Man-Child is the seventeenth album by jazz pianist Herbie Hancock. The album is arguably one of his most funk influenced albums and it represents his further departure from the "spacey, higher atmosphere jazz," as he referred to it, of his earlier career. Hancock uses more funk based rhythms around the hi-hat, and snare drum. The tracks are characterized by short, repeated riffs by both the rhythm section, horns accompaniment, and bass lines. Man-Child features less improvisation from the whole band and more concentrated grooves with brief solos from the horns and Hancock himself on synthesizer and Fender Rhodes piano on top of the repeated riffs. This album features the addition of electric guitar to his new sound, which he started only five years prior to this album with Fat Albert Rotunda. The guitarists featured on this album were Melvin "Wah-Wah Watson" Ragin, DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight and David T. Walker. Their extensive use of wah-wah pedal and accenting chords on the up-beat rather than the down-beat is what helps to give the album a distinct and funkier rhythm that is broken up by brief periods of stop-time where only the sustained chords are heard from the electric guitar with an open wah pedal. Furthermore the riffs are fast-paced and energetic with repeating patterns that combine with multiple voices (i.e. horns, piano, bass, synthesizer, guitar, brief vocal patterns from Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock, and drums/percussion). The horns section in "Hang Up Your Hang-Ups" plays repeated riffs in unison that are alternating answered by electric piano, synthesizer, and electric guitar in brief periods of call and response.
Personnel & Instrumentation
Man-Child showcases Herbie Hancock on synthesizer, piano, electric piano, Arp Odyssey, Arp Pro Soloist, Oberheim, Fender Rhodes (piano), Clavinet, as well as, Harvey Mason on drums; Dewayne McKnight on electric guitar; Ernie Watts flute and saxophone; Wah Wah Watson synthesizer, voice bag, and electric guitar; Stevie Wonder on harmonica; Dick Hyde on tuba and bass trombone; Henry E. Davis on electric bass; Mike Clark on drums; Bill Summers on percussion; David T. Walker on electric guitar; Bud Brisbois on trumpet; Garnett Brown on trombone; Jay DaVersa on trumpet; James Gadson on drums; Jim Horn on flute and saxophone; Richard Hyde on trombone; Paul Jackson on electric bass; Louis Johnson on electric bass; Bennie Maupin on bass clarinet, alto flute, saxello, bass flute, tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, and percussion; and Wayne Shorter on alto and soprano saxophones.
Paul Jackson, Bill Summers, Harvey Mason, Bennie Maupin, and Mike Clark (replaced Harvey Mason post-1974) formed the core of the group the Headhunters with which Hancock had toured and recorded for the previous three years. This was their final album as a group.
Track listing
- "Hang Up Your Hang Ups" (Hancock, Ragin, Jackson) — 7:27
- "Sun Touch" — 5:09
- "Traitor" (Hancock, Ragin, Johnson, Shorter) — 9:36
- "Bubbles" (Hancock, Ragin) — 8:59
- "Steppin' in It" — 8:36
- "Heartbeat" (Hancock, Ragin, Jackson) — 5:15
- All compositions by Herbie Hancock except as indicated
Samples
Janet Jackson sampled "Hang Up Your Hang Ups" for her song All Nite (Don't Stop). Die Fantastischen Vier sampled "Hang Up Your Hang Ups" for their song "Nenn Ihn Präsident" on their album 4 Gewinnt
External links
