Customer Reviews

Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just because a record's been sampled to death doesn't mean it's any good. As a collector of rare and oft-sampled records, I'm all too aware of this. I pounced on this album when I found it a few years back, knowing about its near-impossible-to-find status and the fact that it's a big favorite of A Tribe Called Quest, the Beastie Boys, Organized Konfusion, Rakim, Pete Rock and others. Let's be straight here: "Headless Heroes" is one strange record. But it's filled with some totally SICK grooves that could only be a product of the paranoid, Vietnam-scarred Nixon America of 1971. As such, the radical-chic lyrics are both dated and strangely relevant again under the present Bush-Cheney administration. But ... politricks. What's really at issue here is a very funky and sometimes disturbing, almost creepy album of dark, sinister jazz-funk grooves with a definite folk leaning thrown in for good measure. There really is nothing quite like this one, and its compelling, left-field charms will grow on you if you give it a chance, and especially if you grew up listening to late-80s/early-90s hip hop. File this next to the somewhat more accessible "Inspiration Information" by Shuggie Otis as one of those ahead-of-their-time revolutionary efforts that can now be shared by more than just we very-retentive vinyl hounds!

I first became familiar with this album when a cut called LOVIN' MAN appeared on one of my favorite funky/jazz soul compilations, the FREE SOUL series from here in Japan. The track reminded me a lot of something like Gil Scott Heron might have done with a bit of LES McCANN and Oscar Brown Jr. thrown in... Jazzy, a bit funky, and yes... hiply subversive...
Mixing message with some purdy darn funky tracks, it was produced by Joel Dorn and the first name that comes to mind when reading the liner notes is Alphonse Mouzon who set the standard for Jazz/Soul "crossover" groove music... Harry Whitaker's groovy Rhodes playing ain't nothing to sneeze at either... in fact the entire ensemble is right on the money - - yet with all that great music, its McDaniel's wild lyric writing done in a cool (at times almost Bob Dylanesque manner) that makes this session a highly under-rated masterpiece... - - HEADLESS HEROES has everything you'd expect of a funky Jazz crossover album of its type - - yet goes a step beyond what you'd expect... yes, it is tight, fresh and incredibly original... the production quality and music go hand in hand... at the same time, you never know exactly where each tune is going to take, but once you let go, you always wind up in a wonderful place... This is "acid Jazz" long before the term was invented... though its hard to pinpoint the genre of this album (early '70s Jazz/Funk crossover ?), the best way to put it is like this.... its too darn good ! ! ! (Incidentally, I really dig Gary King's bass playing on The Parasite !)

This is an amazing piece of music. If you haven't heard that, you haven't heard one of the funkiest, dirtiest and orginal music. Recorded in the early 70s, it has a great note of social criticism.

The musicians recorded here are amazing, the backbone of the extreme funk in here comes from drum wizard Alphonse Mouzon, who was just 23 years old when doing this recording. It may be one the best funk drumming recordings of all time.

"Headless Heroes of the Apovalypse" is a masterpiece and it's highly underrated.

You need to get it!

I first became familiar with this album when a cut called LOVIN' MAN appeared on one of my favorite funky/jazz soul compilations, the FREE SOUL series from here in Japan. The track reminded me a lot of something like Gil Scott Heron might have done with a bit of LES McCANN and Oscar Brown Jr. thrown in... Jazzy, a bit funky, and yes... hiply subversive...
Mixing message with some purdy darn funky tracks, it was produced by Joel Dorn and the first name that comes to mind when reading the liner notes is Alphonse Mouzon who set the standard for Jazz/Soul "crossover" groove music... Harry Whitaker's groovy Rhodes playing ain't nothing to sneeze at either... in fact the entire ensemble is right on the money - - yet with all that great music, its McDaniel's wild lyric writing done in a cool (at times almost Bob Dylanesque manner) that makes this session a highly under-rated masterpiece... - - HEADLESS HEROES has everything you'd expect of a funky Jazz crossover album of its type - - yet goes a step beyond what you'd expect... yes, it is tight, fresh and incredibly original... the production quality and music go hand in hand... at the same time, you never know exactly where each tune is going to take, but once you let go, you always wind up in a wonderful place... This is "acid Jazz" long before the term was invented... though its hard to pinpoint the genre of this album (early '70s Jazz/Funk crossover ?), the best way to put it is like this.... its too darn good ! ! ! (Incidentally, I really dig Gary King's bass playing on The Parasite !)

What can the Funkay1 say? This man is a master of lowdown funky grOOves that make your brain t-r-e-m-b-l-e. You don't believe me? I dare ANY TRUE LOVER OF THE FUNK to pick this masterpiece up and NOT be moved to the McDaniels grOOve. For ANY who don't know the COSMIC POWER of Alphonse Mouzon on drums along with the other supreme musicians on it, all I can say is look out. EXCELLENT jazzrockysoul-back to jazz funk stew here... BUY IT. That's it. BUY IT.

Picture an album that mixes funk, folk and jazz, every style in every number. Take a bunch of jazz pros and turn them loose on your songs. Then picture lyrics that deal with the most divisive issues of their era-race relations, race riots, the killing of native americans, and yes, Mick Jagger.

That is Headless Heros of The Appocolypse. which sees 1971 race riot and Vietnam torn America through a doomsday jazz funk magnifying glass. The songs here are structured, and work as synergy between folk, funk and free jazz.

America was so divided in 1971, these issues so viceral, Sperew Agnew actually called the head of Atlantic records, and asked him not to issue this. Fortunately he did not comply, and even though these issues have gone the way of the Bell Phone System Agnew called on, the music is still among the most unique and fresh this musis junkie has heard.

Get this.

have you ever heard an album that makes you wanna light candles and go OHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!! for some reason this makes me want to do that. JAGGER THE DAGGER is like my joint on here as well as that last track. i remember hearing A HUNDRED POUNDS OF CLAY and TOWER OF STRENGTH from his early days. shoot, i knew he was different then. however, i did not know that he would eventually get down like this!!!!! hell, it's refreshing and innovative to say the least. makes me wanna say THIS HERE IS REAL COMPARED TO WHAT!!!!

this is recording contains the funkiest coldest instrumentation ever heard,sampled countless times by many greats such as a tribe called quest,the beastie boys and dj babu. buy it now

Have to agree with the cat who wrote " This is "acid Jazz" long before the term was invented", this along with a ton of others from this era including Herbie Hancock's Headhunters, etc.

To the other cat who said Eugene's not as edgy as he used to be, in reference to this album, hey dude it came out in 1971. It's a reissue. Where you been?

Alphonse Mouzon was one funky drummer, I wonder what happened to him?

Well, I was a big fan of Eugene back in the 70's with Outlaw and Apocolypse. Much time has passed since then. While still edgy, he is not as angry as he was back then and it shows. The music is not as aspiring as then. I recommend only for the most arguent fans.