The Mean Machine (album)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[4]

Allmusic's Jason Ankeny said: "Ironically enough, Mean Machine captures Jimmy McGriff at his sweetest. Employing electric piano as much as his signature organ, its grooves are disappointingly tepid, favoring a CTI-inspired smooth jazz approach at odds with McGriff's essential funkiness. Brad Baker's lush arrangements are largely to blame here, evoking the sound but not the kinetic energy of blaxploitation cinema".[4]

1. "It Feels So Nice (Do It Again)" (Brad Baker, Lance Quinn) − 6:04
2. "The Mean Machine" (Baker, Joe Thomas) − 5:54
3. "Please Don't Take Me Out" (Baker) − 6:05
4. "Get Back' (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) − 5:30
5. "Overweight Shark Bait" (Robert Kriener) − 4:41
6. "Pogo's Stick" (Quinn) − 5:55

• Jimmy McGriff – electric piano, clavinet, synthesizer, arranger
• Joe Thomas – tenor saxophone, flute
• John Frosk, Alan Rubin − trumpet
• Tom Malone − trombone
• Lewis Del Gatto − baritone saxophone
• Pat Rebillot − keyboards
• Lance Quinn − guitar, arranger
• Cornell Dupree, Jerry Friedman − guitar
• Bob Babbitt − electric bass
• Jerry Marotta, Rick Marotta − drums
• Carlos Martin − congas
• Jimmy Maelen − percussion
• Tony Posk, John Pinntaville, Norman Carr, Harold Kohan, Rick Santhomme, Leo Kahn, Fred Buldrini, Alvin Rogers − violin
• Julien Barber, Richard Maximoff − viola
• Jesse Levy, Richard Locker − cello
• Brad Baker − arranger, conductor