Thanks for the ref. Aaron!
But I would also add that there Herbie did some funky tracks before "The
Prisoner," albeit in a trad-jazz setting.
2 of the more famous ones include Cantaloupe Island (from 1964's Empyrean
Isles) and Watermelon Man (pre-Headhunters version) recorded in '62. He also
played incredible stuff on Lee Morgan's Cornbread and other Blue Note hard
bop releases. (Please note... these will appeal only if you think that
jazztrax like Opus De Funk, The Sidewinder, and The In Crowd are pretty
funky!)
Herbie is so awesome because even if he quit after he left Miles Davis he'd
still be a legend.
The Prisoner is trad jazz, but it's Herbie's homage to Gil Evans... Great
jazz orchestration here and it shows that, even if he didn't surrender to
the funk, he'd have been one of a mere handful at the top of the classic
jazz pantheon.
Headhunters is to me the perfect album, I'd say the best bit of recorded
music I've ever heard. Harvey Mason is mean on that album! The only problem
is that it's too short.
The second best album ever made has got to be Thrust, which has Mike Clark
in the drum chair, hence a major change in the sound. But it is very funky,
rougher and rawer than Headhunters, but nasty funk that leaves most modern
stuff standing still.
I will hasten to add, however, that not everything he made hits me the same
way. Albums like Man Child and Feets Don't Fail Me Now feature more
musicians and larger productions, but alot of it veers dangerously close to
what became known as "Smooth Jazz" and some other of it is dangerously
disco, in the bad way. (Still like it way better than most of Lonnie Liston
Smith's stuff or Les McAnn's Layers, which is a bit too timid for my
tastes...)
Similarly, "Sound System" which came after the brilliant Future Shock sounds
really derivative, as if they tried to do nothing more but hastily
capitalize on a previous hit (not that there aren't some great tracks on
there, though.)
Also dig the half jazz - half funk albums, like Mwandishi, Fat Albert
Rotunda, and etc.. some wild textures there, but not the Harvey Mason full
on funk science of Headhunters.... it's a crazy messy funky hybrid..
----- Original Message -----
From: Aaron Shinn <ashinn@artic.edu>
To: lieven gouwy <lgouwy@yahoo.com>; <acid-jazz@ucsd.edu>
Sent: Sunday, August 26, 2001 11:08 AM
Subject: Re: hancock 80's sidesteps??
> Mighty and AJlist:
>
> This is a sort of clipped discography for the righteous Mr. Herbie
> Hancock based around the time period Mighty was asking for. I
> included "The Prisoner" as a starting point - I think it was his last
> "straight" record before he went completely out there. Not to knock
> "The Prisoner" at all, it's a damn good record.
>
> Collecting Herbie's more rare work is tough. Luckily, a lot of these
> less-recognized albums are making it onto CD. At least the columbia
> records. Many of the smaller label releases are still sitting in
> dusty bins somewhere. Go seek and find!
>
> Also, if anybody has a copy of "Flood" on wax, I'd love to hear about it
:)
>
> Enjoy,
> .aaron shinn
>
> +++
>
> 1969 The Prisoner Blue Note
>
> 1969 Fat Albert Rotunda Warner
>
> 1970 Mwandishi Warner
>
> 1971 Crossings Warner
>
> 1972 Sextant Columbia/Legac
>
> 1973 Head Hunters Columbia/Legac
>
> 1974 Dedication CBS/Sony
>
> 1974 Thrust Columbia/Legac
>
> 1974 Death Wish One Way
>
> 1975 In Concert, Vol. 2 [live] CTI
>
> 1975 Flood Columbia
>
> 1975 Love Me by Name A&M
>
> 1976 Man-Child CBS
>
> 1976 Secrets Columbia
>
> 1976 Happy the Man Arista
>
> 1976 Kawaida GB
>
> 1977 The Herbie Hancock Trio [1977] Columbia
>
> 1977 V.S.O.P.: The Quintet Columbia
>
> 1977 Live in Japan Columbia
>
> 1977 Tempest in the Colosseum [live] CBS/Sony
>
> 1977 Sunlight Columbia
>
> 1978 An Evening with Herbie Hancock and Chick... [live] Columbia
>
> 1978 Direct Step Columbia
>
> 1978 The Piano Columbia
>
> 1979 Live under the Sky Columbia
>
> 1979 In Concert [Duets] [live] CBS
>
> 1979 Feets, Don't Fail Me Now Columbia
>
> 1979 Jingle Bells Jazz Columbia
>
> 1980 Mr. Hands Columbia
>
> 1980 Monster Columbia
>
> 1981 Herbie Hancock Quartet Columbia
>
> 1981 Double Rainbow Columbia
>
> 1981 By All Means MPS
>
> 1981 Magic Windows Columbia
>
> 1982 Lite Me Up Columbia
>
> 1983 Future Shock Columbia/Legac
>
> 1984 Sound-System Columbia/Legac
>
> 1985 Village Life Columbia
>
> 1986 Jazz Africa [live] Verve
>
> 1986 Third Plane Carerre
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