scottb Posted December 15, 2004 Report Posted December 15, 2004 These are 2 RVGs I don't have and have never really been all that excited about getting. I've got a little CD money to burn and thought it was time to spring for one or the other. Which should it be? Interesting thing I noticed while browsing the Blue Note site, if you click on BUY IT NOW it links to Amazon.com!! Not Blue Note merchandise or even True Blue but Amazon! Quote
BFrank Posted December 15, 2004 Report Posted December 15, 2004 I think they made an announcement a few months ago about the Amazon connection. Quote
Rooster_Ties Posted December 15, 2004 Report Posted December 15, 2004 (edited) Absolutely, without any doubt, hands down, The Prisoner. Edit: Also, if this helps any... Nearly 12% of the people here rank "The Prisoner" as their favorite Herbie Hancock BN album. <<-- clicky linky!!! Edited December 15, 2004 by Rooster_Ties Quote
Morganized Posted December 15, 2004 Report Posted December 15, 2004 Absolutely, without any doubt, hands down, The Prisoner. I'll second that! Quote
Big Wheel Posted December 15, 2004 Report Posted December 15, 2004 While I haven't heard 27th Man yet, and would probably pick the Prisoner if I was buying for myself, I think given Scott's affinity for the grease he might want to pick up the Silver first. Quote
Free For All Posted December 15, 2004 Report Posted December 15, 2004 (edited) I don't know what your tastes are, but...... 27th Man has some nice tunes (like Gregory is Here and Summer in Central Park) and is a enjoyable recording overall, but I wouldn't consider it as essential as some other Silver (I'm still waiting for the Silver and... series). I would, however, recommend 27th Man over the recent Silver 2fer reissue The United States of Mind. The Prisoner is essential, however. It ranks among Herbie's top Blue Notes, IMHO. It represents a high level of artistic vision (compositions and arrangements) whereas the Silver is a little more "routine" in terms of the head-solos-head format, but the latter does feature some tasty playing by the Breckers. It's really not even fair to compare the two, they're really apples and oranges. But if you need to pick, I'd say go with the Hancock. But don't totally write off the Silver. Check out samples at AMG or wherever and decide for yourself. Edited December 15, 2004 by Free For All Quote
Big Al Posted December 15, 2004 Report Posted December 15, 2004 Scott my man, you & I have very similar tastes in music. With that said, I strongly urge you to get the Silver first!!! The Hancock is good, make no mistake; however, it's probably his most avant-garde Blue Note, IMHO. And as a result, the least-played of his BNs around my house. I mean, eventually get the Hancock. But if I know you, you're gonna enjoy the Silver much more than the Hancock. Quote
.:.impossible Posted December 15, 2004 Report Posted December 15, 2004 The Prisoner by a large margin. I like grease, and didn't think of the 27th Man as grease. I actually sold it back a couple of weeks after I bought it... a little lite in my opinion. Quote
BruceH Posted December 15, 2004 Report Posted December 15, 2004 The Prisoner, without doubt. (Terrible cover, though.) Quote
jazzbo Posted December 15, 2004 Report Posted December 15, 2004 I like them both. . . I would just flip a coin. Quote
Big Al Posted December 15, 2004 Report Posted December 15, 2004 I like them both. . . I would just flip a coin. There ya go! Quote
DrJ Posted December 15, 2004 Report Posted December 15, 2004 I like 27th MAN, but THE PRISONER is a classic. Quote
etherbored Posted December 15, 2004 Report Posted December 15, 2004 completely agreed, DrJ. and the RVG treatment is, to my ears, pretty decent as both sessions are in stereo. the prisoner is simply choice... i think the cover is superbly representational for it's period, -e- Quote
scottb Posted December 15, 2004 Author Report Posted December 15, 2004 I think the Silver is definitely closer to my preferred style (hard bop, soul jazz, grease, funk) but I like to mix it up and check out different styles as well and I have all the other Silver RVGs so I think I'm going with THE PRISONER. Depending on what I get for Christmas (Come on family, you can do it, just a couple Selects, PLEASE.) I may have enough CD money to get both! Quote
DrJ Posted December 16, 2004 Report Posted December 16, 2004 (edited) scottb - I think you made a good choice, keep us posted on your impressions if you get a chance. PRISONER has one of the most unique sounds of any BN session, largely due to the combination of Hancock's use of less traditional reed instruments (alto flute) and Johnny Coles' soft flugelhorn in the ensembles, and his unique voicings. I get a lump in my throat every time I play "I Have a Dream." This is one of those later BN recordings that has quite a bit of reverb (apparently in the masters as they haven't really toned it down for the RVG) but it doesn't matter, and in fact this is one case where the slight murk just adds to the mystique. FWIW, 27th MAN isn't the most funky of Silver sessions, at least to my ears - in fact it's refreshing in that it's got such a different, more "open" feel than most of his other BNs to me. Edited December 16, 2004 by DrJ Quote
scottb Posted December 16, 2004 Author Report Posted December 16, 2004 (edited) I've had a stroke of good luck and my CD slush fund got a big boost so I'm going to have several requests for recs. (I will try to avoid clogging up the Recommendations Section so I'm going to ask them all here) Question 2: Which Bobby Hutcherson to get? All I have with him as a leader is DIALOGUE. (one of my initial rules of jazz listening was NO FLUTE and NO VIBES but I've come around a bit) I caught some samples of SAN FRANCISCO and was kinda diggin' it but I never hear this one talked about on the board. Edited December 16, 2004 by scottb Quote
Alon Marcus Posted December 16, 2004 Report Posted December 16, 2004 A big for "Prisoner". It's a follow up to "Speak like a child". Now for Hutcherson I think the albums with Mclean and Moncur (if you still don't have 'em) like "Destination out" or "One step beyond". Both of them also on Moncur's Mosaic select. Quote
JohnJ Posted December 16, 2004 Report Posted December 16, 2004 Scottb, I am a big fan of Hutcherson's Blue Note recordings, but as most of them were released as Conn's, if at all, they are not easily available. My favourites are PATTERNS, SPIRAL/MEDINA AND HAPPENINGS. However, based on your preferred style, I would recommend STICK UP with Joe Henderson. Quote
Noj Posted December 16, 2004 Report Posted December 16, 2004 I'm in the minority here, I like 27th Man a little better than The Prisoner. Both are keepers. Quote
wesbed Posted December 16, 2004 Report Posted December 16, 2004 THE 27TH MAN is not great, but not bad either. I've listened to it and enjoyed it. If I didn't already have a copy, I'd buy it. I have the RVG of THE PRISONER but haven't listened to it recently. I can't remember what the music of THE PRISONER sounds like. I do remember something in the liner notes where Herbie, if I remember correctly, spoke of being a prisoner of music or expectations or something of the like. I need to listen to THE PRISONER again. Quote
Jim Alfredson Posted December 16, 2004 Report Posted December 16, 2004 Ha! I've been avoiding this thread because the whole time I thought it was about "The Prisoner", the 60s TV show! I thought to myself, "Well I've never even heard of, much less seen 27th Man, so I'll just stay out of that discussion." I'm a moron. Quote
jazzbo Posted December 16, 2004 Report Posted December 16, 2004 Goood one Jim! Looks as if Horace will win that race to me! Quote
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