Head Hunters

On repeat during high school and college years. Perhaps the most accessible jazz album of all time for those more inclined towards rock music. So solid and catchy. Dictionary definition of a groove from start to finish. Might be the funkiest thing I've ever heard.

it's nice when my notes for a 1001 album can be easy like "it's head hunters" It's head hunters.

Absolutely classic and important album, to me at least. The grooves on this album are superb and arrangement is everything. Everyone was on

Not really my thing. I don’t enjoy 10 minute long jazzy instrumentals. Didn’t mind the first couple minutes, but 40+ minutes, nope.

It feels almost inappropriate to review a Herbie Hancock LP. Perhaps he’s beyond the scope of critique and has ventured into that stratosphere of artists that simply need to be enjoyed, adored even. I was recently driving on my way to a business meeting, listening to KUVO (89.3 MHZ), Denver’s public radio jazz station, and heard a live cut that I immediately recognized as trumpeter, Miles Davis. It was from his 1964 concert at NYC’s Philharmonic Hall, a fundraiser (the musicians voluntarily played for free) for the Voter Education Project to register black voters in Louisiana and Mississippi. Of course, Miles Davis was his usual bad ass self, as were the rest of the players. When it came time for the pianist to solo, I almost had to pull my car over and stop. It truly took my breath away, one of the fastest piano improvisations I’ve ever heard. It was Herbie Hancock. So, I had high expectations for 'Head Hunters.' There are only four songs on this LP, predominately of the jazz/rock fusion genre, which is not something I typically enjoy. I lean more towards the ‘free’ jazz of folks like saxophonists John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman, or pianists Bill Evans and Sun Ra, cats like that. So, when ‘Chameleon’ began, this LP’s opener, with that oh so 70’s clavinet sound, some spacey synth work and such (by the way, at about the seven minute mark during one such synth solo, Hancock shifts up into a whole other key just for a moment while the band remains where they are, creating an incredible auditory experience), I was diggin’ it enough, appreciating the smooth textures; but, I wasn’t exactly floored. Hancock continued with some great Fender Rhodes electronic piano soloing for a while accompanied by a quick and funky drum and bass groove, and then layered on a lovely string synth arrangement. It gave me the impression of flying amidst the clouds. It was terrific, don’t get me wrong. But again, the jazz/rock fusion is not my thing. I recognized the second track, ‘Watermelon Man,’ and I bet a lot of folks who never listen to jazz will too. I’m guessing its been used in movie soundtracks or commercial ads, etc. Regardless, it was more of the same, with the addition of a cool little flute intro by Bennie Maupin, and then concluding the last minute or so with a nice bit of cross syncopation between flute and bass, the drums all the while keeping a steady beat. OK, that was cool, too. Maupin’s sax playing, though, was sounding a little pedestrian. And as I’ve no doubt been spoiled by the extraordinary talent of John Coltrane, I was prepared to give the LP three, maybe four stars and call it a day. Until the third track, ‘Sly.’ Beginning with a soft, mellow vibe (nice congas in the background), out of the blue about two minutes in, Hancock just stopped the whole thing down, then did this wild soaring thing on the synth, at which time the tempo took flight as well. For the next 7-8 minutes, the band was ‘going off the rails on a crazy train,’ in the words of vocalist Ozzie Osborn, but the train was free jazz rather than metal. And what a ride it was! It was almost as if the band said, ‘Allright, you’ve heard us just relaxing into the music, offering you our smooth jazz. But lest you think we’ve forgotten how to play hard core, buckle up brothers and sisters.’ Bennie Maupin lifted his sax to new heights, ala Coltrane. Then at the approximately five and a half minute mark, Hancock proceeded to set fire to the keys on his electric piano, like that live recording with Miles Davis I heard while driving. Now this was the shit! Man, by the time drummer Harvey Mason slowed back down to the original tempo to conclude the tune, I had to get out of my chair to go fetch my head which had tumbled off my neck at some point and rolled down the hall. I needed the final track at this point-‘Vein Melter’- the perfect way to end the LP, which began with a simple kick drum beat, and slowly adding a wa-wa bass, melancholy sax, and a vibrating electric piano, along with a lot of quirky synth sound effects throughout. Oh, and about two minutes in, some ethereal synth strings topping the whole thing like whipped cream on a sundae. This one begs for headphones and good bong hit, if you’re hip. In retrospect, I now understand and enjoy the first two jazz/rock fusion numbers, and their appropriate placement to the hard Be Boppin’ of ‘Sly,’ only to then finish with a great mellow closer. Like a musical stew, beginning with the prep work of chopping the vegetables and meat (‘Chameleon’), and then moving on to the saute stage (‘Watermelon Man’) caramelizing the ingredients, before the hard fucking boil of ‘Sly,’ and then letting the whole thing simmer for a while with ‘Vein Melter.’ The musical aroma filled the joint, and I wanted seconds, thirds. After it cooled, I sealed it all up in a Tupperware container and put it in the fridge for another helping tomorrow. This, my friends, is some good eatin’ for your ears. And I guarantee Head Hunters will fill ‘em right up. But whatever you do, don’t snack on any junk (Kenny G?) before this entree. Enter into this listen good and hungry. ‘Cause food/music always tastes best when you’re good and hungry.

I'm glad this album made one misstep so I don't have to give it a 5-star rating. If you reverse the order of "Sly" and "Vein Melter". As it is, it is only a 4.95-star album. Note: I rounded up.

5/5 Disagree and i'll fight you.

I feel like one of these songs was definitely background music for one of those transitional Sesame Street sketches showing People in Their Everyday Lives.

An unconventional and accessible display of performing jazz masterfully despite nothing like this ever being done before. "Chameleon" is characterized by a recognizable funky bass line, electrifying piano and synths that come in and out at the forefront, and a groovy Miami-vibe half way in before slowly returning to the formula. "Watermelon Man" is an even stranger track, taking inspiration from African music with the beer blowing, and a much sexier, harder funk sound reminiscent of James Brown. There's so much going on that there's always something to idolize upon each listen. Has my favorite sax... there's even a segment around the 4-5 minute mark where I hear two saxes. "Sly" is the most colorful track for sure, undergoing a new transformation every couple minutes or so. It's crazy this is an album where people are calling THIS the weak track. Least iconic, yes, but impressively composed with attention made to each second. Starts and ends with a sexy spy theme, interluded with how fast can you keep up. "Vein Melter" is a slow, mellow, yet atmospheric closer to leave the audience satisfied after the insane displays shown previously. Feels a little classical here and there.

The funkiest jazz, most 70s sounding jazz fusion album ever

had a great time listening / weird-dancing to Watermelon Man with the girls before school. It starts out so goofy and strange, they were mesmerized… but then the bass and drums kick in and all of a sudden it’s a jam. i can absolutely hear HHs influence on modern hip-hop.

An insane, electrifying album from front to back. Incredible performances, engaging music. Can't speak any more highly of this one. Favorite tracks: "Chameleon", "Watermelon Man"

Groove-adelic. Loved the creativity and fun-kiness.

More stars than songs. Impressive.

I liked it, cool music. Something completely new for me, but extremely enjoyable. Will listen to again.

Very funky. Loved this thought it was great, very different from pretty much anything else we've had so far. It was different but not in an experimental way. Loved the instruments, really well done. Even though the songs were long they didn't drag (take notes Bob Dylan). Loved this.

Herbie can cook. But after awhile, like everything instrumental, it just becomes background.

Herbie Hancock, Matt's more accessible, more likeable, older brother. He paints a glowing rainbow of joy upon the faces of everyone who meets him. Everyone apart from me. Colour my life with the chaos of trouble, I just can't stand the man! His music SUCKS! He's a greasy weasel, a gym instructor, a nuclear rocket, a baseball bat, a fat controller, a modest mouse, a toilet brush, the misadventures of Romesh Ranganation, a stain upon a front tooth, a garden gnome, a rainy afternoon, a cunt.

So happy to have gotten this today--the perfect antidote to the Morrissey pick earlier. I love how laid back this album is with the funk touches keeping it from being too cool. Every musician shines unobtrusively yet brilliantly.

Herbie and his hunters are after your head, and once they find it, they’re going to fill that cranium with the funkiest, grooviest, sweetest cerebral candy your mind’s ever tasted.

I had no clue what I was walking into but was very happy with this music! Enjoyed it a lot!

today i learn the toejam & earl soundtrack was inspired by this and i fucking love it. groove after groove. jam after jam. funky fresh.

Actually really liked this. funny only hearing an album with 4 songs. not seen very often anymore

Starts exciting, but becomes a bit repetitive and uninspired. very nice bits but overall a bit too long. Sometimes you wonder if you did not put the same song on repeat.

I was excited when I first started this record playing, because I think there should be more instrumental music and so often good music is spoiled when an artist opens their mouth. However, my excitement was quickly turned into irritation by all the extra noises that were repeated throughout the album.

Having only really heard Rock It before going into this album, I didn't know what to really expect - and not only is this REALLY different to that, it's also REALLY good! I love, love, LOVE this album - it's a masterclass in groove and staying in the pocket, with tracks ranging from funk to jazz to almost ambient, and stays just as long as it needs to, I'm kind of obsessed with it. Chameleon is now on my 'get founder's playlist, and I'm honestly looking forward to listening to this again and again.

The funkiest 40 minutes you'll spend. I don't really enjoy the overarching flute theme of Watermelon man, but it's hard to argue that it doesn't turn into something interesting.

Groovy and funky.

4 songs of pure stank. Meant to be played loud!

Would trip to this great jazz vibes 10/10

What a game changer! The premier jazz-rock-funk album. This is where it all started.

Synth funk with jazz and tribal roots? More please. This presented unexpected vibes as I had only heard of this artist and never took the plunge until the suggestion. The first track was worth the distraction from a bisy day. Now, I will have to explore this groups other works. The 2nd track had a tribal start that shifted into funk, then to jazz and the progressions were natural and not forced. Good variety in the solos. These were all saved for future plays on car rides.

Es el primer álbum de jazz que me salta, aunque no es jazz tan puro, combina muchos elementos de otros géneros y sonidos sintéticos, generados por computadora. A veces suena algo más Weather Report, a veces algo más tradicional mente jazz (como un swing) aunque siempre Hancock produce los temas agregando algunos sonidos muy particulares, en ese aspecto es bastante particular y algo curioso es que las canciones aunque duren 10 minutos tienen una novedad que hacen que siempre quieras escucharlas atentamente, en eso creo que se trata de una GENIALIDAD. A veces hasta incluso suena algo ambient el disco, es brutal.

Watermelon man is one of my favorite grooves of all time. Many of the albums we’ve listened to are so desperately trying to sound avante-garde, they forget you actually have to sound good too for your inventiveness to matter. Herbie does this and makes it feel effortless. One of my favorite quotes about art applies: “talent hits a target no one else can hit. Genius hits a target no one else can see. “

It’s a five after that first bass line. This album really taught me that dissonance in jazz isn’t just meant to be pretentious and gatekeepy. The funk can’t be contained

Actually amazing. Really cool funk/jazz combo. No words, just grooves.

Till this day I only knew one song by Hancock and I regret not having listened to this album before.

huh never ever would have listened to this of my own volition, so this is v interesante, no lyrics, just like...JAZZ and SYNTH its wonderful

Really enjoyable. Embarrassingly I only knew Rockit. This is really good

I hate that jazz stuff.....jeeesus a 13 minute track.......oh that is good, that was never 13 minutes, what's next oh more YES but it's not really jazz.

Fantastic album. Herbie Hancock is a fusion pioneer and this album is an excellent yet accessible foray into jazz funk fusion. The songs are very well constructed and build gradually and naturally. The musicianship is top notch of course and driven by Hancock’s playing of the Fender Rhodes electric piano. The improv breaks are impressive as well. This album is an absolute genre bending classic.

I feel stupid that I know almost all of this music but didn’t know it was ALL Herbie Hancock. What a legend.

Amazing groove. Instrumental jazz is not usually my thing but I may have to buy this on vinyl. Really cool. Even the synth is cool.

mhmmm i love me some cock fav: chameleon

Herby Hancock man, that’s one groovy motherfucker. Had a blast revisiting this one. Short and sweet and will get you dancing no matter what. Top stuff.

Awesome jazz fusion

Very creative album, like a fusion of jazz, funk, soul and more. Very experimental, it must have been groundbreaking when it was released

Time to get freaky - this is the antidote to all the nerdy, stuffy, boring, pointless, clean wankery played by white guys and called fusion. Herbie and the Headhunters are blasting off somewhere, and you are very much so taken along for the ride - even if the journey does lose direction here and there. Great tones and production, massive hooks and a tight rhythm section delivering an incredible groove throughout - this is an album where rhythm doesn't play a supporting role, but gives the whole thing life. The solos and harmonic explorations aren't memorable but also never detract from the mood. Favourite tracks: the riff in Chameleon, the middle of Watermelon Man, the groove in Sly

zorp like sounds/// LET'S GOOOOOOOO (скучно пиздец на самом деле, но не плохо, 3/5)

point5.

Pretty good, groundbreaking, but not my jam.

01) Chameleon - 6,0 02) Watermelon Man - 6,5 03) Sly - 4,0 04) Vein Melter - 5,5 TOTAL: 5,50 (55/100) How refreshing is to see 4 songs on the album after the double album yesterday... On the other hand, it's jazz. Maybe funk can save it. Let's see... aaaand it can't. I still hate jazz.

Somehow this missed me before, but it turns out that fusion jazz has a variety of styles and some of them aren’t pure chaos

An infectious groove Asks zany sounds to the ball They turn heads all night

Well this was an easy 5. Favourite song: "Watermelon Man" but my favourite moment is in the classic "Chameleon" at ~6:53 when Herbie dials up the pitch wheel for a few bars. It's kind of ridiculous and non-traditional and perfect. One of those "no shit" classics that everyone should just *have* in their collection. 10/10 5 stars.

Fantastic. Brilliant. Perfect!

Beautiful from start to finish. An incredible album! 10 stars if I could!

Masterfunkingwonderful

According to the Amazon bio, Herbie is a controversial artist, of which I don't have any on this project. I don't see there as being much controversy surrounding this at all, it's 5 stars and anything else is ridiculous.

This album is so so cool, I've never listened to this one from Herbie Hancock, I'm only 5 min in to the first song and I'm so into it. 5/5

So f-in' cool, this is how fusion should be done and maybe the high-water mark for the (sub)genre, largely due to its extremely high groove factor and overall tightness. It doesn't drift too far afield or get lost in excessive and pointless exploration. Still this covers quite a bit of ground, with masterful playing at every step. "Vein Melter" is a particular revelation and one thinks this is the best "Watermelon Man." Editors overstate the case that this "invented" lots of other (sub)genres, though influence them it certainly did. It's P-funk as much as Sly, too. And certainly there's no disagreeing with their assertion that it "retains a vestigial aesthetic sensibility."

DERGOAT

Yes, finally a master! Had the immense privilege of seeing Hancock at a Jazzfest in 2023. The man is an icon of groove. He is himself The Culture. Whenever something goes wrong in the world, you can know that God still exists and cares about humanity just by listening to this album. shout out to the weird opening/closing of one of the greatest songs of all time on watermelon man. shout out to one of the most beautiful relationships to have ever existed as being between a Black man and a rhodes piano. I will have this stuck in my head on my deathbed

A great electronic music experience. Herbie never disappoints.

I was so stoked when this album came up; Briefly perusing the full 1001 list, I think this might be my second or third favorite on the whole list (probably a bit of a low-ish bar - are there seriously more albums attributed to Sinatra on this list than any other 'jazz' musician?). Hancock was instrumental in finding (one of) jazz's new voice(s) in a post-Coltrane world. I typically like the evolutionary line that progressed into the sort of third-wave, avant-garde jazz in this era (Coleman, Mingus, Alice Coltrane, etc.). But Hancock makes a powerful statement with 'Head Hunters' that electronic sounds don't have to lose the soul of the genre. 'Chameleon': when has a 16 minute song passed by so quickly? The slow progression of this groovy opening that transforms into this call-and-response between a groaning saxophone and percussive keyboard over modal chord progressions... Extremely innovative, while staying true to Hancock's roots working with Miles. 'Watermelon Man': This song has such a special place in my heart, I have been obsessed with it for decades after playing it in 7th grade jazz band. How can you not love this song? Panflute, that weird wheezy mumbling at the beginning, chordal bass line... who thinks of that? Masterpiece. Sly: Definitely the weak link of the album (I think kinda famously so?), but whatever; it's a bit boring, but still fine and carried sufficiently by the other three songs. Vein Melter: It's so rare to hear such a textural cohesion between such disparate instruments; the way that the music just seems to oscillate between your ears, fantastic. No rounding here, just a 5/5 through and through.

What gorgeous textures, instrumentals layered upon each other, melding into a funky jazz. Some instruments stretched and taken to layers I didn't know were possible, like the blowing into beer bottles with a groovy bass/ drums on top in "Watermelon Man", sounding like velvet weaving through lace. I'm definitely adding this to my music to listen to while writing playlist.

I do not feel the need to justify my five star review. It is self-evident upon listening to Head Hunters why it deserves it.

I was in jazz band in high school. To say this album was a formative one for me is about as big of an understatement you could make

Loved the atmosphere. Funky, groovy. Throwing shit it on and showing it to everyone.

A relentless display of skill

Good golly this is a cool album. Just such insane sounds.

Herbie Hancock is a giant of jazz, in fact a colossus of the music world full stop! This is his seminal album and classic of the jazz funk fusion whatever genre. Superb!

-ahhh yay Head Hunters!! i got to see Herbie Hancock in concert in September and he was phenomenal one of my favorite jazz artists -there’s really nothing bad i can say about this album! very fun and still sounds pretty unique today. some of herbie’s best work -Favorites are Chameleon, Watermelon Man, and Vein Melter

I rate Watermelon Man a 5 star because the beat and all the instruments are good and it´s just a good song. I rate camileon a 5 star because the beat and all the instruments are good and it´s just a good song and the dynamics are really good.

Do you want to listen to some music that has a keyboard? Well in Watermelon Man you can! I rate this song a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. I highly recommend this song. Do you want to listen to some music that has some keyboard? Well in chameleon you can! I rate this song a ⭐⭐⭐⭐. I recommend this song.

I absolutely loved this, I listened to the album on repeat all day.

Well sheesh, this was incredible.

Funky

A great album and a long tiume favourite of mine. The beginning of the use of synths. I give it a 5 for its milestone status.

Being yet another classic from the master Hancock, this album is, without a doubt, a definitive work—not just in jazz-funk, but in music as a whole—owing to its vast and enduring influence. It’s not only fun and unpretentious, but also creative and fiercely groovy. At just 40 minutes and 4 tracks, with Chameleon and Sly both stretching past 10 minutes, each could have easily been 30 minutes long, and I would have still wanted more. Transcending genres and eras, Head Hunters remains one of my all-time favorite albums.

Disco, artista y portada incónicos. Hancock es un referente en múltiples géneros, sobre todo el Jazz pero también en el Funk (aquí por ejemplo), la fusión africana, Post-Bop, electro (Rock it)... ha tocado durante muchos y fructíferos años. Ha hecho de todo y siempre con un innegable sello de calidad. Cuatro años antes había participado con M. Davis en In a silent way, obra referencial del Jazz. NO incluye su mayor éxito: Cantaloupe Island (aún no la había compuesto). Este fue el disco más vendido del jazz en la historia en su momento, razones no le faltan. Si quieren leer una crítica completa, háganlo aquí: https://barroquita.com/2024/02/22/herbie-y-los-cazatalentos-entre-camaleones-sandias-y-mascaras-africanas/. La otra opción es darle al play y disfrutar del álbum.

Seminal and enjoyable on all accounts, not just for jazz-heads. Proficient (to say the very least) playing backed a lot of soul. Head Hunters offers slow-burn groove-fest jams as well as absolutely fiery fusion. At least half of the tracks here have become jazz standards, deservingly so. If this album interests you at all, definitely check out every album Herbie released from 1969 through the latter portion of the 70’s. Funky fusion for a lifetime.

One of the instrumental albums that I like the most, from the first second you can recognize that it is Herbie Hancock, I dare say that it is his best album.

Absolutely no notes. Flippin slaps. Right down to the album art. Turned off whatever wuss rock I was listening to and immediately laid on some Herbie. Seeing this rated highly really soothes my soul. I love that the most popular one star review guy got this and then immediately gave up on music; blew it!

Herbie Hancock has had a long and storied career with so many cresting waves that it’s hard to name any one time as the peak but 1973-1976 was undeniably special. Head Hunters (an album so great that the band he formed for it went on to their own successful career), documents Hancock at the forefront of another rising tide. But not just part of that wave, he helped point the way. This music is supple and propulsive. No doubt, that motion comes from one of the tightest rhythm sections in jazz fusion. Paul Jackson’s basslines are the atomic essence of groove, endlessly elastic, kinetic and hypnotic. Harvey Mason’s drumming is as deep in the pocket as the Mariana Trench, keeping everything simmering just below a boil. Hancock’s clavinet and synth work surfs right on top, playful, slinky and memorable. Popular music genres have been crossing streams since the day anyone put a boundary up. Hancock knew jazz was at its best when electrifying and accretive — absorbing funk, soul, pop and rock. Head Hunters fused it into something smooth, funky and fully locked-in.

One of my favorites. I really respect Herbie for going in this direction.

just some absolutely awesome stuff

Loved it.

Ahh.. the album that made me an insufferable jazz nerd in high school. Need I say more?

Easily my favorite Jazz album! It's just so funky and groovy that it's impossible to have a bad time while listening. That bass tone is legendary. I also love how slow they start playing Chameleon and then by the end of the song they are grooving so hard it's like 25-50 BPM faster then when they started. High 5.

As someone who is very interested in the development of electronic music I'm so glad to have heard this meld of synth and jazz!

Very funky and accessible jazz. Chameleon is an epic track, Watermelon Man is also fantastic and Sly is pretty great too. I didn't enjoy Vein Melter quite as much but I'm still giving this a 5 because the rest of the album already earned it.

5 for the sentiment I have with this. Always will remind me of how proud I was listening to my son drumming Watermelon Man at his first public appearance. I am biased.

herbie is yet another big influence in my music taste, i love most every thing he's put out in his lifetime, and this iconic album is no exception. it's probably one of his best, if not the best. very stylish and very funky, this album is essential to the world of jazz fusion, blending standard jazz rides and lines with VERY crazy keyboard solos and maybe the occasional african influence or two. there's probably studies about music that stimulates the brain in a positive way... this is certainly an example of that. only 4 large tracks on this one.

i always put off hearing this album but i'm soooo glad i finally gave it a listen Chameleon - 5/5 (a bit long but really good, was far from bored) Watermelon Man - 5/5 (i have no words this shit was just pure 🔥🔥🔥from beginning to end) Sly - 5/5 (another long but good one) Vein Melter - 3/5 (real slow and chill, sounds like music to sneak around at night to) this album really changed my perspective on jazz 4.5/5 (rounding up)

funky, groovy, amazing instrumentation and soloing, tight, amazing keyboard playing, incredible sax, nasty hooks on watermelon man, nice drumming to accommodate the mesmerising passages 10/10

It was silly and I had a lot of fun

I feel cooler for having listened to this

Phenomenal stuff, Edgy but not rough Bassline that slaps Under the smooth I collapse A seminal album from a seminal year 5 stars, no fear

spacious