four from Miles

[joels344]

Despite this era being Miles at his finest...

BCB is a rock board at heart so i'm guessing a lot of people here will probably agree with you, joels, but even as a huge fan of the LPs mentioned here I would have a VERY hard time calling this era clearly his finest.

Some of the records he made in the '50s and earlier in '60s perhaps don't move rock-lovers as much, but they are stupendously great. Ridiculously great.

He had some great albums in the 50s and 60s. There's no doubt about that fact. You have 'Round About Midnight, Kind of Blue (obviously), and Porgy and Bess. These are albums that I very much love, but consider his In a Silent Way to On the Corner run akin to other great runs in music e.g., Wetton-era King Crimson (Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Starless and Bible Black, Red, and The Great Deceiver: Live 1973-1974). It was Miles at his height of creativity and sonic experimentation.

[Matt Wilson]

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[NMB]

Despite this era being Miles at his finest...

BCB is a rock board at heart so i'm guessing a lot of people here will probably agree with you, joels, but even as a huge fan of the LPs mentioned here I would have a VERY hard time calling this era clearly his finest.

Some of the records he made in the '50s and earlier in '60s perhaps don't move rock-lovers as much, but they are stupendously great. Ridiculously great.

Well "clearly" his finest era is the run from ESP to Miles in the Sky, the 2nd classic quintet. These aren't very far behind though.

[pcqgod]

I never listen to this period of Miles.

[fange]

I never listen to this period of Miles.

You're not alone, pcq. Personally, while I still love these albums a lot, if for some inexplicable reason i had to go without a KEY period of Miles' discography, it would be this era. I'd choose to hear Miles' '56-'68 records almost every time.

The only one of the bunch above it would hurt like hell to go without for a long time would be IASW. In fact, in the last few years I've probably played the Birth of the Cool sides and Miles' early/mid-50's Blue Note sessions more than i have Bitches Brew or Jack Johnson.