In A Silent Way

Gorgeous, lush, beautiful, dynamic, layered and amazing sounding record? Yes! Kind of insane that virtuoso drummer Tony Williams plays a hi-hat-only shuffle for the entire 20-minute first song? ALSO YES!

yes, it is not the beatles. and i strongly recommend you to listen to it while playing action games, such as dead cells. cause when i was listening to this, i used it as background music for playing dead cells, and its literally the coolest action in the world. 4.5/5

Proof that essential jazz doesn't have to be inaccessible. 5/5 Highlights: Shhh/Peaceful

I was bowled over by this record: playful and inventive, rockish and jazzy, all held together by Miles’ interesting trumpet lines. Awesome.

Regular jazz. Don't wanna listen to it. 3/5

Intricate

I know this is damming with faint praise but it’s nice to have on in the background. I like Miles Davis and especially enjoy it when he’s pushing the boundaries but this one just doesn’t have enough grit to hold my attention.

Off the cuff remark: I really like Miles Davis, particularly "Kind of Blue" and "Conceptions", but at the same time I am often left feeling jazz is a bit 'superior' and there's large elements I just don't 'get'?? This is, perhaps, a tiny bit more noodly than I would normally like but right time, right place.... Standout Track: hmmm Shhh (Reprise), maybe? Revisit?: Engaging, will be revisting when the mood takes me

Okay, but can we talk about how this album is only 2 songs but 38 minutes long? I enjoyed the song "In a Silent Way" but I can't always set aside 20 minutes to listen to it.

Always good but not his best.

This was a pretty chill album, although at times it had these unnecessarily stressful jazz moments where the music gets off-key and it is very difficult to listen to, but this was mostly a nice album to have in the background or to even pay attention to. I was really excited to see that there were only two songs in the album, but each was almost 20 minutes long, so it was just a normal short album long. Overall, pretty nice, nothing too exciting but also not disappointing.

Super long but very cool. Had nice piano and guitar. Overall pretty good jazz

Niet echt voor mij merk ik, word er een beetje zenuwachtig van. Maar snap wel heel goed dat mensen dit nice vinden

I would have preferred silence

mjög svalt. rökkur og krár. alveg aðra inni. 3,5.

Miles Davis, Good chill Jazz, nothing more, nothing less

Jazzy Elevator music Good if you wanna fall asleep +3 Very short listen time -1

A very smooth album, this was very easy to enjoy while listening in and out. Shhh / Peaceful is gentle and subtle as kt carries its high hat and bass heartbeat for almost the entire 18 minutes. In a Silent Way feels a little more experimental. It full stops a couple times to pivot into a different direction, but the middle section is pure bliss. A great production, great groove, and great evolution and escalation of the song, especially around minutes 10-15. This feels like an experiment, the first of fusion, and it's really enjoyable. Davis' representation on this list has such a wild diversity, he truly was gifted.

Nicht meins

In a nutshell: electrified. Jazz critics: what the hell is this? This isn't jazz! There's no electric instruments in jazz! Rock music critics: It's not jazz, but it's not quite rock, but I think I dig it. Steely Dan: hold our drinks. Me: Miles and his band went electric? Let's see what it's like... *40 minutes later* okay, I'm sold. The boundary pushing, genre shaping, artist defining albums is what I'm here for. This is a masterpiece, a classic for sure. I rarely say 'the other c word' in reviews, but this is warranted. Overall: 8/10

Maybe I'm just not a jazz guy

An incredible jazz album. Desperately need this.

This felt very ahead of its time

boua

As someone who dislikes 95% of jazz, this is in that small percentage that I do enjoy. I really appreciated that it doesn’t have any instrument where it sounds like the player is having a stroke, which is my biggest complaint of jazz. This is mellow and moody with enough song structure and melody to keep my interest.

Feels like one continuous piece of music and while its emotional scope is not limited it never gets boring. Beautiful toe in the electric sound ocean by Miles.

Would listen to as passive music.

Possibly the first jazz fusion record? You gotta be in a certain mood for this one.

Similar style to Bitches Brew, but I like this better for some reason…less meandering(?) The guitar on the back half is perfect. More than 3, less than 4 stars on this.

Superb jazz masterpiece!

The first song feels like a very long prelude to a great song, but we never get there. I like what the guitar, piano, drums, and bass are doing it's just that it goes on for quite a while and doesn't quite become the exciting song the instruments are teasing. Almost seems like a jam rather than an actual recording of a song. The guitar work at the beginning of the second song is beautiful. Moving into the meat of the song feels good too. They pick up the pace a bit and it becomes more lively. The second song's pacing is nice too, I like the backing rhythms chugging along waiting waiting for the right moment for Miles Davis and the drums to come in and play more excited. Starting and ending with the same guitar was lovely. The context in which you hear it changes between the first and the second and although it's the same melody it feels different, and I think that is an amazing thing to achieve in music.

Hat das Album nur 2 Songs? Sehr jazzyy. Da bin ich noch nicht so im Game

Surprisingly what I liked most about this was the great guitar touches, there are wonderful quiet sections when Miles is not playing! I know he is heralded as a genius, this is definitely great music, but I don't really connect with it and find it a bit boring.

Nice jazz 👍

Track one set a great mood and felt like it was building well, but ultimately didn’t really go anywhere. I was begging for it to burst into a big crescendo, but it never really did. Track two set a very different mood with some repeating piano phrases toying with dissonance to create a slightly nervy timbre. This track develops more than the first, moving into an elevated funky section, then regressing. Interesting album, and I enjoyed listening to it in a critical environment. I wouldn’t rank it among my top jazz albums, but I liked the underlying feeling of mystery and intrigue.

I heard this album all day. It didn't bother me, but it also didn't hook me. So, whereas I completely love "Kind of Blue", I'm pretty indifferent to this album.

Sonically cool, but the lack of traditional song structure just makes it feel like an extended intro to a cool song that never arrives.

Maybe too avant garde for me but at least it wasn't long.

Very cool--hadn't heard this one before, first track feels like long stretches of the same chord, sometimes the keyboard sounds like someone randomly banging on it, I'm sure it's some kind of extended chord? Good stuff.

Interesting listen but too experimental for my tastes. The repetitive parts I did enjoy, but I couldn't say I enjoyed the whole album. There was a lot of dissonant phrases that were too experimental for me.

perfect to study to again shout-out eliasje

Peaceful, pleasant Jazz

Only two songs? ohhh they’re very long!!! jazz i’d say 6/10. it’s good but i never listen to jazz on my own

Short album, kind of boring though. 2.5

Cool ride

If peeing your pants is cool, consider me Miles Davis.

Good, but jazz

second track is 5/5

Love miles Davis, but this one was kinda disappointing. Sounds like he’s just testing the waters with electric music

I listened to this as I did data analysis and time flew

Solid, like all Miles Davis.

It helped me focus on work. Feeling very productive. Nice.

I liked this better than Birth of the Cool. Still not sure if my opinion on jazz is worth anything or maybe it’s growing on me but I actually found myself enjoying this instead of just wondering what was happening. The second half in particular was more my speed. Going with a 4 to differentiate from my previous 3 rating ad I definitely enjoyed this more.

in the era of CDs and streaming, this is such a weird way to listen to this record. two tracks, but at 20 minutes a pop nearly. i imagined that when this is on vinyl, its a much cooler experience, knowing that an entire side of the record is dedicated to one song, allowing Miles Davis to be as free as he wants. the overall sound of this record is really beautiful, and i did enjoy it... but i don't see myself going back to it until I one day buy the vinyl. two long tracks on streaming just doesn't do it justice.

I had a good time. The opening guitar of In A Silent Way really gave me some Friday Night Lights guitar vibes. I dig it

With it being a time that jazz hadn’t really brought electronic instruments into the genre yet, I can see how people might have been apprehensive with this album. But Miles Davis brought the heat and merged them together well. Great for some evening listening to wind down to. Would listen to again.

The year was 1988. Professional skateboarded Jeff Grosso was high on shrooms, getting kicked out of his house, and had one day to turn in his video part for Speed Freaks or he would lose his sponsorship. His tripping mind decided that the best course of action was to shave off all his hair, shave off his eyebrows, draw on new ones with a sharpie, skate a halfpipe, and film the whole thing. That's exactly what he did. Was this his best video part? No. Was this his most memorable part? Yes! It saved his professional career and cemented him as an all time great. He later explained that without his eyebrows sweat was constantly getting in his eyes. The only way he made it through his session was to close his eyes and let the shrooms takeover. This album feels a lot like that. Is this Miles Davis' best album? No. Is this long one take his most memorable? Possibly. If you want to see the Grosso part (12m16s): https://youtu.be/Ydj4RBDDUOk?si=gH_WUW1n2bFSsn4Y&t=12m16s

Ehhhhhn sorry Mr. Davis, but this just isn't leaving that much of an impression on me! A lot of solid-sounding stuff, but it just blends together so, so much.

I could listen to Miles Davis play the trumpet for 12 hours

Absolutely sublime, one of the finest jazz fusion albums of all time. Miles and his band lay down rock-solid grooves and absolutely tasty jazz jams all throughout. Excellent nocturnal listen, and one I'll be spinning fairly regularly any time.

Fantastic listen that I was surprised by. I also was genuinely sad whenever each song ended. I think that qualifies as a 5-star album.

This is some jazz that anybody, from the turbonormies to the jazzheads, can enjoy 🔥 Bravo Mr Davis

Had a hard time rating this but decided to approach it like an auditory landscape painting. He's creating different soundscapes for you to step into. Not my favorite style but he does it best.

the last dregs of The Cool quietly petering out over the night horizon, bound to make way for the chaos of the day. every time i listen to him, i am astounded how much Davis packed into each composition and how he got the right performers for the job almost every single time. i mean, this is THE "first" jazz fusion record, or the first one everyone knew. the idea of someone codifying a genre that would come to be the main sound of jazz some cold February night stuns me. i do wish they'd done a bit more with "It's About That Time", but otherwise, this is nigh perfect music.

Great album. One of the first Miles Davis CDs I ever bought.

So peaceful, but seems to be thinned out a little too much.

No private session used for Spotify. Listened to this on a rainy morning, which I think helped. Not exactly my type of music, but was still enjoyable. Not silent at all, though.

I am a trumpet player. I play jazz as apart of a bunch of my college assessment tasks. Miles Davis is my favourite trumpet player (i know, basic pick for someone's who's played for 8 years now haha). Somehow i've never heard of this album before, so yeah. Brilliant. As soon as I saw it was a 2 track album I knew I was in for a delight. I love jazz fusion, and I never knew Davis did an Jazz Fusion album, though knowing his stuff from the 90's, why am I not surprised at all. Having Hancock and Corea on piano OOOOOOOOOOOOo just incredible stuff. Sadly don't know the other players on this album :( I need this on vinyl.

Brilliance from Davis, the ambient and smooth vibes are excellent. They couldn't pick a better album for me to study to. The way he composed it, so sweet. Loved it!

Listened to 3/4 of the way, did not get enthused.

great

Get it Miles

Two songs, 38 minutes total

I just cant go higher. It's good, but it doesnt move me like some of his other works. ⭐⭐⭐1/2

This album feels free form... Sort of like they went into it with no plan and just sorta winged it. I guess that's the point of Jazz. I wish American Politics in 2025 weren't the same way.

Only two songs but I'm going to play this at my next dinner party.

I liked it. It was very nice piano music.

i mean, it makes you feel cool, what more can i ask?

"If peeing your pants is cool then consider me Miles Davis"

that production was kinda vibey!

This is a very great sounding jazz record, and very technical on all the instruments. I liked it.

I liked this album. I was not crazy about the first track, but the second track came in clutch. It's a really laid back, jammy (drugged out?) session with a lot of noodling and you feel that a lot in the first track. The second track Was u more interesting piece that I'd like to hear again. 3.25

Jazz is just background music to me. Nice but I'd never actively listen to it

Ahhhh, here we are again, another inclusion predicated on historical context I'm sure. Easy-listening jazz fusion album, perfect as a substrate for whatever might occupy you in the present moment. This greased the wheels nicely for me to get some coding done for my day job. Beyond that, I'll have to refer to the critics to understand why this stands out within the mid-century jazz milieu. I don't know what makes this exceptional. 5/10 -> 3/5. =========== I'm dropping my rating after reading the critic's take. It amounts to "you had to be a jazz stan 60 years ago, you had to listen to 'Kind of Blue' in a specific manner, and you had to understand Davis' bravery in experimentation". My response: this album's exceptionalism has since been lost to the sands of time, and the evolution of jazz itself. Do I disagree that Davis broke new ground? Absolutely not. Do I expect the albums on this list to speak for themselves? You bet your ass. Over half a century later, it sounds original, sure, but that's like, jazz, man! In retrospect, it just doesn't sound innovative. This album is fine. To a blind listener, it doesn't belong here. 2/5.

This album was a great listen and matched perfectly with the landscape of the day - mellow, rainy, but birds are chirping and there is a cool breeze. The moments of piano being the focal point musically were my favorite. I enjoyed the calm tempo across the album. Sometimes jazz can feel very rushed and anxious to me, but this all felt thoughtful and calm.

Miles Davis plays the trumpet

Coffee House music

Unlike most jazz, it wasn't painful or annoyingly discordant.

This just makes me feel nervous.

This was alright. It was a nice little background vibe of neat musical sounds, but nothing that blew my socks off. Three stars.

Heady, beautiful

Strong medicine to change my mood and level my heartbeat. I often put this on while my students work.

What do you think of when you hear the genre "Jazz Fusion" mentioned? ***** I open my eyes, and I'm either in Dentist's office, or a suburban "jazz"bar. I see framed dorm-room posters of Billie Holiday, for that college freshman who was too cool for the Bob Marley and Pink Floyd posters. I hear music in the distance. It's smooth, but that's not exactly the right word...it's more slimy...or moist. Eww. And, is that a horn? No, it can't be. I swear that's coming from the keyboards. I hear an electric guitar, but they removed everything cool about it, and it's impossibly lame and limp. Where is this music coming from? I turn the corner and...oh god. Oh god no. I see...Kenny G! That's when I wake up. Thank god, it was just a nightmare. ****** Smooth Jazz and the hacky crackers that have perpetrated this musical travesty have piled dogshit over the legacy of musical visionaries like Miles Davis. Jazz Fusion is not a bad word. Forget all the negative connotations you may have about this genre. It's okay, you're safe now. Shhh, Peaceful. Miles Davis went electric in the late 60s. John Coltrane had passed away, and he was listening to Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, and Sly and the Family Stone. He got a new group together that could bring his new direction in jazz to life. Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock on electric piano, Joe Zawinul on organ, Wayne Shorter on sax, John McLaughlin on guitar, Dave Holland on bass, Tony Williams on drums. This is the first of a string of records that Miles Davis recorded with producer Teo Macero. The record is 2 tracks, but these tracks are comprised of multiple jam sessions edited and spliced together masterfully by Macero and Davis. The music blends together so perfectly that it feels like no editing was needed. The music flows by in this ethereal way that's calming yet exciting. Jazz Fusion by definition is Jazz with different genres thrown in the mix. Miles would fuse Jazz with Rock, Funk and Psychedelia on future records. What genre did he fuse to Jazz on this record? I honestly don't know. That's what's so special about it. It's hard to pin down what's going on here, it just sounds good. It's complex but it isn't challenging. You can just lay back, and ease into this sweet dream of a record.

All time classic from Miles' big group experimental phase. Loads of interesting layers and improvisation.

Fucking amazing! I loved it

forgot to rate but this rocked.

To me, 'In A Silent Way' was always the more accessible and easy-to-grasp precursor to the balls-out and batshit insane 'Bitches Brew'. Both records are a part of Miles' best era (in my opinion), his fusion era, and both do an excellent job of throwing the listener into these very moody and carefully constructed soundscapes. You feel trapped in their respective bodies, like you've been hypnotized or put under some spell when listening to these albums. Overall, 'In A Silent Way' is much shorter than 'Bitches Brew', and the fusions here, primarily in John McLaughlin's gutiar, are less aggressive, and more welcoming and complementary to the rest of the band. That's only helped by the slew of shimmering keys hovering over the opener 'Shhh/Peaceful' and the groovier bass part of the title track, which establishes one of the catchiest and most earwormy motifs from any Miles Davis record, period. Miles' playing, especially during the harder part of the title track, is some of the most dynamic I've heard from him (which is saying a lot), mainly in the way it increases in fury as the bass goes into that impeccable groove and the drums kick in. There is a lot of passion behind each note, but the same can be said about just about any other player here. Even with all that aside, though, I think this album's always been a landmark release in "moody" music. I mean it's often considered to contain one of the first instances of "ambient" music - but I'd argue Miles Davis' ambient magnum opus is 'He Loved Him Madly' off of 'Get Up With It'. As soon as you click play on this thing, it becomes apparent that there is this unsettling edge underlying many of these movements. Maybe it's Miles himself looking borderline petrified on this album cover, maybe it's the way the organ goes slightly off-key as a drone increases in volume for a few seconds near the 5-minute mark of the title-track, maybe it's that same drone hovering over the ambient dips bookending the title track, or maybe it's that haunting organ chord that comes out of nowhere on 'Shhh/Peaceful', completely halting the band's momentum, just for them to continue playing like nothing happened. To me, this album feels like a band trying their best to play as straight as possible, all the while there's something genuinely frightening lurking about. That's always been my read on this whole thing, at least, as ignorant as it may be towards Miles' artistic intent. It's not all "dark", though, the opening ambient portion of the title-track with the trumpet, keys, and guitar is heavenly and so damn far ahead-of-its-time that I refuse to believe it was recorded in '69. This album rules and you know that. 'nough said.

Still not a fan of this kind of jazz.

Horn jazz simply is not for me. Maybe I need to throw more high class dinner parties or something.

Still trying to get into jazz, but this was really incredible

Definitely some of the more enjoyable jazz I've listened to. But at the end of the day it's still jazz. It's just too freeform for me to understand as an album. 6.25/10 (3.125/5)

Wow. I listen to some jazz now and then and have a couple of Miles's albums (Kind of Blue and Sketches of Spain), but I had not heard this album. I have missed out! I would probably rather listen to this than Kind of Blue, and given the accolades that album gets, that's saying a lot. I listened to it three times today. The playing is tight but not showy, and everything fits together really well. This album might not get the same mainstream attention, but it’s easily one of his most compelling.

Really great instrumentation with two lively tracks.

Listened while studying, time flied.

Lovely background music. Doesn't do as much for me as I imagine it should. Guess I don't get Jazz as much as I thought.

little too boring for me but still definitely enjoyable

Hard mot to enjoy Miles. This is pretty much a slight exploration album - and isa nice listen - especially as background,

I found it hard to get into as not much of a tune. Maybe if I listened to it more to you'd start to recognise the tune, but most of it I just found myself glazing over. Second tune was better than first.

This is probably my most controversial Miles album. It is beautiful, intelligent, emotional, stunningly orchestrated and represented another milestone (hehe) in jazz evolution. Such an important album, just a shame that I hate most of the fusion wank which it spawned! But I don't love it the way I love Bitches Brew or Sketches Of Spain, it never quite lights a fire in me.

.

oooooh so good.., oooooh those cats cooking oooooh miles my love

Not my favorite Miles album, but good none the less.

Not a fan of jazz so it will be unfair to review.

Great moody fusion of jazz with electric/rock instruments. Standouts: Only 2 tracks, both long and enjoyable

8/10

5/5. don’t make me choose between the two tracks.

2 song album, which surprised me. The length of these insinuates that these are almost riffed naturally, and with that in mind makes this impressive. I enjoyed working to this music in the background, 7/10.

7/10…jazz fusion

I've been critical before of this list choice of jazz. Not here. It's hard to be critical if Miles freakin Davis. 9/10

I feel like a plebeian for not getting into jazz more. These two tracks sound like I'm in a smoky bar sipping scotch.

Jazz isn't my thing but this album had a cool vibe

This is #day263 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to my third Miles album on the list already. Like I might have said before, I kind of feel obliged to give his albums a high score, but then again, Davis is one of the few jazz musicians I can listen to. Maybe I'm biased because he's such a household name in jazz, but I do like Kind of Blue. I've also listened to Bitches Brew back in the day, mostly because it's one of the albums Radiohead supposedly took inspiration from for OK Computer, but I'm not sure that's a bad reason. I liked that one as well. As for In a Silent Way, I can even tell it's from a different Miles era, with the electric guitars and fusion influences creeping in. I'm not sure, though, I get the same amount of pleasure from it as from the others I mentioned. My new controversial artist on the list? Because honestly, I feel like giving this a 3 out of 5. And so I am. Looking forward to #day264.

Two songs but a flawless album

Last Mile Davis album was a surprise to me, loved the smooth jazz so excited for this one! Really chill vibes, long meditative calm.

Less silent than I recall. It would be so cool to hear Miles play with the current crop of people making varied ambient music, esp out of the folk scene

I'm not an expert when it comes to jazz, but I enjoyed it. For a track titled 'shh/peaceful' I did find it pretty non-peaceful though as there was a lot happening. Definitely an album worth re-listening to.

Can see the musicianship and there are parts that were good, but too slow and chill for my tastes

Well, the clues in the title. Not great keeping music so quiet.

This project is making me wish I knew more about jazz. Partly because I've been enjoying the jazz albums a lot more than I thought I would, but also so I can work out why I have close to zero tolerance for extended rock noodling (Deep Purple's live album really tested my patience), but unexpectedly loved In a Silent Way, which has only two tracks but lasts nearly 40 minutes.

My memory of Miles Davis of course begins with Kind of Blue. I certainly hope that is on the list.

Delightful. I did wonder in and out of active listening.

I liked it. Very interesting since I've heard a lot of music that must have been pretty directly influenced from this album. Jamming over one chord for 15 minutes is only something this incredible lineup of musicians could pull off.

Jazz like this always just feels like background music to me. I forget it's even playing.

Great, more jazz. More people should put out 2 song albums, just not Jazz albums.

Very long but interesting

Full disclosure: not a Jazz connoisseur, which most reviewers would probably admit, as well. My grade goes against most of my voting criteria, which is to say, I might not listen to this a great deal, but I can still appreciate how complicated, intricate, funky and impressive this is.

Still not qualified to rate jazz

Easy enough to get through

Nice jazz album but probably not revisiting

Good morning background jazz

I don't know much about jazz or jazz fusion, but this sounded pretty different from what I expected for that genre, in a good way though! I like it, this is the first time jazz "clicked" for me. I liked the first track better than the second, because the second one fizzled out a little to early for me, but overall enjoyable!

I don’t think I’m versed in jazz enough to give serious commentary, but I wasn’t necessarily blown away

Everything I like about Bitch's Brew, with none of the other stuff.

Cool, dark, and immersive. More than 50 years after recording, it still sounds cutting edge.

a snoozer 3/5

Mid

Just not my style

It's a trumpet and an organ

Not a fan of jazz, but this record had a few genuinely enjoyable moments

Pretty good smooth jazz album. Would recommend.

Another classic from the king of jazz. I love how introspective and brooding this one is.

Honestly, a lot of noise. I'm not a virtuoso so just sounded random with good bits mixed in.

Great album, I really enjoy the instrumental albums as it allows for a deeper study of the instrumentation. Overall enjoyed side one “Shh / Peacefull” the most as it is really a great mix of instruments and much more upbeat. The keyboards and drums are perfection on this track. Side two “In a Silent Way” was slow and that disappointed me a bit but it does pick up in the middle, which I enjoyed, it ends again as slowly as it started which makes a perfect close to the album.

There's no denying Miles Davis' talent, and with so many other huge names (Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Tony Thompson) along for the session, of course this is a top notch jazz album. Little surprised at the choice of album, only because he has others that are more universally well known (Bitches Brew, Kind of Blue, Birth of Cool). The only negative for me was the occasional transition between song parts felt a little abrupt. Aside from that one minor thing, a great listen.

I feel I am at a big disadvantage with Miles Davis, as the man has a massive catalog, and I have listened to so little. Also when looking at his discography, there was so much before this album. So is this considered his best work, was there better before or after? So, very hard to judge as this just sounds like a free form jazz jam session. Shhh/Peaceful is just a straight up jam, and a fun twenty minute groove. The Silent Way got me ready for some serious jams, as I kept expecting something big, but on every build up, it would just come back down. I like the mellow bookends to the song, but the editing seems choppy and feels like separate pieces instead of flowing. Again, with no other Miles Davis to compare it to, this was tough, but I can't give a legend any kind of low rating. Hoping with 1,001 albums, we will get another Miles Davis, eventually.

I'm not a fan of Jazz, found it quite overwhelming to be honest

I remember the first time I heard this album how blown away I was by the guitar tone. It seems less important or notable now than I remember it then. I think in a lot of ways this album also benefits from being pre straightforward than bitch’s brew, which I heard first and which made this seems a lot more focused and accessible. I still think it’s great, regardless of my first time listens.

It's so peak. 2 20 minute songs that feel like 5 minutes they're so smooth and just really comforting to listen to. Every member of the band is performing at their best here aswell. Without a doubt my favourite Miles album 10/10 Favourite: In a Silent Way Least Favourite: None

Very good!

I just can't get into jazz. It's fine in the background, but otherwise it's just irritating.

I liked this. Wasn't prepared to hear long songs again but it was nice. I hear instruments repeating themselves like the bass and it doesn't stop. I think it keeps a tension of the song that is mysterious. When things finally do change it feels like a journey has been reached. The repeating instruments come back and back again and it feels like a never ending cycle. Although this happens, this gives the other instruments room to experiment and breathe in their own sound. Jazz is cool.

I really enjoyed it because this is the kind of music I actively seek out, something that is calming and well made. I loved the opening track. The album felt very well thought out and arranged.

I liked it, but I thought it was a little disjointed in the middle. I listened to it a couple of times and felt there weren't any standout moments but it was consistently enjoyable and interesting.

Great jazz album not a casual listen for me

One of my favourite jazz albums ever, and definitely my favourite from Davis. It captures so many different vibes, it's cool and laid back, but can change to exciting and adventurous in a minute or so. The origin for jazz fusion is right here and it's proof of Davis being a true artist in his willingness to evolve and expand not only his own styles, but the medium as a whole. It sounds like a better future and one we've yet to reach. 13/04/25

What an experimental album! Delightfully complex and bridging that early gap into rock and roll in a way that doesn't seem forced. Not particularly my cup of tea, but influential and deeply worth listening to.

I always enjoy Miles Davis much more than many of the other jazz artists I get.

Jazz, sad second song

My brain isn't still wired for Jazz...some inetresting snippits...recognised ones that are being used in modern music...so it must be great stuff for Jazz lovers!

I love jazz. But I think this album should be on the list of albums you should never listen to. I had to go listen to other stuff he's done and it wasn't even close to being as bad as this album, although most of his stuff still sounds like noodling to me. I hate noodling and this entire album was nothing but slow noodling with no structure at all. Made me want to run out of the room.

Feels Like a combination of a mid-night car ride in the 80s and a bad soft porn conversation

Great study/work album

What a wonderful way to end this 1001 albums challenge - it was exactly what I was hoping for. I need to listen to more Miles Davis cause he's fab. 4 stars.

10/10

music for people watching with your other half on a beautiful sunny day

Sometimes I forget how much I love Miles Davis. I think this is one of the best albums by possibly the most important musician of the last century.

Default jazz 3/5. Not good, not bad, just jazz.

Not a big fan of instrumental music but it suited my rainy Monday morning.

Wow

It was OK. 3/5

To my undiscerning ear, this sounds like another Miles Davis album, a little heavier on keyboards than what I would expect. But reading about the context is interesting. My buddy Walker, who is a big jazz fan/player, got me into Weather Report (something along the lines of "You're such a big Primus fan, you should check out Jaco Pastorius,") and I've listened to their album Heavy Weather a lot. Miles's band around the time of this album included the guys that would go on to co-found Weather Report. Knowing that and listening to this, I can hear it. It's like Weather Report with a trumpet.

Mysterious, calming, hypnotic, melodic, emotional, and beautiful. Every single musician on this record does exactly what they’re supposed to do (including Wayne Shorter, who becomes one of like, four people to ever make the soprano saxophone sound good). Probably my third favorite Miles record. Simply remarkable. 5/5

I find myself wanting to like jazz of this type. When I dial in, its sounds so soothing, so fun to get immersed in their mastery. But I never dial in. I guess I’m just not settled enough to live in a jazz album. As background music it’s fine, but I require more of my active listening choices. That’s said, it’s clear how effortless the musicianship is here.

Favorite Track: In a Silent Way

Meh

40 days in and finally a jazz album. Really good album. So different than all his earlier recordings. While I prefer the hard-bop style, it’s tough to say I don’t like this. It was a ground-breaking jazz sound in 1969 and I love risky, game changing albums that are 5-6 years ahead of everyone else. Good listen.

how does it have names like shh and peace and silent and still make my shoulders hitch up around my ears, still pretty good tho

This was great. Definitely I want to come back to it

I listened to most of this early in the morning while stretching and warming up for a run, which was a lovely way to start the day.

Quite nice— has a nice vibe to it.

Suprotno očekivanjima, vrlo prijatan album čak i za nekog ko ne podnosi jazz. Dosta eksperimentalno, inovativno, drugačije. Podržavam što se nalazi na listi.

jazz.

SO GOOD

Fine easy listening. Meditative. Strong organs, keyboards, guitar. But kind of sounds like all jazz does, just don't know enough about the genre to know why it stands out. Would hate to be the drummer on this set, literally the same beat for 10+ minutes at a time.

So chill and peaceful

5* What am I, stupid?

I forgot this album existed. I used to listen to it all the time and think it's one of my favourite Miles Davis albums. Sure there are other cools ones like Bitches Brew and the Spain one. And then there's the classic Kind of Blue. But something about this one is much more accessible but also has that cool factor. You can just let it play in the background and it doesn't make you work for anything, or perk your senses if you don't want it to.

I really enjoy miles Davis vibes but I gotta say I preferred birth of the cool to this album. But he is certainly an amazing musician still, I know that. This was just a little more chill and on the side of “elevator music .” This is something that has a right place and a right time but it doesn’t really hold attention by itself. I enjoyed it but I also might fall asleep to it. And idk how bad of a thing that is or not so

This stuff was actually amazing. I mean classic extraordinary Miles Davis right here. Partially inventing and pioneering an entire genre and absolutely cooking while doing so. This man was barely human. The only slight to this record is its format as two 20 minute songs makes it kinda hard to return to and enjoy casually. Amazing music though regardless. And also can we talk about how amazing the album cover is. I was leaning more towards a 4 but I think that album art pushes it to the 5 it truly deserves.

Such a relaxing listen, giving this a 5 even if it's not something I'd have on heavy rotation, definitely needs a particular mood to listen to it, but love the fusion of Jazz/Rock, whole thing feels like it was improvised on the spot, great musicianship

Loved this too. Maybe not as much as 'kind of blue' but if that's a 7 then this is still a 5 for me.

Need a few more listens for it to land. What a cover though.

Avoided listening to this until I was in the right mood for jazz. Really enjoyed gardening to it.

I can tell that this was when Miles Davis changed direction and experimented, as it is a little clunky in some respects, but you do have to remind yourself that this sound was still from the 60's and does sound way ahead it's time. Its not an easy listen but you can tell from this he would go on and improve this kind of sound to greater things in later material. The man was a genius.

It's about the notes you don't play And the words you don't say

This was okay. Nice to have it just playing in the background. Felt like not much was going on, was just building up to something and never reached the peak.

I'm not here to say this is his best album, but I love the vibes on this. Plus it's rare to have such a guitar-heavy album by Miles Davis so this feels like a treat. 4/5

Незвичний музичний формат, але тим і прекрасний.

Цей альбом Майлза часто називають jazz fusion і відбувається так через те, що на ньому повно експериментів з електричним звучанням. Проте чи можна це назвати «джазом» в повній мірі? На момент виходу цього альбому, джаз як жанр вже втратив у популярності, в світі панувала «психоделія», а Девіс, ніби як повністю, вичерпав увесь свій минулий потенціал, та вже був неймовірно впливовим джазовим музикантом (чого тільки вартий Kind Of Blue з яким ми ще ознайомимось в рамках цієї серії). Тим не менш, іти «спочивати» він не збирався. Він вирішив ще більше експериментувати із електричним звучанням, та «поглиблюватись» в рок музику. Вершиною цього, трохи пізніше, стане альбом Bitches Brew, що буде значно більш потужним у порівнянні із минулою творчістю Девіса. In A Silent Way, в свою чергу, став тим самим «перехідним» альбомом, що вже істотно відійшов від джазових канонів 50-х, але втім ще і не був рок музикою. Натомість, в цьому «хиткому балансі» і є його привабливість. Саме через своє стримані, чарівні мелодії, що до речі гарно підкреслює назва альбому, його і полюбили безліч молодих фанатів джазової музики. Ну а щодо гри інших музикантів, то тут нема що і казати - це віртуозна та дбайливо сконструйована музика яку можна слухати безліч разів підряд і вона вам ніколи не набридне. Справжній шедевр який був створений в ідеальний для нього час. До прослуховування - обовʼязково.

I toyed with the idea of marking this as not listened. I mildly liked what I heard, but almost none of it made any sort of impression unless I sat and actively listened to it. I needed a beanbag chair and big phono earphones. I assume this would be higher if I knew more about jazz and/or dedicated 45 minutes solely to listening to it, but neither of these things happened.

I definitely enjoyed this one, but I’m still not very confident in my ability to discuss jazz. I know Miles Davis is a jazz legend, but beyond that I couldn’t tell you much about his career. This was pleasant to listen to, made for great background music while I was working, I will most likely listen to it again.

Amazing album, a great first foray into “electric” music for Miles. This album and the later “tribute to Jack Johnson” are both great examples of this rock leaning era of Miles. I really enjoy it, but it’s not for everyone. Took me a few listens back in the day to get it. I do think it's fairly accessible, if you look at it as a proto funk album and less as a jazz album. Still, a great album overall.

Enjoyable and fun as hell to listen to.

Not my favorite style of jazz, but certainly enjoyable enough.

I know this is highly regarded, but I just cannot get into jazz.

Okay, you guys did this on purpose, somehow, didn't you? My last album was The Message (extended)-Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, and I argued that is not an album and therefore couldn't recieve a 5 because it only has 5 songs and is 35 minutes long which is barely enough to be an album, and this comes up with 2 fucking songs at 38 minutes, and I was considering giving it a 5, but my former decision gives me pause.

This album is a fun, immersive listen and exactly what I’m looking for when I want to dive into jazz. It’s smooth, atmospheric, and effortlessly cool, with a laid-back vibe that draws you in. Miles Davis and his band create a soundscape that feels both easygoing and adventurous. Perfect for getting lost in.

Listened to this on a walk, and had a jazzy, dreamy soundtrack. It does just kinda keep going on, no real breaks but not exhausting just hard to latch onto something other than album as a whole. Would totally listen to again and enjoy.

Ya like jazz?

Love it! Another re-discovery.

mit Sicherheit fantastische Musik, aber für mich nur als Background ...

ok

Track one is a really pleasant listen but didn't hook me, but the second track blew me away! Will be putting it on regularly.

Jazz jam band. Not bad. Fine background music. Just not my overall thing. Right on the 2/3 line for me.

2- Stars (4/15)

Exactly what I needed today. And probably tomorrow.

Fun jazz, but it made me fall asleep and I missed my bus stop

Meh - a jazz album that I didn’t turn off but can’t say I really enjoyed it it will ever listen to again

Pour du jazz c'était fort sympathique

Ooh this is a special one. I’ve listened to it casually a bunch in the past and it works very well in the background because the music is soothing and restrained. Giving it a closer listen today was nice. The style is jazz played as laidback, dreamy funk. The bass definitely has a funky vibe at least. The rest of the music has an air of mystery and mysticism. Apparently there are three players on electric piano (and organ) on this album? Wow. That mystical sound is very full and rich, and that’s why. John McLaughlin’s guitar solos are a highlight. He’s an incredibly skilled guitarist, and his playing here is technically impressive but also sort of subtle. Like every other instrument here, his guitar sounds very organic in the mix. Wayne Shorter on sax is also wonderful. I’ve heard him absolutely shred on other albums but he’s less flashy here. Lovely solos, inventive but restrained. Miles seems like the one player who really lets loose a bit. His solos leap out a bit more than the others, which is a cool effect given the calm mood of most of the music. I love how the drums on the first half of the album are basically just open hi-hat. It gives the music a very distinct vibe, somewhere between relaxed and on edge.

To me this sounds a bit like the incredible "A Love Supreme" by John Coltrane, a similar gradual slow burning brilliant collection of music. This one is of course different, slightly more modern, but it has the same rolling onward and sometimes meditative vibe. I feel like the 16th note hi-hats and "i'm taking some big steps" bass lines really just pick you up and drive you around town on a beautiful day. I like a lot of things with this album and it feels so impressively serene and comforting which is apt for the titles. The only thing that would make it a 5/5 for me is if it it would have a few more climactic moments. The guitar solos are really killer and do all the right things, but I can't help but feel like I wanted just a little bit more of some kind of explosion after all of that building. I'm sure there's some dynamic constraints in play here, but that's why it's a little short of a 5 for me.

A really nice listen on a really lousy Monday morning.

Wasn't in the mood for it at the start, then it put me in the mood for it

Some really great moments, but I tend to drift off with some of Mile’s compositions. Then again, maybe that’s the desired effect?

My god this is a beautiful album. Have been listening to a lot of Miles Davis recently. The guitar intro of in a silent way is just beautiful. Innovative but still so classic sounding. Fabulous. Structurally so bizarre but the chords on the organ are beautiful. Have to get more familiar with this one

I read an article about how listening to improvisational jazz can help reduce anxiety and help mental health . thanks miles!

It's good work. I'm just continuing to find that I oftentimes don't respond very enthusiastically to jazz.

Love a bit of Miles.

4 - great fusion jazz

2 tracks, 40 minutes long, this is a great album to do practically anything while listening to. 4/5

This was a really lovely jazz album. It was a bit too much of background music and I did kinda tune it out a little over time. Great for study/working to though!

Probably my second or third favorite Miles Davis album behind A Kind of Blue an possibly On the Corner (the latter is a recent discovery for me, but I love it) 10 ★★★★★

Modal jazz is one of my favourite styles of jazz. Love this!

While the playing is great, it's not for me. I get that this was sort of groundbreaking in the jazz fusion world, but that's just not a genre I've ever latched onto. 3 stars.

4.5

Good album in a four stars way. Album does kinda sound like it restarts itself every 6 minutes or so throughout. Nonetheless, good album in a four stars way. Some very good silently moody playing by Chick Corea and John McLaughlin. Good album in a four stars way.

Favorite Track: Shh/Peaceful

Love this album! I liked the way all the instruments blended together within the sections of the pieces. I will definitely be listening to more of his work.

Probably the best jazz has or will ever sound. This is the way Jazz merges with psychedelic. This is the farthest that jazz could go before Jimi Hendrix existed and expanded the world of what was possible. Hearing this in the 60s painted the future. Dylan went Electric, Davis went Electric, and the world is about the change.

Perfect jazz fusion, well ahead of its time. When do we get Weather Report?

This is a beautiful little album, although I think I like the second track a little less. That being said, I regret not giving "Kind of Blue" five stars, so this album gets them in its stead (not that it wasn't close on it's own).

Honestly I still don't really get this album which is kind of a problem with this whole album a day thing because some of my favorite albums I only liked after listening to countless times you never really know how long it can take for an album to click with you

Faster than I thought. Charting music perfect time frame.

Album 704 of 1001 Miles Davis - In A Silent Way (1969) Rating : 3 / 5 I do like my horns. This was a little more laid back than his other albums I've heard. Still a good listen. Certainly different for him.

mayb my favorite miles at this point, but i need to give him a lot more time as i always kind of neglected him in favor of coltrane lol. but this is a perfect pair of tracks with unbelievable symmetry despite their lack of overt structure...shhhh peaceful winds up spacey tension for a longgg time in a way that kinda foreshadows pharaoh's dance, the ambient stylings treated with those beautifully spicy jazzy chords to create one of the most mysterious pieces of music im personally aware of. the title track then im only now realizing is one of my absolute favorite songs Period, bookended by a "theme" section so gorgeous it feels like the universe is opening its arms to me. in the middle , the harmonic ideas melt into something more straightforwardly beautiful and comforting, before an absolutely amazing cloudy groove slowly tightens the song to prepare for the unbelievably cathartic release back into the closing theme. incredibly rewarding album, immensely moving, its shooting way way up in my personal canon

March 3rd, 2025 - 5:31PM

Adore this album

Sorry but I just don't get Miles

Really pretty jazz-rock fusion album that is just two tracks, all instrumental.

Masterful playing, interesting throughout, the tracks change and morph while keeping the same theme. Wonderful.

Nice but a bit background music. Wouldn't have it on a run!

3/5

In the calm winter months before the summer of love broke loose, Miles and a crack squad of some incredibly talented musicians got together to reivent cool again. Jazz had a more swung feel in the 50's and 60's and needed some progressive elements to allow it to grow otherwise it would die. A tremendous emphasis on rythmn and the additions of electronic instruments with unique dissonance allows this album to to really stand on its own (for 1969). Without the contributions of Herbie, Miles, Zawinal, and Chick Corea we may never have lived in a time where Jazz was of this caliber and sound. In a Silent way was the mold for progression in jazz, and Bitches Brew one year later broke the mold again. This was one of my first albums into jazz I dabbled with. I fell in love so early with this album. Fan for life. P.s. check out the "Complete In A Silent Way Sessions". Shits twice as long with so many little off shoots and melodies where this masterclass of musicianship and improv just went buck wild.

I couldn't believe it at first but this album is absolutely phenomenal, it has captured me in such a way that it automatically elevates every activity I did while listening to these 2 peculiar tracks that are featured in "In a Silent Way". Truthfully, I really disliked it at first and thought it was entirely disjointed and music for nerds. I'm not a stranger to jazz but are familiar with more classical jazz standards. As the second track was well underway, I couldn't stop vibing with this esoteric but yet groovy tune. Instruments come and go with a subtle finesse and sharing a space among each other. After my second listen, I was entirely sold on this otherworldly music that feels like traveling between planes of existence. An interdimensional traffic jam that suddenly ended in a dark gloomy hallway where you stare back at your figure. There are plenty of details and subtle changes to explore. Each musical idea and phrase that suddenly emerges always feels like a warm embrace that washes over your body. This sounds absolutely pretentious but these 2 tracks shift a lot and you never quite know where you stand until everybody locks in a recognizable groove. It's really sublime but may be a hard recommend for someone who doesn't like this type of free form jazz that may feel bereft of clear structures on a first listen.

In 2001, Columbia Legacy and Sony Music released the three-disc box set The Complete In a Silent Way Sessions, which includes additional tracks. additional tracks? that's not hard when the original record only has 2 tracks! 2 tracks 2 stars, reading the reviews people are desperate to "get this", there's no need.

I’m not a jazz guy, but these are some good musicians

Cant get into jazz. Just cant. One long song

Enjoyable

Interesting…good train music. Usually I find jazz terrible but this wasn’t too bad.

Good train journey music

Kinda boring tbph

For as long as I live, I'll never understand why some people just don't like jazz.

quizá de los últimos Albums qué sostenían una gran melodia por varios minutos, un genio

Good, but nothing really stood out to me.

I preferred the back half. First half was groovy fast paced jazz. The second half was dark and atmospheric, like a precursor to ambient music.

Well it's hard to say anything bad about this. It's just a pleasant jazzy listening experience

I've tried over the years, but I'm obviously not the audience for this. Just sounds like lots of noodling on the horn. I just can't see/hear the appeal.

not my cup of tea but it’s ok

It's a vibe

The master Miles - really an all star line up and so cool and vibey to kickstart fusion jazz

Another trumpet jazz album. Nuff said.

In a break from tradition I won’t be giving this jazz album a 1. I have to respect a man who can be at the top of his profession for his chosen instrument, and a very dull one-dimensional instrument at that. This was listenable and in places a recognisable song almost broke out. It was much more easy listening (I hate that genre/term) but it meant I was able to complete the whole listening experience without wanting to punch a wall.

An album of slightly more than nothing.

I was surprised when I was just 2 songs on the album. Then I saw the length of each song and remembered who Miles Davis is and it made a lot more sense. I don't listen to jazz very much but this was a fun time hearing the musicians jamming out. I can see myself having this on the the background with a drink in my hand a summer evening in the future.

5/10 This was heavily on the fusion side of jazz fusion - very rock influenced. Not bad, just not great. Really well played, good music but more of an ambient listen than one full of melody and ear worms. Could see this as a soundtrack in an indie film. Can recognise this sound in post-rock music like Tortoise Best: there were only 2 tracks! The first one I guess

A nice chill listen.

Cool concept, experimental and improved like bitches brew but more put together. Pretty cool but not not as ground breaking as bitches brew or put together as Kind of Blue

Beautiful but boring. I like lyrics.

Pretty cool--as with most Jazz, it mostly hits the background music for me, but from the opening I knew this was a bit different with a rock feel. Might go 3.5, but it's a solid:

A little too silent for me.

Enjoyable to listen to. Jazz still mostly bounces right off me.

There's nobody like Miles. As George Wein once said, Miles wasn't ahead of his time, he was the time. This is such a wonderful step between the second great quintet era and the fusion era.

The master at work

Nice jazz soundtrack but nothing special to me...

Musically it's good but not for me

So much better than the Beatles

This is indeed jazz

If youre more of an instrumental rather than lyrics person then I would lisent to this album, I like it even tho I prefer songs with lyrics but I like the jazz I would lisent to this while I study or bake in the kitchen. I recommend this album.

I rate shhhhhhh peaceful a 3 star because there are no lyrics and I like jazz so Its for me but not really. I rate in a silent way a 4 star because its calming and its relaxeing and the gutire is really good

song:shhh/peaceful i kind of like this song it would be good for putting someone on hold and i hate when i just hear my mom waiting for someone on the phone and the same song keeps playing and playing Song: In a silent way i love this song it is very calm and it makes you sleepy and relaxed so i recommend this one but at the end it kind of gets creepy and off pitched just a tiny bit