Herbie Hancock

- 31 ALBUMS ON 34 NEWLY REMASTERED CDs

- INCLUDING HIS BIGGEST ALBUMS. RARE GEMS AND JAPAN-ONLY RELEASES

- ORIGINAL LP REPLICA MINIJACKETS & 200-PAGE BOOKLET

Herbie Hancock recorded for Columbia between 1972 and 1988. During that period, between the label's American and Japanese divisions, he released 31 albums, both solo and with an astonishing variety of players in an equally breathtaking panorama of styles, from straight-ahead post-bop, to fusion, jazz-funk, disco, R&B, smooth jazz, and even hip-hop. Though Hancock had a celebrated career before signing to Columbia, it was his longest label association; and during his tenure there, he experienced his greatest commercial success and his name was etched permanently into the history of popular music.

This box set contains 34 discs -- 28 single and three double albums -- all housed in handsome individual LP and gatefold sleeves. Among them are eight records never previously issued outside of Japan: the solo sans overdubs Dedication from 1974, Flood (Head Hunters band live, 1975); The Herbie Hancock Trio (with Ron Carter and Tony Williams, 1977); Tempest (with V.S.O.P, 1977), Directstep (a full band, live in the studio, direct-to-disc, 1978); Five Stars (V.S.O.P. studio, direct-to-disc, 1979), Butterfly (studio, with Kimiko Kasai, 1979), Herbie Hancock Trio with Ron Carter + Tony Williams (studio, 1981). Three more recordings, Sunlight (1978), Magic Windows (1981), and Lite Me Up (1982), have never been previously issued in the United States on compact disc. There are several historic albums in this batch, among them, Sextant, Head Hunters, V.S.O.P.: The Quintet, the Death Wish soundtrack, Future Shock, and more. Many of these dates, particularly those from the disco and post-disco R&B eras, such as Feets Don't Fail Me Now, and Monster, deserve reappraisal for what they are in and of themselves -- pop records. The same goes for the jazz-funk Man-Child and even the post-Monster, R&B, pop, and jazz experimentation that resulted in Mr. Hands.

The accompanying booklet is 200 pages, divided into three sections. Its centerpiece is an exhaustive 5,500 word essay by noted musician, historian, and producer Bob Belden. In addition, there is an album-by-album commentary by Max Schlueter, Hancock's historian and discographer, as well as a complete discography by Richard Seidel, which includes lineups, detailed recording data, original release dates, chart positions, and a shorter discography of Hancock's pre-Columbia career. There is even a glossary of instrumentation and terminology used. There are loads of well-known and rare photographs and sidebar commentaries, including one on David Rubinson, who produced all but six of these records. While it's easy to note that a project of this size will likely only appeal to Hancock's most ardent fans, music historians, and librarians, it is also worth noting that inside The Complete Columbia Albums Collection 1972-1988 is a defining portrait of a musician so diverse, restless, and creative -- one who has been profiled, emulated, imitated, sampled, and compiled so often -- that there are few in his class.

- Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

Disc 1

01 Rain Dance (9:16)
02 Hidden Shadows (10:11)
03 Hornets (19:35)

Disc 2

01 Chameleon (15:41)
02 Watermelon Man (6:29)
03 Sly (10:15)
04 Vein Melter (9:09)

Disc 3

01 Maiden Voyage (7:40)
02 Dolphin Dance (11:18)
03 Nobu (7:34)
04 Cantaloupe Island (13:58)

Disc 4

01 Palm Grease (10:37)
02 Actual Proof (9:40)
03 Butterfly (11:17)
04 Spank-A-Lee (7:12)

Disc 5

01 Death Wish (Main Title) (6:10)
02 Joanna's Theme (4:44)
03 Do a Thing (2:13)
04 Paint Her Mouth (2:16)
05 Rich Country (3:44)
06 Suite Revenge: Striking Back/Riverside Park/The Alley/Last Stop/8th Ave (9:22)
07 Ochoa Knose (2:08)
08 Party People (3:32)
09 Fill Your Hand (6:19)

Disc 6

01 Introduction/Maiden Voyage (7:58)
02 Actual Proof (8:28)
03 Spank-A-Lee (8:48)
04 Watermelon Man (5:49)
05 Butterfly (12:45)
06 Chameleon (10:22)
07 Hang Up Your Hang Ups (19:55)

Disc 7

01 Hang Up Your Hang Ups (7:29)
02 Sun Touch (5:11)
03 The Trailor (9:38)
04 Bubbles (9:02)
05 Steppin' in It (8:41)
06 Heartbeat (5:16)

Disc 8

01 Doin' It (8:01)
02 People Music (7:08)
03 Cantelope Island (7:05)
04 Spider (7:21)
05 Gentle Thoughts (7:04)
06 Swamp Rat (6:25)
07 Sansho Shima (4:50)

Disc 9

01 Piano Introduction (4:33)
02 Maiden Voyage (13:26)
03 Nefertiti (5:17)
04 Introduction of Players/Eye of the Hurricane (18:32)

Disc 10

01 Toys (14:00)
02 Introductions (1:45)
03 You'll Know When You Get There (8:01)
04 Hang Up Your Hang Ups (11:51)
05 Spider (10:10)

Disc 11

01 Watch It - Herbie Hancock Trio (12:25)
02 Speak Like a Child - Herbie Hancock Trio (13:04)
03 Watcha Waitin' For - Herbie Hancock Trio (6:20)
04 Look - Herbie Hancock Trio (7:38)
05 Milestones - Herbie Hancock Trio (6:37)

Disc 12

01 One of a Kind - V.S.O.P. (9:16)
02 Third Plane - V.S.O.P. (7:28)
03 Jessica - V.S.O.P. (7:03)
04 Lawra - V.S.O.P. (9:42)
05 Introduction of Players/Darts - V.S.O.P.
06 Dolores - V.S.O.P. (11:40)
07 Little Waltz - V.S.O.P. (9:35)
08 Byrdlike - V.S.O.P. (8:03)

Disc 13

01 Eye of the Hurricane - V.S.O.P. (16:18)
02 Diana - V.S.O.P. (5:05)
03 Eighty-One - V.S.O.P. (13:01)
04 Maiden Voyage - V.S.O.P. (12:19)
05 Lawra - V.S.O.P. (8:21)
06 Red Clay - V.S.O.P. (14:31)

Disc 14

01 Someday My Prince Will Come - Chick Corea (12:39)
02 Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away) - Chick Corea (8:51)
03 Button Up - Chick Corea (17:37)

Disc 15

01 February Moment - Chick Corea (6:28)
02 Maiden Voyage - Chick Corea (13:30)
03 La Fiesta - Chick Corea (22:00)

Disc 16

01 I Thought It Was You (8:54)
02 Come Running to Me (8:24)
03 Sunlight (7:09)
04 No Means Yes (6:18)
05 Good Question (8:31)

Disc 17

01 You Bet Your Love (7:36)
02 Trust Me (5:41)
03 Ready or Not (6:42)
04 Tell Everybody (7:46)
05 Honey from the Jar (6:51)
06 Knee Deep (5:39)
07 Tell Everybody (7:09)

Disc 18

01 Butterfly (7:52)
02 Shiftless Shuffle (7:07)
03 I Thought It Was You (15:31)

Disc 19

01 My Funny Valentine (7:42)
02 On Green Dolphin Street (3:20)
03 Someday My Prince Will Come (4:35)
04 Harvest Time (4:49)
05 Sonrisa (3:44)
06 Manhattan Island (3:56)
07 Blue Otani (3:25)
08 My Funny Valentine (6:08)
09 On Green Dolphin Street (4:04)
10 Harvest Time (5:10)
11 Someday My Prince Will Come (5:16)

Disc 20

01 Opening - V.S.O.P. (0:47)
02 Eye of the Hurricane - V.S.O.P. (7:48)
03 Tear Drop - V.S.O.P. (10:34)
04 Domo - V.S.O.P. (12:35)
05 Para Oriente - V.S.O.P. (7:28)
06 Pee Wee - V.S.O.P. (8:13)
07 One of Another Kind - V.S.O.P. (20:49)
08 Fragile - V.S.O.P. (9:41)

Disc 21

01 Opening - V.S.O.P. (0:23)
02 Eye of the Hurricane - V.S.O.P. (11:26)
03 Tear Drop - V.S.O.P. (9:13)
04 Domo - V.S.O.P. (11:42)
05 Para Oriente - V.S.O.P. (6:51)
06 Pee Wee - V.S.O.P. (6:27)
07 One of Another Kind - V.S.O.P. (14:45)
08 Fragile - V.S.O.P. (8:32)
09 Stella by Starlight - V.S.O.P. (4:46)
10 On Green Dolphin Street - V.S.O.P. (2:17)

Disc 22

01 Skagly - V.S.O.P. (9:58)
02 Finger Painting - V.S.O.P. (6:45)
03 Mutants on the Beach - V.S.O.P. (11:04)
04 Circe - V.S.O.P. (4:32)
05 Skagly - V.S.O.P. (10:15)
06 Finger Painting - V.S.O.P. (6:44)

Disc 23

01 I Thought It Was You - Kimiko Kasai (7:10)
02 Tell Me a Bedtime Story - Kimiko Kasai (5:11)
03 Head in the Clouds - Kimiko Kasai (3:40)
04 Maiden Voyage - Kimiko Kasai (7:25)
05 Harvest Time - Kimiko Kasai (4:55)
06 Sunlight - Kimiko Kasai (6:14)
07 Butterfly - Kimiko Kasai (6:13)
08 As - Kimiko Kasai (6:16)

Disc 24

01 Saturday Night (7:12)
02 Stars in Your Eyes (7:04)
03 Go for It (7:33)
04 Don't Hold It In (8:01)
05 Making Love (6:22)
06 It All Comes Round (5:50)

Disc 25

01 Spiraling Prism (6:21)
02 Calypso (6:43)
03 Just Around the Corner (7:33)
04 4 A.M. (5:22)
05 Shiftless Shuffle (7:06)
06 Textures (6:36)

Disc 26

01 Magic Number (7:21)
02 Tonight's the Night (6:28)
03 Everybody's Broke (7:05)
04 Help Yourself (6:40)
05 Satisfied with Love (6:30)
06 The Twilight Clone (8:15)

Disc 27

01 Stable Mates (11:04)
02 Dolphin Dance (10:16)
03 A Slight Smile (9:04)
04 That Old Black Magic (8:34)
05 La Maison Goree (6:41)

Disc 28

01 Well You Needn't (6:26)
02 'Round Midnight (6:38)
03 Clear Ways (5:01)
04 A Quick Sketch (16:24)
05 Eye of the Hurricane (8:03)
06 Parade (7:56)
07 The Sorcerer (7:17)
08 Pee Wee (4:32)
09 I Fall in Love Too Easily (5:53)

Disc 29

01 Lite Me Up! (3:41)
02 The Bomb (3:59)
03 Gettin' to the Good Part (6:12)
04 Paradise (4:30)
05 Can't Hide Your Love (3:53)
06 The Fun Tracks (4:03)
07 Motor Mouth (3:59)
08 Give It All Your Heart (7:39)

Disc 30

01 Rockit (5:24)
02 Future Shock (8:02)
03 TFS (5:46)
04 Earth Beat (5:09)
05 Autodrive (6:25)
06 Rough (6:56)
07 Mega Mix: Rockit/Autodrive/Future Shock/TFS/Rough/Chameleon (6:18)

Disc 31

01 Hardrock (6:10)
02 Metal Beat (4:56)
03 Karabali (5:14)
04 Junku (5:32)
05 People Are Changing (6:05)
06 Sound System (5:55)
07 Metal Beat (6:45)

Disc 32

01 Moon/Light (7:57)
02 Ndan Ndan Nyaria (9:51)
03 Early Warning (2:50)
04 Kanatente (19:59)

Disc 33

01 'Round Midnight - Dexter Gordon (5:36)
02 Body and Soul - Dexter Gordon (5:54)
03 Bérangére's Nightmare - Dexter Gordon (3:06)
04 Fair Weather - Dexter Gordon (6:05)
05 Una Noche Con Francis - Dexter Gordon (4:24)
06 The Peacocks - Dexter Gordon (7:16)
07 How Long Has This Been Going On? - Dexter Gordon (3:14)
08 Rhythm-A-Ning - Dexter Gordon (4:11)
09 Still Time - Dexter Gordon (3:51)
10 Minuit Aux Champs-Elysées - Dexter Gordon (3:25)
11 Chan's Song (Never Said) - Dexter Gordon (4:22)

Disc 34

01 Perfect Machine (6:35)
02 Obsession (5:20)
03 Vibe Alive (5:26)
04 Beat Wise (5:52)
05 Maiden Voyage/P. Bop (6:33)
06 Chemical Residue (6:01)
07 Vibe Alive (8:13)
08 Beat Wise (6:28)