SECRETS

After it concludes successfully "Head Hunters" whose Herbie is a historical masterpiece worldwide, he is absorbed in own world and work with other musicians. It takes charge of the music of the movie and the recording by "Native Dancer" of Wayne Shorter is famous. And, the album that places "Manchild" following "Head Hunters" and was produced in 1976 is this "Secrets". Herbie meets guitar player's "Wah Wah Watson" in the process of the production of "Manchild". And, this album did splendid work to Watson. Watson is guessed that the fact to be known as a session guitar player of "Motown" and to participate in the music that Herbie at this time creates was a natural act. Because "Head Hunters" concluded successfully indeed in the age that is called so-called "Electric Herbie" in the 70's, this album might give the listener a little vague impression by the process of evolution. However, Herbie works on this album with an original sensibility. The appointment of James Levi of the drum player who competes live with Jaco back blows a new wind from another angle compared with other works. It has the listener's tension with the sensibility besides the performance of Mike and Hervey obviously and it has the soothing effect. However, it acts on the tune of Herbie well and it is also true in the entire tune to give another tension and the excitement.

The element of reggae is taken, it is newly ..tune.. born, and a preeminent ..sense of the melody.. tune progressing .."Cantelope Island" to change.. slowly. ｢People Music｣

It will not be an exaggeration any longer to it the possession of the form of the band to call Herbie Hancock Group based on the route of "Head Hunters". And, the number of these albums to give a little tension and the relief by the performance which very much or power came off is one where each musician's technique shines.

Herbie Hancock started his second after "Mwandishi" experimental period establishing "Head-hunters" and playing jazz-funk fusion. If first albums were all very progressive gem ( I personally prefer "Thrust" from all Head-hunters period), he slightly changed direction to more commercial. And "Secrets" is a very first step in this way. If his previous album Man-Child was still very experimental, but with concentration on funk rhythm against any melodies, Secrets tried to attract listener with less complex compositions and much more dance oriented music.

It is still jazz-funk fusion, but you will easily fell disco influence. Even Hancock old standard Cantelope Island sounds there as accessible version for dance floor. Whenever Hancock has all collection of pop-oriented recordings, for me they are of two kinds. Some are almost unlistenable because of simplification and accented pop-accessibility, and another are still musically strong albums, even if commercially oriented. The Secrets depends to another group: I am not happy with it's musical direction, but still can enjoy some moments and musicians techniques and professionalism in total.

After three highly musical funk adventures, Secrets takes a big step towards mainstream accessibility. Sometimes the step is successful, sometimes it's a bit of a stumble.

As on all previous HH funk albums, we kick off with a killer track. It announces the arrival of more commercial leanings with its vocoder-processed vocals. The rhythms are still very complex and release their frantic tension during a rather disco poppy synth tune that serves as a kind of chorus. The effect is rather cheesy but still spot-on really. It must be one of the few bars of music where I admit to eating the cheese and enjoying it.

The remainder of the album hardly gets above decent background easy-listening jazz-funk, fit to be played in bars and clubs, but while there are some decent riffs and catchy grooves, the tracks are too repetitious and fail to be infectious enough to compensate for that. The bottom end of this must be Gentle Thoughts, some better tracks follow at the end.

Yet more evolution in the HH line-up of collaborators: only horn player Bennie Maupin remains from the Mwandishi lineup, and bassist Paul Jackson from the Head Hunter days. Besides the new sounds, the work of Melvin "Wah-Wah" Watson as both multi-instrumental performer and co-composer of five of the seven songs is particularly notable. The man was a creative force!

A1. "Doin' It" (8:00) funky rhythm guitar, bass, and "Voice Bag" all performed by Wah Wah Watson while the James Gadson and Ray Parker team helped out on the sides. Herbie's Fender Rhodes sounds pretty standard but the clavinet, organ, and synthesizer work alongside the "Just keep on doin' it" vocal chant is wild and definitely mega- funky. Do they think their Sly & The Family Stone? or the Ohio Players? Great funk tune that is especially notable for all of the advanced sound technologies used (and how they're used). (13.5/15) A2. "People Music" (7:07) cool Bob James- like funk-lite tune within which Bennie Maupin plays some weird horn (most likely the lyricon though it could be the saxello) to smooth effect. The song has many twists and turns, stops and starts, including a complete change in direction around the three-minute mark into a really cool spacey synth section over which Herbie helps re-establish the funk with his Fender Rhodes solo. I love Paul Jackson's bass play as well as the sophisticated compositional structure and spacey synth presence--and the fact that it just keeps getting better the further you get into it. (14.5/15)

A3. "Cantelope Island" (7:06) there's nothing like the revisitation to an old classic (now a "standard") from one's own repertoire and compositional legacy. I actually love how Herbie and Billy Cobham have been unafraid to "update" their popular/iconic compositions as there is so much to be said for the technological (and stylistic) progressions presented in each successive decade. While I like this version--it's pretty wild on the sound and solo side--but there's something that feels a bit like drag or a "too cool for your own shoes" attitude coming through. It's also difficult when you love the original. (13.333/15)

B1. "Spider" (7:20) dramatic like a film soundtrack song (think Shaft), this one harkens back to the Fat Albert Rotunda album in its urban soundtrack feel; one can just picture the montage of scenes as Huggy Bear, Bootney Farnsworth and/or Biggie Smalls walked through the streets of Harlem or Chicago's South Side. Cool, fun song with lots of virtuosic-though-understated individual work. (13.75/15)

B2. "Gentle Thoughts" (7:01) more gentle Pop-Funk with Wah-Wah and Herbie laying back while Bennie solos again on lyricon (and/or saxello). Nice melodies and interesting sounds being melded together, but, again, the similarities to the music Bob James was now making are not unnoticed. (13.5/15) B3. "Swamp Rat" (6:25) back to some really complex (and, I would think, demanding) funk that somehow still manages to come across as smooth and laid back. I love the syncopation being demanded of all performers--with Paul Jackson, Herbie and Wah Wah Watson particularly stepping up to the task. Interesting that Bennie's sax solo starts out far in the background but then slowly, gradually moves to the front and center. Was that an engineering choice or due to Bennie's distance to/from the recording microphone? The song becomes much more animated as it goes, even threatening to derail--but not if drummer James Levi can help it! (9.3333/10)

B4. "Sansho Shima" (4:50) Bennie Maupin's lone composition on the album, the song definitely brings the band back into some of the more jazz-oriented super-funk that was being explored by the more jazz-dedicated purists of the time (and beyond). Very demanding hyper-speed jazz performances are herebeing demanded of the musicians. Well met! Not as engaging of a tune as the previous ones but definitely impressive (9.125/10)

Total Time: 48:01

The performances are all loose and relaxed though tightly-synchronized: this band feels well-oiled and all on the same page. The compositions are all sophisticated and interesting, requiring virtuosic skills to perform, though some fall into the Bob James vein of Smooth Jazz that is beginning to take over and will soon dominate the Jazz-Rock Fusion idiom.

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of funk-leaning Jazz-Rock Fusion that covers the spectrum of both hard-core jazz as well as the insidious pull of the more commercially enticing and easy listening movement toward Smooth Jazz.