THE PRISONER

Before Herbie Hancock followed Miles Davis' lead into uncharted realms of cross-genre experimentation, The Prisoner was the culmination of his post-bop work of the 1960s. On a par with other Hancock albums from his post-bop period such as Maiden Voyage, the album takes advantage of an expanded lineup to offer a busier and more complex sound. A musical tribute to Martin Luther King - whose slaying a mere year previously was still fresh in the public's mind - Herbie Hancock claims that the album expresses his real personality better than any preceding piece. It's impossible to judge whether that's a case without meeting the man, but I can see how the personality of the album might be one Herbie wants to present to the world. After all, who wouldn't want to be regarded as similarly brainy, complex, deep, moving and politically aware to the music on here?