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User
Soundoffs 85
Album Ratings 1677
Objectivity 94%
Last Active 12-21-12 1:04 am
Joined 04-18-12
Review Comments 3,863
| Miles Davis.
tribute to the most important single person in music of the last century. My 5 favorite records rfrom the genius. | | 1 |  | Miles Davis
A Tribute to Jack Johnson
A beautifully haunting, endlessly epic funk/fusion jam session between some of the all time greats
of jazz music. Featuring a line up that not only featured Miles on trumpet, but now legends like Billy
Cobham, John McLaughlin, Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea, Jack Johnson has some of the most
brilliant instrumental performances in the history of music. Johnson consists of two twenty minute
epics, Right Off and Yestersnow, which are polar opposites in mood and direction. Right Off is a
rockin', guitar heavy funk track, while Yestersnow, arguably the most beautiful song in jazz music,
is a slower, more subtle piece. The pinnacle of electric jazz and one of the most incredible jam
sessions of all time on one legendary disc. A masterpiece. | | 2 |  | Miles Davis
Sketches of Spain
Unlike any other album in his discography, Miles take on latin music through grandiose yet
subtle jazz is flawlessly executed. The opening epic "Concierto de Aranjuez" is one of the
most powerful and perfect pieces of music ever written. Miles did this record right after
"Kind of Blue", which basically revolutionized modal jazz, and with this, he did a complete
360 and threw this latin inspired masterpiece at the public. Underrated compared to most
of his other work, Sketches of Spain is a phenomenal piece of music and one of the most
unique albums ever recorded. | | 3 |  | Miles Davis
In a Silent Way
In a Silent Way came to be as a transition piece into avant garde jazz fusion from
Miles previous record, Filles De Killmanjaro (butchered spelling). Filles was one of the
first artistically successful fusion albums Miles did, the few before it were a bit
aimless. In a Silent Way is a fucking brilliant, outlandish, disjointed wreck of insane
passion and beauty. The few records before it hinted at Miles making something like
this, and the atmosphere he was finally able to masterfully execute is unreal. Bitches
Brew and Jack Johnson would follow this record, usually being considered among his
best, though this is usually considered his masterwork along with Kind of Blue. In a
Silent Way is absolutely fantastic, taking elements from the few previous Miles albums with a few ideas from other
experimental jazz artists to fuse together atmospheric bliss, the likes of which he would only match with Jack Johnson. In a
Silent Way deserves every bit of praise it has ever received, and is an artful, wonderfully weird entry in the discography of
the best artist on earth. | | 4 |  | Miles Davis
Birth of the Cool
Birth of the Cool is so simple, so much less epic than what Miles would go on to do, so to the point, and
yet it still took Miles over 10 years with his release of "Kind of Blue" to match what he achieved on here.
Funny thing is, there's so many jazz records from the late 40's that sound just like this. But what sets
up the collection of early-late 40s cool jazz recordings from Miles to be one of his best are the melodies
and mood he captured. Miles made so many more unique albums than this, but none had a feel and mood
like this one did. All the post Birth bop records from Davis were mostly solid but didn't have the 'umph'
that this has. The vibrant, deeply melodic, chilled out collection of cool tunes is unrivaled in the genre.
Cool jazz is so unimpressive compared to other forms of the genre that would be developed later, but
has a personality and beautiful shade of gray to it that is unmatched by any other subgenre of jazz
music. Sweet, short, melody driven and incredibly catchy, Birth of the Cool is an understated cool jazz
record that represents the genre. The unique, classy feel and gloriously genius melodies come to life in a
way that Miles never really touched on again for the rest of his career. Birth of the Cool sounds like a
standard early jazz album, but has such a delicate touch and such chilling melodies that it's actually one
of the best out there. And it's probably even more charming than Kind of Blue. | | 5 |  | Miles Davis
Kind of Blue
One of the most important albums of all time. Miles, Coltrane and Adderley on one album,
revolutionizing music. It's impossible to deny it's influence, but is it really worth the acclaim as
his best work? Possibly not, but it has an undeniable charm and some incredible melodies
reminiscent of the memorable and brilliant work Miles did in the 40s with the Birth of the Cool
songs, which until this record, hadn't been bested by anyone in the genre, arguably. The
compilation of heavily melodic, short jazz pieces and perfect sense of 'cool' executed by "Birth"
really wasn't touched by any Miles release until this one. "So What" is one of the most easily
recognizable, melodically engrossing jazz songs of all time, while Flamenco Sketches is one of
the glimmering masterpieces of Miles discography. "Kind of Blue" isn't his best, but is definitely
one of them, and one of the most charming jazz albums of all time. And the most important
one. Ever. | |
ThunderNeutral21
12.10.12 | to the sputnikers who actually care. guy is my hero, if you've ever read any biographies on him he's really one of the most interesting musicians ever. Had such a cool, forward thinking element to him that followed him throughout his life. Hoping theres some sputnikers who like to jazz | SgtPepper
12.10.12 | Really cool list. I'm a huge Miles fan myself so it's nice to see others digging him as well. | menawati
12.10.12 | nice | ThunderNeutral21
12.10.12 | thanks man. I've seen some of your jazz reviews. Sweet to see another fan | Chortles
12.10.12 | miles has so much swag. think my favorite from his is in a silent way | ThunderNeutral21
12.10.12 | yea, in a silent way is fucking dead sexy | SgtPepper
12.10.12 | Thanks, man. Yeah 'In A Silent Way' and 'Sketches' are probably my two favourites from this list. If it was my list I'd add more of
the 70's Fusion stuff, just because that's where I think Miles was at his best.
Anyway excellent tribute, man. | Keyblade
12.10.12 | nice list | ThunderNeutral21
12.10.12 | i love the 68-74 period. Started with Filles which is really good, then silent way which is outstanding, bitches brew which is really overrated but still very cool, johnson which is my favorite jazz record ever, live evil which is rlly cool, on the corner which is half awesome half not so much, and really ending with Big Fun which is really great and the last great studio album Miles made from what Ive heard. his fusion shit was so great when he hit the mark. | ThunderNeutral21
12.10.12 | nah keyblade i dont listen to miles i just want elite cred rite | SgtPepper
12.10.12 | Good taste, Thunder. 'On The Corner' and 'Big Fun' I'd say are fun Jazz-Funk albums, but they really dont live up to his other 70's stuff. What do you think of his live 70's albums like Pangea or Agharta? Those have some of his most intense jams I think. | Keyblade
12.10.12 | ok then i take back my compliment | ThunderNeutral21
12.10.12 | @paper on the corner is okay. Sick vibe but the content isn't consistent, big fun is better in every way.
pangea is really good, agharta is excellent, dark magus is phenomenal. Its live so I didnt include it here, but its easily one of the 5 best things miles ever did | tommygun
12.10.12 | apparently davis and hendrix were gonna do some shit together before jimi's untimely death
that woulda been awesome rip | oltnabrick
12.10.12 | no Bitches Brew???? | oltnabrick
12.10.12 | I KNOW IM OUTRAGED | oltnabrick
12.10.12 | he got me. sonuvabitch lololol | Muisc4Life26
12.10.12 | Sweet list! Bitches Brew is my fav. | toxin.
12.10.12 | So, if you had to pick one song to rec to me, what would you give me?
I know some jazz, mainly from attending jazz concerts from my friends, but I haven't heard anything seriously and I think hearing a really really good jazz song would get me more interested. | oltnabrick
12.10.12 | Pharaoh's Dance. best Miles Davis song. | toxin.
12.10.12 | sweet I'm gonna listen tomorrow if I don't forget
---------don't forget---------
I'm not sure how that's actually going to help me but roll with it | oltnabrick
12.10.12 | just listen to his album, Bitches Brew. It has almost all of his best songs. | toxin.
12.10.12 | yea but if I listen while studying
then if for a sec it stops being interesting
or if for a sec it starts being laid-back
then I'm gonna forget about it and then think it's boring and never listen to jazz again | Polyethylene
12.10.12 | Bitches Brew smokes all this | oltnabrick
12.10.12 | "then if for a sec it stops being interesting"
its interesting like the whole time. one of the top 5 jazz albums of all time. | liledman
12.10.12 | I think Miles Smiles is probably his best album, and I would say that period with Shorter, Herbie, Williams and Carter, is easily his best. Kind of Blue is good and all, but really... I don't get the hype for either its quality or influence.
Also calling Miles the most important person in music of the last century bar none is quite a bold statement. Calling him the most important in jazz still draws some criticism.
What in your eyes earns Miles (and Kind of Blue) the shield of most important? | Winrar
12.10.12 | this is a good list dude. Miles Davis is my jam. | AdamK
12.10.12 | Bitches brew is probably my favorite | SgtPepper
12.10.12 | "I think Miles Smiles is probably his best album, and I would say that period with Shorter, Herbie, Williams and Carter, is easily his best. Kind of Blue is good and all, but really... I don't get the hype for either its quality or influence."
- The Second Great Quintet had some good albums, though I do prefer his electric stuff overall of his Bop and modal efforts. I also like Kind Of Blue as well, but it's definitely not at the top of my list either. Every one seems to really praise the album here, and its great and innovative but not one I go crazy for. | SgtPepper
12.10.12 | @xtoxin
Bitches Brew is indeed an incredible to listen to but it can be overwhelming at first. For example, oltnabrick recommended "Pharaoh's Dance" and though it does pretty much sum up the album's style, it takes a really long time to "get going". Bitches Brew is all about mood and atmosphere. It does have its explosive moments when the jam sparks up like hell, but most of the time you will have to sit through Miles and the band warming up to the groove.
Also, the music is very adventurous, and unless your familiar with the more experimental side of Jazz and Fusion, the music can be pretty off-putting because it can seem so weird. By all means check out the album, but if you want to look at Miles' stuff I suggest starting with his early Bop and Cool albums which are much more accessible. Or if you really interested in Jazz Fusion, his electric albums like 'A Tribute' would be a much more inviting album to start. But hey, this is just my advice. Miles is definitely the man and I really want you to get a good experience of his genius. | toxin.
12.10.12 | Ah, thanks for the reply! I'd definitely look into some of his more accessible releases, even if it suffers in terms of quality. Is there any of the early albums in particular you see as accessible? | Chrisjon89
12.10.12 | I get why people dig Kind of Blue so much. it's easy to get but it's still a really, great beautiful album. Bill Evans playing on Blue in Green is ridiculous. Same with Trane's solo. I love melodic and accessible when it's done well. I don't quite get the excessive praise for Jack Johnson. I have it at 4/5 and love it, but man, the first 8 minutes of Yesternow? Those albums were pieced together in post production. Could've afforded to be a bit more ruthless with the editing. It's a 50 odd minute album as it stands. I see it as a good gateway to his fusion material for rock fans, cos Right Off is the most openly 'rock' jam he did that I've come across.
Miles Smiles is my favourite from the second quintet too ^ but I really enjoyed Nefertiti last time around. I still prefer Shorter's solo stuff from the same period to those albums. There's alot of fascinating, unusual shit happening on albums from that period which don't really translate well for people new to the genre. I wasn't really keen on that stuff at first. Didn't get it. Shorter is a really interesting composer. That's another thing I don't get - alot of people will get Kind of Blue, A Love Supreme and Mingus Ah Um. Maybe Black Saint. And they'll 5 them. All brilliant albums - if they enjoy them so much why not dig deeper? There's not enough love for dudes like Bill Evans and Wayne Shorter on this site and it's not like they're obscure.
Birth of the Cool has some great moments. Love In A Silent Way and Sketches too. | SgtPepper
12.10.12 | @xtoxin
No worries, always good to see people taking an interest in Jazz. I'd say check out 'Walkin', 'Round About Midnight', and 'Birth Of The Cool' which is one of my favourite comps. If you like those and want more recs or just tell me what you thought of them, feel free to send me a message in my shoutbox. | SgtPepper
12.10.12 | @Chris
I rec'd 'Jack Johnson' just because I feel like it's his most accessible Fusion album. Also I LOVE Wayne Shorter as well. I like his solo stuff, but his work with The Weather Report is where I really obsessive over. | SgtPepper
12.10.12 | Also, good taste there Chris. Always a pleasure talking to you. | Chrisjon89
12.10.12 | Yeah man, I agree it's a great starting point ^ it'll hook people when they hear that opening riff. it's an awesome album anyway. it's an easier way in than Bitches Brew I think but there's a lot of stuff I prefer to it. There's alot of cool guitar work and jamming but my favourite bit of that whole album is probably the last two minutes of Yesternow.
For In A Silent Way they didn't have enough material for a 40 minute LP, so they copied tape and arranged it in post production for an ABA structure. It works perfectly there - that album is incredible and every minute feels vital to me. Bitches Brew and Jack Johnson are a bit bloated and stuff feels redundant at times I think. I still love them both though. | Chrisjon89
12.10.12 | And I think Shorter is probably my favourite composer in jazz. Either him or Mingus maybe. Shorter's songs are so interesting, and those albums he did in the mid 60s are so great. He had amazing musicians as sidemen but never a stable, consistent line-up and he did all that material while being a member of Miles' quintet, and contributing a decent amount of the songs on his records. Crazy. | toxin.
12.10.12 | Alright, sweet, will do man! | SgtPepper
12.10.12 | @Chris
"Bitches Brew and Jack Johnson are a bit bloated and stuff feels redundant at times I think. I still love them both though."
- A lot of people say that and I agree in a few parts. Bitches Brew, for example, kind of has that "concert" feel to it. With Miles and the band taking their time and establishing the setting, which is something I like but others can find it annoying (and hell, I can too at times.). | SgtPepper
12.10.12 | I'd go with Miles if we're talking about overall composers, but I agree that Wayne Shorter is highly talented as well. Speak No Evil, JuJu, The All Seeing Eye- some of my favourites by him. | Chrisjon89
12.10.12 | I gotta be careful cos I'll sound ridiculous. I have that album rated 4.5 and I love it. There are some edits on there though that are just copying the tape. It probably doesn't help that I know that, but I just feel like what they convey in 20 minutes, they could get across in 10. Pharaoh's Dance is the best example. I saw a quote from Joe Zawinul (maybe here http://www.miles-beyond.com/iaswbitchesbrew.htm) saying the same thing, disliking the edits. I like how it works for Sanctuary though - there's a great use of dynamics and build of tension on that and the edits complement it. Bitches Brew is worth the 27 minute run time too I think, so it's not purely an issue of length. My least favourite song on that album is John McLaughlin.
I'm kinda just justifying why I don't have those two 5'd haha. Don't wanna sound like I'm trashing them. Awesome albums. The fusion albums are more interesting in terms of production too. The earlier bop/modal stuff was mainly just about faithful recreation of what the band was doing live in the room. So no Bitches Brew style trumpet tape delays lol. | Chrisjon89
12.10.12 | Yeah ^ Speak No Evil and Juju are my favourites. Hard to split them. I also really really love the title track on Night Dreamer. | dimsim3478
12.10.12 | As great of a "cool" musician as Miles was, his best work was one of his more spontaneous ("Bitches Brew"). | greg84
12.10.12 | Great list man. Keep them up. | Douglas
12.10.12 | All amazingly spectacular albums | Dolving999
12.10.12 | Miles Davis is the very definition of swag. | YankeeDudel
12.10.12 | Miles was def a pree cool cat. Anybody looking to get into jazz should start with him and go from there. Sputnik could always use more jazz and its impossible to dislike Miles unless your fav band is the queers. | Recspecs
12.10.12 | +1 for Craig | liledman
12.10.12 | Shorter is definitely one of the best composers ever in jazz. I love playing and listening to his pieces equally. | ThunderNeutral21
12.10.12 | thanks for all the comments guys | sixdegrees
05.29.18 | ok ive heard all of these where do I go next | someguest
05.29.18 | away, we hope | sixdegrees
05.29.18 | need to jam that one |
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