Head Hunters

an absolute classic. love this album and i think i have it on vinyl.

Vor allem W. Man: Layering; langsamer Aufbau, Clav, Saxophon, Bass, Percussion.. alles ist perfekt. Aura als Album. Atmosphäre. Das muss so krass damals gewesen sein, als das rausgekommen ist und jemand das so zum ersten Mal auf nen Plattenspieler gelegt hat. Wow. Vein Melter hat mich endgültig überzeugt.

Undoubtedly the smoothest, funkiest and most approachable jazz fusion record in existence – there’s no question why it sold a gazillion copies, many to people who would have normally never thought of buying a record like this. I wish it had a little more drama, a little more tension (like Miles Davis’ fusion records do) but it’s still fantastic to listen to. Best track: “Chameleon”

This was nice. I enjoyed it. I knew Watermelon Man from Mid 90s I'll give it 4 stars.

8/10

Actual music, good! Even though it’s fusion.

Absolutely mesmerising blend of funk and jazz. Fusion of a very high order. 5

Just not my type of jazz.

Not my type of jazz

I think the viral Angine De Poitrine must have listened to this on repeat because the similarities are kind of crazy!

Hard to get funkier than this!

Another eh album

How is it this good

I just have nothing to say about this. It was fine but I don't remember any of it and I'm kind of just over the nondescript slop on this list but I'm also 540 albums in...

What a treasure! This is one of the finest executions of the act we call jazz I’ve ever heard. The sustained intensity of a masterwork like Sky is breathtaking. It’s not just a meaningless flurry of notes. The musicians are locked in a flow state together riding a wave of pure inspiration and imagination. When there’s only 4 songs it’s hard not to name check them all, Vein Melter deserves to be mentioned as one of the all time great jazz compositions.

Sublime.

liedjes zijn erg verschillend van elkaar, ik vind het leuk dat ze allemaal zo lang zijn. je hebt gelijk in 4 nummers veel soorten jazz

it was an enjoyable album. it was nice to listen to in the background and i wouldn't mind if it played randomly but i'm not sure if i'll seek out to listen to it again.

Love this album. First time I heard it was in the early 90s. Love this album, listening to it today.

When I listened to it this morning, I thought to myself that despite several really great moments I just prefer Herbie playing funk infused jazz rather than jazz infused funk but I’ve flipped my shit. I might like it more than a four eventually.

Groovy

Herbie just being the coolest guy in the building

Classy jazz

Started off so promisingly, then turned into jazz

gets a 2 for the lovely funky feel at start of the album, loses further points as it became more jazzy

Not my jam, but I appreciate the talent.

I promise you no song worth listening to is more than 10 min. Jazz is good they said. There are no lyrics and some songs can do that, but a whole album where there are 4 long songs, no. I'm sure there is some really good reason to like this but I don't. Mid even if some songs had good parts the good parts are watered down by bad music.

Not my style. But interesting.

No notes

1. chameleon - 1 2. man - 0 3. zly - 1 4. vein - 1

groovy and loved the technological elements and the bass lines 8.9/10

lindo pero medio denso a veces. 3.5 pero queda como 4/5.

vibes

album #90 just so unbelievably groovy. there's actually not much to say other than that. it's so effortlessly cool. ꩜ average track rating: 3.7/5 ꩜ favourite track(s): watermelon man, sly ꩜ least favourite track(s): chameleon ꩜ album rating: ★★★★☆ ꩜ number of albums left to review: 999 ꩜ number of albums from the list that i agree with being on the list: 43 (+1 Head Hunters) ꩜ albums from the list that I would consider on my list: 19 (+1 Head Hunters) ꩜ albums from the list I won't include on my list: 71

👐👐👐

Not my kind of music, but in a way where if you put it on I won't ask to shut it more I won't listen to it for my own pleasure

Classic funky album, over time sounds all the same but one of the best.

Outstanding. Too bad it’s so short.

Very exciting, refreshing and colorful album, full of great performances that join together in such an organic manner that really send the message home about the soul and beauty of what was done across the 4 tracks on this album. I'm not very used to listen to jazz music, but was very very pleasently surprised with Head Hunters: every song, despite the length of each track, is just so entertaining, allways offering something new every second, with the highlight, in my opinion, being the 3rd track, Sly, especially the keys solo (hope I'm not making a mistake assuming it's keys), had me on the edge of my seat with every bar. Each song is also very unique, but feels very well contextualized in the album's aesthetic. Super enjoyable listen!

Perfect vibes music.

I enjoy a lot of these jazz albums, but I love very few of them. This is good, but it's doesn't give me enough to get 5 stars.

Wasn't expecting to like this one as I thought it'd be another jazz album but this is actually quite interesting and with good sound quality too.

Some jazz funk for a Friday morning - made my jog fairly erratic, but a fun album. Favourite track: Chameleon

Capital F funky. Loved listening to this and would happy listen to move in the future. The fusion of instruments and genres was great.

idk

Not bad

This had a funky cool vibe, but fades in and out as background music.

There's a lot going on but in such a fun way, the transition ión from one song to the next are amazing too

Music for anteaters to wander through the Pampas to, wiggling their big fluffy tails from side to side as they go hunting for delicious, juicy termites. Not so much for me as I head to the kitchen hunting for chocolate biscuits and a nice cup of tea.

delicious beats

funky and delicious, if not a bit long

groovy

Ultimately disappointed after looking forward to giving this a proper listen. None of tracks, whilst decent enough in their own right, done enough for me to compel further listening. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ ★★★☆☆(6/10) Total reviewed : 368 Already owned : 79 Purchased : 16 To buy : 7 Nope : 266

brzmienia super, lubie jazz i funk w sumie tez, ale 40+ minut sluchania 4 piosenek zlozonych z samych instrumentow? to nie dla mnie, aczkolwiek moze sobie kiedys puszcze w tle

Cool album and cooler album cover, captured my attention before I even pressed play.

Very familiar with Chameleon and Watermelon Man, although I haven’t listened to them in 20 years. Felt somewhat different than I remember so I was a bit unsure at the start, but in its entirety this album grew on me and I listened through a couple times. 3.75/5

Hace mucho no tocaba uno de jazz... Me gustó bastante, lo disfruté.

Jazz. Funk. Awesomeness. Liked Songs Added: Chameleon Watermelon Man Sly

I made it through the first song Which lasted about 6 hours. I enjoyed the first minute or so of it, but then it just kept going. Not sure if I was still listening to it by the end or if I’d just gone into a trance. Please stop sending me jazz. Favourite track: isn’t it just one long piece of music?

Fantastic improvisation, period accurate synth sounds, and unusual instrumentation, all masterfully played. This is a very creative and original jazz/fusion album.

instrumental and funky

Opens the dictionary for the definition of cool and it said see Head Hunters.

Pleasant enough for the majority. It descended into nonsense jazz for a bit but that was short lived (and drowned out by the air fryer) so I’ll only mark it down one point.

No way am I finishing this.

Recursive

so groovy! absolute banger Would I listen again: yes please Deserves to be on this list: yes 4.4

This asks the question: can something be *too* funky? The answer, dear reader is no.

Herbie will always be Herbie

“Oops, all vibes” was the one sentence review, and Headhunters is on the shortlist of albums I own physically AND being on this list. A physical listen, on vinyl, was how I heard Headhunters, and the physical listen was palpable. Side 1 almost oozes out of the speakers, while Side 2 burst out like a bird. Hancock is one of the great masters of jazz and this is one of a few masterpieces he’s made.

4-

4/10 Sounds meh Really repetitive

Wicked Jazz record. Like this one a lot.

Voilà un album qui fait plaisir ! Herbie Hancock, je connais pas si bien que ça, mais je sais qu'il a énormément évolué depuis ses origines purement jazz. Sur cet album, il se tourne vers le funk, pour un mélange des deux genres des plus délicieux. C'est à la fois hyper prenant et original. On a 4 titres plutôt longs, pour un total d'à peine 40 minutes et on en redemande. J'ai écouté cet album énormément de fois, mais ma méconnaissance du genre m'empêche d'être très pertinent dans ma description. Mais le fait est que voir un jazzman qui a commencé sa carrière solo au début des années 60 savoir évoluer pour, 10 ans plus tard, sortir un album pile à la croisée des deux genres, à la fois fouillé et super accessible, rempli de mélodies qui restent en tête, c'est franchement admirable et je devrais vraiment explorer davantage sa discographie !

the Joni Mitchell’s Blue of 1970s crossover-jazz experimentation (more so than anything Joni Mitchell tried that decade)

4 stars

Sooooo incredibly funky. Amazing synth work and amazing horns/saxophone. Also, this album cover is so so cool. I really loved the opening track, “Chameleon”, with its sort of wah-wah bass I guess and I loved how the drumming changed halfway through. The motif of “Watermelon Man” is iconic. But honestly, each of these songs are so smooth and groovy and funky and have such an energy.

Well it's funky alright, but pretty insubstantial. I mean, Watermelon Man, what's all that about?

pas ma vibe, je préfère la musique avec des paroles et qui sont pas aussi longues même si je comprends l'attrait

Fantastic jazz,funk. Really impressive

Deep grooved funk jazz. I love how locked-in ultra-tight this band is. Beats to die for. Bass lines to kill for. Right in there with P-Funk and Sly and Mayfield but also with Miles Davis, Horace Silver, Jimmy Smith. Amazing record.

Clever, innovative, and fun to listen to. “Chameleon” could go for another 15 minutes and still work.

First jazz album I've listened to listened to it once in stats and then once in english and the first song walking home from the library 24/6/26

Very warm and deeply present. A perfect album for a morning coffee and optimistic day. Strong grooves. To fully embrace it one has be fully present in the moment.

this is a fantastic album

Interesting psychedelic jazz, heavy on the impressionism. I liked the scenes Hancock painted with the album. I feel like this is the kind of music people smarter than me listen to. "Watermelon Man" was my favorite track.

As an instrumental fan I was excited for this album. Especially as it's a commonly recommended instrumental album people recommend. For whatever reason it doesn't land for me.

So funky!!

Review - I've tried this album a bunch of times and never got on with it, but this time it worked. Maybe it's listening to it during a heatwave just works. A great jazz fusion album. I don't have enough knowledge of fusion so whenever I hear a fusion album I like, the only reference point I have is "ooh this sounds like video game boss music". Which this does at times. In a good way. Score - 8/10 Need to listen? YES

favs: chameleon

130424 9:48 4

Masterpiece of Jazz

Good. Jazz/funk isn't really my thing, but this was a fun listen, despite zoning out at times.

Wonderful amazing beautiful album. So groovy from beginning to end.

À partir du moment où l’album est composé de 4 morceaux de 10 minutes chacun faut aller se faire foutre. Et puis l’electo jazz alternatif (c’est comme ça que je le définirai) c’est vraiment pas ma tasse de thé, je pense qu’il faut être initié pour réussir à comprendre cette musique. Spoiler, c’est pas mon cas

Toujours pas bien...

Første sang er så banger. 15 minuters fest.

What is this and why do I love it. Really catchy, plays nicely in the background but is also worth being concentrated on. Probably my favorite jazz album ever now. The bass work was out of this world. Anyone saying this is boring has no attention span. du du du du da da, da da da da di di/5

The kind of weird that I like.

Nice and listenable. Particularly while working.

Chamelion is amazing.

Finally getting some exposure to this record. Head Hunters' reputation precedes it, and while I was initially expecting my mind to be blown open by this one, I kept myself realistic and realized that jazz fusion just isn't a genre I tend to get a lot of huge enrichment out of. That being said, this is still pretty great. There's a refreshing energy to the improvisation and hearing everyone play off each other.

I'm not a big jazz but there are some records I have listened to that I really enjoy and this is one of them!

Un bon moment de groovy, c'était somme toute très agréable mais je ne sais pas si j'irai jusqu'à le réécouter en étant seul. Cependant je peux être amené à le réécouter pour le faire découvrir à d'autres personnes. Je trouve la cover génial, et ai apprécié la lecture du wiki de l'album et Herbie Hancock, qui m'a permis d'apprendre des choses et de me construire un supplément de relation à la musique écoutée. Mention spécial à Vein Melter qui clos magnifiquement cette album et qui est ma musique préférée.

I've listen to this one before, originally discovering it off of Mid 90's with Watermelon man. This is lowky the most generationally appealing peace of funk ever written, from the beginning it is. The bass lines groovy throughout, almost every instrument has its own solo, herbie prioritises the uniqueness of each instrument

Absolutely not my cup of tea

Not a fan of the funky fusion

Timeless album. Insane shit. Music at its finest. Favorite track: Sly

Не особо что-то зашло, а так прикольно

Funky, cool, accessible jazz. I dig it. Experimental enough without ruining the groove. I love the weird little flute loops on Watermelon Man. Drumming is impeccable all around. Sly careens wildly between tempos and styles. Very cool album.

Pleasant surprise. Funky/enjoyable.

Writing this review about a week after listening to it. I do not remember anything about this album. I just remember initially thinking that I’m about to listen to a metal album from that title but it’s not.

Chameleon - The beat is nice and funky but i got a headache after the first 3 minutes so I had to skip it Watermelon man - I liked the flute in the back Sly - Nice and calm beat, I like this one better than the other two oh and its also very jazzy Vein Melter - Okay the beat is very nice and those are all the adjectives I know but its the kind of song you'd hear at a fancy restaurant not that I've ever been to one but ive seen them in movies atleast This album might not have been the best to listen to with a headache, also not the best song to listen to while your just sitting alone in your room. Overall, the beats are well producted but its just not my thing

Not really my thing

Hancock is on of the greats and extremely versatile musically, but this album is not really my piece of cake.

Ack. Another instrumental. It doesn't matter how funky or cool the music is. A 15 minute song with no lyrics is not my jam. I decided to listen to a few and didn't really care to hear the last song. 2 stars because it's in no way offensive, I just didn't like it.

What an album! This is great as background, work music, and it's also great as something to focus on. Brilliant.

I knew I was going to love this album from the first 6 notes of the opening track. What a ridiculously great bass line. The beat that kicks in next had me sold. I love funk tunes where the instruments introduce themselves additively. Over the almost sixteen minutes of “Chameleon” things build up to moments where you can't distinguish between the layers, and then break down again to that single bass line. Several times. What a great song. “Watermelon Man” keeps the quality up. It's incredible the tribal sounds that Bill Summers conjures up with just his voice and a beer bottle. And then, yet another amazing bass line kicks in, followed by a build-up of fantastically funky sounds. It's a song that keeps surprising you as it progresses, and I can't get enough of it. Side one by itself is perfect. I could listen to it on repeat forever and not get bored. Side two can't keep up with those impossible standards though. Not that it's not good. “Sly” is impressive, but too frenzied to properly enjoy. It ends up feeling like a panic attack in song form. “Vein Melter” takes the frenetic energy levels down to a crawl with a cinematic piece of jazz fusion that sounds like it could score a noir detective movie from the 50s. My knowledge of Herbie Hancock before today was pretty much just the song “Rockit”, which I love, but it's very different territory. So this complex exploration of variations on a theme, where jazz meets funk, was a real surprise. 4.5 stars

What a prefect record! Everything here sounds crazy good. Music from the depth of space.

was jamming to start with and he's got some funky crescendos that do really sell what he's got to sell. I fear however that I came in wanting a lawn mower only to walk away with a pack of car fresheners. Not quite there? Drink: mango latte. (I dont know what it is either). Rating 6.45/10

This was a record of two halves for me. I enjoyed the first two tracks much more than the last two. They seemed more interesting, and more inventive, with Sly falling back into the classic “play all instruments really quickly at once” jazz that I don’t like, and Vein Melter dare I say it pretty boring. Overall, I have to give it a middle-of-the-road score. First two tracks would have got a 4 on their own.

More interesting than I had anticipated. Takes time to get into the music, but it has it's own logic and is enjoyable.

Very funky, but a bit over the top for me. I can see how it would be a piece that leaves a mark

Chameleon: 5/5 Watermelon man: iconic 5/5 Sly: it’s alr 3.5 Vein melter: 4.5/5 overall 4.5/5 first two songs alr make it 5* ngl

A great jazzy funky album but became background noise after a while.

jazzy vibey, great for when im ironing hahah

It was interesting listening to sly and hearing what is surely the inspiration behind Steven Wilson's Raven that Refused to Sing

There's a reason he's the name for a signature. Classic. Banger. Nah but this is kinda the same realm as 2112, and to a lesser extent Maggot Brain, as an album that has one incredible opener and the rest is good but not to the same standard. Big fan of the way Chameleon changes throughout and morphs, plus the way it ebbs and flows. When you think it's done it comes back in just a cool way.

Oh man this is good

Thoughts before listening: This is a funk jazz classic that is constantly listed as a major influence on a lot of the musicians that I enjoy. Really excited to dig into this one. Review: This is an awesome, exciting listen through out. Its funky and accessible, especially with "Chameleon" which was a big hit for Herbie, but it also goes way out there into avant garde territory with deep synth jams layered over syncopated rhythms. Its a pretty impressive accomplishment to make something that goes so out there become the best selling jazz album of all time at its release. I just put all 4 tracks on my playlist, and I'll be buying this album. 5-stars

DAMN. I'm surprised this came out in 1973. I'm surprised the first person to ever listen to this didn't just start spitting and invent jazz rap on the spot. That beat on Chameleon is tailor-made for a rapper. I wanna hear Lupe Fiasco rhyme over the entirety of Chameleon like he did for his song Mural. I don't think anything else on the record quite reaches that same level of excitement, that head-bobbing fun that the first track does, but I still think Sly kicks ass, I think Watermelon Man is great even if I can't quite wrap my head around its flute loops...is that a guy just yelping in there? Is someone just shouting between the notes? Hancock is also routinely outshined by his drummer all over Head Hunters, but not because Herbie himself is faltering, but that drummer...ohhhh my god. I am listening to Sly right now as I type this. This dude knows how to rock. I'm very surprised this is the only Herbie Hancock album on the list. I mean, you have nine Bowie albums on here. Six Elvis Costello albums. Four Morrissey solo albums. You couldn't make some room for Sextant? No love for Mr. Hands? The album, not the horse fucker.

They were the future in the 73, using the sinth in that way? Beautiful

Chameleon is great but quite repetitive at the start. Also the highlight of the album. The middle tracks are decent but the final track Vein Melter is anything but, extremely boring. 3 stars

A fun vibe but overall a bit long and repetitive for me. Could work as background lofi

Oh this is nice. Starting off with a wonderful 15-minute number in Chameleon, it's a beautifully played set of jazzy, funky tracks. I personally kinda wish it had ended with Sly instead of the lower-energy, more thoughtful Vein Melter, but this was still a very enjoyable jazz album.

Great . 10/10

Nice to get some jazz on this list. The mask he's wearing on the cover seems like a precursor to later electronic musicians and DJs, but the sidemen are so classically 70s in their clothing! I think listening to this benefits from a darkened room and maybe a view of the night sky.

Miles went electric. It was only a matter of time for Herbie to do the same. Brilliant experimental jazz funk fusion.

cool

Great funky jazz. All the tracks have a great groove to them and the rhythm section is tight. The whole band has incredible skill. The production on this album is very well done. I will say, based on the title, I had all kinds of ideas of what “Vein Melter” will sound like. Is it wild, aggressive, experimental free jazz? Or disgustingly funky enough to melt your veins? The actual song is good, but I was promised melted veins, and my blood is still flowing the same way it was before. 4/5

As someone who has some Herbie albums and likes some Jazz Fusion, I have no idea why I've never strayed to this one before. The cover is just classic & awesome but the main thing going for it is the production & the drumming, especially on the first song Chameleon & Vein Melter, it's just so crisp and addictive. When Jazz Fusion works well there's an unbeatable mix of sounds from the Fender Rhodes to prominent bass, woodwind, effects. It's just all perfection and extremely addictive. Will play this to my 15 year old later she'll love it. I also love that it pissed Miles Davis off as it was more successful than his ventures into these sounds the year before (not that I don't love miles!).

Listening session: june 4th, while studying Listened to before: no Thoughts: this was a weird music choice for studying but when I listened to it again, I really appreciated the creativity and grooviness Favourite track: Chameleon

This surprised me, Chameleon was great. This is probably the highest rating I will give a jazz album, it’s a 2.5 (not quite a 3)

Oh damn, that initial bass line! Hell yeah. HELL yeah.

This type of music isn't really what I listen to regularly, but I used it as background noise and for that it was quite nice

Incredible. Herbie is the man. Watermelon Man and Chameleon are staples of my college music experience.

king of funk eletronica soul

Objectively talented, just not my vibe again.

jazz is a little too much for me

Vibes but not mine

Somewhat bland and repetitive, but I didn’t hate it, so that’s saying something. Functioned as background music today. 2.5 stars

A jazz‑funk record built on grooves and electric textures. Long, repetitive jams make it more about feel than emotional punch. “Chameleon” and “Watermelon Man” carry the album.

This was ok, interesting.

Let him cook!

Pretty incredible jazz fusion. 5.0/5.0: Iconic

never listened to herbie before but this was awesome

chameleon; liek a 9.75 or 10/10 wow i still dont know what that instrument was, it was probably a synth idek watermelon man was also very good the beer bottle sound wow thats crazy anyway i do think less than chameleon though like 9/10 sly 9.5/10 vein melter: 8.75/10 overrall: strong 9 4.5/5

Clean, balanced, straight, makes no mistakes. Niiiceee

funky.

My first time with a Herbie Hancock album. For some reason I expected him to be more of an electronic guy than a jazz guy. This was pleasant but not especially interesting to me.

very long songs without any vocals can be a bit repetitive after a while. Might be because I’m not really used to this type of music. It did seem pretty good though

Neat little jazz album with a ton of experimental sections. I wouldn’t say it’s a relaxing, but it has moments. 3.4/5.0

I can tolerate Herbie Hancock’s better-known (and somewhat shorter) tracks a bit better. This album sounds a bit too experimental to my ears. Two stars...

A really solid jazz fusion album, enjoyable all the way through. Couldn’t listen to it daily but I’m really glad I heard it, 4 stars

Less than a minute i to Chameleon and it was already annoying me and there was still 14 minutes left. It didn’t get any better for me either. Just a repetitive jam. Yes it changes periodically but it changes and then just loops the new bit round and round, change and repeat. Watermelon Man was familiar sounding, i suspect more than being sampled than the original. Sly felt a but too busy and vein melter just dull

I do not like jazz. Especially when it’s this long. And jazz fusion is still jazz, just with a few more steps.

Few things make my heart sink as much as seeing a 41 minute album that only contains 4 tracks. And then seeing the inevitable "jazz" mention. I kept checking whether it had ended yet, but eventually realised it had when my app autoplayed Funkadelic afterwards. Not for me. 1/5

Bu parcayi 1973’te 24’te yabanci bir ulke yabanci bir ev yabanci bir mutfakta tatli dans esliginde keyifli bir omlete adamak isterdim. Güzelsin chameleon.

Chameleon - 4 Watermelon man - 4 Sly - 3 Vein melter - 3

People who know know Herbie Hancock......and more people should know Herbie Hancock. Rarely has there been a better use of 4 songs.

Amazing and cerbral stuff, way beyond my level

I do love a solid instrumental album, still not a jazz fan though

Cool

Eh. I don’t feel anything.

Jazz’s first million selling long player. Absolute joy on wax.

312/1089 starting off with some luigi’s mansion aura, nice the second song, watermelon man started off with some strong White Lotus vibes this was nice and chill, i’m not super into jazz (when it’s non-lyrical at least) so i’m glad i listened but not in a rush to revisit 22/100

basico

Not a fan of jazz…..

Ok so this is one of the most unique albums I've listened, beautiful jazz combined with electro elements, vibing into funk. Is just so relaxing, like I rinsed my brain of the rot of the day.

Making jazz even slower is too boring personally.

Not something I would listen to again

5/5. One of my personal favorite jazz/fusion albums. I remember the first time I listened to it a few years back, and the second that sticky bass-line hit on opener “Chameleon” I knew I was in good hands. And that opener is fantastic, you get a strong central groove which slowly evolves with the various solos before shifting into something else entirely in the back half with some great drum work. Then there’s “Watermelon Man” which begins with some very strange instrumentation and chanting before also breaking into a great groove. Then we get to my favorite on the album “Sly” which operates in a few distinct phases, the first bringing in the main groove of the song, the second upping the tempo and providing an insane sax solo, and third, which is my favorite section of the whole album keeps that tempo but brings things down to just the drums, bass and a keyboard solo which slowly builds in intensity until the drums and keyboard are just going absolutely insane. Amazing song. The closer “Vein Melter” operates like a comedown from the rest of the album, moving much more slowly and being more loose in its structure. But it’s still a great psychedelic feeling soundscape, that based on the song title and feel of the track is probably about heroin. one of my favorites and I’m glad I got to revisit it here.

Psychedelic rock-jazz-funk fusion at its finest.

Best of the best

it’s head hunters by herbie hancock.

The groove on this album is what caught me first. Lots of idea that I think would have been better distilled in multiple shorter songs. Favorite Songs: Chameleon

Master

This was really good. Easy to get lost in, and kind of didn't dawn on me that it was only four tracks.

Not so great. A bit of nothing

Jännä instrumentaali mut eka biisi 15min pitkä ja ekat 5 min iha samaa??? Ei pysty...toka biisi 5 min siinähän meni tylsä.. kolmas 10 min 5min jakso joo vikaki paska ei pysty

I loved this album very good its very smooth and calm with a fusion of pop and rock style 9.8/10

An absolute classic album front to back.

Funky. Jazzy. Great musicianship. Love Watermelon Man

I liked this more than I thought I would. Funky and cool.

Too funky for my taste

3 sterne

Album 201. Head Hunters (https://open.spotify.com/album/5fmIolILp5NAtNYiRPjhzA?si=ZbRgqZf2S3qLJ5M3Xc3IUQ) — Herbie Hancock (1973) Happy to relisten to it today. Four great long jazz fusion / funk songs. This album is beyond any possible understanding and doesn't fit in any rating system. It's like an unachievable entity that a Good Samaritan accidentally gifted to humanity. 5/5 Liked: — Chameleon — Watermelon Man — Sly — Vein Melter

Classic!

Day 3 Before: Cool album art, I also don't know this one. Really don't listen to Jazz or Funk, so this is gonna be new. Head Hunters feels like one never ending solo, from various instruments. Sometimes the bass, sometimes the drums and other times the horns. This album really is a groovy feel. While it differently is jazz, the production adds in strings which I really like. It gives an unexpected lift to the music. It also has some really interesting song intros, and its use of various instruments gives it this crazy experimental sound. The tracks are really long, and that gives the album the feeling at being extremely long as well. That is something that, in my opinion, drags Head Hunters down. This album is not something I'm personally a huge fan of, but I can appreciate is as a piece of art. Favorite(s): Sly, Vein Melter

Purists would say that there is no place in jazz for new-fangled gizmos like synthesisers before taking a toot on one of their funny cigarettes. Meanwhile Herbie Hancock is merrily flicking the vees at those snobs and coaxing other-worldly squelches and bloops from his keyboards and building them into a fifteen minute jazz funk track that still sounds like it’s being broadcast from the far distant future and a far funkier planet. Even the cover looks futuristic! This is a great album that manages to be both experimental and accessible for jazz newbies, bringing in musicians like Paul Jackson on bass and Harvey Mason on drums to funk things up. The synth parts sound amazing and it’s hard to believe that this is from 1973 when Kraftwerk were still building their instruments from tin foil and sticky tape. Mind you, the Head Hunters were not averse to improvising, with a reworking of Watermelon Man featuring Bill Summers blowing into a beer bottle to get a flute sound. Watermelon-tastic!

Chameleon and Watermelon man is good, i didnt Like the others. Too slow for me

Wonderful album to listen to. Only 4 tracks but every track is long and meanders. The second track is tattooed into my mind, as it was a backing track to the 90's skate video "Mouse." Wonderful to see things come full circle!

For one minute I liked the first song, then I realized it was jazz, thank god it was jazz because it further proved that i hate jazz, this is just another example of how trash jazz is

Buen álbum dentro de su género, pero a la vez este género de música no me atrae nada.

Zzzzz en los primeros segundos tuve mucha experiencia porq pensé que las canciones iban a ir como que creciendo a algo muy disfrutable, pero nunca pasó. No es inescuchable, pero no esta bueno.

Influential as hell, and while it doesn’t always work for me (Watermelon Man intro gets a bit grating) this is so innovative and modern sounding for something from 1973. If I could rate this a 4.5, I would.

I love and hate this album. It was a groundbreaker in pulling jazz back into R&B and funk and music that regular people like and it is a flawless groove. Also I like the audacity of synthesizers here (that should be their venery term.) The bad part is, it put a full stop on a lot of musicians. They can never get past this and we are flooded with sub-HH funk forever

Funky and groovy in all the right places, and you can definitely hear echoes of its influence decades later. His version of “Watermelon Man” is good but not my favorite, and the last track falls off the pace somewhat. Also — and this is petty and immaterial — I have never liked this album cover. What is that thing?

I bet this sounded revolutionary at the time with the synthesizers. Now, it sounds pretty good, but not jaw dropping.

I'm not normally a jazz guy but adding some funk to the mix definitely makes one of the more esoteric popular genres accessible to me. Still not quite my cup of tea, but undeniably groovy

Trippy elevator music

Funky, enchanting, relaxing, beautiful.

Þessi var skemmtilegt

Þetta var gott grúv. Aðeins of löng lög samt.

3.2

A nice change of pace. Very smooth.

Better than Coldplay

Groove so strong I can’t believe I’m still standing- Chameleon was the highlight for me.

I love the bass lines but some of the repetitive whistling parts pissed me off

Groovy, expansive, everyone did really impressively and it was one of the first albums to do this showoffy, jazz fusion sound and somehow feels so relaxed to hear. I get more intensity with acts like Casiopea even if they're also just as relaxed. It's not the most massively impressive to listen to but it is still a good testament to technical ability for its time

Classic album by Herbie Hancock. Definitely requires focused listening with good speakers or headphones for the best listening experience. Gets absolutely murdered in the car.

To be honest I really enjoyed a lot listening to this album

Herbie is the foundation of a weirdly large portion of what I listen to lately - The Budos Band, The Olympians, Manhattan Street Band, etc. I have a 12hr long Spotify playlist called “Brass Knuckles” (there are a lot of Spotify playlists called Brass Knuckles) that makes great background music for a bbq. I acknowledge that my usual rules wouldn’t reward a “godfather of good background music” album with many stars, but this feels different. This feels like a record that made jazz accessible to a lot of people who otherwise wouldn’t have gotten into it. Zappa is great, but he’s pretty far out there; Herbie has a kind of quiet cool that I appreciate. Fun fact: Herbie was born in April 1940, I was born in April 1986. This year (2026) I turned 40 and he turned 86. Neat

A few parts were interesting. The rest was boring.

So, Jazz isn't my thing. But this is probably as good as it gets. It doesn't overstay it's welcome at all. Really good album.

41 minutes of Jazz in 4 tracks. Long, sure, but the funk adds a lot. Saved the short track ..

Hot damn! Had me at that opening funky groove.

funky! experimental! excellent!

I tried, but I just couldn’t.

This is an album that's in my rotation. It's a classic.

More interesting than good.

Started off strong with Chameleon but then kind of ventured into spacey jazz.

3.5 - Jazz is nice.

Maconha

I feel like I'm finally starting to understand jazz

I just cannot get myself to love watermelon man but chameleon is such a good song and the rest of the album holds strong

Great funky jazz

3/5

Some great sounds and fusion jazz here

Songs were very long but generally very good. Goof didn't like it.

Honestly a no-skip album for me, really enjoyed this one

This album is great over all. I think the players exemplify quality playing. I do find that the build up does often take too long. Once we get there it is top notch.

It's Jazz. It's Funk. It sounds like something you'd hear from Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes if Hans Solo hadn't shot the bounty hunter Greedo and ruined the groove.

peak, im thinking like themed picnic during a bit chillier summer day

12/05/26 que capa foda meus amigos o álbum tem 4 músicas, mas juntas elas dão 45 min - cinema esse groove insano no início fire fire vou ouvir alguns álbuns fazendo lição, esse incluso que baixo delícia, que fusão delícia esses synths não são nem um pouco agradáveis a longo prazo já a próxima sessão é bem mais pika pra background cai como uma luva, mas dura demais mds não fica tão entretenimento essa segunda enjoa menos pra background é quase perfeito, sem ser como background (ouvindo atentamente) inova bastante, embora ainda assim canse dou 7/10 / 3.5/5, arredondo para 8 pra avaliar por conta de criatividade sonora, faixa a faixa e visual (papo de melhores capas que eu já vi)

Chaotic

Enjoyed this

Quite nice i liked it

Starting off the next 100 albums with a bang, this was fantastic. Heard of but never listened to Herbie Hancock before, and I was very impressed. Really fun jazz/funk fusion. It's all instrumental, but that just made it better listening. The arrangements and grooves are perfect; the funky music just a minute into the album made me sit up and say "Damn, that's funky!" All the tracks we're so catchy and cool, I will definitely be picking this up on vinyl. Album #301 will get the perfect score, Herbie Hancock will summit the mountain and be my 18th 5/5.

I appreciate the music, but this kind of jazz just isn't my thing. That said, it was pleasant to do some work to!

Really enjoyed the first 2 funky tracks but the last 2 were too ‘jazzy’ for me.

jazz/funk fusion album, so awesome, can't believe i've never heard this. The second track reminds me of the White Lotus theme tbh. absolutely going to look up more of his music now.

The only piece of music that I had ever heard by Herbie Hancock was "Rockit." So I came to this album not really knowing what to expect. I loved it. It is so funky and a lovely conversation between the instruments.

A great pop jazz musician, this album is fun until the final song which is long and slow. 3.5/5

Likely my favorite instrumental album so far. The funk and the groove in the first half are unmatched, while the second half focuses on giving us some very inspired and dynamic jazz. Delightful.

niggaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Watermelon man sounds like the kinda song the host from Mario party for Nintendo Wii would be rockin while he’s making dinner

Some jazz can get annoying, this jazz leaves you discovering something new on every listen. Loved it.

There isn’t a single wasted moment on this record. This is a landmark jazz fusion record. Even though the grooves don’t shift much in the songs, they remain compelling and interesting which isn’t an easy thing to do. This is a timeless classic.

ok guys herbie hancock pulled me out of my depression arc and gave me something to live for today. i wish i lived in a world where i had a soundtrack and it was just herbie rippin it on the jazz when i walk around the grocery store. enjoyed my listen, would listen again!

I like some funk, not so much for jazz. It’s just never resonated with me. This album has some really fun grooves and sounds though nonetheless.

Wonderful so far - How did I miss this? A new artist ♥

Very good!!

Cool album, and improves on repeated listens

watermelon man hab ich aus mid90s schon gekannt, war mir erst nicht sicher, nicht schlecht aber nur instrumentals und wieder repetetiv, ich mag das nicht so gerne

Every high school jazz band’s dream. Four perfect songs what more can you possibly ask for.

Chameleon and Watermelon Man are eternal earworms for me so I was pleased to get this one. The pinnacle of early jazz/funk fusion. Great musicianship and minimal production to get in the way of it. An easy 5* except for the fact the second half doesn't go as hard as the first.

Gonna be honest. Aside from electronic music, if there's ever a type of music that was not made specifically for me, it's 70's jazz funk (50's and 60's jazz is more my speed, and then once you get into the 90's with jazz hip hop, I get back into the genre). There's just not anything in this album for me. I can tell it's played well, and it's a good album, but I am just not going to continue listening to it past the first song. No need to waste my time on something I get nothing out of. It's Not For Me/5.

I would like to like this more than I do. It's interesting, though.

An all time classic record. The bass line from Chameleon lives deep in my bones. It’s so goddamn funky.

Absolute masterpiece. The bass line: iconic. That sax riff: orgasmic. Yes it's 15 minutes long, but every damn second is a joy. The whole band is so tight. Incredible. And that's just the first track. Then you're greeted by Bill Summers playing a beer bottle Watermelon Man, are you kidding? What an absolute banger. That's to say nothing of Sly and Vein Melter, both of which are awesome tracks on their own. But damn, those first two. I hear something I've never heard before every time I listen to this one. So many layers and little riffs to catch. I love it. Possibly my favorite album we've listened to yet. Incredible. Timeless. Perfection

Meh. It feels a bit like jazz, and I don't fully appreciate it.

Very nice but somehow it didn’t grab me. I added “Watermelon Man” to my playlist.

Are vibe funky la o primă ascultare. Jazz-ul mi-a plăcut )) L-aş asculta cât fac lucrul la univer or any other work. I lowkey enjoyed all the songs :)

My project has only just begun, but it already seems clear that the best albums I haven't heard previously are jazz records. Head Hunters and Jimmy Smith's Back at the Chicken Shack are albums that I will continue to listen to in the future.

This album is like a musical buffet.. there's something for everyone, but I might struggle to eat it all! I'm an enjoyer of instrumental tracks, but these can get quite lengthy. If you're feeling hungry for some funky tunes, give this album a spin. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions - Chameleon - Watermelon Man - Sly

This was very funky and nice. I really enjoyed the change of pace. The development of jazz in the 70s is interesting with the integration of the synthesizer. Was definitely surprised by how much I liked this one.

Trop long les musiques et spatiales. J’ai vraiment pas réussi à rester dedans. Mais je le réécouterais en d’autres circonstances

Felt like a 2000's PC Game Background Soundtrack. 5.6/10

Треки слишком длинные как будто можно было разделить их на более короткие но так прикольно слушать можно

Sounds super clean for a 1973 release. Doesn’t sound muddy whatsoever. Is this a certain kind of jazz? YUP jazz fusion just as suspected! Wow Herbie Hancock has never been on my radar, super cool to read about how influential he’s been in music. I would actually rank these songs in their existing order on the album. Chameleon is so funky. Immediate add to “ya like jazz?” even with its long duration. New info: Learned today that songs like Chameleon with a duration of 10-15 minutes are called long songs or epics! Sick new way to annoy people. True epics are 15+ minutes, and mini-epics are 6-9 minutes! Overall rating: 8.6/10

Album progressif, ça s'écoute, ça ne se met pas en fond n'y rien donc un peu dommage, mais beaucoup de travail notamment.

For fans of the theme to Taxi, but funkier.

Really awesome album, wish I discovered Herbie Hancock earlier than now, but it will be fun further exploring his discography. I love funk, I love jazz, put them together and you end up with great fusion. Favorite Track - Chameleon Least Favorite Track - Watermelon Man (Still like this song a lot, mostly here for being the shortest) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I just can’t get behind long songs. Covid fried my brain is2g.

To steal a line for George Castanza, These guys are beepboppin and scattin all over me! Love an experimental jazz album that keeps the core tenant of listenability in mind. Good jazz and good experimental music doesn’t have to be hard to listen to and only enjoyable in the abstract just because stuck up music snobs have set that as the expectation. It can be fun, this is fun.

baller

Real nice album, Jazzie

Let’s fucking go. I heard Herbie Hancock a week ago through a colleague. The sound profile is way ahead of its time. The album starts with a what I called a “fusion song”: Chameleon. It’s literally like a chameleon. Funky bass, 60s rock tunes. I figured I love the smokey sound of jazz a lot. The smoke in the sound of the saxophone always creates that visualisation of infusing whiskey with a smoke. The song literally changes colour over time. Brilliant.

This album is an absolute vibe. Herbie Hancock, a true legend of jazz, delivers a jazz-funk fusion record that just hits different. Only four tracks but each one runs about ten minutes and every second earns its place. The grooves pull you in and before you know it the song is over and you’re already wanting more. It never drags, it never rushes, it just flows. A genuine classic.

jazz is awesome, just not my favorite genre

Felt kinda weird to listen to. Not really my thing

Nope

4.5/5

One of this little idiot’s favourite jazz albums. Times perfectly after seeing Nubiyan Twist last night.

Brilliant. Modern but classic. I don't know how to describe the great sounds coming off this album, but it lifted me as I walked.

ohhhhh i was funkin HARD

As I said about another album, lots of this sounds like what people who don't like jazz think jazz sounds like, but this time in a good way? (Mainly the track "Sly") The album I was referring to then was "Sunday at the Village Vanguard" by Bill Evans Trio. This, like that album often sounds like people are just playing whatever without an ear for what anyone else is doing. But here it seems...controlled somehow. A genuine display of music madness that comes apart and together again on a pin. The 70s-ness of it all doesn't hurt either Love the spacey keyboard and the wakawaka guitars. You know what I'm talking about. Also "Vein Melter" as a title is metal as fuck. I was surprised at how chill it was. Even 30 seconds in this was a fuck yeah for me. A rare 5 that I've never had to let grow on me beforehand.

Not really my type of music but its cool

More funk than I personally like, but Herbie Hancock is one of the greats.

Great tunes