Head Hunters

This is jazz fusion in its purest form. Herbie Hancock is masterful. A joy to listen to. I put this on while my son was off sick after an operation. And we were both dancing. Thank you Herbie

god it's just so fucking good i can't even like explain it. of course i was already familiar with chameleon and watermelon man but actually taking the time to actively listen to them ummm yeah they are fucking CRAZY! and go crazy stupid amazing! and i had not heard sly before but it's just as good as the others! sure i like vein melter a little less than the first three but to be honest the first three tracks are so good and like energetic and everything that i don't even care it's a nice chill closer and the whole thing is a perfect album to me and I Love You, Head Hunters by Herbie Hancock

I feel like something is wrong with me for not liking Herbie Hancock more. I did finally start to get into some of the experimentation and funkiness here after a couple times thru.

Man, high-school-me thought this was the coolest album ever, and high-school-me had no idea who Sly Stone was and was still a few years away from discovering "On the Corner." Revisiting this decades later — after an intense love affair with Mr. Stone and dozens of hours spent unpacking "On the Corner" — "Sly," a track I almost certainly couldn't get my head around then, is the coolest shit ever, especially when it gets cooking. Honestly, I wrote this album off after hearing "Watermelon Man" enough for two lifetimes. But this whole album still rips and I'm glad to revisit it here and put it back into my rotation.

This is a chill, laid-back, and groovy album, though “Sly” picks up the pace a bit and gives some extra energy into the mix. Herbie Hancock is definitely an incredible pianist, and on “Chameleon,” you can tell he’s really having fun exploring the synth, even if it feels like he’s still discovering its full potential.

Awesome

dope.

early funk jazz....i dug it.

I understand this is supposed to be a classic jazz alblum. I was looking forward to it. Was disappointed. Can appreciated the musicianship but just could not get into it.

Not my thing… but 1973, I can see the music being unique for its time.

Thank goodness only 4 tracks. Awful

That first track is funky and squelchy as hell! The rest is pretty great, too. And that's definitely a different version of "Watermelon Man" than I'm familiar with. Very nice.

Smooooooth

I love jazz.

Kind of funky jazz. Sounds cool enough, the first track does drag and outstay it's welcome by the end. Watermelon man has some really interesting instrumentation, nice bass, quite smooth. They do the lick. The whole album is fine. It has some cool ideas but tends to labour them a bit meaning the magic wears off before the piece is finished.

Goddamn I aint expect this to hit so hard. Last song was playing and I was online shopping for a vinyl copy.

1. Chameleon is so funky! I like it. Added to Favorites. 2. Watermelon, is ok. 3 Sly, a bit too hectic Jazz. 4. Vein Melter, meh. This also linked me to his 1980s pop hit Rockit! :-)

Great music that really takes up space, this is not background jazz. Vein Melter really made this one for me, the others way too urgent sounding for my current mental state, but that's a personal problem.

Very funky and weird in a good way

Good mood jazz, funk and flair. The reprisals make it playful and almost like a riddle. But then the instrumental virtuosity knocks you flat.

Solid 4.5, but I'm not a huge fan of the last track (first three are aces), so keeps it from 5 for me.

*1973. Jazz funk. *Bizarre combo of groovy funk rock (good), jazz (good), and synth and electric for no reason (not good). *45 mins, but only 4 tracks. I found myself wanting to skip to the next one a few minutes into each song. *Definitely interesting and I really enjoyed the funk/jazz, but the electronic stuff just didn't work for me. I might revisit, as this album apparently was a winner for a lot of people. RATING - 6/10

First two tracks here are funk rock staples, so I'm very familiar. The second half of the album takes more of a jazz fusion route, continuing the avant garde-ness of it all. Culminating in a comparatively slow finale track (that apparently melts your veins!) The quintet really gets to have fun here, experimenting with the clavinet, synthesizers, bass, and other world music percussion instruments. One could pretty much consider this one big jam session, but that doesn't take away from the listening experience at all. Case in point: you don't realize that the opening track "Chameleon" is 15 minutes long until it's over. Very good album and one of Herbie's best.

And you know what? You don't tape people. What is this society, that we tape everything? What's going on? Do we not live in the moment anymore? We just tape everything from a phone? I don't like that. You know, that's what Herbie's music is against. I don't know, man, I think the dog humped you. That's why I love Herbie Hancock! He loves to lie.

One of the first albums I ever bought as a teenager. Still excites me 50 years later.

Me gusta el jazz, entiendo su importancia pero no me gustó casi

makes me feel almost as cool as herbie

generational peak

Too many notes….but you can see the influence it had on Hip Hop

yea that's five stars

I like how every song has its own distinct feel, something I think gets lost a lot of Tines with longer jazz songs. Amazing solo’s and groovy backbeats

Interesante

Yeah Fricking Herbie

I don't like purely instrumental albums.

This was fine. I liked the start. Fun layering. But by the end I was like meh. I did laugh because I saw Vein Melter and def expected to hear something harder.

Jazz balancerer på en hårfin grænse mellem behagelig og ulidelig lytning. Den her plade falder lidt for ofte i den sidste kategori

Amazing album. Funky and smooth. Perfect weekend music. It’s one that I always look for in record shops but can never find, so in a way it’s a holy grail record for me. 5 stars.

4.5 Completely different interpretation of what jazz can be, really enjoyed this one

top

Lots of respect for Herbie Hancock, but not something I’d go to if I want something in the background.

beetje gezweef , maar veel te lang

Cool but repetitive and makes you feel dizzy sometimes

Foundational

Such an amazing evolution of jazz!

typa jazz i really fw 8.5/10 best song - watermelon man

Very fun jazzy blast that forced me to get off my ass and move, great opener. Got some Forrest elf shit, yoooh! The drumming in this thing is immaculate Flutes sound funny The engineering my god! it’s so crisp. I can pick apart each piece like a pretzel, or a cupcake, or a soup! Five minutes, vein melter…… this shit rocks.

Good vibes and was needed that day.

wow so great

ok clearly i gotta develop a new ratings system for instrumental music. because i can't use this ratings system to give this album a fair score. i'm just asking a fish to climb a tree. i'm watching test cricket and expecting it to be a footy match. 2.88/5. BUT please understand that I would listen to this album again in the background.

wow. phenomenal. Do I like jazz? May be early to call but I'm feeling like all 4 songs are about to be bangers. The mind is quiet and I am working HARD for the money you hear me? what a fun little adventure, I should've played this in the park earlier when I was lost Fav's: Honestly the whole thing is phenomenal. Its a 4 song album and tbh just listen to the full set

Track By Track Chameleon - Great, funky groovy brilliance. Building layer by layer. I recognise the bass synth riff. To me it has that coolness of maybe Rick James or Teddy Pendergrass but with a more experimental edge. In the solos, I was almost hypnotised, although that might be because I’m tired after a day at work! Watermelon Man - This one was really innovative as a rework of his classic tune. The wind instruments sound African in their influence. Not sure how accurate that it but I enjoyed them. It sounded more beach-y as well in the groove. The little melodic inflections and nods to the original tune woven and peppered throughout are really nice and gives the listener just enough of a tie to it as to invoke familiarity and then moves somewhere else. Sly - This is cool. Got a nice background vibe to it, with great bass and solos. Then when it picks up the synth and horns really take off. Oh also I forgot to mention how good the drums are throughout. Big up Harvey Mason. Vein Melter - Slower one. This seems to be a nice combination of a more traditional jazz sound and futuristic vibes. I liked that it ends with the same beats as when it started. Like a little, gentle footstep out the door. Overall Review: I liked that I listened to this in the evening. As I listened, I enjoyed the late night feeling of me packing whilst my cat went a little crazy running about the house. I got into the textures and meandering melodic lines of the free expressionistic jazz, I was properly immersed at points. I actually didn’t realise how innovative Hancock was (& is). Impressed with a lot of the songs, the experimentation and the musicianship. Some were familiar but most weren’t and I very much enjoyed the vibe. I would listen again, but in context and when the mood is right! 3.9/5 Favourite Songs: Chameleon, Watermelon Man, Vein Melter

Not my favorite Herbie but it was fun to listen to his early stuff.

Fire

Very funky. Great music to groove to in the background. Loved it.

Had heard of the name Herbie Hancock before but couldn't have told you much about him. This however was a blast. Loved finding it!

I appreciate the artistry I just don't like fusion even at its best :(

Perfection

Fun, funky jazz. I can dig.

really don't get the appeal that makes it one of the greatest albums of all time with this one, aside from it's influence. it just feels like rather standard electronic jazz, from a modern perspective.

I'm familiar with this album, and have even performed two of the tracks in bands. I should probably add this to my library. Yup, this is great. I'm adding it to my library and my list of albums to listen to again.

Head Hunters haz jazz.

Groovy?

Cool, jazz, man 😎🎺

Hell yeah this was a fun listen, especially liked watermelon man!

Does Herbie Hancock know that The White Lotus stole Watermelon Man for their intro?

So much better than John Zorn

4/10

Loved it! Funky jazz!

Goated herbie

Понравилось

The last album I got was Keith Jarret's Koeln Concert, and I gave it 4 stars writing that I never thought I'd rate a solo jazz album so highly. Well along comes another jazz album (albeit not solo), that absolutely blew my socks off. Am I starting to get jazz? What's happening to me?

It reminded me of a great video game soundtrack.

Overall okay. Not my type of thing.

Not previously very familiar with this, but pretty great.

Cool idea but not my thing and songs were too long

Just not for me

7.5/10 - Still not sold on jazz but I think I liked this.

I like the jazz fusion and the funk but some of these songs overstay their welcome a bit. It's not bad by any means but I view this more as background music with the repetitiveness. 6/10

I've wanted this on vinyl for a long time. Chameleon is such an epic intro, it's a transportation device every time it comes on. Watermelon Man follows, changing form for the third time into something somehow more epic than when Mongo Santamaría got his hands on it. That's side 1, with the catchy funk-influenced tracks. Side two is the more generous jazz side, odd times, communication between the band, a feel of masterful improvisational skill. The funk influence is a bonus. I didn't remember this as a 4 track album, I guess if you just hit play it feels like it has a lot more depth to it. It's of exquisite length, working beautifully for an instant replay as it does if it just fades into an ending. It's not just Herbie making this work, though if you ever feel it getting monotonous you'll notice the keys stepping into view and sliding through the company. To top it off, the overall production here is damn near perfect, down to track list selection, mix, and conceptualization. It's a fusion album that breathes jazz essence, it's one of a kind, a definite must-listen, and a record I can easily recognize as some of the best of all time. 4.85/5

Some good funky bits, but the length of the songs ruined it for me.

Maybe the quintessential jazz funk album, I still remember the first time I ever listened to Chameleon.

Head Hunters was a pretty fun jazz record. I haven't really heard of this guy prior to listening to this album but this was another case where i knew exactly what it was gonna be. It feels like one of those jazz songs that you would hear while waiting for a representative from customer service to call you over some issue. And that's the thing with this album, it's best as background music honestly. That being said, it is good background music. The songs have a fair bit of energy and most of them introduced new things at a good rate. As a serious listening experience, it gets a bit repetitive but as background music, it works quite well. Best Song: Chameleon Worst Song: Sly

Look I am known to be fond of a jazz fusion album and this was good, I loved its eccentric and funky sound. I think my favourite song on here was “watermelon man”. Whilst this was a deceptively long album it would listen to it again. Not bad overall I give it a 3/5

Weird but good

My first exposure to Herbie Hancock was the song Rockit with its bizarre music video from the early Mtv days. It was many years later I learned that the dance track had come from a jazz legend. I can't remember the first time I heard Chameleon but it sounds as fresh and infectious today as the first time hearing it... despite the repetitiveness of that bass line. This is a great gateway album into Herbie Hancock's music.

Wow, this was an awesome fusion of jazz and funk with great grooves, basslines, and more synths than I’ve heard on a jazz record before. There is such great texture and attention to detail throughout the whole thing. This certainly feels groundbreaking and was quite enjoyable on first listen. 1 listen Favorite Track: Chameleon

A few odd choices noted but this was pleasant enough.

Album #215: Herbie Hancock – Head Hunters ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Coming from Blood, Sweat & Tears yesterday, a jazz-rock album, to Herbie Hancock’s Head Hunters today has given me literal whiplash. This is how you do a jazz-fusion album. The difference in quality is immeasurable, in my opinion. I’ve never listened to Herbie Hancock, although his reputation precedes him. I know a bit about him and could probably recognise a few tunes here and there, but this is my first Herbie Hancock album, and oh my God, what have I been missing? Let’s get the elephant out of the room here. Chameleon is the best funk song I have ever heard in my entire life, and right up there with the best songs I’ve ever heard. It absolutely blew me away today. It’s 16 minutes long. It could have been another 16 minutes and it still wouldn’t have overstayed its welcome. It still would have found new ideas. The drumming, the way it changes, the moods and expressions it goes through, and the way it all seamlessly flows together. It’s literally a perfect song. It needs to be celebrated more. Today shouldn’t have been the first time I ever heard it. It should be a well-known song by everyone. And I wondered to myself, that’s a pretty impossible standard to set with your opener. Would the rest of the album keep up? It really does. There isn’t a bum note on the album. There isn’t a moment where it dips at all. It’s so energetic. It’s so funky. For the most part, it’s more funk than jazz, but when the jazz does come in, and I’m not the biggest jazz fan in the world, it’s so angelic and beautiful. The choices made are stellar. Take Vein Melter at the end. This really odd, almost Disney-style section comes in towards the middle-end of the song, and it’s so unexpected, but not jarring in the way jazz can sometimes be for me. It’s just a real display of beautiful, beautiful funk music. That’s not really something you hear very often. Funk is funk, you know? It’s funky. It stinks in a good way. But this is beautiful, heavenly funk music. It’s staggering. As well as that, this is one of the best-sounding albums I’ve ever heard. This thing is impeccably produced. Everything sounds perfect. Everything is measured perfectly. Everything sounds so crisp and pristine. I need to listen to this thing on vinyl or a FLAC file or something, because it deserves the highest fidelity possible. This was a welcome, welcome addition to my musical experience today. I loved it.

Funky

Ok

Endnu en kæmpe goat Banebrydende jazz klassiker ku godt ha været længere

It's pleasant enough to listen to, albeit with nothing that really jumps out as being great.

a lot of funk not my style i'm more lyrical but it was short and sweet

I feel cooler for having listened to this.

Not bad but didn't get pulled in

Listened

Great background music, nothing more

Headhunters- Such an amazing album. Nothing sounds like it. Headhunters is one of the my favorite rhythm sections with Mike Clark on Thrust too (that album should also be on the list too!). Probably some of the coolest synth playing ever on Chameleon. Really cool how Herbie reimagined Watermelon Man and again on”Mr. Hands” three iconic grooves for each era. Love Sly and Vein Melter too. Each of the four tunes are really unique, distinct stylistically. Such great compositions

Haven’t listen to this probably since high school and i forgot how sick some of those grooves are. Definitely a classic for a reason.

Can’t say anything I haven’t said before