Herbie Hancock - Head Hunters
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Free Music Notes for Head Hunters
Free Music Review: AND JAMES BROWN TOUCHED THE PLOW
Hit: 5 Stars
Back in 1973 when HEAD HUNTERS was released, Herbie Hancock suddenly became a household word. Although he dutifully labored for years in the jazz salt mines leading his own groups, making his own records, and serving as trusted sideman to Miles Davis, up until this album Hancock was a virtual unknown. In spite of its mass popularity, HEAD HUNTERS ran into trouble in two ways. Rock was experiencing one of its perennial wars among the fans about keeping rock true. (Think of those who were deep into the music against those for whom rock was just another form of "showbiz") For rockers, HEAD HUNTERS mass popularity provoked suspicions that a bag of goods was being sold to them. Meantime, jazz heads were convinced that Hancock had sold out to peddle water from the river of funk. After all, anything so popular couldn't really be genuine jazz. Sometimes enthusiastic recommendations from the tastemakers at Playboy magazine can be the kiss of death.
Now over thirty years later HEAD HUNTERS has earned its "classic" status while still hounded by detractors. "Funk" has been fully absorbed into the musical mainstream-so much so that legions of young Afro-Americans have moved on to exotic isles of Rap/Hip Hop. Rock is slowly losing its grip on popular attention and settling into its own minority status. The old foggies in jazz have pasted on and as jazz emerged from the "lost years" of the 1970's funk had become a vital part of its musical vocabulary. So what have we?
What we have are four inventive pieces that are open and accessible. The accessibility may be due to the somewhat "slow" nature of each of these cuts ("pay attention and follow my lips!!!"); but I don't think this is a fair observation. I don't believe in "the faster the better" philosophy and I don't think speeding up these compositions would have improved their quality anymore than having T.S. Elliott's poems recited by an auctioneer would make them beautiful.
Predictably, the first two cuts, "Chameleon" and "Watermelon Man", (what would have been side one of the LP) are the most popular and remembered. Truth be said, they are the better compositions-but in a very close race. "Sly" And "Vein Melter" cook as well and deserve more attention than they commonly receive.
HEAD HUNTERS represented the next step in the mature use of electronic instruments in jazz. Gone are the "spacey" cords they some tried to pass off as "avant-garde" and the use of "weird noises" one's machine could make and passing them off as art in and of themselves. Instead Hancock bends his use of electronics into human voices and scales. What results is a sound that is at once new and fresh and yet recognizable at the same time. "Funk" is made a bit more free and playful-yet respectful of the young kids in the streets to whom funk really belonged.
For all this we have to give Sly Stone his due. We also have to give a brief tip of the hat to James Brown. Jazz is nothing if it does not make homage to American music. And American Music is unimaginable without Black music. Much of America may be continually ten to fifteen years behind Afro-American music; but it eventually does catch on make take it its own. HEAD HUNTERS is a milestone.
Free Music Review: Funky as it gets ! ! !
Hit: 5 Stars
Revisiting this album is definitely a mind blowing experience... For years after, CHAMELEONS became such a major FUNK ANTHEM that it was the ultimate Bass Line/Jazz-Funk Fusion jam session cliche in the world - - so much to the point that many people began to LOATHE it... Does anybody remember a time when any time you heard that riff you actually wanted to get a gun and shoot the person playing it ??? Now all these years later, the truth is if you go back to the source, its understandable why CHAMELEONS became the ANTHEM of its generation - - why everyone had to play it, and why even I find myself doodlin' on that easy to learn, yet so soulfully infectious vamp. Here's why : Because it is and was SO d*arn funky.
As for the album itself, it is basically an experiment in a new type of music. Many Jazz musicians came to loathe it, but to be honest, I think getting offended because people call it Jazz is missing the point - - The fact is whether it is mislabeed or not does not mean it should be judge by the terms of the label... rather it should be listened to and whoever digs it, should call it what they want - - As to my opinion, HEAD HUNTERS album is really an experiment of what happens when Jazz musicians take on funk rhythms and themes and use their training and abilities to interpret using both their appreciation for the music of the generation as well as unique chops and abilities. As to people actually calling it Jazz - - well, personally speaking I would feel more comfortable if people stuck to terms like funk, Jazz/Rock or even fusion - - but heck, what people CALL it has nothing to do with the music, its the music that matters and what you get on this album in my book is sort of an instrumental non-horn version of Tower of Power (*am I the only person who's ever felt this???) - - basically very punchy and focused rhythms, a tight yet venturous rhythm section, and a type of funk that is both booty shaking *and* down home and at times even technical - - And the soloing is - - well really funky and spaced out. - - Most importantly, the rhythms are tight (as you'd expect in funk), yet their is a fluid type of experimentation that clearly comes from the Jazz spirit, and prior to this album would have never been heard on a funk recording to this extreme.
All in all, I think both funk and Jazz fans can be shallow at times to some degree - - Jazz can be funky, and funk can be Jazzy, but to say that a Jazz musician can't play funk or visa versa is missing the point... In Head Hunters, Herbie Hancock simply became hip to the world and interpreted with his unique musical abilities and that of a legendary ensemble... the end result, a new genre of music (little of which lived up to the mold, but still... a new type of music !) Today the mixture of Jazz, Rock, Funk and African rhythms are nothing new... yet surprisingly the music sounds to me as fresh as it did years and years ago... and incidentally though CHAMELEONS is most recognizable, the album is FUNKY straight through... hence the entire CD is worth the purchase.
If you dig this check out ROY AYER'S MYSTIC VOYAGE !
Free Music Review: Herbie's jazz-fusion masterpiece
Hit: 5 Stars
Herbie Hancock released Headhunters in 1973. This album represented a change in his music. His previous albums, while still having influences in jazz and R&B, were becoming increasingly challenging affairs. While the album Fat Albert Rotunda had snappy horn lines and memorable melodies, releases such as Crossings and Sextant tested the jazz audience's patience. Song lengths were becoming increasingly long and lacked the memorable themes of Fat Albert Rotunda as well as his hard bop recordings Maiden Voyage and Emperyean Isles. So what did Herbie do? He simplified his approach, cutting his band down from seven to five members, made the music funkier while continuing to experiment with electronics, and most importantly, put emphasis on groove. The result? One of the best jazz recordings released and arguably his best solo album in an over 40-year recording career.
The album starts with "Chameleon", perhaps the best song of the funk-jazz genre. Beginning with a simple synth bass line, Bennie Maupin's snappy horn line forms the basis of the song. Herbie's synth solo adds some spacelike sounds for the next 3 minutes before the track stops. A drum roll from Harvey Mason leads to Paul Jackson's bass solo which is first based on a simple funk line but then gets busier as the song continues. Herbie rejoins the song with a more traditional electric piano solo while the band lays down a heavy groove. As the song hits 12 minutes, the playing gets busier as the synth returns over some kinetic drumming from Mason before returning to its original theme. Although the song clocks in at nearly 16 minutes, it's so exciting that it seems like a 5-minute song. Next is a reworked and more laid-back version of Hancock's hard bop classic "Watermelon Man." Maupin's melodic saxophone solos highlight this excellent track. "Sly" starts out as a hard funk ala James Brown before becoming a percussion tour de force from Mason and Bill Summers. While the chaos ensues, Maupin throws in a sizzling solo which lasts over 3 minutes. Then the song stops again before going into a busy funk workout with Hancock entering the spotlight with an awesome piano solo spotlighting his lightning fast technique as the rhythm section gains momentum. The song then returns to its original theme before its end. The last track "Vein Melter" is a complete reversal from "Sly" in its presentation. Led by Mason's march drum beat, the band's performance is all about mood. Maupin's playing here is a thing of beauty while Hancock adds soft piano touches and atmospheric synth throughout. All told, this is one of the best jazz albums of all time and a landmark in fusion. Headhunters should be a part of every music fan's collection.
Free Music Review: Funky Funky Funky!
Hit: 5 Stars
I'll tell you what; this album never gets old for me. At first, I hated it because I thought it was bad music, but in reality, it wasn't. I just wasn't prepared to deal with the funk genre; I had no idea what funk was, so I bought the album just thinking it was typical Herbie. I was wrong as Hell, and the day I bought it, I returned it and exchanged it for the superb "Maiden Voyage". But, as the months went on, the song "Chameleon", which I thought was long and drawn-out was really growing on me until I just absolutely loved the song.With that in mind, I bought this album, and I think it's just as good as Maiden Voyage in its own right. "Chameleon" is a truly righteous song, as it builds from a simple bass line to an extremely catchy melody, not to mention Herbie's soloing on the clavinet is invigorating. The song then cools down some, as Herbie solos on a Fender Rodes Electric Piano over bass, drums, and Synthesized strings. The song returns to its original funky form for Bennie Maupin's saxophone solo as the song closes off. The genius of this song as it gradually speeds up in tempo; you can't really notice it until you listen to the whole thing and start back at the beginning, you won't believe it. That song never gets old for me.
The album also contains a reworked version of an earlier Hancock hit "Watermelon Man", where there is no soloing, but the voice queaks and beer bottle noises make the song highly memorable, as well as reworking it to make it very funky and with a Hell of a lot of attitude.
"Sly" is one that will leave you amazed as Hancock picks up the tempo. Bennie Maupin plays a mean and intense soprano saxophone, then Hancock does the second solo as he plays with immense soul and you can tell he really digs this uptempo funk stuff.
As the climactic "Sly" fades out, "Vein Melter" concludes the groundbreaking Headhunters album with a cool and sizzling rhythm. Herbie's playing of both Electric Piano and the ARP Synthesizers combined with Bennie Maupin's bass clarinet work makes this song a Hell of a way to finish off a beautiful funk album.
Headhunters is a truly beautiful funk record. Herbie was a fan of Sly and the Family Stone, and you can certainly see that in this movie. In addition to the funk rhythms, he mixes in free jazz improvisation in these songs, making it a groundbreaking funk record. I suggest all people who are interested in funk to check this one out; I think it's a Hell of an introduction to funk, especially if you're a jazz fan.
Free Music Review: Herbie Hancock Brings On The Funk!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
Since its initial release in 1973, Herbie Hancock's "Head Hunters" album has become a fusion jazz classic and rightfully so. Much like his former boss Miles Davis as well as R&B artists like Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, Herbie Hancock set out to make music that was innovative for its time and pushed the envelope of creativity. Although Herbie had been experimenting with fusing rock, funk and African rhythms with Jazz styles in previous albums like "Sextant" and with his former group Mwandishi, "Head Hunters" is where all the musical styles and experimentation fell together in all the right places.
At least two of the four tracks on the album have gone on to become timeless classics. The nearly 16-minute centerpiece "Chameleon" is probably one of Herbie's best known compositions of the '70s and features a relentless bassline that stays stuck in your head long after the piece is finished. Drummer Harvey Mason's driving funk rhythms are also a crucial element to this track. Mason's arrangement of Herbie's 1963 piece "Watermelon Man" has become a classic in its own right and has been sampled by numerous hip-hop and dance artists in recent years (notably the pipe intro performed by Herbie and percussionist Bill Summers).
The other two tracks aren't quite as popular as the previous two but are still loaded with great musical invention. "Sly" is a nod to soul pioneer Sly Stone but also features a killer turbo-charged middle section in which Herbie and his band improvise at a relentless pace. Reed player Bennie Maupin shines at his best here as does Herbie with his fabulous Fender Rhodes leads.
The closing track "Vein Melter" is very similar to the fusion music of Miles Davis and consists of a slow-moving vamp in which different musical phrases are played. This piece would not sound at all out of place on an album like "In A Silent Way" or "B--ches Brew". If anything, it shows that Herbie definitely learned some great lessons from his former band leader.
"Head Hunters" is not only an album that will appeal to Jazz fans, it's an album that will appeal to fans of all kinds of music. The styles on this album are an excellent blend of rock, funk and progressive elements with some great jazz-oriented improvisation. 35 years later, "Head Hunters" is still one of Herbie Hancock's best albums that in my opinion has yet to be surpassed.
If you're new to Herbie Hancock's music, this album should be your first choice. You won't be disappointed.