When Miles Davis rocked.

Backslapping time. Well done us. We are fantastic.
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Jeff K
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When Miles Davis rocked.

Postby Jeff K » 08 Nov 2006, 18:12

I took notice Snarfyguy was playing Dark Magus recently and I've been obsessing over Bitches Brew lately. His electric / fusion / funk / rock period was amazing but at the time, many older fans were turned off. Most regular rock fans were put off by the 'fusion' tag. Noted jazz critic Stanley Crouch even went so far as calling this period a major sell-out and insinuated Davis was nothing more than a modern day Uncle Tom, pandering to white audiences. Whatever Davis's motives were, from about In a Silent Way to the two live albums, Agharta and Pangaea, he was on fire. He really stretched the boundaries of modern music, almost invented it as he went along.

If you haven't looked into his electric phase, you're missing out on some great, out of this world music which has held up so well over the years.
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Postby Matt Wilson » 08 Nov 2006, 18:23

I need to hear more of that stuff, as jazz/rock fusion isn't a dirty word in my house. I even like Chicago and early Blood, Sweat & Tears (The Electric Flag, too).
All I have from this period of Miles is In a Silent Way (which I wouldn't really call jazz/rock fusion, more like early ambient), Bitches Brew & Jack Johnson. All great by the way.

Even Miles in the Sky is starting to go in that direction.

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Postby Snarfyguy » 08 Nov 2006, 18:28

I'd love to read a methodical account of the releases from this period. There are a lot records concerned and some are definitely better than others (I found the Live at the Fillmore East double set unsatisfying, for example).

I don't quite trust allmusic.com's guidance in this area. They panned Dark Magus; I think it's a real headf#ck (in a good way). On the Corner is fantastic, but pretty much all the critics have coe to that consensus by now, I think.

But I still don't even have Bitches Brew yet. What are the other key releases from this period?
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Postby Jeff K » 08 Nov 2006, 18:35

I'd like to see an album by album summary myself. Hopefully from Jethro.
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Postby Bungo the Mungo » 09 Nov 2006, 00:20

Snarfyguy wrote:On the Corner is fantastic, but pretty much all the critics have coe to that consensus by now, I think.


:?:

Have never come across that phrase before! Could you elaborate?

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Postby Snarfyguy » 09 Nov 2006, 00:47

Sir John Coan wrote:
Snarfyguy wrote:On the Corner is fantastic, but pretty much all the critics have coe to that consensus by now, I think.


:?:

Have never come across that phrase before! Could you elaborate?

Sorry, typo - have come to that consensus. Don't people come to, or arrive at, a consensus?

Apparently the critics really hated that one when it came out. Of course, a generation later, they all love it.
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Postby Bungo the Mungo » 09 Nov 2006, 00:50

Snarfyguy wrote:
Sir John Coan wrote:
Snarfyguy wrote:On the Corner is fantastic, but pretty much all the critics have coe to that consensus by now, I think.


:?:

Have never come across that phrase before! Could you elaborate?

Sorry, typo - have come to that consensus. Don't people come to, or arrive at, a consensus?

Apparently the critics really hated that one when it came out. Of course, a generation later, they all love it.


It's my favourite Miles.

Shame about that typo. I liked the phrase! thought it was like 'has claim to something'!

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Postby B » 09 Nov 2006, 00:57

A while back I went on an electric Miles Davis binge. Listened to Bitches Brew over and over and over. It's the one that hit me with the most force. Partly because it's the first one I really listened to. So I think it will always remain my favorite album from that period. I'd say otherwise, In a Silent Way is slightly better. Either way, I consider all of those "Complete Sessions" box sets essential.

And I think anyone with an interest in his electric period must hear this. . .

Image

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Postby toomanyhatz » 09 Nov 2006, 01:40

On the Corner and Jack Johnson are the ones for me. And the Jack Johnson box is great- I'm wary of multi-sets of single albums, often it's multiple tracks of the same songs with minute differences, but every performance on that one is really different, and they're all worthwhile.
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Postby Snarfyguy » 09 Nov 2006, 01:44

toomanyhatz wrote:On the Corner and Jack Johnson are the ones for me. And the Jack Johnson box is great- I'm wary of multi-sets of single albums, often it's multiple tracks of the same songs with minute differences, but every performance on that one is really different, and they're all worthwhile.

Good to know. I've bought the album proper three or four times now (I keep *losing* it :roll: ).

I hope the box set will be sufficiently hefty to not lose!
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Postby toomanyhatz » 09 Nov 2006, 03:47

Jimbo wrote:With the right blend of LSD and hashish there is no better sounding album than Bitches Brew. The vivid and fantastically colored cartoony hallucinations it evokes are wonderful. If, however, you want some music to pep you up as you prepare dinner or drive to work, I wouldn't recommend this era of Miles' music. :D


It's always about the drugs with you, isn't it? :lol:
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Postby BARON CORNY DOG » 09 Nov 2006, 03:49

pig bodine wrote:I'm not a good writer, but I'll try and write about these over the next week or so. A Better writer would do them more justice, but I've had most of them for 25 years, so, time willing, I'll give them a shot.


Fuck off!

I look forward to your reports.
I am a particular fan of Dark Magus. Unhinged.
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Postby Guy E » 09 Nov 2006, 03:54

On The Corner is my favorite, but as toomanyhatz says, you can't go wrong with Jack Johnson's Right Off.

On The Corner though... it's such a unique album. Just this intense percussive assault that is beatifically soothing.

Not sure I consider it JAZZ though... it's something else altogether.

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Postby Jeff K » 09 Nov 2006, 03:59

Guy E wrote:Not sure I consider it JAZZ though... it's something else altogether.


I even hesitated over the title of my thread. It's not really rock either. I'm telling you, he invented his own music and I'm not so sure he even knew what to call it.
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Postby Guy E » 09 Nov 2006, 04:18

Jeff K wrote:
Guy E wrote:Not sure I consider it JAZZ though... it's something else altogether.


I even hesitated over the title of my thread. It's not really rock either. I'm telling you, he invented his own music and I'm not so sure he even knew what to call it.


It's definitely not rock.

His most severe critics weren't even sure it was music... but I'm pretty darned sure it was.

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Postby Snarfyguy » 09 Nov 2006, 04:37

Guy E wrote:His most severe critics weren't even sure it was music...

This is one of the typical critical responses (not just to Miles Davis's electric period, but to anything beyond a critic's understanding) that pisses me off the most!

When I was in college, I had a roommate who was a huge David Gilmour fan, (and a relatively accomplished guitar player), where I was a huge Syd Barrett fan (and struggled just to figure out where the notes were on the bass). I played him Gary Lucas's show piece 'Evening Bell' (from Capt Beefheart's Ice Cream for Crow, a knuckle buster if there ever was one).

He pronounced this piece to be "not music" but just a bunch of sound (and any guitar player who's ever heard Evening Bell ought to be intimdated by it), based on the fact that's completely weird and doesn't seem to obey any of the rules of rock guitar - or any rules at all for that matter. He thought it was like what you'd get if you gave a guitar to a monkey.

We'd have these bull sessions and argue endlessly into the night over this stuff (we were 19), but it just infuriated me that the guy wouldn't give it up. To deny that something's music, to me, is just cowardly and small minded. :evil:

He played a Yamaha guitar, so it figures. :roll:

Of course, I played some no-name plank, so I guess that figures too.
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Postby James R » 09 Nov 2006, 07:04

I tend to find electric Miles pretty exhausting after a while.
Despite which I am now listening to Dark Magus, cos this thread has inspired me to dig it out again.
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Postby king feeb » 09 Nov 2006, 13:14

This is my favorite Miles period. I'm especially fond of Big Fun and On The Corner. Pangaea and Agartha are also quite amazing, but I have to be in the right mood for them.
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Postby Snarfyguy » 10 Nov 2006, 00:44

neverknows wrote:Anyway, your guide is useful and a fine read.

It is, but it's probably going to wind up costing me a couple of hundred dollars!
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