Customer Reviews
Butterfly makes it - By: G. M. Lester, 04 May 2007 
Having read great reviews for this album, after having listened to Headhunters & after having see him livein the best musical experience of my lifein November 2006, I decided to by this album. Frankly, I was slightly dissapointed, but perhaps I had been previously spoilt by the offering of Headhunters & the amazing live performance. I do not profess to be a jazz expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I can only describe my own feelings towards the tracks on this album:
I found Palm Grease to be a rather protracted track and, while it may be unfair to compare it with the equaivalent first track on Headhunters, it lacked the mind-blowing high that Chameleon has. 3/5
Actual Proof is a very intelligent track which introduces the melody extremely well, before allowing Herbie to play a pretty decent solo accompanied by breaking riffs at regular intervals. Again, I feel as if it's leading us up to heights which it never manages to reach. 3.5/5
Spank-a-lee I found to be a slightly funkier version of Palm Grease. 3/5
So, why have I given this album 4 stars? Well, because the 3rd track Butterfly is by far the most astounding tune I have heard by Hancock - or anyone - to date, having since puchased Secrets, Fat Albert Rotunda, Mwandishi & Sextant. It starts off with a dreamy, mellow melody allowing you to sit back & relax to Maupin's saxophone, with Hancock playing simple flowing chords. Suddenly, the accompanying bass changes & we are greeted with Herbie's presence becoming more involved, playing alongside a fantastic solo by Maupin, which manages to take you up to the high that the album's been begging for.
Hancock's susbequent solo takes you down from the high with a beautiful, dreamy sequence, before the pace suddenly changes & we are treated to 2 minutes of an amazingly groovy, funky rhythm, until the pace changes back again & the opening melody is played out until the end of the track. 5/5
Butterfly is a true musical journey for me, & I would certainly recommend purchasing this album for this tune alone, if you haven't already got it elsewhere (e.g. on the Essential Herbie Hancock compilation). Otherwise, I would recommend you get a good listen to this album first before committing to buy.
Different, but brilliant - By: The Fish, 12 Oct 2006 
Herbie Hancock is a clever man. In 1974, recording his third album on Columbia, after the huge success of Head Hunters, he knew exactly what kind of sound he wanted for his follow-up. The end result, Thrust, is a dizzying cocktail of fast-and-furious funk, & trippy grooves. While it never quite reaches the giddy heights of Head Hunters, it gets damn close, & Hancock deserves credit for taking his soundin dazzling new directions.
If it ain't broke, Herbie will fix it;in '74, he fiddled with a line-up that recorded the second most successful jazz album of all time. By replacing the brilliant Harvey Mason with newboy Mike Clark on drums, Hancock changed the sound of his whole group- giving the music more of a straight funk feel rather than the earthy jazz-funk sound witnessed on Head Hunters.
From the outset, Mike Clark makes his presence felt on Palm Grease. A straight-up funk intro which defies his jazz roots is followed by catchy riffs, awesome percussion, & a far-out, cosmic ending. The incredibly tricky Actual Proof showcases brilliant technical ability all round, with a great solo from Hancock, reminding us that this is still his album.
Track 3, Butterfly follows- spellbinding, awesome, cool, mind-blowing. Simply brilliant. Hancock takes a "simple" fm11-am9 riff, & turns it into something majestic. But, we are given no time to rest because the final track, the hideously named Spank-a-lee, combines awesome playing with.....well, just awesome playing. Hancock seems to take a back-seatin this funk-romp, rightly letting Bennie Maupin & Mike Clark steal the last few minutes through the latter's brilliant filling, with the former's maniacal soloing.
And that's Thrust. Thrust is as much an awesome album as it is a showcase of Herbie Hancock's honourable standingsin the music world. Where many people would have stuck to the same formula of their previous ludicrously successful album, Herbie continued to creativley push himself, & came up with a mini-masterpiece.
Funk,Funk,Funk,Funk,Funk!! - By: Matt Ward, 13 Jun 2005 I have seen Herbie live at the Barbican (best gig ever!!!) & I have been loving Headhunters for a long time now but wasn't sure where to go next so I looked up reviews on Amazon about this CD called Thrust. I went out & bought this CD & it is absolutely fantastic. Herbie maintains the funky, groovy interlocking rhythms that defined other classics such as Fat Albert Rotunda & Headhunters. The first track "Palm Grease"
Immediately dives into the groove with the thumping drums of Mike Clark (who has written an essay inside the liner notes). The different effects Herbie has at his disposal are extraordinary & these kinds of things have helped Herbie develop his restless sense of creativity & more importantly his career. Another awesome element of this album is Bennie Maupin's superb horn-blowing (he even uses a wah-wah) pedal. He was great on Headhunters & he maintains that brilliance here especially on "Spank - a-lee". As said on the back of the CD: Thrust remains a bible of advanced, but still accessible groove playing. If you love Herbie & you love funk then this is THE album for you. Or even if you're looking for a CD that picks up where Headhunters left then BUY THIS CD NOW!! You are guaranteed to love this disc.
Another dose of the devine - By: , 10 Sep 2002 The first 'Headhunters' album really opened my eyes to a whole new world of music, & wanting more, I bought this album, Thrust. I was not to be disappointed. Yet more fat funky bass from the reverential Jackson, more lilting horn solos from Maupin, more breath-takingingly impressive stuff from Herbie on his large arrange of electric pianos, & more roots percussion from the ever present Bill Summers. The one change to the line-up from the first album, Mike Clark, on drums, whose complex cross-rhythms really add another dimension to the album, really slips straight into the band. In short, if you liked Headhunters, this is a whole heap of the same, so BUY IT! You will not be disappointed & soon it will become an indespensible part of your collection.
Top album that goes one better than Head Hunters! - By: , 04 Jun 2001 This was the followup to 'Head Hunters' & I think it is a better album, it is more focused, more exciting and, yes, more funky! The band are all on top form following the success of their last album & it really shows. Herbie grooves away to his hearts content on the keyboard instruments, Paul Jackson's bass is sooo funky & anyone learning to play the bass could get so much from this guy's style - Check out the last track 'Spank a Lee', Mmmmmmmmm!! - He rates up along side the amazingly brilliant Jacoin my opinion; Bennie Maupin is stillin charge of all wind instruments & does a fab job - Check out the flute at the end of 'Actual Proof'. New drummer Mike Clark & Bill Summers are just unbelieveable. The opening track 'Palm Grease' builds up from a cool drum beat courtesy of Mike Clark to a ten minute groove with pumpin' bass, funky clavinet & flowing saxophone. To follow this comes 'Actual Proof', it is fast, furious & funky. The main riff comes about a minute into the piece & is followed with a sweeeeet Fender Rhodes solo from ol' Herbie. It speeds around for another 10 minutes before coming to a close. 'Butterfly' slows things down & we have 11 minutes of chill time. If the rest of the album wasn't, 'Spank-A-Lee' is just pure funk. The bass is speedy & excellent, the drumming is tight & the beat is one you'd dream of being able to play, cool, manic sax & top keyboards from Herbie (as always). If you thought Head Hunters was as funky as things got but you're on the look out for yet more top grooves then this is the album for you. There's no need to say any more - Go out & buy it!
