Head Hunters

Great tunes

groovy

Jazz and creativity 3,6⭐️

Herbie Hanchops! But a non-lyric album is hard to be totally my thing. 8/10

Hade jag varit en lärare på Estet Musik på Katedralskolan i Växjö hade den fått en femma, men som tur är är jag inte det.

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Alternative Jazz - Composing. Really cool.

Not my goto but a decent change and much better than expected. Less jazz. Not sure about the replayability tho. 2.1//5.

Easily the most interesting jazz album I’ve heard on here so far. Funk basslines really are the special sauce that makes almost any music better.

85

A phenomenal work by Herbie Hancock. The musicianship is top notch and the songs are well written.

Maybe there aren't 1001 albums worth listening to.

This is an album that really has me questioning my subjective rating scale. I think this is a required listen but I can't put it on in frequent rotation. I feel self conscious handing out the 5-stars because it seems like the kind of record that gets celebrated by self proclaimed music geeks that are too online. I do legitimately enjoy this album

Ok

Herbie in his experimental bag was a treat to listen to.

Great fun to listen to. A couple of crazy bits which repeated too much and would drive you crazy but overall definitely one of comeback to

the mayor of funkytown

44 minutes- 4 tracks and not a clue what was coming. Unfortunately the electronic jazz movement I was surprised with was not for me at all, made worse I suppose by the fact I’ve recently been introduced to the work of Skys instrumentals. The first track started and 30 seconds in I was wanting a stevie wonder type vocal to accompany. Unfortunately the album became a blur of very similar sounding music. No face or worse tracks as it all blended as one. 1/10 for making some noise.

Herbie Hancock - Head Hunters Liked the first two tracks. Not loved.....but definitely enjoyed. Second two, absolutely no chance. Just not my thing. I'm super sure that they guys playing this are musically brilliant but.....it's beyond me. I'm afraid. Fave Track - Chameleon. Least fave - Sly 4/10 plus 1 for a great cover = 5

Enjoyed it, not sure I will be doing a Herbie Hancock deep dive though !

First minutes are quite enjoyable, the rest huh?

Very funky jazz, with synths. I wonder if jazz musicians live longer than rock stars and rappers because they don't mind taking their time. And they understand that life is about complex rhythms, the sum of the parts, mutual respect and collaboration, skill and flair, but everyone getting a turn to shine. This also applies to classical musicians. But it can leave you feeling a bit like you're a bit on the outside, and I didn't engage with all four of these epics - I enjoyed 1 and 4 the most. A rouded-up five.

Immediately recognizable as a 70s album with the funky rift and electronic sound. 4 for the background vibes. 2 for listening experience. Wasn't in love. Solid 3

Okay I'm on track 3 and this album is already a 10 unless he really blows it here on the last track. Okay yes, it is perfect and I love it. The percussion is either so technical or so beautifully subtle and always adds so much to the tracks. The production is so well balanced and immersive. Albums like this is what I started this challenge for. 10/10

groovy fav song: Vein Melter

Yeah 😀

The synth-y instrumentation hasn’t necessarily held up well—the album is *so* 70s, y’know—but if “Watermelon Man” won’t get you to four stars, what will?

Groovy

Najs funk/jazz

good

Fun album of funk and jazzy beats. Enjoyable listen, but probably wouldn't return for more

que buen jazz

pretty ok jazz album

Slamming. Need to buy it for the collection right now!

"Chameleon" is an insane song. A couple years ago it popped up regularly in my streaming rotation. Don't think I listened to the rest of the album. Once "Watermelon Man" gets going, hot damn is it a bop. Overall this is a banger. Chill, groovy, funky, super easy to listen to. "Watermelon Man" is definitely the highlight for me though. Short, sweet, and ridiculously groovy.

It was aight

I actually liked this one a lot, I think its funky and I don't mind the songs being longer. I wouldn't say I HAD to listen to it before I died but it makes a walk home feel fun and exciting

This the shit they were playing on Tom & Jerry

Another album that was on my dad's shelf that I never listened to in full. And I was absolutely stupid for never doing so, brilliant work; jazz fusion somehow fits every single possible occassion. Especially early morning hours.

Was a bit of a chore to get through and very rapidly slipped into being background music. Two stars.

Not my vibe at all

Muy buen albmub de jazz fusion. canciones largas pero sin llegar a saturar de ruidos raros como algunos albumes de la epoca como el de Yes. pero fuera de eso un album que fue de mi agrado y mezlca esa onda de jazz con funk medio progresivo

Groove is contagious, not unanimously through the album however

'Sly' around minute 4 hits crazy with headphones on. Solo of idek what instrument, but it's just GOOD. I am such an ignorant that i dont know what genre of music this is. Wikipedia says it's "jazz-funk and jazz fusion". I really liked it, even though I guess it's not the kind of album I'd listen to while riding my bike, nor perhaps the most ususal kind of background music, as it may come across a little too aggressive perhaps, when compared to more "normal" jazz. I really liked it though.

Okay I get it now

Spectacular. Herbie's solos against the backdrop of his own looping riffs are exquisite.

Miles Davis's Bitches Brew, In a Silent Way and Jack Johnson are like the Dead Sea Scrolls of Jazz Fusion music. They're foundation documents, but they were kind of overlooked at the time. And they need a bit of work to get into. If you listen to an album like On the Corner, as brilliant as it is, you'll think "What is this?" on first listen. Head Hunters manages the trick of being just as funky, just as jazzy, just as experimental as Miles Davis, (well, nearly as) while also being immediately appealing. From the first notes, that skipping bass riff, it just tickles the ears and makes you feel good. All four tracks have room to stretch out and try things. The blown bottles on Watermelon Man, the stop start nature of Sly, the slow build of Vein Melter, the synthy goodness of Chameleon. The way the whole album uses the clavinet. The playing is virtuosic. Hancock, of course, can do no wrong, but the other players are superb. This probably sold more copies than allbfour of Davis's fusion records put together and essentially took the ideas on those records and presented them in a palatable and brilliant way. A classic.

Gets a four just for the grooves on Chameleon and Watermelon Man. I was pretty tired by the second side but overall- super fun jazz funk. FOUR STARS

funky

FTL: This album is like being spawned in a tropical rainforest, not knowing where the fuck you are. Surrounded by exotic bird sounds and trees breathing lively, a talking bonobo shows you the way. Really hearing influences of Miles Davis throughout the record but combined with the synths, flute and sly influences, this really is an amazing record.

I really liked Chameleon because of the more techno-ish sounds but the second half of the album felt more standard ish jazz and wasn't as appealing to me

Jazz isn’t my thing, but this is very nice. I will be listening to more of him. Yes, my introduction to him was Rockit in 1984. What can I say?

Very fun album! My twins loved it

Loved this one

Nice beats

När en otrolig musiker gör bara ganska bra musik

Riktigt funky jazz!

2 Inte så spännade

Började lite spännande blev snabbt tråkigt.

8 - first song is great and overall entertaining listen

Interesting… eclectic

Le falta un poco de sazón quizás, no se si banco el formato de canciones d emas de 10 minutos y discos cortos, se hace repetitivo en un momento, igualmente siempre hablando desde el desconocimiento.

Otra vez, no voy a ir tema por tema. Al ser instrumental siento que no vale la pena ir en cada tema, sino valorar el album en si. A ver, no me disgustó el album en si, pero tampoco me gustó. Es una musiquita de fondo que esta buena y va yendo por distintos moods, no me parece nada del otro mundo. No logro identificar el género, es como un Jazz pero no termina de serlo. Es como más movido, pero me gusta igual. (Acabo de buscar y dice que el género es Jazz-Funk) (No estaba tan errado, soy crack) Nota: 6/10 (Para mi con 6 se aprueba)

Super instrumental. Piano, cuerdas, saxo. Lo escuche limpiando, me sentí re productiva. Me dio vibras a viaje de ayahuasca en la selva con una tribu indigena brasilera JAJAAJA

Not something I would choose myself, I can appreciate it's a good album but not for me. I liked Chameleon.

When it comes to jazz, jazz fusion, funk, etc, I get a bit lost in the sauce. It’s no different with this album. Enjoyable, but won’t be hunting down more Herbie Hancock. Great drumming too!

Great album to put on in the background while playing Slay the Spire. I approve. 4/5

Amazing album. I have re-lstened to it many times since first hearing it last year. Great vibes and great musical talent all around. One of my favorite jazz albums of all time. Really cool album cover too (which doesn't affect the music, but it never hurts to have a sweet cover).

So absurd but I’m into it!

Really enjoyed some, enjoyed some less so.

An all time great by an all time great. This album takes you on a journey you'll never want to end

not my style

Outstanding headphones record. Noises bounce everywhere. Soothes and relieves.

허비 행콕 - 헤드 헌터 카멜레온, 워터멜론 맨, 슬라이, 베인 멜터 총 4개곡 수록인데 앨범 길이가 41분(어째서?!) 펑크 재즈? 재즈는 알지만 펑크 재즈? 원래 재즈는 오소독스함과 거리가 멀지 않나? 라는 생각을 하기도 했습니다만 수록곡 여기저기에 앨범아트뽀이한 이국적인 악기가 나옴 특히 카멜레온과 워터멜론 맨의 슬라이드 휘슬(추정)이 엄청나게 비정형적이라는 감각 슬라이의 급격한 박자 전환도 거슬리지 않고 부드럽게 넘어갔지만 뭐랄까 색소폰... 색소폰 너무 경박해 색소폰은 좀 농후한 맛이 있어야 한다고 생각함 그리고 앞의 세 곡이 너무 독특해서 베인 멜터는 맛이 옅다. 마지막 곡이라 잔잔하게 간 것일까 흐물흐물한 감각을 연출한걸까 그러나 제가 원한 것은 그랜드 피날레였나봅니다 한줄평: 난 재즈 피아노가 아니라 스윙이 좋은걸지도 몰라 취향★☆☆☆☆ 재방문★☆☆☆☆

Pretty cool if you are into jaxx

I had high hopes of this album, after reading the Wikipedia article: one-time best-selling jazz album ever, hugely influential? Okay! The start of ‘Chameleon’ did not disappoint, famous bass line. But, over the rather long course of the song, I lost track of what was going on. (Is that why it’s called ‘Chameleon’? Hmm.) ‘Watermelon Man’ was again catchy at the outset but then I again lost the groove. And the next two songs didn't make much impression on me. Maybe I need to listen more times, and/or get more jazz-educated? The album just didn’t have the zing and oomph I like to find with my funk, hip hop, etc. I concluded it’s full of good playing, but it didn’t light my fire - I’ll say it’s Okay, 6/10.

Fairly typical jazz album. Long songs, few of em. Didn't do much for me

My first jazz/electronic album. Very much enjoyed it but highly likely I'll go back to it. But very enjoyable.

0.6/5 The music is tight and well played but this just sounds like music I'd hear in a hotel lobby. Not my cup of tea.

Yes. Just excellent and fun.

Det er fortsatt jazz, men det er jazz med litt mening og struktur. Dette går det an å høre på :)

Al final no logré escucharlo por completo porque no es mi gusto, diría que instrumentalmente es estupendo ,muy Bahidora

I thought i wouldn't enjoyed it, but I was completely wrong. I even wished it was longer. The sounds were really satisfying to hear,

More confirmation I just do not get jazz.

Favorite Song: Sly

Mmmm nop

Just the first track alone, classic

Own

Funkier than expected.

Instantly liked from the first melody.

Boring

pas mal mais j'en ferai pas mon quart d'heure sympa pour réviser mais sans plus mais de belles sonorités peut être que je le réécouterai mais il se peut que je l'oublie totalement aussi

Great grooves, a bit long at times.

Four songs and the first is already on my playlist. Looking forward to this. This was a trip! Enjoyed the first half a bit more. But this was great. Must be incredible on psychedelics. 4/5

Como van a ser solo 4 canciones y durar 40 minutos? Es una locura, necesito dopamina, no canciones largas. 2/10

This is one of those albums where I feel out of touch with most of the reviews, I really wasn’t a fan of this, I’m not hugely into Jazz to begin with, so maybe this is lost on me, I just found it a bit of a mess of instruments.

4/5 - Would give 3.5 if I could. All of it was really solid but I'm not a fan of the intro/outro of Watermelon Man (possibly a hot take)

Me gusto, es como un jazz bien movidito con algo de electro tal vez. Pero todo el albúm es eso. Me descargaría una tal vez pero mucho jazz seguido para mi. Eso si, que buena mezcla! pero si no te saturas de ella.

Lively and funky jazz that demands you give it the attention it deserves.

Quintessential jazz fusion. Also quintessential high school jazz band music. It’s fun when you can tell a new synthesizer came out when an album has bad string presets. Don’t play the butter notes.

Best Jazz/funk fusion on the list imo. Herbie pours his heart and soul in every creation

Uuu, ker funky začetek! Prvi, "Chameleon", traja že skor 15 minut in I'm not over it. Ta album mi je že zj jasn, da bo cel amazing. "Watermelon Man" se začne z neko piščaljo? Kul. (Ha! Niti slučajno: "On the intro and outro of the tune, percussionist Bill Summers blows into beer bottles in an imitation of hindewhu, a style of singing/whistle-playing found in Pygmy music of Central Africa.") Tretji, "Sly", je zaenkrat ubral hitrejši ritem. Nism tok zihr, ampak mislim, da je saksofon glavni kle (vsaj tri sorte saksofona so creditane na albumu). U, nič več, prevzel klavir (or some sort of it - creditani so električni klavir, clavinet in dva sintesajzerja, tko da who knows). Ok, zadnjega sm se pa veselila od trenutka, k sm vidla naslov komada: "Vein Melter". Ker dober naslov. Plus, glede na album so far, sklepam, da bo deliveral. So far, je počasen, previden, minimalističen, sploh v primerjavi s prejšnjimi. V glavnem, totalno nasprotje temu, kar sm pričakovala.

Lo escuché muchas veces.

Not sure

Look, the 70s were weird in small part thanks to this stuff. Herbie Hancock was pretty much a legend at this point after a decade of playing amongst other jazz luminaries like Miles, Wayne Shorter, Grant Green, Lee Morgan, and others. Unfortunately the times changes and cool jazz wasn't cool. But you should go listen to "Takin' Off" - which has the correct version of "Watermelon Man".

Tbf I am enjoying this jazz fusion much more than usual, run of the mill jazz that featured so heavily at the start of this list. The first half of the album is particularly good. The grooves are amazing and it is jazz which actually feels innovative, which might be why I'm enjoying it so much. I would however still always struggle with an all instrumental album with little in the way of structure or melody.

Epic.

The groove is unreal! 8/10

Repetitive jazz

perfect no notes

Can appreciate but did not love. Dragged on at times. Watermelon man was my favorite off of the album

Funky as hell, with a good bit of jazz mixed in. This combo can occasionally become annoying.

Good Jazz/Funk artist. Good music.

me gustó mucho watermelon

Love it.

Love love love

This is a completely new album to me. I had no clue what to expect. It's easy to jam along to and is groovy, uplifting, and a good background track. I could definitely see myself studying to this. The sound of Head Hunters makes me realize how unserious and easygoing life can be. An easygoing track. Could def see myself getting high to this as well lol.

Its giving ross con el pianito

15 minutos la primera canción. Oh boy. Oh gowd no.

No soy fan de los álbumes instrumentales.

All of these were absolute bangers. Very groovy, very upbeat, reminded me of the movie Soul/Whiplash. While it is not something that I would seek out to put on, I would not be in a rush to turn it off either.

Det her likte æ. Funky og rar jazz som passa utmerket som flyplasselskap.

Fantastic Jazz-Funk album, possibly the most famous of the subgenre. Initially I didn't think much of it, but then it hit me and it hit me hard. Kudos do Hancock to constantly reinvent himself and try new sounds. Starting out as a Thelonous Monk-type Hard Bop pianist, then adopting this style of Funk in the 70's, later turning to Electro in the 80's and Breakbeat in the 90's. A Swiss-Army Knive of Jazz! Key tracks: Chameleon Watermelon Man

Wow, was not expecting to enjoy an instrumental jazz album this much. The 4 songs are different but cohesive and the flutes/pipes in Watermelon Man are great.

Enjoyed listening to it because I was studying in the meantime, don't think I'd be able to do so if I wasn't doing something at the same time. First track is vibe and last, although slower beat, still enjoyed it. Not a fan of the second track though.

This was not for me, but I can accept the craftsmanship.

Eclectic, very groovy. Experimental and completely catchy!!! My two faves watermelon man and chameleon.

Absolute classic. 70s jazz hits so good

Is it funky jazz or jazzy funk? I'll go with the former, as the genius of Herbie Hancock makes jazz approachable for me. First introduced to Hancock in the 80s with "Rockit," I'm learning that throughout his amazing and still ongoing career, he's proven equally adept at blending multiple genres and making music for the masses.

hit

I felt like I wasn’t on enough drugs to be sitting in his den jamming with him. Just my take. I respect it.

This was fantastic

That's absurd, Hancock is a magician.

Dobar i veoma zanimljiv za striktno instrumentalni album, sviđa mi se vajb i atmosfera i sve.

Good album

Nope. Bad. Just no.

Maybe I do not fear all jazz because that was delightful

i fuck with this

Not my cup of tea. The musicality is undoubtable, but it's not for me.

It's actually amazing to me that in 1973, Hancock was already putting out his twelfth studio album. He's such a genius and amazing composer and musician. While this is definitely one of those albums that you would tend to play as background music rather than sit and listen to, it's still a truly great album. This is album where Hancock started adding more funk to his music than jazz. When you listen closely, it's amazing all the different sounds he incorporates into the songs. Another one definitely worthy of the list!

9/10 - yes give me more jazz please

I know the name, but wasn’t familiar with his music. I really enjoyed all of this! So many varied sounds - so much parts that fell well on my ears. Wonderful album!

Gear: Focalman Cleardara Artwork: 🛢️🎹🪘 Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🎷📚🕺 Rating: 🍉🍉🍉🍉(🍉)/5

A great start. Smooth, funky jazz kinda album. Only 4 songs but they go a long way.

Herbie Hancock is one of the most influential musicians. This record explores and obliterates the boundaries of "jazz."

Primera vez que lo escucho. Está música tiene un ritmo que te lleva por distintos estados.

I love this album for the grooves, it has so much it does throughout the album. Chameleon is a great start and has a special place in my heart for the memories it brings me; not because of this version but another artist Maynard Ferguson (trumpet guy) who covered this, and my dad used to play that version all the time. He played ever since I was real young that I grew up thinking Maynard Ferguson's version was the real one. I was glad when I found out Herbie Hancock made this gem, and hearing it with the rest of the album fits it perfect.

I'm really not into jazz but this this just gets under my skin with its grooves and funky flavours

Really good album, alternative sounds but super interesting.

didn't hit me

Mid/high 4? Chameleon and Watermelon Man are classic, Sly is fun, Vein Melter was just slightly less appealing to me than the rest of the album but overall undeniably great, the whole thing is crafted very well

4 - great album

Not my kind of jazz, a bit all over the ye place

Already know and love this one. Was introduced to it and instantly loved the funky vibes and how it was a little silly. Even though the tracks are long they are in my heavy rotation. Mostly the first and second tracks but the whole album is worth a listen

It was ok but not a huge fan of instrumental

The band that changed everything for me. I was puzzled and interested at first and quickly began to worship the RAMONES.

I mean, come on. It’s Head Hunters. This was the first jazz album I ever listened to in full after playing Watermelon Man at uni, and it made me realise there are styles of jazz I actually like. • Chameleon is so groovy. The synth bass line is incredible, and the myriad of sounds that come in leading up to the first solo make for such a fun listening experience. This song sounds wet. • The synth solo is so reverby, it gives the solo a huge sense of space. It’s like you’re hearing it in a train tunnel. I really love how it builds throughout the solo, getting really busy and intense by the end when the saxophones come back in to play the melody. • For some reason I thought I disliked the second half of Chameleon, but listening to it now I don’t know why I ever did. It’s very different to the first half, and is a bit quieter, but the drums are going off the entire time and there are some very nice melodic moments. I also forgot that the song does go back to the first groove at the end. • Man I love Watermelon Man. A huge assortment of sounds from around the world, before the bass and drums come in to ground it all to a really funky beat. The solos are awesome, I absolutely love the B section. There isn't really anything I'd change about this song, and its kind of insane to me that it wasn't the single from this album, Chameleon was. • I don't know the last two songs as well as the first, so I kinda forgot what they sounded like. I like how this song progresses, with a really mellow start that just explodes into this frenetic solo section before it gets brought back down for the next solo. The bass is unrelenting and the drums are going off, but the clavinet(?) is probably the star of the show for me. I actually found myself listening to the rhythm section more than Herbie's solo. It's cool to hear the Sly and the Family Stone inspiration too, it's pretty plain to hear. • I did not remember what Vein Melter sounded like at all. It's so mellow, the horns sound lovely. This is such a good album. I need to be in a specific mood to want to put it on, but when I'm looking for fusion Herbie is always a safe bet. This album spends 75% of its runtime with some of the funkiest jazz I've ever heard, and then brings it right down at the end (with what is admittedly my least favourite track). I'm a bit surprised there weren't any more Herbie Hancock albums on the list, but Head Hunters is probably his most consistent. I seriously don't think I'll listen to a better jazz album on this list. Favourite track: Watermelon Man

Herbie Hancock & his newly formed Headhunters return to a jazz funk sound first introduced (sans the Headhunters) in 1969's Fat Albert Rotunda this time adding jazz fusion to the mix with great success. This is a dangerous sounding album. This is a revolution written in music, played in space, at backyard parties and at the world's stage. This is Herbie Hancock as his absolute best. As important as Miles Davis's Kind of Blue from some 15 years earlier which is about a hundred years in jazz circles. An essential album for anyone with even the faintest of interests in jazz.

Kinda cool. 3

I have so much respect for Herbie Hancock. This album is why I love daily album exploration. The last track 'Vein Melter' was just fantastic.

Funky Jazz is a much better style than regular jazz.

Decent jazz album.

Many innovative sounds and quite suprisingly a very easy listen.

22/03/2026 1. chameleon - ooo loving the start! drums are niiice! sax is great!! looove the bassline almost eight mins in <3 horns and synth are great! lovely :) *2. watermelon man - bass and drums are great!! very jazzy... love the sax! 3. sly - ooo the start is great! very smooth. two minutes in wow!! loving it! *4. vein melter - slower start.. really love the strings? synths? great anyways!! really love the ending! have vaguely heard of herbie hancock before but knew literally nothing about him, so was tentatively excited for this album! the cover is also reallly nice as well.

I dug alot of this, but not as much as Coltrain, Davis, Gordon, Bird...

This album really, truly surprised me. A 4-track album with tracks reaching upwards of 15 minutes, yet not a dull moment, never a point of thinking 'how long is left?'. This is a mix of jazz and funk, done in a way that keeps you intrigued. This was the first ever Jazz record to go platinum, and you can see why. The impact this album had was huge, influencing both pop and hip-hop later on. Before listening to this record, I didn't think it would be something that I would want to come back to again, but I have even added 1 or 2 of the tracks onto my own playlist. And Chameleon... what an opening track. It really sets the mood of the genre right from the start. Favourite Track: Chameleon (I wish I could pick multiple, but with it being a 4-track record, I am going to only choose the one).

3/10 When I first saw that this album was 40-minutes long and had only 4 songs I was alarmed. Upon listening, I feel extremely indifferent. It's fusion jazz from the 70s. Every song is overly long, lacks vocals and a climax. Not things that work for me. Overall I find the album to be background music, but like, the kind of background music I wouldn't even realize is playing because it's so dull. Don't get me wrong: the album is perfectly fine, and nothing is actively bad. I just don't think it's good.

Zuhause, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Übel.

Incredible.

8/10 – Very Good

The music isn't bad, but actually quite enjoyable, that is, for the first half of each song. I feel the album would've done better with 8 or songs at a runtime of 45 minutes rather than 4 at 40 minutes. Chameleon’s bass goes hard. I enjoy Hancock's style, but I do wish his song's were shorter.

This took a few listens to get through- wildly interesting

Herbie Hancock is so fucking cool

Classic and essential fusion album. Four drop-dead bangers on this album, not a duff phrase to be heard anywhere. That riff that runs through Chameleon just gets in your head, I won't be able to unheard it all day now!

Top talent funky grooves. Great for any mood.

First of all, Jazz Fusion is one of my most cherished genres, if not my absolute favorite genre of all time. The second I pressed play, I knew I was in for a TREAT. Chameleon was quite a long song. I've seen some more modern jazz fusion albums have songs spanning from 6 to 10 minutes, but 15 is pretty long. That's never an issue for me in these types of albums though. The flow and the continuously changing "sound" of the individual song keeps it captivating enough to not become boring or overstay its welcome. And honestly, I think it's a great talent to have to be able to make a 15 minute song without making it too repetitive or boring (though I may be a tad biased). Last few minutes made me think of "Raisins" by Ryo Kawasaki, and honestly, probably just because of the uptick in sheer funk. My favorite jazz fusion albums are ones where you can't tell where one song ends and another starts. I feel like this has some pretty clear boundaries, but don't get it twisted---there are very few instances where I would ever give a jazz fusion album less than a 10/10. Also, first few minutes of Vein Melter sounds like LA Noire main menu music? I like.

Watermelon man slaps

Absolutely beautiful, I adore some jazz fusion and this is some of the best Watermelon Man had me ascend to another plane Vein Melter melted my veins Masterpiece

Im so jazzed up

masterpiece

I would probably love this live but it doesn't translate for me as an album,

This was fun as hell! 4/5

Kind of a jam. Would definitely listen again. 3.5/5

Chameleon is very nice and funky the rest of it is pleasant too but did not catch my attention that much Will definitely play this again and it could probably grow to a 4 3.5

Like it but didn't love it. Very funky for jazz. Think I should revisit it from time to time.

Great rhythm and bounce, for me it's a good background album to put maybe on blast maybe on a lower volume even, listen to its energy and flow with it around what I have to do. at the same time it could also be a good one to listen on the beach (but only with certain people haha)

Astounding jazz album, really enjoyed it

Hancock and his band of hotshot players weave some startling melody lines over complex grooves on this jazz fusion record from 1973. Production is clear as a bell, also. Special kudos go to drummer Harvey Mason whose dynamic and intricate playing provides the essential pulse driving these tracks.

not bad. bit more going on than other jazz I've heard on this list. I actually feel like this is not as tight as it should be though - dunno if it's the drummer, or issues following the drummer but it just sounds a bit off throughout, except for that sick little build up in Sly. 5.5 / 10

Nothing wrong with this but not sure I'll remember anything off it if I hear it again. Elevator music

This was really awesome and fun. I suspect I will never listen to it again, but it was a great, unique listening experience.

Really great record. Watermelon song is a classic. The 41 minutes for 4 songs is very prog, which I love!

Distinctive, instrumental, and swinging (and a well-known name besides)

I can appreciate the artistry but frankly was not for me...

(83/100)

This is going to sound like an insult, but it's really not. This is like the best elevator music ever. I love listening to them just jam. Not what I'm looking for in my everyday music listening, but I still appreciate it.

Low-key a vibe. GREAT to study with

Influential, wild, and worth digesting! Seriously there's a 15 minute song in here that might seem like it goes on forever but it's worth it!

estupendo para tener de fondo mientras trabajas, me parece súper adelantado a su generación!!

I hate the words funky and groovy for some reason but they’re by far the best adjectives for the album. Wow it’s so fun i legitimately loved this. I feel like it’s rare to find a jazz album that is accessible and enjoyable to the average listener and music critics alike. Fun fun fun fun fun 🙂‍↕️ Fav songs (pretty much half the album): chameleon, watermelon man

all instrumental which i really enjoyed! not exactly my type of music but i can tell it's good music. songs are kinda long but that's not a problem for me. i loved it overall. Not too much.. 3/5

A great vibey album to set a mood.

I enjoyed the twist and creativity he adds to Jazz but at the end of the day it’s Jazz.

Jazz is really not my type of music. But this album had fun notes and beats.

Jazz funk, biggest jazz of all time, Frampton Chameleon

Fusion jazz is not my bag, man

The mixing is absolutely perfect even in its original version and the keyboard synths sound incredible throughout the record. It manages to showcase many different styles of the same genre in just forty minutes and while it did not fully reach that top-tier spark it remains an outstanding technical achievement.

I would love to have this classic on my collection.

Un álbum genial y con buena onda para crear el ambiente perfecto.

I knew of HH before but was not familiar with any of his catalog…I was blown away by this album!

I reeeeally liked this album!! Love the variation on a theme throughout every track, it just gets developed so nice and scrumptiously. Sort of reminds me of like if the animal crossing new horizons daytime music was meant to be the main event. I think I’d hit this with a 4.5/5 if the website let me, but I’m happy to bump it up to a 5 in lieu of that!

Pretty good, would listen again

Funky Mr Hancock, funky as hell

Cool :D

jazzy funk or funky jazz?

I'm sorry --- I've tried this once before and never again

-excellent to crochet to -reminds me of phish but calmer and more jazzy -fav was the song that came on after Cantelope Island by the same artist, 1999 remastered version

En un principio pienso que no es algo a lo que esté acostumbrado a escuchar. Me parece innovador pensando su época. Disfrutable también, pero no algo que escucharía en mi vida diaria. La verdad es que estos tipos son unos capos. El dominio que tienen de sus instrumentos es único.

Ya

Deux classique qu'il fait du bien de ré entendre

Fun. Unfortunately I listened to it on a train ride, otherwise I would have been boogying around the kitchen.

Classic jazz fusion album.

Have listened to it previously, super good jazz/funk/electronic fusion album. 9/10

Já tinha ouvido

One of the best albums ever!

Okay? Sure?? This is not helpful while trying to do a test. I felt very overstimulated.

Музыка альбома вызывает чувство тревожности

3.5 Starts An album that moves back and forth between two themes - what seems to be akin to a cocaine frenzy and a cool, laid-back funk. I prefer the funk but the frenetic portions are intriguing. Favorite track: Watermelon Man

2026.03.06-07

I thought there was going to be more funk. Four tracks in the early 70s makes it prog. It was fun. But there was no k. It was prog funk.

"Chameleon" is such an iconic song, and this album is great for the jazz jam session it is. Highlights: "Chameleon"

such a great vibe for a rainy morning. 15 minute song, why not?

was viibing with this one all the way through

I wonder what head hunters even are. I don’t find the point in listing why this album is one of the best representations of funk music, but I will try my best anyways (since that’s kind of the point of music reviews). There are several occasions on this album where the splendor and creativity of the music forced me to pause and think about it for a long while, which is impressive since I’ll literally kill anyone who pauses my music midway through. I’m guessing that a common criticism of this album would be that it’s too simple, but I would argue that it’s because literally everything on here is completely intentional; every decision deserves itself, which is why it may sound bare. This project truly is the perfect mix of some classic jazz-funk and a bit of musical wittiness (and maybe insanity). Genuinely, how can you get bored of this? I know this review reads like a nothing burger, but I really don’t have anything that interesting to say about this album; it’s simply fantastic. Anyways, great album, would recommend.

Bits of this are funky. Bits of this are cool. There's some good bass lines in here. But it's just so long. All of those details become lost when they're repeated and developed over such long track times. It becomes annoying and it's too much. Cool album cover though. 2.5 rounded down.

Funky jazz fusion from the early 70s, it's accessible even for those who don't like jazz that much.

Mi è piaciuto nonostante sia più fan di un jazz tradizionale e meno sperimentale

This is the kind of stuff I'm on this list for - albums I never would've heard on my own but open my ears to new genres and sounds that I was completely unaware of before. Wonderful music that blends several genres seamlessly.

Super funky, very groovy, would listen again.

Jazzfunkkia, tosi smoothia, maukasta, ja coolia. Siistii. Fuusiojazzin kaaoksessa on jotain mistä tykkään. Parhaat: Chameleon, Spy

Haven’t been exposed to such long format in music and so I was a bit annoyed. After getting over that, I really enjoyed the fusion between funk and jazz. I generally do not like jazz but I love funk so it was a very cool way to hear jazz in this way

Random. Mid. Senseless in the list.

VERY funky jazz, not really my type of thing but it was kinda interesting to listen to. Felt like the background music for a goofy cartoon character. 3/5

Again a jazz album misses for me.

Really solid stuff, but Vein Melter was way too repetitive for me to close out the album

2,8 Highlights: Chameleon, Watermelon Man

Essential jazz fusion, especially for those usually more inclined towards rock or funk music (the latter of which is a heavy influence on this album's sound). As one of the synth vanguard of the 70s, Hancock works in some cool synth parts alongside his electric piano, and his backing band are all great as well. 9/10.

Chameleon has lived in my head long before I listened to it because of band camp, and it's also because of band that I just can't say no to jam tracks. Favourite track: Chameleon

9/10 Goes hard

Loved it, great and jazzy

Not a fan of jazz fusion but in this album there are sounds that are accessible for all. Good for 1974 and ok for a background tune but not one I would revisit too often.

C'est tellement fort, certains samples sont moins écoutables que d'autres mais son aspect répétitif est extrêmement bien réalisé et installe une ambiance immersive pour l'auditeur

Groovy, warme jazz-funk die perfect werkt als achtergrond bij bewegen en opruimen. Chameleon springt er duidelijk uit met zijn hypnotische baslijn en ontspannen flow. De rest van het album blijft fijn en sfeervol, maar minder memorabel. Prettig om in het moment te ervaren, zonder sterke emotionele binding of drang om het later opnieuw op te zetten.

love this album

4/5

Immaculate funk

9/10 I had already listened to Chameleon and Watermelon Man previously, so when I saw Herbie Hancock popped up, I was delighted to check out the rest of this jazz/funk album. Overall very funky and upbeat tones, which I vibe very much with. He's an extremely talented musician and his work amazes me. The only reason I took a point off is for the lack of lyricism, which although works wonderfully in an album like this, makes me slightly less excited for it since I really enjoy studying and interpreting lyrics. But OH GOD, does he make it up for the wordeful and absolutely chirpy tunes in his music. I'm no music expert, but even I can recognize the genius behind that man's mind to compose such cohesive yet fun little songs.

great instrumental, definitely not boring, bit repetitive good for more back round music, almost electric beats mixed with jazz, unique sound not lyrical at all so i am a bit bored of it as i value lyrical sound, reminds me of movie soundtracks at i feel like each song from the album sets a tone/feeling.

Nice instrumental sounds, but nothing long lasting in interest.

pretty interesting funky jazzy album, i enjoyed quite a bit of this one. it’s refreshing to get some jazz you can really groove to.

i love all of these! wish it was longer favs: chameleon watermelon man sly vein melter rating 5/5

Funky, jazzy, some interesting beats but songs are just way too long for me. 0/4 liked

10/10 Favorite: Chameleon

Nice background sessions

100/100. Classic album. First heard Chameleon when I was in like Grade 9 and it became the entire class' musical stim.

Chameleon

9.5 / 10

#867. Oh. We're doing jazz again. I thought we were done with that. 2/5: jazz

This album is so good. I’ve listened to it at least 4 times. It wasn’t my first listen, but damn Herbie Hancock got that shit on. Only 4 tracks, but each of them takes you on a little journey. I love what he does, he does it wonderfully. Solid 8.5 for me

Funky but boring

Watermelon Man is a banger

Nice mix of synth jams with melodic hooks that create grooves in your ears.

Good album, some great parts but also some not so great parts

Nice jazz

Interesante

Listened to 1 song only, sounded promising

79. alright

*Great funk/jazz/fusion album!

One of my personal favorite albums of all time. More stars than songs, baby.

Look. It's super good, and I love it, but it's just not quite there for me. Funk without being funky. Jazz without being jazzy. Idk. I want more fun and fresh and dancy. Oooorrrr more jazz and technical and complex. It's just....not quite there for me and I can't explain why. Maybe I just think Herbie is better than this.

4 because Chameleon is fantastic

I liked the first two, really didn't like the second two. I can appreciate this for what it is but I probably wouldn't return

instrumental virtuoso electronico tunes that I don't care to listen to, even though there's some sick sections ripping along in the songs. Just a guy jamming.

Very nice funky background music. But that's all it is, background music

not my thing but pretty cool regardless

Very quirky. A little bit chaotic and then a little bit chill. Jazz yet electronic vibes and funk elements. Crazy that this was made over 50 years ago. It sounds like someone would make something like this now. Only four tracks, instrumental - must have been very interesting at the time. Still is very interesting.

I like the music and the feel of the album. Not something I would revisit all the time, but an enjoyable listen.

Chameleon, so funky. The flute in Watermelon Man is eerie. Sly is a rollercoaster. Vein Melter, a nice cooldown. Honestly, I feel like I don't have the knowledge and fluency to fully appreciate jazz which, I guess, is a good reason to embark on this project!

MUCH better than I was expecting. Only ever heard his 80s weak soul electronica but this is like Eumir Deodato. Some of it is quite bearable.

8/10

3/5

Never heard, always meant to. Top class.

Very good, end part of track 1 and middle of track 2 would fit perfectly in a coffee shop or a chill soundtrack

Good Porn Groove

Not the most exciting, but worth listening to.

Terrible! I hated this. 41 minutes and only 4 instrumental songs! Ugh!

There were some interesting sounds here that I may have heard sampled elsewhere. This was OK but didn’t get me too excited

I appreciate the musicianship here. The instrumentation is TIGHT. Unfortunately, I couldn't really get into it. It's fine as background music, but just not my thing. I do appreciate "Watermelon Man.” “Chameleon” was too repetitive for me.

I'd never listened to the whole album, quite enjoyed it. Watermelon Man was great, I've enjoyed that one for years. Overall very good, the third song felt a little frantic, would have made Brenda unbearably nervous. Songs like these are great to lose your virginity to because you can really settle in and take your time. The Ramones or the Dead Kennedys are the worst, it is just rushed and over before you know it.

Remember, Herbie Hancock wasn't involved in writing the U.S. Constitution... ... anyway, this is a solid Jazz hodgepodge. It's great for listening in an elevator, or a restaurant, but as an album, it gets a bit stale. Favorite Track: "Watermelon Man".