Reviews (page 11 of 12)
jazz that doesnt fit the norm
this album has got to be one of the most well known and well regarded jazz albums. while i enjoy jazz, it isn’t something i seek out much or often. despite its place in our culture, i would not have listened to this album without this list! and its place on this list is well deserved. i wasn’t expecting the amount of experimentation that was on here. i thought davis would create straight jazz, but it’s clear whatever this man touched turned to magic. i enjoyed hearing what he did with his jazz sounds. despite the long runtime, the hour and a half flew by! each piece was unique and exciting. nice to work to, besides.
Look, the impact of Miles Davis is not lost on me. But here we are: another jazz album, another "this isn't my thing" comment. Experimental jazz is somehow even worse to me, and there was a lot of that on this album. I will say: Miles Davis was KILLER on trumpet.
absolute jazz fusion gem. Timeless classic.
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.
That wasn't pleasant.
Ugh, I CANNOT endure this - I made it through the first track and realized that the second track was more of the same, so I stopped before it could give me a headache. It seems like a bad jam session with the musicians playing random notes. The trumpet frequently makes off-key squealing and squawking noises that grate on my ears.
Great album, really good to listen to if you like jazz, wouldn’t be the first jazz album I’d listen to if I were you but very good if it’s your taste
Pretty good
Quantity and quality. Cool jazz mixed with electric instruments.
Couldn’t even listen, gave it a chance but it was incredibly boring.
I've neve entirely understood the "jazz-rock" tag applied to this album, cos it doesn't really sound much like rock as most people would've understood it in 1970, and actually more like jazz than most people probably thought it did then too. Great stuff either way, of course, although it is nearly impossible to really love; it's dense and abstract and murky, and in some ways it's fantastically grim in its kind of unrelenting seriousness. Not even remotely easy listening.
Uh oh - I know that this is an "important album" what with it kick starting an entire new genre of music but for the love of Christ it's difficult to listen to. It's an album a muso owns and has it just laying around when people come over, but I doubt it's listened to that often. Best Tracks: Spanish Key; John McLaughlin; Miles Runs The Voodoo Down
10th June 2022 Listened at mum and dads while working in the kitchen cos we didn’t have internet. Went up to Adna and joe’s for the weekend. Not sure I’m up for this. I don’t understand the concept of listening between the music….
jada
Ægte jazz, langeee numre, lækker trompet og sax, trance
I really wanted to like it, but it became a little tough to listen to. But still better than some of the stuff we have listened to hear...I feel like I could at least put it on the background and forget about it. 1.5/5
man i don't get jazz - sure i like some of it but this was a tough, long listen
glad I got to hear it, probably won't listen to it again anytime soon
A bit too free form
Made it through a bit more than the first 20 min. track. I know Miles Davis is talked about like he's the pinnacle of coolness but some people but... I really just don't like jazz.
The generator’s either getting smarter, or lazier; two days after In A Silent Way it spits out the follow-up. This is in a similar vein, but less peaceful and more chaotic. I like the really out-there sounds (the delay on the trumpet squalls etc in the title track). The bass also does a lot of unheralded work here - simple, hypnotic loops that steadily repeat for minutes on end while the other instruments do whatever the hell they want over the top. Together these parts create a witchy kinda groove that I can really get on board with. The second half of the album loses some of that mystery though (maybe it gets a bit close to conventional jazz or funk for my tastes). Also, it goes on for bloody ages. Still, clearly an impressive and important work. This week has been an interesting education in Miles Davis and his experimental fusion phase.
Það tók hálfan daginn að komast í gegnum þetta. Get ekki sagt að ég hafi alveg diggað þetta í spað. Kannski bara mánudagurinn í mér. Eða að þessi plata hefði alveg mátt vera 1/3 af því sem hún er. Ég á auðveldara með 26 mínútna prog lag heldur en jazz fusion.
I've listened to Bitches Brew at least once before, because this album is a significant entry in the world of jazz music and I am relatively ignorant of jazz. I'm still fairly ignorant of jazz, but this album drawns me in deeper regularly throughout. I do get a little lost occasionally, but my curiousity about the album remains. I might come back for a second listen just to see what I've missed. "Spanish Key" and "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down" are the tracks I rated the highest.
The beginning of this album is Halloween jazz which fits its title. Weird and unruly potions and all. The B side had more replay capacity. Not my favorite Miles Davis album. Up and down for me.
Wank
Brewslog
One of those albums I can appreciate is a masterpiece but don’t get much personal enjoyment out of it. Prefer miles more accessible music.
Astonishing
Not the easiest listen. But it's moody and at times funky
Maybe I’m only giving this a 5 because of the mystique and fame of Miles Davis, but this is a damn good album. It’s weird yet cool; disjointed and chaotic yet laser-focused; extravagant yet perfectly efficient; imperfect and human yet otherworldly.
What the heck is this??? There is no rhyme or reason to the music. This is where jazz loses me. It’s not bad to listen to, just not remember able in any way
I know, like, everyone loves this album, and I get it, in my head, but I just don’t get it in my soul.
That was crap...
Out of this world jazzy psychedelic bundt cake
Almost too much going on for too long here. A great vibe, but feel that In A Silent Way and Jack Johnson benefit from a touch more focus while still being loose.
The generator handed me "Bitches Brew" on 28th April 2022. As I type this, it's 18th April 2023. A whole year has almost passed. One of the album's instrumentalists, the great saxophonist Wayne Shorter, has literally died in the time it's taken me to gather my thoughts on this work. And in truth, I've been putting off reviewing it for so long… because I'm scared of it. Many months after first listening to it, I have absolutely no idea what to say about its dense, sprawling 105 minutes. I'm listening to it again now, and I still don't know. It's like nothing else I've heard on this list. I've been aware of "Bitches Brew" for many years, placing it in my mind alongside the acid-soaked, psychedelic behemoths of the late 60s and early 70s. It's known for infuriating many jazz aficionados of the day, while giving Davis increased vitality and relevance in the rock sphere after dipping his toes in with "In a Silent Way." It's easy to see why: some of this really goes hard, and the parts I enjoyed were the ones which embraced rock music to the full. "Spanish Key" and "Miles Run the Voodoo Down" are total freak-outs: hard-grooving, rip-roaring, mind-melting exorcisms full of funk rhythm guitar, crazy lead parts, lashings of distortion and incredibly tight, mesmeric basslines. There's also the title track's intro, with a trumpet sounding like a traffic jam, which was revolutionary and controversial in jazz circles for its liberal use of the delay effect. Striking and effective as it may be, even better is the groove introduced at the three minute mark. Slowly, inexorably, it sustains itself while the drums and keyboards froth up into a hurricane. Just as these sections are thrilling, much of the album is head-scratching and confounding. "Pharaoh's Dance" goes nowhere and everywhere at the same time: Davis's first entrance, at almost three minutes in, feels totally enigmatic, defying expected phrasing or tonality. "Sanctuary" feels like it's set to be a gentle reprieve, but ends as chaotic as everything else. And "Feio" is crawling, foreboding, menacing… finally ending the whole album in seventeen seconds of bizarre studio patter. One day, I hope to love this. I would love to carry it around with me in my heart and my soul, to feel its beguiling chaos fill every corner of my existence. To surrender to it, to feel like as much of a genius for liking it as Miles Davis is for conceiving it. But until that day, I have nothing but boundless confusion and a faint, distant admiration. The honest truth? Above all, I still just don't know.
nice
Ágætis hlustun í sólinni í gær. Dáldið experimental á köflum.
Virkilega solid fjarki. Hár fjarki jafnvel. Þung og tormelt a köflum og ekki fyrir alla daga. En þó ennþá ekki alveg komin í full on free jazz eða algjörlega an strúkturs. Frábær blanda.
Rússíbani
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.
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.
gigantic torso, refused to resolve
20+ minute songs....sheesh. I'll have to try again at another time.
Interstellar
I know this is a much revered album but it really does nothing for me; the only way it would move me is towards the OFF button. I'm a trumpeter myself, so I can appreciate Davis' tone and the technicality of his playing, but this kind of jazz is too deconstructed and disjointed to my ears. Pharoah's Dance sounded like a 20 minute warm-up. To me people like Louis Armstrong and King Oliver are better exponents of the art; jazz from the 20s through to the era of swing is wonderful. This, to me, is not.
This wasn't as tone difficult as other jazz albums, but for as long as it was over 90 minutes, you never felt like it went anywhere. Not a single melody or follow through just random threads everywhere.
ÇA c'est un album qu'il faut avoir entendu dans sa vie. Une véritable oeuvre d'art, qui peut ne pas plaire à tout le monde mais qui a marqué la musique, tout genres confondus, à jamais Immense jam dirigé (on entends Miles caller les musiciens , donner le tempo dans la ligne de basse floue de la 2ième pièce (quand une basse électrique est plus fausse qu'une contrebasse😅) mais quel jam! Contrairement aux albums plus rock dont Miles s'inspire, nous ne sommes pas confinés à la gamme de blues, ici chaque musiciens porte une histoire sur un vocabulaire riche, issue des courants jazz qui précède. Les thèmes sont courts, les impros longue et exploratoires. Tout les musiciens présents ont des oreilles de fou et capte tout ce qui se passe autour. C'est très improvisé mais en même temps c'est construit, osant faire du montage pour faire ressortir des éléments thématique et assembler le tout avec cohésion. J'aime un peu moins le side 3 ( moins inspiré thématiquement) side 2 et 4 sont mes préférés Un chef d'oeuvre touffu qui a une grande valeur de rejouabilité pour empunter au vocabulaire de gamer
On ne peut pas feeler complètement correct après avoir écouté cet album. Peu de choses sont préparés, beaucoup de choses arrivent. Fabuleu jusque dans la pochette.
Est-ce un album de rock avec les codes du jazz ou un album de jazz avec les codes du rock? Je pencherais plus pour le 2e. Cet album ne plaira pas à tout le monde et ceux qui achèteront cet album de Miles Davis comme premier album de l'artiste en se disant "j'aimerais ça commencer à écouter du jazz" seront assurément déçus. Par contre, pour les initiés, cet album est très important dans la discographie de Miles et a changé beaucoup de choses pour la suite. Il était révolutionnaire. Jimi Hendrix cassait la baraque à cette époque et ça a secoué Miles pour l'amener à l'enregistrement de cet album. C'est long comme album, c'est complexe, mais c'est toute une oeuvre. En plus, la pochette est superbe. Donc pour l'écoute générale, je serais probablement autour d'un 3 étoiles, mais pour l'innovation, j'ajoute 1 étoile et une autre étoile pour l'ensemble de l'oeuvre et son impact sur la musique qui a suivi, pour arriver au final à un 5 étoiles.
It’s all right for a while.
my god, each song has at least a dozen featured artists. It makes the tracks in Spotify look ridiculous. I guess this is jazz? I'm not a huge fan.
I’m not a big fan of jazz but this album was incredible from the brass to the strings, it was 1 hour 45 minutes that was worth it. I liked all on the tracks 😊
Un dels discos que apropa el jazz a altres sons populars com el rock i el funk. Potser el millor de tots ells. Amb Miles Davis encetant una altra de les seves revisions de la música moderna i una portada per la història
C'est quand on tombe sur un tel chef-d'oeuvre qu'on réalise que les prétendus 1001 albums à écouter avant de mourir sont loin d'être égaux en qualité.
Far be it from me to criticise Miles Davis, but this is just not for me.
Yes.
I guess I’m just not in the mood for this right now
Heel expirimenteel, misschien iets te
One of the best albums i ever heard
Not my favorite era of Miles, but when Miles Davis tells you he's a genius, listen to him. The highlights for me are the more traditional "Miles Davis" sounding ones. The experimental is okay in my book, but when he blows his horn, he wails.
I've listened to this record a bunch of times. So, I've returned to it and love it. It's weird to love a jazz record. I remember parts, but would never say anything like "this is the best song." It's just one piece here. Recently, we watched a Miles Davis bio on TV. He was so good and so many in his band went on to be greats. His 60s output was excellent too. I hope to see some of that on this list.
Same as all other jazz albums - I’d love this live. I can’t really enjoy listening to it otherwise. Miles is awesome. Sorry
Great playing. Goes on a bit..
Bitches be brewing
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.
Jazz canónico de Miles Davis. Vinilo.
Rollazo, pero rollazo rollazo. Lo siento, un 2.
Meh
gorgeous
It Miles. Totally cool 😎
I feel that you need to be in a certain place and mood to explore these jazz and musical albums. People talk about albums like this being healing and therapeutic or a journey, or a break from redundancy. I get all of that. But with the absent of a hook or a message or performance - I can just take it at a certain level. This is music that I could never conceive, and I do get a mood out of it as a listener. I would expect that musicians find much more to grab onto listening to this. My "barely able to play 6 chords on the guitar" level is left ignorant of exactly what's happening here.
i just need lyrics
A classic, still in my wantlist! 😻
Not for me
Little bit too long
Kind of rock in Davis' way. Now we call it fusion, and I'm not really into it. Too heavy cuts in post-production.
Gigantic and hypnotic, a bit tiring but definitely worth the listen
the sound of jazz instruments slowly tumbling down stairs
Jaksoin kuunnella loppuun, hyvä minä.
Superclassic album - not much more to add
Finally we get a Miles Davis album! Due to its experimental nature and heavy improvisation Bitches Brew is not for everyone, and I am not always in the mood for it either, but it has this raw intensity and grooviness that can make listening to it an exhilarating experience. Definitely one of the most important albums in jazz history.
Claaaaaasssic… + ja känner att ja ha vari lite för generös me mina fyror…. Kanske bara jag….
Fantastic, one of a kind, classic etc. etc. ”Miles Runs The Voodoo Down” indeed
lit. swag
solid en boring samt ef þu skilur mig
Not a big fan of albums that exceeds an hour in length, but I got to admit it's quite the masterpiece in terms of jazz.
A world appart. Classic jazz album that make you travel into deep area of your brain. A bit long but still satisfying.
One of my best jazz album ever. Insane music and totally free music.
*Checks my phone after 40mins: “Yup, still on track 2”. Bit of an ordeal this one, it picked up in the second half (or maybe I just turned the volume down) but I feel like I deserve some kind of reward for getting to the end.
20 minute esoteric jazz improv numbers aren't really my thing. 1 hr 45min albums tend also not to really be my thing. That being said, I will give this a second listen with my super cool headphones at work today, see if it has some kind of weird groove I can get into. But for the sheer size of it and the fact that it is, after all, just jazz.... it's a 2/5 from me.
Started off as a dog’s breakfast, then transformed into the best rich web of sound. A shame that first track was 15 minutes of shambles, or would’ve scored it higher
Absolutely hideous every second of this album was like sound torture. Never again!
Urgh stressful
this is crazy!! haha
Dog shit
2022.01.26
Enjoyed his music & album
Nothing makes me more happy then clicking into this site and seeing a 5/5 album that I can just listen to on vinyl and know I'll enjoy it the whole way through. We had Kind of Blue sometime last year and I'd been waiting till we got another of my favs of his. This album will always remind me of driving home from Texas back in 2020 when we road tripped to mom and dads. On the way back, we just had music on and I think this album repeated a few times because I kept thinking "wow this guy can really play for hours" but it was a treat because this album is gold.
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
Very mysterious and chaotic. Sometimes in a soothing way but more often worrysome. Reminded me of the show Preacher, whenever there were a scene when god was present the music would be ominous and dense in layers of instruments clashing as they play. An enjoyable listen and definitly creates a scene in your mind.
This album is amazing.
I hated this album when I first heard it 20ish years ago and I still hate it now. I know Miles Davis is a jazz legend. I do enjoy some of his other work, Kind of Blue for instance; but this is just unappealing noise to me. Hell, I even like some true blue noise artists but this just outright turns me off. I know a lot of people love this album and I'm glad that they can get into it but this just isn't the kind of jazz that I enjoy and the near 2 hours of this is like time in the dentist's chair to me. Sorry, Miles. You'll get a much kinder score when Kind of Blue inevitably appears as my album of the day.
Whatever I say about this album is going to be nothing more than a vain scribbling of words. What do you say in response to the distant thunder and the clarion call from a landscape beyond? When you stand naked on a dark plain amidst the warring music above and around you? I’ve already said too much. Go get lost in this album that is a world unto itself. Give yourself to its mystery and wonder.
storms a brewin’ ⛈
Too jazzy for me, technically impressive stuff but couldn't find a flow to help me get into it
If I could vote 0 stars I would. This is not music, this is fucking noise. The start of the second track sounds like the crazy music from Vuvla's show in Spaced.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APjDtBNZiNA
I've never heard this iconic album until today. I have heard, own and love In A Silent Way. Bitches Brew is very much cut from the same cloth. The atmosphere, the feel, the playing is so similar to In a Silent Way that it sounds like they were both taken from the same studio sessions. Do I like it as much? not yet. Will I? maybe. I'm tempted to give it 5 stars which is how I will rate IASW, but it's too new in my listening life so 4.5 🌟
Interesting free form jazz LP with a heavier dose of effects (especially reverb) than one would expect. Some interesting takes hear, just wish there were stronger melodic threads or motifs in the longer tracks
This is the definition of experimental. The feelings it produces in me are denial and quench. I did not enjoy these 90 minutes, but I very much respect the musicianship that I could never hope to understand. I am not sure what it is, music or transcendent experimentation, but it sure is something. 3 but my musician friend would kill me if I gave it anything less than a 4, and it was ok studying to too.
One of my favourite albums of all time. Masterpiece from a master.
This is A LOT. And I feel like I need to listen to it in my dad's basement with the good speakers and a glass of whiskey to fully appreciate it.
I didn't get as much from this as maybe I should have. I do not give it as much justice as it deserves.
I have no idea what to say. A documentary on making the album would certainly be a better way to spend 90+ minutes than actually listening to it. I'm sure there is something magical going on, but most of the album seems so random, that i can't imagine there is sheet music that indicates there is a specific way to play these songs. Admittedly, after listening to the whole album, someone could play a couple minutes of it again, and i would have no idea if i had heard that before. A challenging listen. Not exactly for me, but interesting.
"I zzz'ed asleep."
This is an album with patches of beauty, patches that baffle me, and discordant lunacy which I love. It's massively over long - given the complexity, you can't focus on it for long enough to enjoy it in one sitting. I found taking each 20 odd minute piece separately was a good approach. Ultimately, it's very clever, but probably beyond me. A difficult but rewarding listen.
Not bad but I couldn’t get into it. Will have to revisit.
This album is just a whirlwind of music and I have nowhere near the musical knowledge to rate this properly. I like miles Davis and enjoy this album. It does have a weird sound to it but it’s very unique. 7.1/10
not a fan of jazz
What a fusion of fresh jazz music this album is! I don’t think I need to point out Miles Davis’ genius in creating a new genre of music out of the blue, but I will. One of my all time favourite jazz albums. Thanks for arranging this on Christmas Eve!
Good
A perfectly fine experimental ambient jazz album I suppose
8/10. Fantastic, but a little hard to get through as someone who doesn’t listen to this style very much
8/10. Good, but so damn long. I don't think I'd listen to this in one sitting again, though it would be a nice background.
Cool but minus points for being really long and not super engaging. 7/10
Oh man, that bass clarinet! I still hold the belief that you need to be a vegan, lycra wearing cyclist, jazz drummer to fully appreciate this gear. But that bass clarinet!
Oh, hell yeah!!!!
Interesting, but turns out jazz really isn't my thing
It's tough to know what to say about this album, or about Miles Davis in general. In every era in which he played, he always seemed to have a different and exciting place to take Jazz. After he stopped, no one stepped up to take his place. In some ways, it feels like Jazz is frozen in time, right where Miles left it. The album is a masterpiece. It's a swirling, groovy exhibition of both Davis's virtuosity and his brilliant composition. I can't think of a single other artist that was this bold and groundbreaking on his 27th album. I don't know what else to say about it. It's great, go listen to it 5/5
such an incredible, surreal jazz album it can definitely be off putting for those used to easy-listening pure jazz but this is from a guy that perfected that sound originally and wanted to do something more, something weird and wonderful overall it is absolutely worth a listen if you have 100 minutes to kill, this album makes amazing background music 10/10
Jazzy
This isn't my favorite Miles Davis album, but I'd be hard-pressed to rate any of his work as less than 3 stars. So, 3 stars it is!
it's just too long, really
First time hearing this one. This is a hard listen. I think it will take more time hearing it to really get into it. It doesn't seem to have the same rhythm and style that I'm used to with Jazz. 2/5 for now
I have this on vinyl from my dad’s old records, which is pretty awesome. The music here is just ok for me. I prefer more straight forward bop from Miles Davis. I get why this is a big deal. I like the crunchy electric guitar on some of the tracks.
2.1 - I had a really hard time with this album. At its best, it reminded me of overproduced movie montage/chase scenes from 70's cinema. At its worst, I felt like I was listening to an album of just "Space" by the Grateful Dead while stone cold sober. Every time it started to build up to a rhythm, it broke down into dissonance and chaos before it'd reached something actually satisfying. This album reminds me of the old Northern Charm/Southern Efficiency joke - it had all the form and structure of a concert, with the warmth and soul of a recording studio.
Hell yeah! I mean, its very jazzy jazz and it all blurs together, but it's all very good. It's too long to be accessible, but you can hear Davis doing his craft. Good - All of it? Art - Powerful imagery, even if it looks like a bad fantasy cover from a pulp magazine. The blending of different environments and the melting of borders prepares you for the flow of the album.
I struggle to connect as it goes longer
two days after having a miles davis album that was excellent we've decended back into some incomprehensible madness. feels like i've accidentally taken some sort of hallucinogenic.
Miles Davis scrambles around like an uncircumcised elephant trying to skull fuck the charred remains of Madeline McCann.
Fucking Miles Davis. 4 times now. Can't be arsed with it.
probably should like this one more
Didn't enjoy. Not a fan of atonal jazz - not sure if that's what he would call it, but whatever it is I'm not smart enough for it.
lot of instrumental jazz. Very left of the dial
Not really into jazz, let alone experimental. Just isn't for me.
My favorite Davis work - challenging and diverse, moody with amazing breakdown moments.
First album I didn't want to finish, was just noise not music
Nothing bad to say about this. Classic jazz record. Will revisit when I’m in the mood. Docking one star based on my personal taste.
Too much fiddling about
Overall very solid, a good vibe throughout
It's Miles, can't say it's bad.. but who has this kind of time? It's like 3x longer than I prefer an album to be
Third instrumental album I have listened to in a row (Out of order catch up) its fine but not my jam. Gets the round up for track names.
I don’t like Jazz
Not my kind of Jazz. Cool to see late stage experimentation and growth from miles davis tho. Album title and artwork are sick as hell though.
Sometimes groovy, sometimes like a dream sequence, sometimes a little chaotic (yet not in an unpleasant way). The songs are quite long and I had trouble knowing when they began or ended. Soundscapes that shine in headphones. I can appreciate it but I think I personally like a little more structure to things.
Not my thing at all but it's alright BGM for pubs. The jazz bit add a star for it.
Jazz ...
Unfortunately not for me.
Great, but hoping 'kind of blue' is on here too
Very long songs. Not the kind of jazz I listen to
I liked this album but I'm just not a big jazz fan. I can only take it in small doses and two hours was just a lot
Kinda feels like a predecessor to a lot of other avant-garde genres like noise rock and ambient. I don’t usually like stuff like that but I think the fact that this project uses classical instruments makes it easier for me to get into. The only problem is that it’s too long. I like it more than I remember liking kind of blue but I doubt I’d come back to it often
Rating: 7/10
Tumultuous
Magic. Sparkles of light energy onto a ribbon of sound unfolding. Like a play. Journey and consciousness.
Absolutely monumental album for jazz. Dark and experimental
Irres Album, das die persönlich wahrnehmbare Zeit seltsam verändert. Hatte es auf einer stressigen Stau Fahrt gehört (1,5 Male !!!) und dabei noch gedacht "wtf am I doing here?!" Jazz zum Stress verhält sich ja eher ernervierend also verstärkend, aber manchmal ist wie beim inner turmoil bei Coltrane so gut vom eigenem Furor aufgefangen wie das hibbelige und ungeduldige Wesen im vielschichtigem Spiel Davis'. Tolle Kombo auch und starke Gitarren-Parts. Als würde die aggressive Faust aufs vorauseilend bläuende Auge passen. Wie schreibt man solche Musik? Irre schön-kitschiges Cover zudem für irre schön-kitschige 3.8
I might just not get Jazz
Just recently listened to this for the first time and made me realize that actually like jazz
Alexa had to censor the "Bitches" in Bitches Brew. Woke-ass device. Anywyay - I find all of this enjoyable and at the same time it doesn't connect with me. I love almost everything about it, down to that incredible album art, but I would never say this is my favorite thing. I'm glad he did it, though.
Sprawling and expansive, with musicians at the peak of their game. I think this still sounds startlingly modern, and it birthed whole subgenres whose best exponents haven't ever quite reached these heights. Whether you like this or not boils down to your tolerance of jazz fusion, I suppose - I reckon this would alienate the casual listener.
Fine as background music, but I found it a bit impenetrable as something that I could pick out a single melody, let alone one I’d want to return to. That said, I was happy to see there’s a song called John McLaughlin because that dude smokes. Was nice of Miles to just name a song after him, ha. Anywho, cool cover and cool title, but I prefer the Kind of Blue stuff. I’m a simpleton.
A fascinating listen. Innovative. I don't think it really stuck with me but I definitely respect jazz/fusion. Might take some time before I truly appreciate this stuff.
Admittedly a but too involved and complicated to be an easy listen for background music, but for a jazz fan this is a great one. The guitar really elevates the album while making it distinct from other Davis stuff.
This album is the musical equivalent of lucid dreaming. The cover art encapsulates the sounds within better than most other albums. Worlds away from Kind of Blue and with an artist like Miles Davis you would hope for that
Spodziewalem sie ze uszlysze pana Davisa jeszcze na liscie, ale nie sadzilem, ze bedzie to tak szybkie spotkanie, a dodatkowo, ze bedzie to material z tego samego okresu, bo Bitches Brew zostala nagrana zaledwie pol roku po wypuszczeniu In a Silent Way, wiec jest to ten sam elektroniczny okres Davisowania, ale pomysl na material jest wyraznie inny, nie ma tutaj przepieszczenia materialu overdubem, a kawalki byly tworzone przez laczenie osobno nagrywanych partow, bo tak jak na poprzedniej plycie sa to potezne formy muzyczne ponad dwudziestominutowe na pierwszych dwoch stronach, a oscylujacych w graniach dziesieciu na dwoch kolejnych, bo jest to podwojny album o lacznym czasie 94 minut, wiec jest to sroga dawka jazzowania, jesli chodzi o styl plyty, to tak jak na poprzednim materiale Miles oddalil sie od klasycznych jazzowych rytmow na rzecz luznych aranzacji inspirowanych rockiem do czego wykorzystal elektryki, zarowno klawisze jak i gitary, czy nawet basy, ale w odroznieniu od silent waya album jest o wiele bardziej oparty na improwizacji, przez co czulem sie jakbym sluchal bardziej Coltrana niz Davisa, jesli chodzi o kompozycje, 90 minut materialu to i featury na takim projekcie musza byc bogate, a najwazniejszymi postaciami beda tam Zawinul na klawiszach i Wayne Shorter na saksie, ten pierwszy jest odpowiedzialny za kompozycje Pharaoh's Dance, drugi natomiast za Feio i Sanctuary, bylem sceptycznie nastawiony przed odsluchem, ale ciesze sie, ze moglem posluchac tak szybko Davisa z tak mocnym materialem, na plejke leci traczek tytulowy oraz Miles Runs the Voodoo Down, no i znowu wypada napisac, ze Davis jeszcze bedzie sluchany, ale tym razem juz na pewno beda to raczej starsze materialy
Just great.
"Directions in music by Miles Davis". A massive album, dark and funky and rock-influenced. This set the scene for the fusion of jazz and rock - wait, come back! It's a really good listen! Relentless, yet swinging, packed with ideas and grooves, spacious, full of interesting sounds and arrangements. A deep set of sounds.
I'm a jazz person. Miles Davis, John Coltrane, the list could go on
great jazz, very timeless
great jazz
Ik denk: "ik wacht de titeltrack even af", dat viel tegen.
Als je dit wilt gaan waarderen, moet je 't eerst leren negeren, denk ik...
Nou, bijna helemaal afgeluisterd. Wat een bevalling zeg. Dit zou dan het summum van jazzrock moeten zijn, maar voor mij was het toch vooral een kakofonie van geluid.
"Kom! We pakken er allemaal ons instrument bij, en dan gaan we gewoon lekker ieder voor zich wat zitten aankloten!" Je bent echt een snob als je blijft volhouden dat dit briljant is.
Hier past slechts: OMG!
Enjoyed miles runs the voodoo town and sanctuary. Instrumental experimental jazz
4.5 Stars. A genre defying fusion of jazz and rock classic. The more involved and immersed you become with this album, the more you're rewarded with its form and substance. This can be either great late night chill-out music, or an album that gives you a greater appreciation for jazz as a whole. My only critique is that it doesn't feel focused as a whole. Favorite tracks: Spanish Key, Miles Runs the Voodoo Down, Sanctuary.
Too much
Good Background music
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).
Great if you like jazz, not my style. Enjoyable nonetheless.
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.
Jazz masterpiece. Might be my favorite jazz album. 9-10/10
This is the worst kind of jazz
Novel recording techniques, atmosphere, and jazz expertise collide with my general dislike of not having any way to know where the beat is.
very busy jazz
Dit is mij veel teveel hard-core Jazz. Leuk dat het de muzikanten vrij staat om te doen wat ze willen, maar zoals Hans Teeuwen ooit zei "ongeinspireerde bagger". Het kan mij niet bekoren in ieder geval, haha. *
Arrhgg, 25 min long jazz improv.. Shoot me now.
First Listen. Smooth. 2/5
Probably the best album I'll never listen to start to finish more than once. Best track: Miles Runs the Voodoo Down
For me this was anxiety inducing
Bitches Brew I am familiar with. I have always loved side 2 more than side 1. The record was one of the first true jazz records I spent any real quality time with. I wish I could remember the name of my History of Jazz professor because he is the one that introduced me to Miles, and so many more.
Too dissonant for me but I can appreciate the concept. Definitely made me feel uneasy with the first few tracks so as an album to listen to I wouldn't casually, but I enjoyed the ideas.
This was a challenging listen. Jazz is not normally my main squeeze but I did enjoy it knowing how influential it was to artists that I love
Rock-Jazz or Jazz-Rock? I have never heard some of these sounds before.
I've never heard this iconic album until today. I have heard, own and love In A Silent Way. Bitches Brew is very much cut from the same cloth. The atmosphere, the feel, the playing is so similar to In a Silent Way that it sounds like they were both taken from the same studio sessions. Do I like it as much? not yet. Will I? maybe. I'm tempted to give it 5 stars which is how I will rate IASW, but it's too new in my listening life so 4.5 🌟
I've only ever listened to Kind of Blue which is much more traditional. Loved how wild this one is, i'll go back to it
This is possibly great but I didn't get it
Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazz
Bonkers
Rotete jazz pretensiøst
Een beetje chaotische jazz maar het heeft wel wat
I dig it
I did not like most of the first two tracks because it sounded like too many instruments competing with the others. However, from "Spanish Key" on, this was great.
“Bitches Brew” by Miles Davis (1970) You’ll have to set aside some time to listen to this 94-minute smorgasbord of experimental jazz, influenced by rock and electronic effects. These six instrumental tracks average over 16 minutes each (The expressionistic “Feio” was not on the original double LP release). They are intricate improvisational compositions, each one involving contributions from ten or more musicians, frequently doubling bass lines (electric and double bass), two electric pianos, and two drum sets. The doubling of these instruments is widely (and helpfully) separated into left and right stereo channels. The greatest level of complexity here is in the rhythm section. This is not just ‘cool trumpet music’. To the listener who is not familiar with jazz, this album will seem to be rather inaccessible. But it has definite rhythmic structure. Stay grounded to snare and cymbals and you won’t lose your way. It’s clear from the horn solos that they are not following a rigid plan. Some minor flubs (a couple in the control booth!) are nicely ironed out. I don’t imagine there were any second takes. What I’d really like to hear is a recording of Davis’ directions to the group immediately prior to the rolling of the tape machines. One of the more fascinating aspects of these sessions (recorded over three days) is that the musicians rarely step all over each other, even when they’re all on board. They work as a team, even through changes in dynamic level and mood. Each musician knows intuitively when to lay back, when to throw in his unique spice, and when to stride in and just plain take over, dammit. My mom would’ve called this ‘noise’. My dad would’ve smiled and leaned back in the recliner. With a cigar. 4/5
Weird but in a good way - not quite the classic jazz. 7/10.
Schwere Kost, aber musikalisch stark
Its jazz. Honestly better than I expected since I don't like the genre very much but nothing I would return to very much
Yes, Kevin Klopf - from in the corner to on Orleans top to bottom
Baffling at first but makes you rethink how to listen and what music can be/do.
This is one of the worst albums I have ever had the misfortune to hear. As Tony Wilson said, ‘Jazz is the last refuge of the untalented. Jazz musicians enjoy themselves more than anyone listening to them does.’ He had a point!
This is a lot to digest. Good listen if you are baked out of your mind most likely.
That sure was several 20-minute jazz songs.
It's nice to listen to, but it doesn't really grab me; I think I just don't have the ear for jazz.
Nice relaxing sound, like the jazz 3/5
4.5
July 13, 2021 I am at home working in the heat. I am drifting a little and wonder if the combination of structure and expansion will help me. I am processing. I haven't slept well and the trumpet feels like it is tickling my spine and putting my brain to sleep. I want to like this but I'm not sure I do.
Salt peanuts.... salt peanuts.... Absolute marathon for just a small selection of songs. Would love to watch this live but I can’t appreciate jazz they way I probably should. If I could see this live, 10 stars. Maybe even vinyl would be a 5. But Spotify over AirPods is discrediting this and especially as it’s the same medium I listen to all the other albums, I need to listen and rate it under the same t’s and c’s
Album art:3
Trippy as fuck
love the album art. Big leap from the Birth of cool.
Good but a bit chaotic compared to the previous album
I mean, come on. It's a vibe. I read on Wikipedia that some of the album contained tracks that were never played in the studio, but were spliced together from tapes and loops. God bless the person who did all of that splicing in 1970.
I enjoyed this album. It’s a great album to have on in the background.
Some real avant-garde jazz here. Also exhibit A of “Miles Davis on drugs.” Some of the grooves the group gets into here are incredible, but some parts are definitely spent trying to find it.
I had a hard time actively listening, but enjoyed a lot as background music. Will listen again.
Good to have on in the background. Listened to this one while I was playing video games and it seemed to pass the time. Not the biggest fan of jazz to begin with so it wasn’t my favorite. Favorite track was Bitches Brew because of the ominous audio that was used.
First jazz album. Can't judge much. But was quite a good listen.
Epic length tracks.
I like jazz/blues, just not that much of it at once
This is going to be a very divisive statement but screeching trumpets and other brass instruments are just awful sounding and give me a pounding headache. There is NO way I am going to make it thru the 1st 20+ minute song on this album let alone its entire playtime of 1 hour 45 minutes. It's a no from me.
it was veryyyyyyvery long and it just all sounded like one ling thing but nice sound
Not for me.
A bit long winded
Not something I'm normally into, but you can hear the incredible talent shine through on every track
Nice piece of jazz, %100 recomendable and ejoyable
“It’s about the notes he’s not playing, man.” I wasn’t aware there were any left. No, I’m sorry. No. I’m sure it’s great. I’m sure it’s mind-blowing. I’m sure it’s the height of artistic achievement that music critics say it is. But still no. Jazz, and especially experimental jazz, is a genre I love listening to live and hate listening to recorded. It’s a really weird contradiction for me that I can’t quite explain other than the live experience hits very different. Favourite track: “Spanish Key”
[wrote really long review, lost it...] boiled down...: i enjoy jazz/fusion and this is interesting in terms of it being influential and a launching pad for musicians/genre (and better albums of this type in the 70s), I don't think its all that listenable. Mostly because there's zero structure - length of a song/track doesn't preclude some recurring motif/theme/pattern etc (see Hancock, Cobham, Pastorius, etc for much more enjoyable works, IMO). 2 stars for "interesting" but not sure I'd come back to this.
Iconic, haunting, polished, and great listening.
crazy instrumentation, ultra long songs that run into one another, parts don't hold together at times, but what a ride...
Great Album!
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.
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
Miles
I'm ignorant in jazz but this is groovy and cool - I LIKE it! Definitely a nuanced and expressive colorful blob of music
This album is fucking WILD
It's jazz, the kind of thing I'd listen to in the background. It'll probably come on again when I listen to jazz and I'll think "oh this is nice but why is it 25 minutes long" and I'll not have a second thought
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.
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.
Didn't listen to the whole album, but I really enjoyed the vibes. I love the clarity of the trumpet and definitely want to listen to the full album. Makes excellent background music.
Always a fan of Miles Davis. Definitely not for everyone, but that's alright.
This was a wild ride. It was like listening to the inside of a brilliant mad scientist’s head. The only reason why it’s not rated higher is because having listened to a lot of Miles Davis this experimental jazz is a bit much for me, I prefer his earlier stuff.
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.
The famous Miles Davis album, though very avanguardistic and not an easy listen all in all, but age definitive nevertheless.
Great album to viiiiiiibe to
Not a fan of scatty jazz
Some jazz album
I'm sure this is great, but I don't get it
This album is a perfect encapsulation of what makes Miles Davis work. There is a base of experimental jazz that is always in danger of a loud trumpet crashing through it to refocus all attention on it.
I'll be honest, this didn't sound like much to me. I know Miles Davis is one of the greats but I couldn't find much to be impressed by here. I want to like jazz but it's hit or miss for me! If someone knows what to listen for, please explain
Respect the musicianship but wasn’t in the right mood. Very 70’s cop movie intro feeling
O mal deste álbum é o seu tempo, é demasiado longo, tendo 1h45 minutos para algo que não sofre assim tantas mudanças de faixa para faixa. Para alguém que não gosta de Jazz se calhar esta não é a melhor incursão, no entanto em uma viagem de carro a coisa até flui bem. Não consigo destacar uma faixa, todo o álbum parece uma grande música. Nota:5/10
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.
Bitches Brew is such a trip, I'm definitely gonna have to take a deeper dive into this one (maybe in a pitch black room, laying on the floor haha). Much heavier and rock-focused than what I'm used to from Miles Davis, incredible set of players on this one. 4.5/5
Is it fair to say I need more time with this album for it to settle? I recognize it as a progenitor of jazz-rock fusion and it's certainly interesting to listen to, but I also feel like its sprawl is a bit of its undoing. My favourite jazz records (which admittedly are few) feel like they have a sense of movement, resolution, etc, whereas I can't really grasp onto the moments here. I reserve the right to someday change my rating, but for now it stands at a three. I definitely appreciate the impetus to finally listen to this one, it just didn't do a lot for me at this moment in my life.
Proper jazz, long songs and all over the place. Decent, but not my favourite of his stuff. I'm still not cool enough to get Jazz. Still, appreciated the talent. 3/5
youtu.be/wwOipTXvNNo
Didnt love the John McLaughlin stuff but solid tracks 3-7
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.
The album that opened my eyes to free form jazz
Jazz is not my bag
A little bit too jazzy for me but amazing.
Miles really is incredible. This album slaps.
Can appreciate, but could not focus on anything else, so I guess that's a positive for the album?
Holy moly what long songs. Bit meh for the length, can't say I enjoyed it
Smooth!
day one: 01/31/21 instrumentals
I've never been a lover of freestyle jazz type stuff. I like rhythm and order. This is not for me.
refined jazz has made me really dislike this album.
I quite like how much chaos is going on w so many different instruments playing at the same time and how good the jamming sounds. I had a problem with Mingus' album due to its chaos but the chaos on this one works for me.
I have heard this one.
.
Musicianship was good, clear talent throughout the album but even still a tough listen for me. Did not keep my interest at all really though I enjoyed parts of some songs.
Quality, I like jazz i find it fascinating because the musicianship is ridiculous. Its stupidly long though, halve it and im looking at a 5*
Enjoyable for a while. Good background music. Not offensive. Decent. Nothing in here which makes me want to listen again though. But would happily leave it on whilst doing other things.
I don't love it, but I do appreciate it. Obviously a musically important album.
Not my style