:52)
"Possum Slim" (lyrics and music: Gil Scott-Heron) (6:00)
"New York City" (lyrics and music: Gil Scott-Heron) (4:45)
Side B (Nightfall)
"17th Street" (lyrics: Gil Scott-Heron; music: Adenola (Eddie Knowles), Bilal Sunni-Ali, Brian Jackson) (5:45)
"Tomorrow's Trane" (lyrics: Gil Scott-Heron; music: Alice Coltrane) (7:20)
"Must Be Something" (lyrics: Gil Scott-Heron; music: Brian Jackson, Bob Adams, Danny Bowens) (5:20)
Side C (Late Evening)
"Home Is Where the Hatred Is" (lyrics and music: Gil Scott-Heron) (12:10)
"Bicentennial Blues" (words: Gil Scott-Heron) (8:40)
Side D (Midnight and Morning)
"The Bottle" (lyrics and music: Gil Scott-Heron) (13:30)
"Sharing" (lyrics: Gil Scott-Heron; music: Brian Jackson) (5:55)
Personnel
Gil Scott-Heron – vocals, electric piano
Brian Jackson – piano, electric piano, synthesizer, flute, vocals
Danny Bowens – electric bass, vocals
Victor Brown – vocals, (solo on "Sharing")
Bilal Sunni Ali – tenor saxophone, flute
Barnett Williams – congas, (solo on "The Bottle"), percussion
Tony Duncanson – congas, bongos, timbales (solo on "The Bottle")