Herbie Mann - Memphis Underground (LP)
- LP
- 1 piece(s)
- 1969
- 5 tracks
- 36 min
- latin jazz
Memphis Underground
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4.6
Average of 5 reviews
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Absolutely amazing! Chain of Fools puts Queens of the Stone Age to the test! 😆 Yeah, that flute guy! This album seems to be Herbie’s most solid studio work, every single track hits the mark. Herbie’s crew (Sharrock/Vitous/Ayers/Coryell) shine alongside the iconic Memphis Rhythm section. The arrangement of Battle Hymn of the Republic is pure genius. Sonny Sharrock’s sonic assault on Hold on is nothing short of legendary. I’m still blown away that Herbie included that on a major album and can’t help but wonder about the crowd’s reaction. If you’re craving more of this vibe, check out Memphis Two Step from 1971, which features mostly the same band (5 out of 7 tracks).
Alright, decent pressing of an absolutely amazing album. Can't figure out why this guy went full nude on his album covers... but he did! Flip to the back of the dust jacket for a glimpse of Herbie Mann's quite hairy body
I picked this up at a thrift shop on a whim. I've got a couple of his other albums and wasn't overly impressed. Then I put it on and was completely blown away. It's an amazing jazz-rock record, no frills, just fantastic playing. It's one of those rare finds I always hope to discover, that only come around once in a great while. I'm thrilled I grabbed it.
My old man turned me onto Herbie Mann when I was just a little kid, and I've been humming "Memphis Underground" ever since. This album is packed with those classic Memphis grooves, features more guitarists than you can shake a stick at, and even throws in some unexpected sounds thanks to one special guitarist, Sonny Sharrock. Herbie's got that soul jazz and blues thing down pat, and his flute just soars above the big band with no trouble at all. His playing is top-notch, no doubt about it. The rhythm section from Memphis is spot-on here, keeping a steady beat and giving the whole thing that real Memphis feel. Larry Coryell's guitar work is phenomenal. I just can't get enough of how he complements the band with his sweet improvisation. Sonny Sharrock's been Herbie's go-to guy for years, and he brings something special to the table. He adds that rough, gritty edge that really contrasts with Herbie's smooth flute, and it's a perfect balance. Give a listen to the second half of "Hold On, I'm Comin'" to see what I mean. I thought the title track would be my favorite, but honestly, the last track "Battle Hymn of the Republic" really blew me away. It starts off all sad and slow, then builds up into this hopeful theme that just takes off at the end. Amazing. This older copy sounds incredible. The sound is rich and powerful, just a bit too boomy at times, but that's what happens when you're mixing that many instruments together. Definitely worth checking out.
Concentrated, funky, greasy soul-jazz-r’n’b that ventures into truly bizarre territory, especially when Sonny Sharrock bursts in to tear the session apart. His dazzling and fierce playing is so deliciously beautiful in its unexpected rightness, you wonder if the rest of Herbie’s crew even noticed the impending destruction, though Herbie himself certainly did. As Cary Ginell points out, ‘He always enjoyed challenging his audiences and sticking it to critics, and when he got a hold of Sonny Sharrock, he did that and more. He was really deliberately pissing people off by getting the most ‘out’ Hendrix-style guitarist and letting him go wild. Herbie never told his musicians what to play; he figured they knew their stuff. Sharrock was the first of a string of musicians Herbie hired who stepped out of the jazz mainstream and played from a different angle’ – in this case, a seriously spine-chilling one. One odd footnote: the literary underground seems to have a soft spot for ‘Memphis Underground’, given that Hunter S. Thompson used ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic’ in his ‘Freak Power’ campaign ads, and British counterculture writer Stewart Home named one of his many antinovels after the LP. Also ‘twas sampled by 3rd Bass & Schoolly D (+ others more than likely). Oh & keep your ears open for plenty low end guitar across this, real trance-rumble stuff for sure. Thanks Sonny, thanks Herb.
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