Posted in
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Herbie Hancock
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Genre
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Jazz Fusion
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Media
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CD
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Label | Sony Jazz | ||
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Reviewer
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Gareth
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Track List
1) Sly
2) Vein Melter
3)Chameleon
4) Watermelon Man
Description
Head Hunters has spawned a thousand copies and copyists, but is only strengthened through comparison. One of the most enduring works of the 70s' jazz/funk legacy, and surely one of Herbie Hancock's most enjoyable and infectious recordings,the album was released in the deeply groovy days of 1973, and soon became the best-selling record in jazz history. Loping along on a glorious bed of springy wah-wah and synth bass, the group used all the new technology of the time, and Hancock himself seemed to revel (as he still does) in the latest keyboard sounds available to him. Jazz/funk has never again sounded so exciting and dangerous.
Review
What an truly amazing album this is. The grooves on these tracks are so funky it's hard to believe that they're not laid down by someone like James Brown or Sly Stone. Herbie Hancock broke the mould with this album, proving that Jazz and funk could co-exist and create a wonderful fusion. Miles Davis had already increased the vocabulary and language of Jazz with In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew, but Headhunters pushes the envelope way out.
Chameleon is one of my favourite tracks (and as all the songs are exceptional, this proves just how good it is) purely because of the stark simplicity of the groove. The basic riff, which is played on the keyboards, hooks you and when the saxophone joins in you just know you're going to be in good hands!!
Watermelon man is a re-imagining of an earlier Hancock hit, this time transformed into something that rocks a little more slowly.
It's hard not to keep using words such as chilled out; groove and funk with this album because it epitomises these terms. The quality of musicianship is exceptional and it's one of the few albums that I can listen to back to back. It's a shame because this album spoilt me in so many ways, and I was disappointed when I tried to find albums of this quality -not only by other artists, but by Hancock himself- because they are far and few between. What sets this album apart from others, then, is beyond me. It just feels... right. Each time I listen again it comes up fresh, and like an old friend it always leaves me feeling completely satisfied and special!
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