Reviews (page 10 of 12)
Nice background music vibes.
I can't stand listening to this.
Miles goes electric - love this. The instrumentals, the production, the mix. Miles is truly one of a kind.
I'm a fan of Jazz, but this is just a recording of them warming up.
I can’t say for sure they weren’t making it up as they go. Pretty incredible. Can you imagine being the guy on the triangles. Man I get to shine in 25 minutes.
Listened in the wrong context, while doing an enormous run. Poor rhythm for that, ended up cocking a gawky leg and stooping my strides arrythmically like a spastic emu. I didn't really get it but I think that's my fault. Jazz often makes me feel like that. Interesting and irritating in equal measure.
lost track of how many times i’ve tried to play through this record and fallen asleep partway. thanks for the free ride, davis. love and respect the music.
Chaotic, messy, rapturous soundscapes. Definitely get how innovative this was when it dropped; compared to In a Silent Way this feels several clicks beyond what it was going for. Not a listen I fully love or would return to much (I think), but very interesting and important. Best song: Sanctuary
My First Miles Davis Album! I'm excited! Okay, so real real jazz is a little much to me. Good to know. That was a lot. I bet I would love it in concert, but the listen was not great. Not something I'm eager to repeat.
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.
No. Nobody needs 1 hour 46 minutes of Jazz. NOBODY.
No doubt Miles is a top trumpet player... but an entire album is a bit much.
Not for me
Couldn’t get into this. 20mins tracks are daunting!
Genuinely phenomenal album, incredible line up of artists on this. Even if jazz isn’t your thing, I hope this album excited you.
Experimental for sure and always interesting. Occasionally the band stumbles into a groove. If that was the intent of the recording then the mission was achieved.
This was a weird listen, but interesting. Not a conventional jazz recording. Bitches Brew was aptly titled. Groovy is a word I could use to describe the overall sound of this album. You can tell it was 1970. 3.7/5
4.75
Hör s gerade
Many trips through this album and I’m still hearing new things.
Angry Miles. Good Miles.
But a 6 if I listened to this live while sipping an Old Fashioned.
Never have I listened to jazz and thought "You know what would make this way better? Adding in some beep boop electric instrument sounds."
F Pharaoh’s Dance - 1 Bitches Brew - 1 Spanish Key - 1 John McLaughlin - 1 Miles Runs the Voodoo Down - 1 Sanctuary - 2 Miles really thought he could force me to listen to 20 min+ tracks and get more than a 1. Honestly, it's not even the length, this just wasn't interesting jazz. There was way too much going on.
Contains some of the best music I've ever heard, also contains over-indulgent plinkplonk jazz excess. My least favourite of the classic electric miles era
It was good. 8.5/10
3.5
I’ve quite enjoyed the few Miles Davis albums I’ve listened to so far, although none have been anywhere near this absolute unit with a running time of 94 minutes. Only 6 songs though, in all the time. Jazz is weird. Let’s listen and find out if it’s one of the good ones! Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Spanish Key I’m finding through listening to all of these albums that, first of all, I don’t usually like jazz. However, there are some exceptions. I tend to enjoy the jazz with a clear structure, and dislike the more freestyle, improvised albums. Unfortunately, this album seems to lean more into that meandering psychedelic side, whereas the other Miles Davis albums I’ve listened to were a lot easier to follow. The trumpet playing is still good, as is all of the other instrumentation, but the actual music loses me here.
I don't get experimental jazz! : ) But this was nice to clean to after the end of the school year. The trumpet was great. The music felt like controlled chaos.
This was good. A bit "out there" for my tastes, but enjoyed it. Solid 👍
A weird thing from Miles here. Interesting rather than good
First Miles Davis album DISC 1: we'll let that settle for a minute. Feels a bit hostile & ominous at times, yet still captivating DISC 2: "Spanish Fly" is the most accessible moment so far, for me personally. Is it just me or is the music on this warmer-sounding? Great crescendo in "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down” it might be a masterpiece. Make no mistake, this is no “Head Hunters”, with no addictive hooks like in Chameleon & Watermelon Man. It’s a pretty different beast, and one I’m almost relieved to “shelve” for now. 90 mins is a lot. But wot a journey
I try and try, and likely will again, but I can't grow to love it
Easy to listen to and enjoy!
Wonderful
Cool and moody, think-y and baleful – in other words, a near perfect mirror of its creator temperament. Not especially tuneful, and certainly it’s not Kind of Blue (or even In a Silent Way), but shares with those classics a sort of heady melange that only Miles could muster. It's alchemy basically, with a studied, Rorhschacian neutrality that asks the listener to consider both emotional and intellectual reactions. One’s glad all the stoner kids bought in sufficiently to this landmark of edgy exploration to make Miles “relevant” again (whatever it takes).
I always like some Miles Davis, he has a great range of albums. Although this does mean that I enjoy some of them a lot more than others. In a silent way and Miles ahead are still my favourites
Interesting experimental jazz but not 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
Haven’t listened to this for quite a while, and it’s a pretty overwhelming project. It’s a slow burn and requires some patience for me to really appreciate (definitely not something I can stick on at any time) but has a lot of great moments and is just very impressive, a landmark record for sure
This is the best jazz album I've ever heard, and I grew up playing jazz band in school. Their groove just grabs you and never lets go throughout the entire album. Just simply incredible.
This is a watershed album that saw Miles Davis continue to experiment with rock and electronic instrumentation and embrace a looser form. The result is an experimental jazz masterpiece that essentially established jazz rock/fusion as a genre.
This is one of my favorite. I highly recommend the Pangaea live album if you’re into this. And great cover art.
too chaotic for me
It wasn't difficult to listen to, but it also wasn't something that I particularly enjoyed, or would choose to listen to again in the near future. Nothing on this album really spoke to me, just lots of noises all jumbled up. Some of it was pleasant, some of it seemed to be going somewhere, but never really arrived. I'm sure it's all really clever stuff and I didn't hate it, but it was good background music at best.
9/10
Some really cool bits in this. More of a mood than sound at times.
Very experimental but Miles is always able to somehow pull this craziness off. Not sure I like it as much as some of his more standard stuff, but it was still very impressive.
I can appreciate this for ambience while working or maybe while stuck in traffic but giving this album your full attention feels like a long two hours. This album is just far too long and really should be half the run time.
Logboek entry 1: Ik heb het gevoel dat ik er al een hele dag op heb zitten en ik zit pas op driekwart van de eerste track. Dit wordt een lange zit. Tot nu toe kan ik het wel aanhoren, maar ik haal er geen plezier of genot uit. Met vlagen waan ik me die dansende dwerg van Twin Peaks. Logboek entry 2: Gevoelsmatig kijk ik nu 2 dagen later naar de voortgangsbalk in Spotify. Ik kom er achter dat ik pas halverwege track 2 ben. M'n vorige logboek entry was slechts 20 minuten geleden. Opeens snap ik hoe het tijdreizen in Interstellar werkt. Logboek entry 3: Halverwege track 3. Het klinkt inmiddels iets minder alsof de muzikanten los van elkaar aan het warmspelen zijn. Het voelt alleen wel alsof Miles je na het lopen van een marathon uitnodigt om nog even een uurtje te gaan wandelen. Grotendeels berg op, met wind tegen, op verkeerde schoenen. En Miles stapt over het algemeen graag stevig door. Logboek entry 4: Ik zie dat ik net een nummer van 4,5 minuut heb gehad. Bijna gemist. Twee keer knipperen en het is voorbij. Dat vrijwel alle andere artiesten aan 4 minuten genoeg hebben om hun punt te maken; ongelofelijk eigenlijk. Ik voel me alsof de eindstreep in zicht komt, maar de gladiolen worden nog niet in m'n handen gedrukt. Nog iets meer dan een half uur te gaan. Dat is genoeg tijd om te luisteren naar Raw Power van the Stooges, Green River van CCR of Surfer Rosa van Pixies. Allemaal albums waarvoor ik 5 sterren uitdeelde. Het mag voor mij niet zo zijn, Miles heeft nog puf. Logboek entry 5: Sanctuary begon wel aardig, met een beetje een Tournée Générale vibe, maar op het einde ontspoort de trein toch weer. Het laatste beetje zin wat ik had in dit album wordt nu vakkundig weggeblazen. Zometeen als beloning voor mezelf maar even een rustig podcastje opzetten over een misdaad in Drenthe waar ik nog nooit van gehoord heb, o.i.d. Muziek hoeft vandaag niet meer. Logboek entry 6: Over de helft van de laatste track nu. Nog een paar stappen en de reis is voorbij. Miles is er zelf toch ook wel wat moe van merk ik bij de laatste track, en gelukkig maar. Dit album was eens en nooit meer voor mij. Ik ben nu al bang voor de drie andere keren dat ik nog een Miles Davis album ga krijgen. Grote kans dat ik dan eerder afhaak als hij weer met me wil gaan lopen. Met alle respect een 1 van mij voor deze slijtageslag.
Miles Davis at his most metal.
Remek djelo remek djelo remek djelo remek djelo
Bitches Brew was, at first, like Yes' Tales From Topographic Oceans. A double album with long songs? How could this not be something I would enjoy? I like most of Davis' eras, but his intro into this experimental jazz / fusion has always been a quandary for me. It just feels like the band is noodling along and there's no sense of melody or theme throughout. Davis does that whole trumpet burst thing, but his solos are not really... impressive. I don't get a sense of where each piece is going, and it gets to a point where I am unsure as to what is the difference between each one. I'm not saying jazz has to fit into a specific box, but 2 hours of noodling doesn't seem like groundbreaking to me. I'll still put it on every once in a while, and see if I "get" what all these critics were getting when they rated it so highly. But somehow I don't think so.
I'm sorry, I still don't get jazz. I listened to this album a number of times and I know Miles Davis is a legend but it didn't really make me stand up and pay attention. Pharoah's Dance was fine, maybe the final minute or so I caught something really cool. Ditto for the title track. Spanish Key was the best track in my opinion, a lot of different blends you don't always hear (guitar and brass). Miles Runs the Voodoo Down feels like it took some risks perhaps? Sanctuary fine. If I gave the album a four, which maybe it deserves, I feel like I'd only be doing it because I know that's what smarter more jazz-informed folks would do. But it just didn't speak to me, so it gets a naive 3.
Simply not my kind of music
I felt like this was a giant jam session for the sole enjoyment of the musicians. Masterful artists, but I felt like no one else was invited to the party. I didn't enjoy this at all.
Good, but really take some mental effort to get through.
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.
Can appreciate the art…but it’s just not my thing
chaotic and crazy - def a good listen but I feel like I need about 10 more to really grasp this one properly. This one almost makes it to a 4 just on the boldness of the mission alone - all those players and so much improvisation - it's a wonder it holds together at all. The guitar player McLaughlin is out of this world - def need to know more about him.
Ay, cómo me embola esto. Prometí escucharlos todos de punta a punta, no me hagan esto.
Encountered this album through Fantano and knew it would come at some point. A few listens later I'm convinced I still don't fully understand the true heights it reaches. The listening experience is like being in a noir film. It's debonair, warped, sometimes fidgety but constantly cool. That atmosphere morphs and evolves strangely throughout but stays exciting and - for a fifty year old album - edgy as fuck.
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
Its Bitches Brew by Miles Davis. If you don’t give it a 5, listen to it until you do. 5/5
Tof jazzplaatje
As i expected , amazing improvisation, good use of instruments
It’s clear that this is a groundbreaking album. Miles Davis is extremely skilled and this is an engaging album. I can appreciate all of that but it doesn’t get 5 stars from me because I don’t think I could listen to this every day.
i like this
Jaaaaaaaazz
I groaned when I saw this. I've tried so many times to listen to Miles and Jazz in general and failed to like any of it. I was feeling low and put this on to be able to say "I've listened to it". Suffice to say it blew me away. It's not music in a conventional way. Powerful, moody, introverted and deliberately wilful. Boy did this blast the cobwebs away.
Very experimental at times, but great playing
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.
Miles Davis was consistently at the forefront of every major jazz movement, innovating throughout every stage of his career. ‘Bitches Brew’ is a perfect example of him doing whatever the hell he wants, taking risks, and being completely successful at it and creating one of the greatest jazz albums of all time. One of the greatest albums of all time in general. Most people who dislike this album are people who didn’t even try to understand it. I don’t understand jazz whatsoever, but I still think this album fuckin grooves dude. 5/5
This wasn't bad. It melded well with the ambiance of my day.
Jazz
Bad Word Brew
Feels like sitting in the theater waiting for the movie to start
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.
Man it takes a lot of effort to break through the first 20mins but spoils await those willing
Needs a relisten. I just don't know enough about jazz
Good jazz.
I’m clearly not intelligent to get this, give me some melodies please
Classic. Love it.
The fusion tracks inspired by psycheldelic rock and soul are very fun and novel. Some of the other tracks drag on a bit, though.
Solid early morning listen.
Yeah this really gets out there. Too bad Matt has given up on the album a day challenge as I'm pretty sure this is his favorite Miles era. It may sound like a jumbled mass of noise at points, but remember you've got to listen to the notes they're NOT playing man. Also, Bitches Brew is one of the greatest album titles ever!
This album is probably brilliant to the right person. That person is not me.
probably amazing, but I have a hard time focusing on jazz for some reason
I'm sure this is great but I can't listen to it
Yeah man I tried to get it years ago. Still feels the same. Stressful and random. Idk man idk
The chaos cuts have evident enough characters; The format is the weirdest thing. Miles did something new, fair enough, with not quite a sequence, not quite a session. That, that and the edits, can only be expected to show up years and ears in.
Alright. I find it a bit too long, couldn't really focus on it. But I get how influential it is. Liked the sharp uptick sound of the trumpets. Sounds mysterious. + Bitches Brew
songs are too long for me, but good tunes. 2.5
“If peeing your pants is cool, consider me Miles Davis.” Homeboy may be cool, but I still dislike jazz.
I tried but just could not get through this one. The unstructured jazz was just so hard to listen to. While I know that there are people who love jazz it hasn’t worn off on me.
Saxofón y trompeta pura y clásica de un gran virtuoso. Para muy amantes del estilo. Sin ser entendido, demasiado plano
I can't imagine I have anything valuable to add to the conversation.
Fair play to their commitment and musicianship. Really not for me, though.
not into jazz but this is wild.
Okay, apparently there's a longer version of this album I need to hear, although this version was really good too
I love Miles, but have a hard time appreciating this album. Each song is 20 minutes on average, and that’s too long for my attention span. Beautiful music, but not my favorite Miles album.
Improvisational sets by a bunch of talented musicians, who all get inspiration from voices none of rhe rest of us can hear. I prefer the style of Kind of Blue over this and likely don't need to listen to this one again.
Bittchin
Never understood jazz fusion if I’m being honest. Just filled with long jam tracks. Maybe one of these days it will click with me.
I recognise that it's just not for me. My first Miles album of the list and I dont know what I think of it. Maybe I need more time with it, but I can realise its good, without really loving it. It's like being in a car crash, and every one of your senses is being violated. Definitely not bad though. 13/03/23
Not a big jazz guy but I liked this overall. A bit long and overly meandering at times but I like the fusion between jazz and rock. I can appreciate how much of a landmark album this is. 4 stars.
I have decided I am not a Jazz fine.
Super weird, don't think I liked this very much. Also an hour and 45 minutes of this... Felt like I was losing my mind after half of the first track tbh.
Too many noises
I didn’t think I would like this. Really, I was fairly certain I would not care for it. Never would have listened to it if not for this project. But now I have listened to it, 4 or 5 times so far, and I guess I like it. I am in no way qualified to review it or offer any insight, but I was shocked at how compelling I found it. Love the bass and percussion.
An enjoyable ambient jazz album 3/5
A little too unstructured for me.
man, i find it difficult to appreciate this only listening to it. But it brings so much flow when i was reading. So it's a 4.5
Again, jazz just isn’t my thing.
What bad can be said about Miles Davis and jazz? That's right - nothing
I bet the Tàr character Cate Blanchett plays tells everyone this is her favorite Miles Davis album, even though she's probably never bothered listening to it.
I'm mostly familiar with jazz through hip-hop, so I'm loving all the stuff this site has been sending me. I love how funky this is.
This album is awesome but its too wacky for me to like it as much as other davis releases. I still respect it though
Ned mösse lose, esch sowieso 5 Stärn
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.”
Of course I like the weird experimental one
some of the high pitched was annoying 6.5/10
This honestly might be the GOAT Jazz album.
too psychedelic to me
This one's apparently really divisive among the generator audience, but suits my ADHD brain just fine. I think for me it's like... 4/5 for musical enjoyment (at the end of the day, I liked "In A Silent Way" more), 5/5 for interesting production story, 7/5 for album art.
Eh.
Great album
Mästerligt. Även om den nog bär ansvar för en massa outhärdlig musik.
First album I've put on and then hit play again as soon as it finished. This is deep. I've listened to Kind of Blue quite a few times and never really been moved, but Bitches Brew is a far more interesting beast. Jazz is not my thing at all, but this thing somehow floats my boat. At times it sounds like 5 songs at once but then all comes back into a single stream of brilliance. Unexpected 4 stars for me.
This album sums up jazz totally for me, a number of great musicians playing in a band but all playing different tunes. I'd love to get into jazz but despite trying numerous times it still grates on me. I won't give this a 1 as I'd rather listen to this than some of the other albums but if I ever play it again it will be by mistake.
ahooooooooo trumpetinho
Best headache ever. 8/10 Fave: sanctuary
7 SONGS AND AN HOUR AND 45 MINUTES???
Technically, I have no need to do this. Whoever is spying on my data at Apple would know just how many times I've played this since I got iTunes 20 years ago (they would also have to extrapolate backwards, and also account for the many times I've listened to the CD rather than streaming, but never mind.) Whether the Art Vs the Artist argument comes up, I think about this, and In A Silent Way, and excuse myself. My subjectivities mean that I have nothing of use to contribute to the conversation.
An all timer. Maybe the best jazz fusion record ever? It's a daunting 1hr 34min for the uninitiated, and not one I'd recommend when sliding headfirst into jazz, but it is a labyrinth of wonder.
10/10
Not exactly easy listening, but damn if it isn't good.
Love Miles Davis. I listen to this album regularly. Absolutely groundbreaking and cool as hell.
Love some jazz
Music to get lost within!
Jazz canónico de Miles Davis. Vinilo.
Это батя фьюжна. Сложные импровизации, крутые духовые солями, сексуальное фортепиано. Да, это я очень люблю слушать как на фоне, так и очень вдумчиво. Даже отвлекся от книги в этот момент, чтобы вслушаться более внимательное в музыку
Блин, это звучит как трио Леши Бычкова! Ну почти. Вообще и правда, Лёша, клавишник группы ил, выдаёт на клавишах во время концерта что-то очень похожее. Главный вопрос: а что с длительностями?) Я вообще не понял сначала, сколько на альбоме треков: он разделён на два диска, на первом из которых 2 трека, а на втором 5... Причём обычно второй диск это большая редкость и обычно там собраны всякие расширения, бонусные треки, неудачные дубли и тд. Но здесь получилось, как мне кажется, наоборот: главный диск именно второй. В чём логика — непонятно. Полтора с лишним часа это было слушать тяжело, именно сконцентрировавшись на музыке. На фон я попытался поставить — иногда возникают слишком резкие звуки. Модный джаз: сложный, непонятный, невоспринимаемый. Из недавнего чем-то напомнило Imaginary Friends Orchestra, которые приезжали на Дни Физика, дуэт контрабаса, кларнета и драм-машинки. И там тоже были вот всякие квази-экспериментальные гармонии и тд. Сегодня это было "не моё", а вот тогда мне понравилось.
ну это преступление
Nice. I love the way of featuring the guitar and organ. Would have been 5 stars if it stopt a little sooner, because after a while I got a bit overwhelmed with all the stuff that's happening.
Frantic and challenging. I like the use of loops and echoes, the funky electric guitar and bass in addition to traditional jazz instruments, and the sheer overwhelming amount of ideas here, but it’s not a record I’d want to hear regularly.
Nice jazz album but maybe a bit long
Just very good jazz
Cool album, has nice energy. Can be a bit intense at times.
This is certainly one of the jazz albums of all time
Eh it’s just not for me
Awesome, I really dig this. Jazz all the way, baby.
So smooth. Hard to pick a favourite but Feio stands out because of that dog barking kind of sound and chit chat at the end. Very enjoyable to listen to.
Well alright! An enormous amount to explore here - I can definitely see myself coming back to this again and again. I think I prefer "In A Silent Way" as it feels a bit more coherent, but still, great stuff! Fave track - "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down". Chunks of the first two tracks were pretty great - they might become faves with more listens. Also, I know it's a bonus track, but "Feio" is _awesome_. It's basically doom jazz, which is one of my fave flavors of jazz!
I love Miles’s work from the 50s and 60s, but Bitches Brew has always been a little bit too out there for my taste.
Didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.
It's experimental and great and I am hesitant to give 5 to something with such an obvious reputation, but I for sure would listen again so why not.
It’s a bit tough to get into but it opens up after the first track into something really lovely.
Where to even start. This album is just pure jazz insanity. I'm a sucker for stuff that plays with atonality and this has that in spades. It's so bold and aggressive, right down to the cover and title. One of those albums that just feels like a STATEMENT.
The more discordant it gets, the more I like it. Particularly like when the trumpet punches in.
One bottle of carmenre, one pair of your favourite jammies, one cheese board with side of olives and grapes, one open fire well stoked to roast your nuts, one table lamp setting a dusky scene, one cumfy sofa to stretch out on, one Miles Davis album of chill jazz... close eyes and relax, (try not to think of Ron Burgandy on jazz flute scene)
If I'm not in the mood for this music I find it irritating!
Nope
I liked this and i,m not even a jazz fun. That's the point of discovery new music Sit and listen complain later. 4
No more Miles Davis please!
3- repeat album
Just ride it.
The man is funky!
PREFS : TOUT MOINS PREF : RIEN
Very cool - but fairly impenetrable so will need several listens.
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
I like jazz. I like Miles. I *should* love his all-star band including Boston’s own Chick Corea. Sadly, jazz fusion is a music style that has always been a worst case scenario for me.
ground breaking
I do like bits and pieces and some albums throughout Miles Davis' career, particularly Kind of Blue, In a Silent Way and big favourite Tribute to Jack Johnson. I really enjoyed the fusion of blues rock guitar and funky bass. I've wanted to like Bitches Brew, but it never works for me like Jack Johnson and is far too messy to be similar to A Silent Way. Genius and forward thinking with the editing, loops and cut and paste, but this one's not for me. Cover art is afro magnificent.
One of the most important albums in music history, it redefined Jazz and in turn rock as well. This was the seed that give birth new genres of Jazz lead to bands like Return to Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra and Weather Report. I still like Kind of Blue more but it's hard to deny what magic was created in a few days in August 1969.
Well, that was long. I‘ve sat through this before, with similar results: I lose focus and my mind wanders away from the music. The music is great, but it’s just too much for too long. Certainly the brilliance is there, but my attention is not. Is it a 5? Probably, due to the pivotal influence the recording has had on jazz and rock music. But because I hit a jazz fatigue point about a quarter of the way into each of the pieces, I have to drop it to a 4.
This was a very long jazz album. Wasn't as bad as some of the jazz albums i've had to listen to.
There was movie theater near me that used to play some first run movies, but mostly indie and art house type stuff. We would go to it so often when I was in high school and college that we would have seen everything that was offered that we had heard of and have the clerk at the counter just suggest something to watch. Saw a few really good movies that way (the best being Saving Grace, that's a great movie, I recommend seeing it at some point.) This is the music they would play in the lobby and theaters before the movie started. Perfectly fine to ignore but not something I enjoy.
As much as I want to be able to appreciate jazz, and as much as I know that this album is one of the most respected in it's genre, I just don't get it. This type of jazz just doesn't really do much for me personally. I know Miles Davis is extremely talented and groundbreaking but I just have a really hard time getting into this album. I wish I understood it and could appreciate what others are hearing but I have to be honest. The above sentences were written before listening to the second disc. I liked sides 3 and 4 a lot more than the first disc. It felt much less chaotic and brought in slightly more straightforward progressions they were riffing on. My rating is just a reflection of where I'm at with the album and whether I think I'd ever find myself listening to it again by choice, not my feelings on the importance of the album. I know this is an important album. Maybe someday I'll come back to it and hopefully it will hit me right. Standout Tracks: Spanish Key, Miles Runs the Voodoo Down
I was excited to give his a listen (although was sure I'd heard it once years ago off the back of loving On The Corner). It started off well enough but I must admit the noodling along after a while made me drift off. Perhaps would have got more out of this if I had sat down to listen intently rather than working simultaneously, but for me this lacked the focus and groove of 'Corner' and I didn't fins anything to pull me in and make me listen. Possibly worth another listen at some point, and I like the fact it was just two long tracks, but this didn't get me that excited in the end, sadly.
There's far too much going on. It did me nut in tbh. Bloody racket.
DNF. Super long. Technically impressive, but no recurring themes or motifs to be found. Nice to have on in the background, but too chaotic to be really enjoyable.
Long songs
"Bitches Brew" is a studio album by American trumpeter, composer and band leader Miles Davis. It was his second album experimenting with electric instruments including the electric guitar and piano and arrangements more rock (than jazz). The album is credited as a progenitor of jazz-rock and influencing 70's crossover musicians. Yeah, there is a lot going on in each of these songs. The recording took place live over three days with all the musicians sitting in a half circle. Davis gave the musicians three chords which to improvise off of. He had a unique and big rhythm section: two bassists (Dave Holland, Harvey Brooks), two to three drummers (Jack DeJohnette, Lenny White, Don Alias, Billy Conham), two electric pianos (Chick Corea, Joe Zawinul) and a percussionist (Don Alias). The other musicians used this rhythm section to improvise off and were: Davis-trumpet, Wayne Shorter-soprano sax, Bennie Maupin- bass clarinet and John Mc Laughlin-electric guitar. This album is also known for its extensive tape editing including tape loops, slicing, reverb and echoing effects. It was Davis' highest charting album reaching #35 and won a Grammy for Best Jazz Ensemble Album. "Bitches Brew" is a double album with six songs. You could write a book on all that goes on in each of these songs. "Pharoah's Dance" begins the adventure with the percussion (congas), bass and electric piano creating a dreamy atmosphere. The trumpet comes in at the 2:45 mark. The drums are added and we are defintely in rock-jazz fusion. It's goes jazz and then slows up. An explosive trumpet at the end. Whew!!! The things that stand out to me in the 26-minute long "Bitches Brew" are the echoing/reverbing trumpet/horns, the guitar giving a pyschedelic vibe and all the instruments going off..very chaotic. The percussion, bass, drums, piano and guitar lay a funky groove to "Spanish Key." The trumpet and horns play off that groove. The song continues more exploration in that rock-jazz fusion. Great guitar. The guitar is also the centerpiece of the more bluesy "John McLaughlin." Bluesy at the start at least and then ventures into more jazz improv. The instruments volume turned down giving it a more subtle feel. The bass, drums and guitar give another bluesy start to "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down." And here Miles' trumpet is leading the charge with all other instruments playing off him. Then John McLaughin on the guitar takes over. Back and forth until the pace picks up and Davis ends it with a great solo. "Santuary" concludes the album and is best described as a jazz ballad. Davis' trumpet and the electric piano dominate the song with all other instruments playing off them, sometimes coming to the forefront. An appropriate last trumpet note ends the song and album. This is quite the music listening experience. Lots going on. I obviously appreciated the sheer talent of the musicians but also the change of tempos, lead instruments (and lead instrument changes) and general improvisation. Some may find it too chaotic and unfocused bit I think that exactly its point. A great album.
No thanks
I can't be Uber pretentious about Miles. A genius? Perhaps. Do I enjoy listening to this? No. Do I appreciate this? Yes. Will I be sticking to Sketches of Spain for my Miles fix? Also yes.
Although an absolute classic I just wasn't in the mood for jazz tonight. It's still an amazing album though
A JazZ Mastro at his Zenith with an amazing line up in support
Pretty good but long.
very good though i'm not so used to jazz so i couldn't fully understand what was happening
Brilliant, some amazing moments in it where it goes crazy but always feels controlled
A masterpiece of improvisational texture and production. Unparalleled in the genre and a highlight of Miles' career.
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.
great jazz, but my god what a long album. i’d honestly say 6/10, too long
Not all the way my Kind o jazz. But all the Featured Artists. So many of them I love. Shorter McLaughlin Korea Zawinul....
I still don't really know enough to describe or even critique this "properly", but I do know I enjoyed it, and appreciated the talent of the musicians involved.
Obviously he's amazing but this is An hour and 45 Minutes so one for the enthusiasts, I feel.
Maybe I'm not musically literate enough to really appreciate the intricacies (or even the basics) of what Miles Davis is doing here, or why it's considered to be good. Rating: 2/5 Playlist track: John McLaughlin Date listened: 25/11/22
Sip some black coffee, watch the rain fall, and listen to miles Davis pog for 2 hours. Would recommend
slow
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.
Wank
The thing that struck me during this particular listen of Bitches Brew is how incredibly groovy the entire thing feels. Something so experimental has no business inducing as much head-bobbing as this record does. Jazz-rock fans everywhere salute the incredible bunch of musicians who got together to bring this groundbreaking recording into existence.
It’s almost impossible to fully comprehend the names that appear on this record. Shorter, Zawinul, Corea, McLaughlin, Cobham and of course the main character, Davis. This could just as well been a random listing of greatest jazz musicians on their respective instruments. Mind blowing! There’s something about Bitches Brew that feels almost illegal to listen to. Like you’ve ventured into an area where only a select few have set foot before. This must have sounded extremely revolutionizing back in 1970. And the reason I know that is because is still sounds just as groundbreaking 52 years later.
Miles Goes Electric. Jazz goes Rock for 1.5 hours, yet somehow all I could do was stare out of the window and listen, trying to take it all in. I know Kind of Blue is the magnum opus, but surely this has to be the defining Miles Davis.
Only giving this a 2 because I refused to listen to it to fairly give it a 1. No more Miles please!
Pretty sure this is the soundtrack in hell, you thought 90 mins was long, try eternity heathen!
I know he’s a great musician but I just don’t get it. To my ears it’s a cacophony so I didn’t enjoy it and couldn’t bring myself to listen all the way through.2*
Not sure I gave it a fair whack but was a bit inpenetrable.
I don't get it.
I struggle with entire instrumental albums at the best of times, and this was no exception. Freeform, improvised jazz is not my cup of tea, there's not enough structure to this and IT'S NEARLY TWO HOURS LONG!!!! There probably is an album that I'd be quite happy to listen to in there somewhere, if you cut out a decent chunk of the repetition and twiddling around that slows everything down, but it gets lost in the mess. 1/5.
p196. 1970. 1 star. It's probably technically exquisite but... ffs, do we really need a double album of 70's jazz wankage and 20+ minute shapeless, pointless, free form tracks? There is no difference between this and all those double album prog rock albums from the same era that no-one listens to. Life is too short for this.
This was very jazzy
After yesterday's surprise jazz album I'm firmly back hating jazz This album is a complete waste of time
Reminded me of my Contemporary Music Ensemble days - cool if you’re in it but not always fun to listen to.
Songs were a little too long, but still some good stuff
TOO LONG
Not for me to judge how radical this was. For a punk/new wave lover hard to tell. But enjoyed listening to it
Still don’t know how to rate jazz but I would say I liked this. I usually can’t stand albums as long as this but I didn’t really mind it. Maybe because of the freeform nature of it, I don’t know. Not sure if I would listen to it again though
30-Oct-2022 Listening to this on a lazy Sunday morning, the day before Halloween feels very appropriate. I've listened to this album many times before, but I think I usually get so bowled over by the quality of the first two tracks that I don't always get the whole way through it. Pharoe's Dance and Bitches Brew could have been their own 5-star album, but there is so much more here to explore. On this listen, I noticed how much some of the other instruments shine, particularly the drums on the title track and the saxophone toward the end of Spanish Key. At times the trumpet is a little too brash, but that's important too as it whips the listener into a frenzy and takes them along for the ride through this madhouse of an album. I can only imagine what it must have been like to listen to this for the first time in 1970. It must have absolutely blown people's minds, and mortally offended some too. It's one of the most imaginative and creative albums I've ever listened to, and one of the best by far for daydreaming.
A masterpiece.
I like Miles Davis, good album.
Nah fuck that.
So relaxing, no simple tracks but complete movements. But I still prefer other Miles Davis albums.
Слишком долго чтобы слушать.. наверное прикольно, для кого-то другого
Not for me
I’m sure this is ✨art✨ but I sure can’t sit through it
It’s jazz. 3/5
4.5/5. According to Patrick Star, to be a man means to acquire a taste for free form jazz. I am a man.
Remarkable! I always read about him being avant garde and pushing the genre to new territories, but hearing it made me think about what a shock this sound must have been to the jazz world.
This was one very excentric and progressive jazz, wasn't a fan of it and it was way too long
This has an amazing and totally distinctive sound. I'm not sure I'm even totally qualified to appreciate what they're doing. This isn't what I reach for in most circumstances, but I would play this again. The thing is though, it's not easy-listening background music - it's dark, intense, and strongly dissonant - you really have to be paying attention to enjoy it, it's not the sort of thing you can just leave on and bop along to. But it's also kind of meandering - the songs are consistently moody, but other than that rough guide they don't have a ton of obvious structure. So it doesn't really fit as a focused listening experience either. Generally it's just tough to find a spot for. It's also very, very long - when I'm in the mood for jazz, I'm usually in the mood for 30-40 minutes of jazz, and it's just so much easier to reach for "Birth of the Cool" or "Kind of Blue" in those moments. So this might not be the fairest review in the world, nor the one that most appreciates this record on the level it's supposed to be appreciated, but for me this is just average.
Definitely improves the world.
listened to again one of his greatest bodies of work
Some great jazz but too long of an album
Love it or hate it, this recording changed jazz forever. Great interplay between the band now that they are all plugged in.
Not my favorite of Davis’ work for sure, but better than a lot of what was coming out at the time.
I tried. I listened to this album again. I’ve heard it before. It’s been on my mind a ton. I keep trying to figure it out, and I can’t. I don’t get it. The album art work and the beer are amazing. The album is chaos.
I kept wondering what method they used to come up with names for each of these tracks. There is music of his that does it for me. This album missed the mark by a wide swath of bitches.
Eh
You can say some really pretentious shit at me saying I dont get it or bla bla, but this is just not great. A lot of 20 minute really similar songs with a bunch of density and no real standout grooves or melodies. Just a lot of talented skilled playing that leads to a bunch of chaotic nothing. Still a 3 star because I do love the soundscape of the album and I can respect the playing. But this is not worth your time, a terrible intro to jazz, and a shit experience.
I want to like Miles Davis, I really do, but I struggled hardcore to get through 1 hour and 46 minutes of this syle of jazz. More than happy to chalk it up to my lack of culture, I just don't think it should feel like such a drag to get through any of the albums on this shortlist...
Pharaoh’s Dance, Spanish Key, John McLaughlin are jams. The others were a bit too discordant for me.
Crazy dark, lots of space left on this record. Very eerie and jagged. Favorite track: "Bitches Brew"
Nope. Album cover art is ok. Had to ff every song but they all sounded the same so I wasn’t sure if the ff worked.
This album is intricate and extremely skillful. You can tell how intentional each move is and it sounds so fluid and put together. It’s the epitome of free-spirited expert-level jazz. If I want to hear jazz music, I’ll pull up this album. That being said, I’m too much of a zoomer to listen to this casually. I need stuff with lyrics unless I’m studying or trying to zone out. In general: 7/10 My rating: 4/10
So long
I mean it's fuckin bitches brew. 5/5
This one really sticks with you. I've only listened to this album once before this and I vividly remember the experience. It's not something that I will likely ever listen to again, but it's hard not to respect what it is. Haunting and beautiful.
This album really challenged my perception of music when I first listened to it. Bitches Brew, while rough around the edges, is a wild experiment in musical abstraction and improvisation filled with virtuosic musicianship, focus, and vision.
I get that this might be a great album or there's great musicianship going on here. It is just hard to get through for me. It also was in a Monday morning slot on our list so the anxiety from this one on top of returning to work was rough.
Borders on unlistenable at times but I can understand what they were going for.
Mesmerizing It’s been a while since I’ve listened and it still holds up in my opinion Epic jazz fusion that layers the smooth and subtle with overwhelming noise and mayhem
I love Kind of Blue. Though I've slogged through this album any of a number of times (and even studied it in college), it just has not contextualized for me yet. Really respect Miles Davis, but this one is very difficult.
uhhhh... yeah. I want to like this and appreciate it like people sometimes do. But the truth is that I really like the album art more than the music. Maybe this is an 'experience' and since I 'say no to drugs' I assume I'll never truly appreciate this. I've heard samples of this in the wild ... Chi-Ali's Roadrunner song (yes, I listened to the Fabulous Chi-Ali, so what?) and I'm sure there are others out there. Full disclosure, I've tried getting through this many different times and even took a couple jazz theory classes and discussed this one. But, the only thing that is memorable is the bass line to roadrunner and the artwork. Sorry, Mr. Miles...
The 60s did weird things to people. And to music. Take Miles Davis for instance. He birthed the cool at the end of the 50s. But by the end of the 60s he was as deep in the psychedelic, abstract, and avante garde as everyone else. I would say it’s like the cool kid you knew in high school that everyone wanted to be like, but then they got addicted to drugs and became a completely different person. I would, but apparently Davis birthed the cool from heroin binges, so the drugs were there all along.
I didn’t finish the album. I feel bad rating it on a (very) incomplete listen, but I feel like the fact that couldn't finish speaks for itself.
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.
Diabolical, cerebral, free. Some stunning solos in there, but just listening to the rhythm section alone doing their dirty work was a joy to behold. Great high listen.
Bitches Brew is an experimental, groundbreaking and very brave album, created by a genius-at-work Miles Davis and his ensemble of top-notch jazz musician of his time. The work is a fusion od modal, experimental and definitely avant-garde jazz, with some early rock and funk influence. Miles' experience is certainly expressed loud and clear on this album - he is not afraid, he knows what he wants from himself and other members, and is working hard to deliver an almost 120 minutes long masterpiece of jazz. On paper it's a recipe for a top album of all time. So what's my opinion? I... don't like it. I really tried, but I don't like it. It's very hard to find a key to understand this album. Obviously compositions here have their own rules and motives, but I can't identify them, or I can, but they are not appealing to me. I am a fan of avant-garde music, I love the chaotic neatness of Fantomas, erratic Igorrr, calmness of Sunn O))). But those band operate in context of completely different genre, that I know and understand so much better than jazz. Probably I am too oblivious to even the simplest examples of the genre, that's why it's harder to find the context. I doubt it, but maybe in the future I will spend much more time exploring nuances and rules of jazz, so that breaking the form and moulding it afresh will be fully appreciated by me. But at the moment, the album is totally incomprehensible for me and both times that I listened to it, I felt like I was being experimentally tortured by music. Maybe next time!
mid tbh
Jazz, fusion, 1970. This is what happens when a musical genius like Miles Davis is inspired by the music of another genius such as Jimi Hendrix: timeless masterpiece.
Classic. Love it. Perfect album!
Lite svårlyssnat om man inte är mycket för jazzfusion. Det har något men jag har lite svårt hitta det. Långa låtar.
This is one of those that I can appreciate, but don't necessarily enjoy. I think I have read extensively about Miles Davis, but this music just doesn't do much for me.
Committing arson would have been a better way to spend my time than making myself listen to this garbage for 2 hours.
Miles has all the tools in his hand, all his favorite collaborators waiting on his command and following his movements. And it just does not work out. It doesn't find harmony in any sense for more than a few seconds at a time. It simply doesn't vibe. 2* for effort and the few pockets of hope.
I’m losing the will. This is hard work. Yes it is famous and highly rated by aficionados. To my ears, at times, it is pretty much random notes Cover art 3/5. Drugs were involved
More rock influences in this album. Enjoyed it!
A classic. Love it.
It's definitely jazz.. Listened only to disc 1 (55 mins). Then I decided I had enough. Not bad just doesn't really do anything for me.
Tried on a Sunday morning and had my blood pressure up
Wow c edt pas l'album le plus facike a ecouté... sketches of spain et kind of blue mon plus touché 3.5
有点惊悚的味道
3/5 experimental jazz. clearly talented musicians but more chaotic than I want out of a jazz album. also 20 min songs are too long
Bitches Brew is an experimental jazz album by Miles Davis that essentially created the jazz rock genre, as well as renewing the waning interest in jazz music in America. It's considered one of the greatest jazz albums and has been certified platinum in the US. It is Miles Davis' highest charting album. The album's popularity grew slowly overtime, similar to how the music of the album rises and falls through different "motions". Davis' band was setup like a jazz orchestra that wanted to play something more upbeat and inspiring for this album. They each accomplished this by improvising sounds from their instruments that harmonized with the other musicians and stayed in a certain chord. This was the experimental style that Miles Davis liked recording in, and it did create some interesting music. The closer you listen to this album, the more things the music makes you imagine. It was a great album, but jazz and especially long form jazz is not a genre of music that I am interested in. The album just started to sound like elevator music to me after a little while.
20 minute songs of jazz. Jazz is not my cup of tea but I'm here for diversity and I think it overall was OK
I’m just gonna give this a 5 even though a lot of it went over my head. One listen was not enough
Chilled.
Too long.
Joo tän platan kohdalla ollaan kyllä tultu hiivatin kauas cool -aikakaudesta. Ei välttämättä huono suunta tämäkään, mutta oon enemmän sen kuuskytluvun alun diggari. Tää on tällästä jotenki transsista pörinää ja pärinää mikä on kyl hienoo. Vaatii aikaa kuunnella. Ei helppoa taustamusaa mutta hyvää musaa silti! 4/5
Olipas jees. Odotin jotain hc jazzia, mutta täähän groovas mukavasti. Tosi kova. 4+
Olipa tykittely! Ei mikään lemppari Davis-levy, mutta eipä mies huonoja levyjä tee.
Quite the moody musical album. I give it a 7/10.
I'm sure a lot of people will like it, but I hate it. Absolute pish.
Sorry sir but I’m on holiday and this album is so long it’s taken me ages long to hand in my homework. Plus i have a cold, so the whole thing sounds like a Fever dream, like I’m slipping in and out of lucidity. There goes Miles Davis again, casually breaking the genre and making the world around him new. A genius album from a genius artist. It’s impact is unquestionable.
A bunch of instruments playing, but with no relation to each other. An interminably long album.
Definitely something different than most everything out there. Cool grooves, great beats. Very cool. Probably not a casual listening album but really good. One of the rare times where I'm glad the album is over 1 hour long
There were some parts of this album I really liked, but there were just too many, too long, too dissonant parts that were just a bit too unsettling and unpleasant for me to really say I liked this album.
It seems a pretty divisive genre, but I quite like jazz. This album is pretty out-there, freeform and experimental, basically a genre-defining artist at the top of their game. I quite enjoyed it, but it's a pretty long haul listen
A bit of a chaotic mess at times, but Miles Davis makes that work. Somehow a bit too long and a bit too all over the place to compete for top spot with his other albums on this list.
Bitches Brew. This is classic album that changed the face of music. Miles took the rock and funk influences (courtesy of Betty Davis) and turned it into a new thing that nobody else could have imagined. I find this album hypnotic, but hard to love. It's a pretty challenging listen, but easy to respect. It's a borderline for five stars, but, given that I prefer On The Corner, this is nearly, but not quite, perfect. Call it 4.8, maybe.
This was tough to get into
It’s miles Davis but I definitely prefer background jazz
As I’ve observed many times through this list, I’m not a jazz head and don’t feel qualified to judge. This really carried me along through a lot of it though. It definitely lost me several times. I can’t say I’ve heard anything much quite like it though.
Was this interesting? Sure. Did it merit a place on the list? Yeah. Did I enjoy it? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Fun Background music but probs woukdnt play again
consistently brilliant throughout rollercoaster of an album goat album cover best hard bop artist of all time masters psychadelic jazz rock i would say it is a bit overrated though, not even in his top 5 albums still a flawless listen 9.6/10
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
At this point, what needs to be said about this album that hasn't already been said? Miles knew where he was going to go, where the future of jazz was going to go and gave us an album so chock full of uncharted waters that, to this day, sounds futuristic and forward thinking despite it being made in the age of Aquarius. The first great album of the 70s, Bitches Brew gave us a cinematic worldview of who and what Miles would become in this electric era and we would be all the worse off if he didn't go down this route and get loose. We all need to thank Betty Davis for this one.