Bitches Brew

youtu.be/wwOipTXvNNo

That sure was several 20-minute jazz songs.

Miles Davis scrambles around like an uncircumcised elephant trying to skull fuck the charred remains of Madeline McCann.

It's true what they say about experimental jazz. It's shit

Listening to this gave me anxiety

Fuck, Jazz!!! Just fuck!!! I can’t do the improvisational shit. The lack of structure drives me insane. It’s cacophony! This album is at least 10x too long. I quit before the second song was half over. I just can’t do it. I know this is somewhat unfair, but I have to stick to my rating system and this album is unbearable. My apologies, Mr. Davis. I know you are a master at your craft.

A dream, a place with a clearing that drips with choices. In even waters, the fish will swim. As the album starts, the drummer seems to be the only thing holding everything together. It sounds like Miles is just paying attention to the drummer. Then I start to hear the musicians pairing off, twisting into and out of each others rhythm. I think timing and tempo are important to this album. Everyone feels so free to throw in fills or take a silent beat. Love this album!

This is a seminal album for any jazz fan. The addition of electric instruments to a more traditional jazz set-up creates a really unique sound and it was pretty revolutionary at the time. The songs feel exciting and alive because they were largely improvised in the studio. Shoutout to the album art, which really captures the feel of the music.

Whew. I thought I had listened to this record before but maybe not. It was WAY more experimental and chaotic than I expected. The musicianship is undeniable but it's not exactly an enjoyable listening experience. For some reason, though, it absolutely pushed me to heights of productivity while I listened to it this morning so there's something there that's working on my subconcious. Overall, I absolutely understand why this is on the list and I think I'm going to have to give it a second listen to understand it.

loving this. Bonkers and I can see why it is in the Top 1001 album's

Probably the best album I'll never listen to start to finish more than once. Best track: Miles Runs the Voodoo Down

Fucking Miles Davis. 4 times now. Can't be arsed with it.

I just can't get past the discordant jumble of sound.

I think the time it would take to learn to enjoy listening to this album would be better spent enjoying not listening to this album.

I haven't finished listening to this yet (and I will, I am no quitter) but I already know my rating will be 1/5 because the whole of the 45 mins I've listened to so far has sounded exactly the same to me.

Instant five. The kind of album that makes me throw my head back in relief, one of my all-time favorites ever by anyone. Anyone who thinks Kind of Blue is Miles Davis' magnum opus is a square, this one's otherworldly. It's frantic and hypnotic, a constant cyclone of disarray and hallucination. Imagine how psychotic these studio sessions must have felt. The title track is my favorite, especially for the moments of quiet that Davis punctuates by alternating between distant, echoing toots and loud, alarming blares of his trumpet. The guy is a wizard, that's never more clear than it is on this album. Do I have it on vinyl? Uh, yeah, two copies. You can't risk not having this around to spin. Also, as someone who likes to complain about long albums, I've got no complaints with this one. The standard is 90 minutes, but I listen to it with bonus tracks because it's that good. Each track is an odyssey. Favorite tracks: Bitches Brew, Spanish Key, but really the whole thing. Album art: Iconic. Easily in my top 5 ever ever. I love this art and art style so much. Most if not all vinyl releases for this are in gatefold format, and the art on the back is equally striking--the woman's face on the left is mirrored by an albino woman and there's a grimacing shaman priestess or something. I don't know if any artist has nailed the aesthetic of the music as well as this. 5/5

first song was enough for me. It’s just musicians warming up and making senseless noise. no one actually is able to sit through nearly two hours of that shit. 0/5

I was led to believe Kind of Blue was his opus but this meandering puzzle of noise is absolutely fantastic, something that you can immediately have enthusiasm for, but also something that would take a long time to truly understand on a theoretical level.

This is my favorite era for Miles though it may not be for many others. I love getting lost in these jams especially the way they are edited together to make these "movements" and suites. A bold experiment in searching for a new sound and creating a new subgenre in the process.

I'm getting increasingly frustrated at the negative reception to experimental album - you're given 1001 albums and you're getting frustrated at the ones that stand out? Albums like these are what make music so exciting, important, and revelatory. Nothing is happening quite like it.

The instruments don't sound like they're playing the same songs. 26 minute songs strike me as being made for the artists themselves rather than the end listener. Shite.

So Miles walks into the studio and says: "hey cats, I've got an idea: let's all play each other's instruments. I don't have the first f'ing idea how to play drums, but how hard can it be? Also, let's not stick on any particular tune ... or key.". Nigh on two hours I don't wish to repeat.

Absolutely electrifying, magical, dense, vibrant, warm, dynamic, climactic, cathartic, relentlessly colourful, masterfully performed, and endlessly forceful stuff. And that's putting it mildly.

They sure have a lot of superstars on this album. I like the way the ample rhythm section carves out spaces for the horns to solo, so they’re not soloing over top of each other, which is the problem I had with the recent Mingus album. I love the percussive nature of the rhythm guitar and keyboards. Miles plays aggressively at times, more so than I’ve heard before. While it’s great that it’s so improvised, with little rehearsal and only impromptu guidance from Miles, the fact that it was over-edited seems to defeat the purpose. I didn’t like this when I sampled it back in the day but after three listens in 24 hours I’m a fan.

nazi scientists pioneered the use of powdered orange juice drink but we dont put them on the '1001 scientists you need to know about' list saying that, I didn't hate this completely, there was a head bop or two I could imagine myself in a swanky jazz club listening to this - only manageable by the copious amounts of cocaine I would have to do to enjoy it

But a 6 if I listened to this live while sipping an Old Fashioned.

Clearly a masterpiece. Abstract and at times uncomfortable but very virtuous

Damn, this album is something else. It just goes freakin nuts in 'Miles Runs the Voodoo Down' - its like some weird, psychedelic musical odyssey. But what an album, I can't not give this 5 stars.

Way ahead of its time. Cool chilled and also strangely challenging

This album makes me ask the question: How do you define jazz? I haven’t listened to much jazz, but this pushes beyond what I thought it could be. Very experimental with the flavors of rock and electric instrumentation. Also for being over 90 minutes it never felt drawn out.

Very interesting experimental jazz with the surprising addition of some electric instruments. The very definition of dreamlike, where the narrative thread comes and goes - often hard to follow - but there’s a subconscious logic holding the whole thing together. I expected this to be an easy 5, but the long runtime combined with that dream-logic made it more challenging than I would’ve thought. Definitely one I’ll revisit.

Always loved this one, since I first got into jazz. However, the more I know about jazz, the more I appreciate this album - because I can see that there's rarely been an album of this calibre in the whole sub-genre of fusion this helped launch. I love how the tracks can start off sounding kinda like twiddly improv stuff, but they are far from undisciplined. Pseudo-symphonic structures emerge across the 10-30min tracks. Every instrument is lithe with vitality, and there isn't a dull moment over the whole 90 mins. If you compare it to bebop: instead of solists stepping to the front from the ensemble, this is like a group of virtuosos jamming together, and occasionally one of them is doing something different over in the corner, which only enhances the crazy beauty of the whole. 5/5 easy.

This album is fucking WILD

set a course for F U S I O N. Chick Corea on the keys and Wayne Shorter on the sax. LFG! Spanish Key, take me away. The perfect album to see the curviture of the earth to. oooo and then Miles Run the Voodoo Down.

yes

I don't think I'm qualified to rate a jazz album

I think this might be too jazz. This whole album left me somewhere between lost and confused, I'm not sure if any of the songs had a beginning, middle, or end. Maybe I will come back in 2 decades and see if it grows on me.

Songs are too long and unstructured. I love Miles, but this one isn't it for me

Just not my style. I find it choppy and abrasive.

I think I prefer Davis’s earlier work, this style of experimental jazz didn’t seem to do it for me. It just felt like there was too much dead air and disjointedness, especially in disc 1 (which consists of two tracks each over 20 min in length I should add). Just never really landed for me, but I appreciate the effort that went into trying something different.

Absolutely hideous every second of this album was like sound torture. Never again!

The album is 94 minutes long. Three minutes in and I was already dreading it. I do not care for jazz even though this is not really pure jazz but that does not help it. Parts of it were alright, however, I did start skipping around in the songs. I am not sure why one song needs to be 20 plus minutes long. I have no desire to ever listen to this again.

That wasn't pleasant.

A bunch of instruments playing, but with no relation to each other. An interminably long album.

I'm sure a lot of people will like it, but I hate it. Absolute pish.

Committing arson would have been a better way to spend my time than making myself listen to this garbage for 2 hours.

Nah fuck that.

Wank

Only made it through one third of the first track. I have nothing against Miles Davis specifically but I can't possibly describe how not into jazz I am.

Not sure what's worse - the fact that this is my second Miles Davis album in a week, or the fact that this is 1 hour and 45 minutes long. I really cannot do jazz. Listening to this feels like going to work at a horrible job. I keep checking the clock thinking that 2 hours have gone by, only to find out that it's just been 15 minutes and I'm still on the first song of the album. I'm desperately waiting for the day to end, and I know I can leave at any time (or in this case, turn the album off). But I'm no quitter so I stick with it, even if doing so evokes a horrible visceral reaction in me because I am so, so, so bored.

Kill me. Kill me now. An assault on my ears How is this 2 hours long. Didn5 get further than 30 mins in. 30 mins of my life I will never get back

No more Miles Davis please!

7 SONGS AND AN HOUR AND 45 MINUTES???

Another jazz album, another sad day for me. I don’t hate ALL jazz, but it’s safe to say experimental jazz is not for me, especially not almost 2 hours worth of it. In the words of Eleanor Shellstrop: “Ugh, I hate jazz. Every jazz song is like 40 minutes long. It’s like, we get it. You can blow on a trumpet.”

Yeah man I tried to get it years ago. Still feels the same. Stressful and random. Idk man idk

Certainly not music you'd hear in Olive Garden, unlike the other Miles Davis album I've gotten before. However, I would of vastly preferred that over this noise. Is me slamming on a piano for ten minutes really count as a song? Sure, if you want, but why would you want to listen to it? I'm certain this album is purely being carried by the name(s) behind it, because otherwise this is awful. You're lucky if you hear even a minute of something that sounds vaguely organized, or even listenable, and the fact that there is an hour-and-a-half of this in this album just makes it all the worse. Maybe I'm just too dumb to realize how "amazing" this is, but it genuinely sounds like at best a sound check, at worst: toddlers. Makes me angrier just writing this review.

This is clearly a divisive album. It's definitely not for me. Unlistenable - call me a philistine, but it's a discordant cacophony. I prefer music that I enjoy.

I find jazz boring. This is just random and noisy. I imagine people say "you just don't appreciate it" and to that I say I wouldn't want to

Cool album art. About 10 minutes in and I feel like I'm just listening to some random jam session. All over the place. Probably extremely offensive to anyone that loves this music. 20 minutes in nothing has changed. I guess it's still just the first song though, maybe song 2 will be 27 minutes of cohesiveness. Wrong. I want to go back and update my previous ratings higher so this one can go lower. I swear there were times the trumpet was used only with the intention of startling the listener. I made it, I listened to the whole thing. Strong dislike.

too chaotic for me

I’m sorry but I can’t listen to nearly 2 hours of tuneless jazz. I’m all for trying new music but there’s only so much I can take

Every time I hear the name Miles Davis, I think of that scene from Billy Madison: "if peeing your pants is cool, consider me Miles Davis." This is classed as experimental jazz. Great, every record that is classed as experimental is actually shit, so my hopes aren't high for this one. This is the second Miles Davis album I've reviewed (the first being Birth of the Cool, which got a 2/5). It was the beginnings of Cool Jazz, this is the beginnings of a dumpster fire. I feel like Miles Davis' music is the type where it is actually horrible, but people can't bring themselves to say that because it's Miles Davis so they pretend that it's deep or philosophical. No, it's just straight up shit. They couldn't even bring themselves to play a song structure of any kind. Kindergarten kids would have a chance at making music that is alot better than this shit. There is a part in the song Bitches Brew where it sounds like Super Mario jumping through coins. There is also the whole song Feio (should be FERO maybe... The garbage company) where some instrument (I can't pinpoint what it is) spends the whole 12 minute song making dog barking noises. There is no flow to this experimental, improvisational jazz. It's just a slew of musicians playing whatever they want, and not listening to one another. Truly painful to listen to. It actually just sounds like musicians warming their instruments up before a show. 1hr 45mins is way too long for any album, let alone this dumpster fire. Overall, this is garbage. I'll never listen again, and have no clue why it is on this list. Favourite song: John McLaughlin, simply because it is only 4 minutes, compared to every other song that is 15 minutes plus...why?!? Least favourite songs: the whole record. It's all utter garbage. There is no start, middle or end to any of these songs. It's just nonsense. 1/5 because I have to.... It'd be 0 if I could.

I can't stand listening to this.

First album i couldn't finish. I like some Jazz genres, but this is just way to much chaos for me. Really tried to get into this one as well, but all off it just sounds like random noise to me. For now it's a 1/5, maybe someday i'll change my mind.

Interminable ramblings.

Not my cup of tea. Gives me anxiety.

Le pire album du générateur jusque là, fous toi ta trompette dans le cul Miles, et je pisse au cul de tous les pseudo intellectuels musicaux qui vont nous sortir que cet album est un petit bijou. Notre brave John Zorn s'est fait descendre pour moins que ça...

L'introduction nous ramène exactement là où John Zorn nous avait laissés à la fin de son album. On le voit terroriser les New-Yorkais avec sa trompette greffée à la bouche. Soudain, en arrière-plan, apparaît une moitié du visage de Miles Davis, dissimulée derrière un abribus. Celui-ci bondit alors sur John Zorn et l'engloutit bientôt de la tête aux pieds tel un python dans une lente déglutition. Après quelques longues minutes, les orteils de Zorn disparaissent au fond de la gorge de Davis et l'estomac de ce dernier prend peu à peu la forme de notre terroriste. Notre ami commence alors l'enregistrement de l'album et le résultat ne se fait pas attendre : de véritables John-Zorneries. Après une heure et demie de sonorités atroces, on entend le ventre de Davis gargouiller avant de le voir recracher sa proie, encore en chair et en os mais recouverte d'acide.

Not my cuppa. I've been told if you play one note wrong it's a mistake, play two notes wrong and it's jazz. I guess I'm more of a Kind of Blue Miles Davis guy.

yeah

Closer to a 4.5, but I'm giving it 5 stars

not in the mood rn, but an experimental jazz classic

Transcendent music from an alien mind.

Miles Davis did it again. He revolutionized jazz once more. Amazing jazz album.

A truly stunning start. And a must own LP.

One of the most amazing jazz records of my experience.

So good

Thank god. Finally something truly excellent. This is not my favorite Miles album. That would be Sketches of Spain. But compared to the rest of the albums we’ve covered on this list, this is an easy five stars. Every track is a groovy odyssey.

Very cool album!

5.0 + Thanks, Thom Yorke, for turning me on to this record in 2001. It took about a dozen listens before I understood it — at first it mostly sounded like throwing jazz instruments down flights of stairs. Now I appreciate it as a soundtrack for a fever dream. Miles Davis’s sparse and echoey trumpet takes on an eerie, menacing and strangely majestic quality, especially when contrasted with clouds of creeping electric piano lines and muted, splashy drums.

Phenomenal.

I have heard this one.

Smooth!

Miles really is incredible. This album slaps.

The album that opened my eyes to free form jazz

So difficult to write anything about Miles Davis, at least for me, given who he was and what he did for music (jazz and beyond) in countless ways. I had heard tracks from this album before but had not listened to it all the way through. So interesting to listen to how he reinvented his music over the years, and, wow, there is a LOT going on in these tracks. Some of it a bit too much so for me, but I also have little exposure to this style of music so that could be due to conditioning. I'll need to spend more time with this one. All those layers and textures. What a lineup, too. Miles, man...just Miles.

I love this, the trumpet feels so crisp and cuts through the tracks it's on. It sounds like music for wii sports games in the best of ways. Multiple ~ 20 minute tracks are a bit much to just sit down and listen through but this managed to keep my attention throughout.

If you like jazz, you'll love this Album. If you don't like jazz it's gonna be a long slog for your. This album is iconic: perfect composition, intricate rhythmic and harmonic passages, wonderful use of dissonance and phenomenal musicianship.

Great Album!

crazy instrumentation, ultra long songs that run into one another, parts don't hold together at times, but what a ride...

Iconic, haunting, polished, and great listening.

Nice piece of jazz, %100 recomendable and ejoyable

Epic length tracks.

love the album art. Big leap from the Birth of cool.

4.5

Baffling at first but makes you rethink how to listen and what music can be/do.

Yes, Kevin Klopf - from in the corner to on Orleans top to bottom

Jazz masterpiece. Might be my favorite jazz album. 9-10/10

Miles Davis, who had not missed once in over a decade thus far into his career, decides to make a jazz fusion double album to let people know who's the king around here. This comes right after the 3-year long stint of psychedelic albums that have largely put the music industry in a strangle hold. This also comes one year after In A Silent Way, which was certainly not psychadelic. By god, I think we're about to hear Miles Dewey Davis III put his whole bussy into this album. Bitches Brew is not cool; it is dynamic, bright, and unpredictable. Bitches Brew is a wildfire.` It was sparked by a drive to make jazz more relevant again, hence the fusion in jazz fusion. These are not concessions, though. Fusion is an opportunity, one that Davis is more than willing to grab and master. A lot of Bitches Brew is simply musing on the sounds. It's not for understanding, but for feeling. Let it carry you away and explore the soundscapes. Miles has created this wonderful sonic environment for you to enjoy, so enjoy it. No doubt, it'll get weird at times and it is 90 minutes long, but you'll be surprised with how quick time passes when you're digging the Brew. I'll say right now that Spanish Key is the tightest song on here, but the individual songs matter less so in the long run. You've gotta just experience this album as is. Not everyone is going to like it because it's jazz and that ends up being a devisive genre more often than not. I promise that there's nothing to "get"; you either like it or you don't. I like it a lot.

Excellent jazz. I don't know nearly enough about jazz to give a "real" critique, but it's one of maybe two or three jazz albums I already had in my collection before coming across it on this list, and I actually come back and listen to it every so often (unlike many other albums on this list).