Herbie Hancock - Secrets

Having long since established his funk credentials, Herbie Hancock continues the direction of Head Hunters and its U.S. successors here, welding himself to the groove on electric keyboards while Bennie Maupin again shines sardonic beams of light on a variety of reeds.
In "Doin' It," the most successful track, Hancock makes a more overt bid for the dancefloor, for the tune is basically one long irresistible groove with a very commercial-sounding bridge. Again Hancock chooses to recompose one of his standards; "Cantelope [sic] Island" is almost unrecognizable converted into a sauntering, swaggering thing. A streamlining process has set in – the drumming has been simplified, some of the old high-voltage drive has been muted – yet there are still enough enjoyable, intelligently musical things happening here to hold a Hancock admirer's attention. - AMG

Tracks:
1. Doin' It (Herbie Hancock/Ray Parker, Jr./Melvin Ragin) 8:03
2. People Music (Herbie Hancock/Ray Parker, Jr./Melvin Ragin) 7:10
3. Cantelope Island (Herbie Hancock) 7:06
4. Spider (Herbie Hancock/Melvin Ragin/Paul Jackson) 7:20
5. Gentle Thoughts (Herbie Hancock/Melvin Ragin) 7:04
6. Swamp Rat (Herbie Hancock/Melvin Ragin/Paul Jackson) 6:25
7. Sonsho Shima (Bennie Maupin) 4:49

Personnel:
Herbie Hancock (Keyborads)
Bennie Maupin (Soprano and Tenor Saxophone, Saxello, Lyricon and Bass Clarinet)
Wah Wah Watson (Guitar, Synthesizer, Bass Guitar and Vocals)
Ray Parker (Guitar, Backing Vocals)
James Levi (Drums)
Paul Jackson (Bass)
Kenneth Nash (Percussion)
James Gadson (Drums and Backing Vocals) - 1
Art Baldacci (Backing Vocals) - 1
Fred Dobbs (Backing Vocals) - 1
Don Kerr (Backing Vocals) - 1