Set upon recapturing the pop ground he had invaded with
Future Shock,
Hancock relies upon many of the former's ingredients for yet another go-'round on
Perfect Machine. High-tech producer
Bill Laswell is back, so is scratchmaster D. ST. -- and armed with a warehouse of mostly digital keyboards,
Hancock adds the distinctive bass of
Bootsy Collins and
the Ohio Players' vocalist Sugarfoot, who always sounds as if he had just swallowed something. The music is mostly thumping, funk-drenched techno-pop which still has some verve, particularly the designated single "Vibe Alive" and the "Maiden Voyage" interlude as heard through an electronic fun-house mirror. But this is not really an advance over
Hancock's early-'80s pop projects. This would be
Hancock's last album for at least seven years as he concentrated upon film projects and reunions with
Miles Davis alumni (there was also an aborted deal with the Qwest label). As such,
Perfect Machine is an appropriate end to this chapter in his career. ~ Richard S. Ginell