HERBIE HANCOCK — Sound-System (review)

HERBIE HANCOCK — Sound-System album cover Album · 1984 · Jazz Related Electronica/Hip-Hop Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
js
'Sound System' was the follow-up to Herbie's ground-breaking Grammy award winning album 'Future Shock', an album that had put him back in the limelight with it's imaginative mix of early 80s Hip Hop, Techno and World Beat. Hip Hop was a far different thing in the early 80s up to the early 90s; positive, vibrant and polyrhythmic, it brought new life to many artists that would seek it's influence. On 'Sound System' Herbie accents the African influence that was hinted at on 'Future Shock' by featuring kora virtuoso Foday Musa Suso who adds beautifully hypnotic melodies to three of this albums six tracks. The three tracks that feature Suso are wonderfully joyous celebrations of rhythm and melody that recall a nostalgic positive vibe that early Hip Hop brought to many urban neighborhoods in the states in the early to mid 80s. I saw Hancock at an outdoor concert during this time and he had a separate area near the stage set aside for young break dancers to come out of the crowd and show off their creative but amateur skills. The whole concert had a wonderful improvisatory carnival type feel to it.

The other three songs on this album include: 'Hard Rock', a funky hip hop number that mixes Herbie's techno verses with a Van Halen styled guitar chorus played by avant-garde rocker Henry Kaiser. 'Karaboli', a world beat jazz number that features Wayne Shorter on soprano sax, and 'People are Changing', a socially conscious RnB song with a killer groove that features Bernard Fowler on vocals. Fowler was the progressive soul singer of choice in the early 80s and often worked with creative musicians and producers such as Bill Laswell and Adrian Sherwood.

This album has a very 80s sound to it, a virtual death sentence in many cases, but not this time. I still enjoy this album as much now as I did back then. Despite it's trendy sound, 'Sound System' still sounds fresh and creative, and reminds me of a very positive time in RnB music in general.

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

About (or On)First Visit Avant-Garde Jazz
ELLERY ESKELIN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Noah Kaplan Quartet : Out Of The Hole Avant-Garde Jazz
NOAH KAPLAN
Buy this album from MMA partners
To Walk On Eggshells Avant-Garde Jazz
RUSS JOHNSON
Buy this album from MMA partners
Snakeoil : Snakeoil Ok Avant-Garde Jazz
TIM BERNE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Poetry of Place (from the exhibit by painter Karen Allen) Jazz Related Improv/Composition
CHRIS DINGMAN
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Satoko Fujii Tokyo Trio Dream a Dream
SATOKO FUJII
js· 1 day ago
Wojciech Jachna Squad - Ad Astra (Promo Teaser)
WOJCIECH JACHNA
snobb· 4 days ago
Nitty Gritty
RUSS SPIEGEL
js· 4 days ago
Never in a 100.000.000 Dreams
SUPERSISTER
js· 5 days ago
Love is a Fire that Burns Unseen
PETER MADSEN
js· 5 days ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed