HEADHUNTER

Herbie Hancock - Headhunter

Hancock's first true fusion release, which basically
means taking the most accessible elements of the
Sextet period and making more effective use of
synthesizers. It works brilliantly on the extended
"Chameleon," as drummer Harvey Mason sets up a
novel, funky rhythm all the band members solo over;
a new version of "Watermelon Man" is understated,
without its signature piano riff. The second side's not
quite as good, with the two ten-minute tunes veering
toward the rambling pseudofunk Davis was
releasing during this period (of course, if you love
Davis' early 70's work you'll love this too). The band
is Paul Jackson on electric bass, Harvey Mason on
drums, Bill Summers on all kinds of percussion
(including a beer bottle), and Bennie Maupin on a
variety of woodwinds.

OK, understood, didnt quite understand the criteria.
You know me! I think everything I like is PROG!

Mi comprende, por favor!

Edited by DallasBryan

This album might be one of the grooviest ever recorded. It's just so much fun to listen to!

Funny thing about Headhunter is ... that while I like it, I actually prefer both the preceeding album ... the far-out Sextant (recorded by Herbie's sextet Mwandishi) and the ultra-funky Thrust ...

Pity the great man went downhill so fast after these records ...

marktheshark wrote: Trotsky wrote: Funny thing about Headhunter is ... that while I like it, I actually prefer both the preceeding album ... the far-out Sextant (recorded by Herbie's sextet Mwandishi) and the ultra-funky Thrust ... Pity the great man went downhill so fast after these records ... I don't about that! He may have parted fusion somewhat, but he still maintained a high respect as a jazz musician. Did you ever see the film Round Midnight he did with Dexter Gordon and John McLaughlin. Great film. He won an Oscar for the soundtrack. Let's not forget the groundbreaking Future Shock album he did in '81. I'll agree his work over the last 20-25 years has not been progressive as it was, but he's still a legend.

Yup, I guess it's a matter of taste, like you I think Herbie will always be a great musician ...

It's just that I have much greater regard for his first three phases (the acoustic Blue Note albums like My Point Of View, Maiden Voyage, Empryean Isles and Speak Like A Child), the experimental Mwandishi phase (Mwandishi, Sextant, etx) and the jazz-funk Headhunters (Headhunters and Thrust) and indeed his fantastic late 60s work with Miles' second great quintet ... than I do for the late 70s attempts to blend in soul and disco or the 80s stuff like Future Shock (although there are parts of Dis Is Da Drum that i enjoy) ... again I respect his choice to evolve ... it's just that after a while he evolved in a direction that I didn't enjoy that much ...

I don't expect Herbie Hancock to ever not be a great performer, but I suspect he's done making music that I will get excited about ... in that sense, to me, he went downhill fast ...

If it were from England would it be called the
Hancockian Scene?