Search - Herbie Hancock :: Man-Child

Nice and funky

finulanu | Here, there, and everywhere | 11/18/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Herbie has fun with synthesizers here, and it actually turns out to be fabulous: I think the weird, buzzing synth on "The Traitor" has a lot of personality and sounds totally unlike anything I've heard the instrument ever do. By the way, "The Traitor" is also a kickin' piece of Stevie Wonder-like clavinet-driven funk. And I like "Hang up Your Hangups" even better: unbeatable bluesy jazz-funk. And even though the quiet, mellow funk "Bubbles" doesn't really break any new ground, the fact is I admire that song too, particularly the light, tasteful wah-wah guitar, soprano sax (played by Wayne Shorter, of course) and shimmering keyboards. Oh, and the bass groove. Can't forget that. And the burbling funk of "Steppin' in It" has Stevie himself playing a great harmonica solo. This is probably Hancock's funkiest overall release, but it's not without its problems: "Sun Touch" is downright annoying, and it isn't a significant advance beyond the Head Hunters sound: more Hancock resting on his laurels than anything else. Still, if you like the sound, you can't lose here."