Ranking the Albums: Herbie Hancock (w/Andy Edwards & Chuck Alvarez) 

Our lists: Pete: 1) Thrust (1974) 2) Mwandishi (1971) 3) Headhunters (1973) 4) Man Child (1975) 5) Empyrean Isles (1964) Honorable mentions: Maiden Voyage (1965) Crossings (1972) Sextant (1973) Andy: 5) Future Shock 4) future to Future 3) the New Standard 4) Sextant 1)Headhunters Chuck: 1. Crossings 2. Mwandshi 3. Thrust 4. Head Hunters 5. Sextant Honorable mention Flood (Live)

More Chuck Alvarez please! 1. Maiden Voyage 2. Crossings 3. V.S.O.P. 4. Mr. Hands 5. Thrust

“You hear these songs and you feel like you’re in the middle of an oasis out in Africa just looking at the stars”. Beautiful Chuck. Crossings is my favourite too.

This is one of the reasons this is my favorite channel. Thanks for covering jazz and fusion, especially geniuses like Herbie.

YES, I've been waiting for this show. Thank you, guys! 1) Headhunters 2) Man Child 3) Thrust 4) Flood 5) Sextant Honorable mention: Secrets

The Zenith of the Keys/ True Master- Soul Jazz/Modal/Space Jazz Fusion/Funk Fusion/Inventor of Hip Hop. Impossible for me to do 5 Pete. 1 MWANDISHI 2 Crossings 3 Maiden Voyage 4 Speak like a child 5 Sextant 6 Empyrean Isles 7 Takin Off8 Fat Albert Rotunda 9 Devotion 10 The Prisoner 11 Thrust 12 Death Wish Soundtrack 13 The New Standard 14 Secrets 15 Invention's in Dimension's 16 Rockit- 17 Headhunters. My favorite period is the MWANDISHI band which is Space Rock Fusion @ it's best- He is responsible for influencing so many genre's- Rockit really nailed Hip hop in the Video was groundbreaking. Pete I've been waiting for this list for a long time. Very cool that you brought in Mr. Andy Edward into the mix. Thank You Brother keep it coming.....

After watching this episode, thanks to Pete, Chuck and Andy......I now have my shopping list for August. Happy Birthday to me. LOL

I love the music Herbie made with Lee Morgan, especially "Cornbread"

Interesting hearing Pete mention that 'Thrust' would make good soundtrack music for NYC crime film, since Herbie actually did the soundtrack to the first 'Death Wish' film.

Thrust & Headhunters are my two favorites. The drumming on Thrust is just epic.

I love Bill Laswell's work, but I never expected Bill Laswell to be referenced on Sea of Tranquility. Except maybe his production work on Motorhead, Ramones White Zombie or his Miles Davis remixes.

Another fantastic show! 1. Secrets 2. Manchild 3. Head Hunters 4. Thrust 5. Lite Me Up - Steve Lukather!

It’s crazy that I only have 10 vinyls of Herbie. And you guys combined picked the ones I have. Love it and love you guys. Keep talking about music. My mom always said that if I knew my school work like I know music. I would be a rocket scientist

Haven't watched yet...just got home. Can't wait! So far, everything below is happening! The Death Wish soundtrack (w/ The Headhunters). is also cool.

Thank you so much Pete, Andy, and Chuck for this wonderful episode! I've loved Herbie's music for over 20 years yet there are so many albums and eras I still have to discover (basically from late-70's forward). 1. Thrust 2. Headhunters 3. Empyrean Isles 4. Fat Albert Rotunda 5. Sextant

Man Child is unreal. Amazing album! I also like the work he did on the soundtrack to the movie Blow Up (1966).

Great episode. "Kawaida" (with Herbie and Don Cherry) turns up in the Albert "Tootie" Heath discography! (EDIT -- I see on Discogs that there was a release under Mtume and Heath, and also one under Hancock and Cherry -- I suppose this is a matter of which names seemed most commercial at the time!) I might have to pick "Flood" as my favorite Herbie -- it's a bit of cheat being a live album that covers a bit of ground from a couple of my other favorites.

This is a nice short presentation of fantastic Herbie Hancock, thanks.

I love Herbie's playing with Miles. Checkout his comping/chords on Footprints (Miles Smiles). I disagree a bit with the guys re the 60s stuff. To me, the Miles post '64 albums with his classic quintet are timeless and sound contemporary, even today. Herbie's 60's albums, however great, sound like 60's albums.

Herbie Hancock is my all time favorite jazz artist. I've heard 4 of his albums, that being Crossings, Sextant, Head Hunters and Future Shock. I like everything I've heard but my favorite is Sextant. Hope to check out more of his discography.

My favorites are 1. Speak Like a Child love the beautifully sophisticated melodies mixed with intriguing mix of discordance great balance between traditional and more modern jazz. Such a lush yet wild and refined sound with such sparkling tone on piano. To me, this is one also has the warmest most emotionally resonant feel. 2. Emperyan Island- such fine mix of refinement, sophistication and forward drive that really makes the music come alive. 3. Inventions and Dimensions- Really like the staccato modernistic keyboard, dissonant chords and sparkling frenetic but beautiful runs with the brushy percussion and irregular hypnotic rhythms with a slight innovative Latin influence. 4. Hard to choose between Man Child, Crossings, Mwandashi. I like all these about equally 5. Next would be Mr. Hands

Excellent job on ranking the albums of the legendary Herbie Hancock, I'd love to see you rank the albums of the Yellowjackets. Keep up the good work 👏

My 5 1)Head Hunters 2) ManChild 3) Thrust 4) Crossings 5) Sextant

Appreciate the video and input from all.. As an original metal/rock 70/80 headbanger I am late to the world of true blues and Jazz and your channel has allowed me to spread out a bit to discover some of these masterpieces!

Hurbie has always flown under my radar, don't know why??? Now I have a great start on taking in his discography. Thank you Andy, Chuck, and Pete, great show! BTW Chuck, love the shirt, Zelda FTW!!!

Pete would it be possible to do a top 10 list as Herbie as a sideman/Miles/Donald Byrd/Joe Henderson etc. There's a lot to choose from but he really kicks ass as a sideman...

Great episode gents! Need to do a deep dive for Herbie. Maiden Voyage is among my very favorite songs, but other than Headhunters, I haven't spent enough time with the early '70s Herbie. Now I will! 👍

5. Headhunters. 4. Speak like a Child. 3. Takin' Off. 2. Maiden Voyage. 1. Empyrean Island

like you guys i like it all. lets see: 1. Maiden Voyage 2. Head Hunters 3. Sextant, Thrust, Man-Child

Love Herbie’s 70s stuff the most. Great to see it getting some love.

Tower Records at 4th & Broadway sadly sadly missed...

Adding to the stellar lists of SoT episodes! Great input by all 3. Much appreciated! And yes certainly happy to hear African voodoo madness!

Realizing Chick was an avid jazz/jazz fusion fan I went back to these older episodes. Great informative stuff here and a visit to Amazon to flesh out my Herbie collection

Gee thanks Pete. Until today i had not one Herbie Hancock Album in my collection. Now i have 8.

Great show My Picks: 1) Man Child (1975) 2) Thrust (1974) 3) Crossings (1972) 4) Headhunters (1973) 5) Flood (1975) Honourable Mention: 1) Secrets (1976) 2) Sextant (1973) 3) Mwandishi (1971)

The Prisoner is my favorite album

Essential reading is the autobiography "Possibilities", my ranking : 1. Sextant 2. Thrust 3. Mr. Hands 4. Secrets 5. Quartet

Other than "Headhunters," the "Death Wish" soundtrack, and "Future Shock," I am woefully unfamiliar with Herbie Hancock's catalogue, but I do love jazz, and I know he is a jazz giant, so I'm very thankful for this episode! The observations here are seriously going to help in leading me *much deeper* into the world of a great artist whom I should have investigated years ago. So grateful for this channel!!

As much as I love his studio stuff, Flood is always the album that I always go back too when I’m in the mood for Herbie.

I was sampling "Thrust" at a used CD store back in the day, with headphones on. ...When the bells kicked in on Palm Grease, I stI was sampling "Thrust" at a used CD store back in the day, with headphones on . ...When the bells kicked in on Palm Grease, I started just laughing hysterically out loud 🤣 It is my favorite!! 💯. ...so much so that I haven't spent enough time with more of the catalogue. This was insightful. Thanks for the vid

Bill Laswell, who worked together with Herbie on Rockit, is one of the greatest bassists ever!! Listen to his earlier work with Material, it's mind blowing!!

Amazing show! I'll have to had a few 70's Herbie to my collection!

Headhunters is my favourite. It's the album that made me realise that I actually liked jazz. It was also released into the world the same month and year that I was, so it'll always have a special connection with me because of that.

Cantaloupe Island such a great track from Herbie. The late legend Hugh Maskela does a rousing great rendition of the song live and honors Herbie. I have on a best single album compilation that has Hugh doing the classic track on vinyl. Good show guys.

Love your picks guys, a lot of these albums were used by me to escape and check out after a hard day or night of work. Get my buzz on, sit outside under the stars and TRIP! African space music would be a perfect description for me. Those albums are quintessential trip music, cerebral yet fun and relaxing! S

Thank you guys! Great video as always

Been waiting for this one. Great video.

I love his 80s records Sound-System and Perfect Machine.

Thanks guys, will have to delve deeper onto the catalogue - I have that nice box set that came out in 2002 with a great selection ( that I can never work out how to open - its in a square clear plastic box that you have to slide the right side to get into) along with Crossings, Headhunters, Directions in Music and An Evening wIth Chick Corea but I'm going to have to get more of that Mwandishi, Headhunter and early period stuff.

Herbie Hancock is such an extraordinaire musician. My top 5 (in no particular order): Maiden Voyage, Mwandishi, Thrust, Secrets, Future Shock

i have two herbie hancock records 1. empryean isles and 2. maiden voyage and both great hard bop sides!

All the best ones have been mentioned, but I'm going to add Inventions & Dimensions. I especially like Succotash. That song has a such unique groove to it.

Please consider making a video like this on Keith Jarrett.

So many great albums. Glad to see the Blue Note hard bop albums getting praise. For me, "Thrust" is the best, even better than "Headhunters". Mike Clark's drumming on "Actual Proof" is amazing. Yes, "Man Child" tends to be overlooked and I don't know why. Herbie did many great Blue Note albums as a session player. He is especially inspired on Grant Green's "Feelin' the Spirit".

Also i have to mention Live in Boston @ Jazz Workshop/ Not mentioned because of course it's a Live Bootleg but that MWANDISHI band eclipse the Sky . That Period is right there w/ Miles "in a Silent Way"/ Bitch's Brew Landmarks... Also the best Music to Smoke Too of course...

...not sure how '71 Mwadishi slipped past me as much as it did!!! 🤯 Thank you!!! 🙏

Fantastic stuff guys! Herbie in the 70s was on 🔥. Interesting that your lists are similar and mine would be too. My top 5 The new standard Headhunters Maiden voyage Secrets Man child Honorable mentions-fat Albert rotunda, thrust, crossings and mwandishi

Thanks for this. It's been a long time since I listened to this--had to dust off some old stuff--then follow up with some Crusaders just to mellow the funk down...

What a great show!!!

One of the best shows to date!!!

I came here from Andy's video but I just wanted to say Chuck: Nice Zelda shirt!

secrets is also a very good herbie album,Herbie Hancock ‎- The Essence (Mixes)is also good,the joe claussell remixes are excellent

1- Maiden Voyage 2- Thrust 3- Crossings 4- Head Hunters 5- Mr Hands

Nice! Mine is Thrust, but I only have three of them. Butterfly, what a tune.

Mwandishi band actually released two more LPs under Eddie Henderson's name. Inside Out and Realiization are as good if not bettet than those under Herbie's name.

Thrust has deep swamp funk all over it. It’s insane how groovy that album is.

I have one album and it's Headhunters. I need to delve into his work more.

(5)Secrets (4) Fat Albert Rotunda (3) Speak Like a Child (2) Mr. Hands (1) Man-Child

Inventions and Dimensions might be in my top 3

Fat Albert Rotunda is amazing. Also like My Point of View on Blue Note.

Sad to see no mentions for Mr. Hands. Such a great, accessible, fusion album.

1. thrust 2. sextant 3. my point of view 4. headhunters 5. future shock

I gotta go with: Empyrian Isles Maiden Voyage Headhunters

1. Headhunters 2. Future Shock 3. Maiden Voyage 4. Sextant 5. Thrust

Thrust Crossings Headhunters Mwandishi Sextant Honorable mentions: Maiden Voyage Mr. Hands 👐 Future Shock

All good picks but I would've added the Fat Albert album

Headhunters just wonderful

"Death Wish" title soundtrack should have been in the rankings. It was/is a masterpiece of a title soundtrack

Don't know much about Herbie Hancock, except for the MTV icon era. Cool 80's songs.

@sea of Tranquility I hope you can rank the albums for the black Crowes soon! They have a strong catalog

Cool Zelda t shirt

Wasn't Herbie Hancock the guy that signed the Declaration of Independence?

Inventions & Dimensions (1964), 3rd solo album... No composed heads. Every song group-improvised/realized from beat 1.

For a second I thought you were going to rank ALL the albums, haha. That would’ve been a mission and probably started a civil war.

Is it blasphemy to say that Lite Me Up is my favorite Herbie Hancock album?

great show, but a top 5 is too short a list for Herbie. Why not make a new extended list with let's say top 15?

Great but hard choices. I’m sure if you did this again., you would have different albums

Steve morse?

I prefer Herbie Hancock's fusion stuff and that is the same for Miles Davis .

Now George Duke!

Rank the albums Meat Loaf

So far... Maiden Voyage Sextant Crossings Head Hunters Man Child

Like Quincy Jones just so influencal

I wonder if Herbie ever got bored playing his own music and ordered a curry from the stage?

Andy talks way too much!