Retro Reviews: Herbie Hancock: Headhunters

 

    I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums. 

Herbie Hancock: Headhunters (1973)

****1/2

Producers; Herbie Hancock, David Robinson

Musicians: Herbie Hancock, Bennie Maupin, Paul Jackson, Harvey Mason, Bill Summers

Music:  Chameleon, Watermelon Man, Sly, Vein Melter

Reviewed by Matthew Anthony Allair

    Herbie Hancock has been a seminal jazz and keyboard player since the early 60s, for anyone who doesn’t know, after getting his start on smaller jazz labels, he was hand picked by Miles Davis to be a part of Davis’s second great quartet, and Hancock helped Miles usher in his jazz fusion period. Recently Herbie had fronted a set of albums that were more experimental, with Mwandishi, Crossings and the Sextant albums and now he’s decided to go in a completely new direction that I have little doubt will appeal to fans of dance and the Parliament mode of music. There were hints of the change with the electronica on  ‘Rain Dance’ from Sextant, or the African rhythms of ‘Sleeping Giant’ from Crossings.  One track is a reimaging of an early 60s composition, and the rest is all new material.

    Herbie is using electric piano, various clavinet’s and APR synthesizers to get a range of sounds and soloing. The first track “Chameleon” sets up the grove with a synth bass line, and claves to approximate guitars, there’s a playfulness between the drummer and percussionist, Jackson and Maupin step in to elaborate the theme. Herbie’s electric piano solos shine through. Herbie’s use of the ARP brings up the orchestral tone. ‘Watermelon Man” opens with various African flutes and light percussion before it shifts into the main piece two minutes in. He had recorded the track in 1962 and this update is a refreshing change, probably the likely single for the album.

    “Sly” is an obvious nod to Sly Stone, the musical complexity and shifting signatures make this compelling material, when it doubles up in tempo, Maupin’s soloing is wonderous. As a keyboardist Herbie has never wavered in his inventiveness as a soloist as illustrated in the track. “Vein Melter”, the closing track features an irregular march from Mason that sets the tone. Hancock’s playing at moments features the kind of abstract chording he was using with Miles Davis in 1969, Maupin’s support playing is quite good. While relying on Electric Piano, Herbie uses APR synths to overwhelm the track with sting ensembles, flutes and horns that wave into the arrangement, leaving the listening with euphoria and doubt, before the track ends as the album began – with a funk groove. Miles Davis always had high praise for Herbie, there were few players as adaptable to changing styles, Herbie has an instinct and touch few players can match and the team assembled are wonderful players. Recommended if you want something to dance to and make you think at the same moment.

Retro Reviews: Rodriguez: Coming from Reality

 I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. These albums are lesser-known titles.

Rodriguez: Coming From Reality (1971)

****

Producer: Steve Rowland

Musicians: Sixto Rodriguez, Chris Speeding, Tony Carr, Phil Dennys, Jimmy Horowitz, Gary Taylor, Andrew Steele

Songs: Climb Up On My Music, A Most Disgusting Song, I Think Of You, Heikki’s Suburbia Bus Tour, Silver Words?, Sandrevan Lullaby – Lifestyles, To Whom It May Concern, It Started Out So Nice, Halfway Up The Stairs, Cause

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    Rodriguez’s second album has come out and it has left me pondering the fates, if you’ll indulge me, the other Latino rock act that has enjoyed a great deal of success is the band Santana, which is a mixed race group, while they aren’t directly a social comment or political band, it makes their music more palpable to the public. That doesn’t take away from the merits of that band, or their success is less deserved, it just means that the risk that Rodriguez is putting forth is greater. He is just as socially penetrating as he was with “Cold Fact” from last year. He has a new producer and the record feels more focused and there’s a fuller sound in some respects. It also feels more conventional in places which is a trade off.

    The opener, “Climb Up On My Music” feels like a mission statement. Aside from the lead work, Rodriguez stretches out on acoustic. The keyboard work from the start is a good edition, the rhythm section with the drum and bass really catches fire.  “A Most Disgusting Song” will probably be the most provocative track, a blues number that feels like it’s channeling a contemporary like Gil-Scott Haron. “I Think Of You” is the first ballad on the album, nice backing support, and rich string arrangement. “Heikki’s Suburbia Bus Tour” is the albums rock tune, and mirrors “Only Good For Conversation” from the last album. ‘Silver Words” is the other pop leaning ballad with good acoustic lead support, and string quartet.

    “Sandrevan Lullaby – Lifestyles” is a two section medley, ‘Sandrevan’ is a somber, wistful instrumental with good playing by Rodriguez and quartet, and ‘Lifestyles’ is a more pointed, penetrating piece, the most Dylan like number examining the desperate facades that people front, with great lines such as ‘she laughed when I tried to tell her, hello only ends in goodbye’. Or ‘America gains another pound, only time will bring some people around, idols and flags are slowly melting’. This track is probably the albums tour de force. “To Whom It May Concern” takes a break with a prominent piano and orchestral arrangement for a song that advocates against relationship victimization and self-empowerment. “It Started Out So Nice” is a lovely blues ballad, which is either about the about the end of a relationship, the loss of innocence, or both. “Halfway Up The Stairs” is the closest to a pop number on the album. The closing number, “Cause” is a stunner, Raw and bleak with stanzas like “because my heart has become a crooked hotel full of rumors, but it’s I who pays the rent,’, the profiles various people and continues with lines like ‘cause they told me everybody’s got to pay their dues, and I had overpaid them.’, it all simply illustrates the toll of our class struggles, and the road that leads to self-destruction. Brillant closer.

    His honesty might not be for everyone, but I hope he continues. While the material might be a fraction less than what was on ‘Cold Fact’, that margin is by very little, this holds up well. We need truth more than lies anyways - his reality is pretty deep.