Perfect Machine

Not to be confused with The Perfect Machine.

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Perfect Machine is the thirty-seventh album by jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, and the last with the Rockit Band.

About the Album

The last of the three Rockit band albums, Perfect Machine was also Hancock's final album for Columbia Records and is considered the least popular of the three Rockit band albums.

The album was released in 1988 following Sound-System which won Hancock's second Grammy award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance in 1985 and Round Midnight which won the Academy Award for Best Music, Original Score in 1986.

Even though this album produced a unique music video for "Vibe Alive", this album failed to receive fair reviews. Many people criticized the fact that maybe Hancock did little or no work on this album, even the fact that the music video showed that Hancock did not do much work.

Track listing

All songs by Hancock/Laswell/Collins/Bonner, except where noted.

1. "Perfect Machine" (Hancock/Laswell/Skopelitis) - 6:35
2. "Obsession" - 5:20
3. "Vibe Alive" (Hancock/Laswell/Collins/Bonner/Micro Wave) - 5:26
4. "Beat Wise" - 5:52
5. "Maiden Voyage/P. Bop" - 6:34
6. "Chemical Residue" (Hancock) - 6:01
7. "Vibe Alive" (Extended Dance Mix)* - 8:13
8. "Beat Wise" (12-Inch Edit)* - 6:28

• Tracks marked with an asterisk(*) available only on the CD re-issue.

Production credits

Producers

• Bill Laswell
• Material
• Herbie Hancock

Musicians

• Herbie Hancock: Piano, Fairlight CMI series I & II, Rhodes Chroma, Apple/Mac Plus, Yamaha Dx-1, Yamaha DX7 and DX7-IIFD, Kurzweil K-250, Yamaha TX 8/16, Oberheim Matrix-12, Akai 900-S, Vocorder
• Jeff Bova: Synth Programming
• William "Bootsy" Collins: Electric bass, Vocorder
• Sugarfoot: vocals
• Nicky Skopelitis: Fairlight drums
• Mico Wave: Minimoog bass, Talk box, Vocorder
• D.S.T.: Turntables, "FX"

• Mixed by Dave Jerden, Associate Producer: Tony Meilandt, engineered by Martin Bisi, Mike Krowiak, Dave Jerden, Billy Yodelman and Bryan Bell. Mastered by Howie Weinberg.