herbie hancock - watermelon man (1973)
the song originally composed in 1962 was not a success for herbie hancock eventhough that was his intention. mongo santamaria cut his version and helped herbies cashflow for several years. but the rebirth of it in the 1970s is one that has inspired generation after generation in r&b, hip hop, jazz, soul and other world music. the headhunters album was herbies tribute to the godfather jb and sylvester stone. the fusion of psychedelic funk & soul powered music along side with african instrumentals, is an immersion into herbies soul. its an album that must be played in its entirety cause listening to each song reminds me how thorough and intricate music used to be. the phases, more than one and not just broken down into hook, line, and sinker. the influence of sly stone and jb are evident in the rhythms that make you bob your head. but then again herbie has talked about the beats desrcibing that they actually came from the watermelon cart rolling on the cobblestone roads. its always amazing to me how mental musicians find harmonies and beats in the most usual places. anyhow its by far my favaorite herbie album (at least for now). to say the least its out of this world! take it to the head. love-joy
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