Bitches Brew

Still dont like jazz

This is actually crazy

Had low expectations, but it really helped me focus on writing. So I guess it was good?

I've loved this album, definitely. It's such a pleasant and very interesting musical experience, so immersive and with so many layers and textures. This album is incredibly experimental but also beautiful and haunting, so soft and ethereal at times... So magnificent! It's truly a highlight for me.

I know this album is supposed to be a groundbreaking masterpiece, but honestly, it’s really hard to sit through almost two hours of instrumental-only jazz. I can appreciate Miles Davis’ talent and what he did for the genre, but that doesn’t make it any easier to enjoy from start to finish. There are a few cool moments where everything locks in, with great grooves and flashes of brilliance, but they’re buried under what feels like endless jamming. After a while, it stops feeling experimental and just starts feeling exhausting. I get why Bitches Brew is respected, but it’s not something I’d ever want to listen to again. It’s more of a historical milestone than an album I’d actually enjoy putting on.

Atonal music is always a tricky listen for me. This is wildly experimental - and I just wish it clicked. Not my favourite era of his. High 2/5

Not my bag

Usually when Jazz gets this unhinged there is a more aggressive slant to it, a more menacing edge. But Bitches Brew does crazy in an amiable way. It’s oddly structurally robust despite the fact it follows no formula. It wanders, but Miles Davis knows where he is going. He is in control of the whole thing. The music is pouring out of him. Every choice he makes is strange, fascinating and always obviously the best choice. Elsewhere we have heard Davis stand out against a more typical backdrop, but here we get the benefit of his band being on exceptionally very fine form, clearly improvising around a general sense of where Davis is going. Albums of this length are always a little unwieldy, so I had to listen in two parts, but it was a very pleasurable couple of listens and a key to unlock a bit of jazz rock fusion history.

All the Davis albums I’ve listened to properly are 5s and I’m thinking this is no different, I like his fusion stuff less than I like his cool stuff but this thing is WILD

For the fusion era, In a Silent Way is a bit more my thing. But only slightly. They all feel similar to me and I just don’t find much, if anything distinct about the melodies. Oh but they are stitched together in innovative, novel ways! Sure, I guess? It’s interesting reading through some of the reviews here, how often “dreamlike” comes up and then someone else points out this isn’t the kind of jazz music you’d expect to hear in an Olive Garden, which tracks, but gets at something I find unapproachable about BB: these are minor key, discordant dreams y’all are having!

Experimental is a scary word

Really cool

"Hey fam its Miles Davis from Jazz. I need $2,000 so I can make Bitches Brew 2. Can you give me your credit card information? Anyways, I have Wayne Shorter with me. Say hi shorty"

What needs to be said about this one? Canonical jazz album for rock aficionados.

Didn't love it, although jazz music usually takes a while for me to get into. Maybe I'll listen again, we'll see if it grows on me.

Just impenetrable

"Fuck you, Miles Davis!!" - Channing Tatum in 21 Jump Street

This is the worst kind of jazz. A bunch of musicians making loosely connected noise with their various instruments such that you can't follow any of it.

pretty cool

Brilliant. Absolute Genius.

Now that's my kind of jazz ! A gorgeous dreamscape with just the right mix of classic and experimental, complex structures and mad improvisations. It's hypnotic and meditative, sometimes even bizarre, but always vibrant and soulful. The electric elements blend perfectly with the more traditional instruments, and the line-up is insane. Even the cover art is beautiful. Truly a masterpiece ! It's a very laid-back and atmospheric album overall, absolutely not as messy or chaotic as some people make it sound (often in weirdly angry reviews, as if they felt personally attacked). If that's too strange for you, you clearly haven't listened enough music in your life. There are far, far more bizarre things out there... Maybe my favorite Miles Davis albums. I'm looking forward to his more conventional works as well, jazz is tragically underrepresented on this list. 10/10

Miles Davis went through several creative phases, and like On the Corner a bit later, Bitches Brew is both groundbreaking and divisive. I really love the sound. If there’s any rock influence, it’s mostly in the electrification but it still feels raw and visceral, unlike most traditional jazz-rock. There’s a lot of improvisation; the album could’ve used a bit more structure, but the control and build-ups are fantastic. A major jazz fusion record, mostly worth it for its innovative spirit. There would be more effective ones later on in jazz-funk. But this one broke the ground for jazz- rock and, in my opinion, it is far better than later albums in that genra.

Love Miles, can’t say I’d ever want to listen to this again too leggy and prolonged sometimes. I did like the latter half better

One of the best. This album is great. The all-star gathering, Davis, Shorter, McLaughlin, Correa - list goes on. If this is not on your list why do you even listen.

1.5

This album I'm was really good. I just get annoyed by long songs sometimes. So it wasn't the best for me people. But still very high quality.

I didn't get as much from this as I know I will from Kind of Blue, or even as much as I did from In A Silent Way. I really enjoyed the meshing of guitar and trumpet, and the clear rock influence in his songs, but I'm afraid it was also quite a bit too long and, well, jazzy for me to really get fully behind.

Listen, I love Miles just as much as the next guy, but I had to digest this one in pieces. It's just too long for 1 album. Yea, it was good. I enjoyed it thoroughly, but I need to knock off a star just based on length.

I feel I lack the musical education to truly appreciate this album.

This one has grown on me. I have it on vinyl and haven't listened to it in forever. It's loose, it's wild, but then you blink and it's tight and greasy, but it's all Miles and it's all jazz.

5/5

Blind album, know the artist. I know this album by name and im glad I also listened to it. But in a way, I also wish I didn't. Dragged hard, couldn't hook me at all.

I have nothing against jazz, but at some point it just becomes background music to me.

Een Jimi Hendrix of een Van Halen lieten hun vingers de vrije loop gaan en speelden de sterren van de hemel. Hier improviseert een andere bekendheid er lustig op los en het resultaat is geteutel. Het zal best voor iemand bevrijdend zijn geweest dit aan te horen, maar ik vrees dat de geschiedenis erover zal oordelen als piepjanknormuziek. Experimenteel, virtuoos, interessant, maar ook op de zenuwen werkend. Sorry jazzpausen en muziekgoden, voor mij is dit middenmoot.

Ik heb nog wat cd's liggen van Miles. Uit de jaren '50 en de jaren '90. De Miles uit deze periodes luistert fijn weg. Ook de twee jaren '50 albums uit deze lijst mochten mijn sterren ontvangen. Maar het album uit 1969 kreeg maar voor één helft echt sterren. De andere helft vond ik te 'vaag' lees ik terug. En nu krijgen we een album uit 1970. En weer doet het mij niet veel. Het is vrij 'vrije jazz'. Ik weet dat het veel gekker kan, maar veel te vaak ervaar ik het als los zand, als gepingel wellicht. Wiki noemt de periode van deze twee albums zijn meest (muzikaal) controversiële tijd. Ik hecht blijkbaar wat meer aan de muzikale mal als het om jazz gaat. Tegelijk ziet wiki juist dit album als (her)startvonk voor de commerciële jazz. Ergens heeft de man blijkbaar de juiste middenweg gevonden.

Inmiddels zijn we bij album 4 van Miles Davis aanbeland. De inspiratie voor een review raakt soms een beetje op, in de graveyardshift vd snoblijst. Gelukkig mag ik verder niet echt klagen over het aanbod (afgezien van de hiphop), want er zitten wel classics tussen. Zo ook dit jazzalbum, dat ik meer ken van de serie van Dogfish Head brewery over bierbrouwen. Staat vast nog wel ergens op joetjoep. Dat was een vd aanstichters om zelf te beginnen met brouwen. Dus in bepaalde mate zou je kunnen zeggen dat dit album aan de basis van een bierrevolutie stond. Of het aan de basis van een of andere jazzrevolutie stond weet ik niet. Ik maak nog steeds onderscheid tussen chaotische, zenuwachtige jazz en wat meer relaxte. Dit zit gelukkig meer in de laatste categorie, dus ik stoor me er niet aan. Al is ook hier bijna 2 uur wel fokking lang. Bundel het beste in 40 minuten en je pakt een ster extra denk ik. Nu nopen de te uitgesponnen stukken me tot een vergeetbare 3.

Großartig! Ein Meilenstein in der Geschichte des Jazz

No błagam. W ten sposób mnie nie przekonacie do jazzu. Wiem, że jestem na niego za głupia, ale 20 minutowe utwory, które mają tyle zawijasów i zwrotów, że głowa mała, nie pomagają. To jest chaos i momentami brzmiało jakby inne samochody na mnie trąbiły. 4/10

Damn this hits so hard. Sprawling hallucinatory jams that conjure a a primal scene, a fire in a cave, deep grooves plumping unknown depths of dark funk, febrile keys that come in layer and layers, swelling atmosphere and chaotic noise that dissolves as it resolves, a sweaty heat punctuated by a fire alarm trumpet from a nightmare echoing through and out of time. Frenzy. Fever. Fear. The bass arrives just in time, giving something to hold on to, a life raft for the soloists to climb aboard and keep the party burning. The jazz trance descends...

I'm not really a jazz fan, so I suspect much of the qualities of this album are lost on me. I the album twice, and while I felt the trumpet was fine it did feel like an extended jam session and lacked focus. Pleasant enough to listen too, but...

Ach du mmeine Güte, Jazz liebe ich aber das??

Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: Bitches Brew I enjoyed this more than Kind of Blue. It felt more spontaneous and alive. It was quite long though, and so I only got in a two maybe two and a half listens before I moved onto other music.

Still struggling with jazz. 3.

This was good to listen to while working but I don’t really know how to classify jazz music. Let’s go 3.5.

man, this album is so sick. listening to it, you feel like the coolest motherfucker on the face of the earth. the playing here is incredible. it can be all over the place, but it all still feels like a cohesive unit. the way this album sounds is incredible. there's nothing like it. truly a unique 1 of 1 album.

Jazz puro y duro, nada fácil de escuchar concentrado en mi opinión, pero de la mejor calidad posible. Obra de arte tras obra de arte. No volvería a escuchar el álbum entero igual no estoy tan adentrada en el jazz como para que esta escucha me sea ligera lol Fav: Spanish Key

Si alguien se pregunta por qué he tardado tanto en hacer reviews es porque me tocaba este álbum y DURA HORA Y MEDIA. Quería escucharlo bien antes de decir algo sobre él. Tengo un beef personal con los álbumes que duran más de lo necesario pero por ser Miles Davis haciendo jazz revolucionario I'll let it slide Fácil distinguir el por qué del culto con este doble álbum, no me cabe duda que es de lo mejorcito del género, pionero y rompedor. Pero como me privó de mantener el ritmo habitual con las reseñas, no le pongo las cinco estrellas. Venga Miles, ven a buscarla. Nah, es coña. Simplemente al no ser un álbum que volvería a escuchar (no me suelen sobrar 27 minutos para tener la misma canción de fondo), no me sale catalogarlo de perfecto. Ojo, lo es, pero vaya, que para que me vuelva a escuchar por voluntad propia una canción que dure más de diez minutos tiene que ser muy especial, y no tengo esa conexión con Miles (soy gen Z) Favs: Sanctuary

I’m giving it five, not because I enjoyed it, as I really didn’t, but because it’s possible to marvel at the musicianship without feeling anything for the music being produced. The existence of music that asks questions or pushes boundaries is necessary, regardless of whether I want to listen to it.

Wow, that was a challenge. I love David’ earlier bebop and hard bop work, and fully understand the need to push boundaries, but there was very little for me to hang onto here. I know it was very influential at the time but I am not sure I like its influence as it moved jazz into an era where it was detached from any of the traditional foundations of rhythm and melody into to something far more nebulous. There were moments where it connected but not enough for me.

What a glorious mess. Unparalleled virtuosity on show here but the music was so bloody discordant and any resolution is so hard to come by it left me a little bit on edge. This is the kind of music I feel like I should ‘get’ but am probably too intellectually changed to be able to.

3/4

Ambient jazz. Reminds me of montage music in heist movies. At times discordant sounds were unpleasant/tense sounding.

1h34 de trompettes aléatoires, c'est NON.

uf, este sí que es un desafio

Made my uneasy but I enjoyed the come-down and the dogs barking. It was definitely an experience.

really good melody but a song should NOT be 26 mins.

Alldeles för kort tid med en dag för en vettig recension av det här albumet. Det tutas i alldeles för långa låtar, ofta finns det 4-5 låtar i en låt. Så en producent som kunnat sätta en punkt emellanåt hade varit önskvärt. Jag vet inte om det är så men jag upplever lp 1 och lp 2 som ganska olika, lite olika temperment och ingångsvärden. Tvåan upplever jag som mer forcerad och lite rastlöst. Ettan mer stämningsskapande och tydligare idé. Överlag är det inte heller särskilt svängigt och det är säkert inte meningen heller. Lite kul instrumentering med gitarr och elpiano/orgel. Särskilt elpianot på första lpn är jag förtjust i, när det får ligga där och bli lite loungigt, lite easy listening så där, mycket smakfullt, tveklöst bästa detaljen på skivan. Så där tycker jag det är hela tiden, det finns partier, nån minut här nån minut där som är skitbra, särskilt när tutandet hålls tillbaka. Ibland ligger Miles bara och fyller i väldigt sparsmakat och ibland tystnar han helt, särskilt på första lpn. Den närmast spöklika inledningen på öppningsspåret är ett parti som är lite längre, dryga fyra minuter som är himla bra och sista delen på sista spåret "Sanctuary" är ett annat längre parti och som är klart bäst på den andra lpn. Det är rätt splittrat och jag skulle vilja ha mer struktur. Men en trea klarar den nog trots allt

Det krävs ett visst sinnelag för att lyssna på Bitches brew. Och tid. Har man båda är det en upplevelse att bara flyta med i allt som pågår i den här häxbrygden. Ett mäktigt band skapar groovet som driver på. Låtarna nästan omärkbart ändrar form och man märker inte att det skett förrän mot slutet när cirkeln sluts. Bästa Miles-perioden. Allra starkast är första skivan med Pharaoh’s dance och titelspåret.

Det har hänt lite med Miles och hans musik från Birth of the cool till det här. Fusion har aldrig varit min favorit bland jazzgenres men är det nått album man ska köra så är det så klart BB. Extremt nyskapande gör din tid. Ett bra driv och fantastiska musiker. Men återigen, likt många andra omdömen i den här appen, albumet hade mått bra av att kortas ned. Ett enkelalbum hade räckt. Tiden till en koncentrerad lyssning finns tyvärr inte. Hade kanske påverkat betyget uppåt eller nedåt.

Jag kan ha förståelse för de som tycker att detta bara är ljud som pågår. Jag fick lpn förra sommaren aven bekant som rensade ut en vind. Trots att det är svårt att skilja låtarna åt, att det i mångt och mycket bara är ett groove eller jam som pågår, så gillar jag detta skarpt. Miles storhet i det här fallet är inte hans spel eller kompositioner, utan att han plockat ihop rätt musiker för att genomföra sin vision. Lysande!

This is alright. I prefer Kind of Blue. If peeing your pants is cool, consider me Miles Davis.

A great album but not an easy one. If you want 'easy' try bubblegum pop, it is probably more your thing. I've owned this for years and it gets better with every listen. A rare 5/5 from me.

Long, but solid. Did I mention long? 5.3/10

not my thing, but the prettiest album art ever

I really wanted to like this. And bits of it I did. But overall it's just too repetitive and long-winded to really enjoy listening to - and despite how ground-breaking it is etc etc, isn't that the point?

schon toll und das cover und keine bass Gitarre drums Bandlogik aber wie oft mache ich es nochmal an? Miles Davis ist schon toll! c

I thought I knew it well but I don’t. It’s always going to be some of the most horrible sound ever.

People have been telling me for decades that this is a great record. Still not there yet.

Hate it. So anxiety inducing. I'm tired of having jazz foisted upon me. I'm only giving it a 2 because I know the musicians are talented.

I guess it's a measure of this album's influence that I can hear this as pleasant background music and not wildly experimental weirdness. I liked it, but not 90 minutes' worth, but what do I know.

not my thing, but im glad i listened to it.

I love Miles, but this just didn't do it for me me.

95

Fitting that this was the next album after Bowie’s “Low.” I consider Miles Davis and Bowie kindred spirits in a way, both evolving with the times without sacrificing artistic integrity. It goes without saying that “Bitches Brew” is fantastic, picking up where Davis left off with “In a Silent Way.” I may prefer “Jack Johnson” and “On the Corner” as far as Davis’s “electric period” albums go, but this is undeniably his high-water mark from the era, insofar as ingenuity and popularity intersect. Portions of it even seem to preface the ambient and dark ambient subgenres of popular music which would emerge in the ensuing decade. Hard to believe that many jazz purists rejected this upon release. It may boast more electric instruments, but the language is still very much jazz.

Interessant og smoooth, men det blir jazz baren i grim fandango for meg. Sikkert bra, jeg bare forstår det ikke.

Too experimental jazzy

Some really cool soundscaping. I think I really need my jazz to be a little bit more structured in one way or another. I like rock and guitar music, I like jazz, I'm yet to be fully sold on fusion

вайбово. хороший состав. каждый день такое слушать не буду, но иногда прикольно)

I appreciated the creativity and spontaneity of this album.

Just unlistenable for me, first track was only one I found slightly interesting but never found it more difficult to get through an album.

kunde inte lyssna klart. gillar Miles Davis men det var för kaotiskt för mig

escuche 3 canciones xq duran 20 min. osea esta bien para musica de fondo pero dsp ñe

Not in a hurry to relisten to this one - but you can't doubt the chaotic mastery of sound and its impact.

Its soo good.

Too out there for me. Freedom and improvisation are idiomatic of jazz performance, but I take exception with employing those idioms in the production process of a jazz record. It undermines the authenticity of jazz itself. Sorry.

Psychedelic jazz with a sprinkle of electric guitar

There’s no question Bitches Brew is a landmark. The musicianship is staggering — Miles leading this controlled chaos of groove, texture, and experimentation — but it’s not an easy listen. Some sections are brilliant, others feel like a fever dream in sound form. It’s definitely not the Miles record to throw on in the background or to unwind with, but when it clicks, it’s electric. I respect the sheer audacity and the talent on display too much to go lower than a four, even if I can’t see myself reaching for it often.

I really think this album deserves to be in the top tier of the greatest albums ever made, especially when you balance its experimental edge with the overall listening experience. There are a lot of great avant-garde and experimental jazz albums out there, but many of them aren’t very approachable for the average listener. What really keeps this album grounded is the bass. It’s repetitive, hypnotic, and it’s groove focused, which provides a solid foundation for everything else to build on. I also found it fascinating that the album features dual drummers along with additional percussionists, creating complex rhythms that drives the improvisational element. From a production standpoint, this was one of the first albums to really use the studio as an instrument. The band recorded long, freeform jams built around rhythmic grooves and modal frameworks, and then hours of material were edited and sculpted into shape through heavy layering and post production work. Culturally, this album is also important because it was heavily influenced by the psychedelic counterculture of the 1960s, but it doesn’t sound stuck in that time period. It has a timeless quality. If someone unfamiliar with it heard it today, they might not be able to tell if it was recorded 50 years ago or five. That’s rare. A lot of music from that era sounds like it came from that era, but this album still feels new and fresh, even decades later.

This sure was a thing alright. What was that thing though?

While I have long considered Miles Davis as one of my favourite Jazz musicians, I always felt a little confused by Bitches Brew. I know it is considered by many people to be one of his best, but the chaos of the opening several minutes had previously scared me away. I was excited to try to listen to this again with open ears and I'm glad I did. While I still find the first half of the first album to be a bit chaotic at times, I feel like in the context of the album it gives contrast to the much more subtle second half. Its hard to compare this to more traditional Miles Davie, ie. Kind of Blue. They are vastly different albums, but what I feel like Bitches Brew does fantastically is evoke a feeling. It's eerie, a bit unsettling but also still somehow put together. Experimental and a little bit insane but also rhythmic and a huge step toward music yet to come. I think if I didn't consider this album within the context of his career, I might not like it, but listening to it now I feel it absolutely has it place.

Hell yes, this is one of my all time favourite albums! Experimental jazz with some top tier musicians performing at the peak of their craft. I totally get how this will be too far out there for some, but I absolutely love it!

Tough spot here...already gave Kind of Blue five stars, and Bitches Brew isn’t far behind. Gotta respect how it made the jazz establishment clutch their pearls. Helps when you marry someone twenty years younger who turns you on to Hendrix, Sly, and psychedelia. Miles heard the future and plugged straight into it.

Quite the album, a lot going on. Don't try to do anything else while listening. It's an objectively good album that commands your attention, not a casual listen.

great opener and flatlined after that

A trippy masterpiece I need to put back into rotation immediately.

I mean it’s miles, it’s a little crazy, a little wild, revolutionary

no melodies? kinda groovy but no form?

Now this is jazz-rock fusion. A spectacular group of musicians build endlessly interesting musical explorations over grooves, with an overall aesthetic that is slightly sinister. This is music that requires deep focus and concentration; there are rarely repeated melodic phrases to hold on to. But if you can orient to the grooves and surrender to the wild musical adventure, it is a thrilling listen.

Has an amazing song: super massive black hole. And many other great songs

Eh. It's fine, but Jazz just doesn't jam with me.

Jazz #ifykyk

If you're my sister and literally got a degree in jazz, I bet this is rad! Sadly, I did not go to jazz school, so I don't really understand this album but I'm sure it's important so I'll give it 3 stars.

Frankly, is still need to hear this more to get to know it. And I've certainly heard some easier albums. But, man, this felt so GOOD.

Not one's favorite Miles but still Miles so still great and excellence – and such excellence is always relevant (at least to listeners of taste) no matter what editors say about Miles in the '60s. One digs the expansiveness and toughness and courageous exploration, though certainly understands why others would not so dig. This asks a bit of listeners, though one has always believed it's well worth the effort as with most things Miles. One likes to just put it on and let it sprawl ... in all it's unhurried skronk and toughness. And there's plenty of grooves if one's patient enough (e.g., "Spanish Key").

Heck of a endurance test.

The squonkier trumpet parts cut into my enjoyment of this

perhaps the best example of the sound i'm talking about when i say jazz makes me feel like my atoms are in the wrong place

i don't know enough about jazz to understand why this is interesting or notable. doesn't speak to me, was fine music to send invoices to

Listen I know this makes me an uncultured heathen or whatever but I don't Get this album. I've listened to it multiple times in an attempt to understand and I find it so spiky and unenjoyable.

More jazz — and more Miles Davis! I really don’t have much to say about this one, other than it’s bloody long and I really struggled to get through it. I just don’t enjoy jazz, especially the more experimental kind, and this album didn’t change my mind. Favourite track: I couldn’t pick one. Least favourite track: Honestly, they all blend into background music for me — I can barely tell the difference between them. Album artwork: A really cool cover, and definitely the best thing about this album.

This album is pretty immense. Very otherworldly. I tend to get laust in the sostce when it comes to these bepop/fusion albums but, having recently gotten into Mahavishnu Orchestra and just many of the other players on this record outside of Miles (Check out: Wayner Shorter, Bennie Maupin(of headhunters fame), John Mclaughlin (previously mentioned), Joe Zawinul (of the weather report), Chick Corea and Dave Holland (which his world trio album with kevin eubanks is very underrated); even Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams played on the previous record "In a Silent Way" which I like more/is more straightforward; also crazy that I did this rambling parenthesis that is grammatically unsound yet still kind of fits the layered theme of the music of this album). I really appreciate the grandiosity and the musicianship. There is always something new to pick apart with this record on each listen. This really is the kind of music that I don't understand how anyone can conceive let alone play. That's jazz for ya baby. Even if I like other albums more from Miles and the others in this group, undeniable classic in the genre and for jump starting so many other musician's careers.

Some albums just sound like a soundtrack for losing your mind. I listened to this half distracted on speakers and was coming up with a three but I gave it another shot and listened to it attentively on headphones. It's not even the same album. This comes through in ways I can't believe I didn't even start to notice. The drum is a grounding line throughout the entire first disc and everything interplays so uniquely it almost feels like a insane mix. As it builds into itself it showed so much more. Unreal album. It is long and likely could've been two releases but it is strong throughout.

I did my first listen on the car stereo. I was kind of impressed with some bits and the progression since the older stuff. Overall tho I was leaning towards a 4. Now with headphones in and eyes closed, this is a whole different beast. The mixing is taking me for a ride. This is a solid and interesting album. It provides something different compared to a lot of derivative albums on this list. I'd gladly give it some more listens some day.

This sound just gave me anxiety. Not a fan

I mean just for starters it's at LEAST an hour too long. Additionally a significant percentage of that overlong runtime was physically painful for me to listen to. I wish I could give this at least two or three stars to pretend I'm enlightened enough to appreciate what apparently a lot of intelligent and respectable people consider a groundbreaking masterpiece but given the number of times I seriously considered turning it off and making it my first DNF album and possibly also throwing my phone across the room I would feel too dishonest doing so. At least it's over now thank God

This album is not for everyone - certainly was not upon its release - but the way Miles Davis and his band cut themselves loose from the polite tether of the jazz that made him famous is thrilling unto itself, and the music is a real step toward the interstellar.

It’s hard to know what to make of this album. I appreciate its attempt to meld jazz with rock, and Davis was clearly not short of ideas here. He’s creating entirely new soundscapes. But it also feels a little formless and meandering much of the time; I found myself grateful for the keyboard refrains in “Spanish Key,” for example, just for providing a point of reference. It’s also asking a lot of the listener, with six tracks that stretch past 10 minutes, including two that go longer than 20. Not my favorite Miles Davis, but it’s unquestionably distinctive, and John McLaughlin and Chick Corea especially are in fine form.

Yet another " i dont know enough about jazz to offer a cogent review, but seems to live up to the hype" selection.

Wow, this was bad… but hey, at least it dragged on forever.

Jazz continues not to be my thing but this was not unpleasant to listen to - just long!

- Ich bin kein Fan von experimentellem Jazz - Ist mir sogar zu stressig für den Hintergrund also werde ich sehr wahrscheinlich nicht mehr hören - Und die Lieder sind einfach viel zu lang, ich habe von jedem Song maximal 5 Minuten ausgehalten (Top)song: John McLaughlin (weil am kürzesten)

Improv/jam albums just sound like long winded noodling. Not to my taste. Could only do 1 song

Year 9 music lesson, but the teacher pulls a sicky and everyone 'has a go' A bit shit considering how good the other Miles Davis album was

Miles Davis goes electric - and it's crap

This is the kind of jazz I really love. There's less structure, much less composition. It's all about experimenting and seeing where they end up, and for me is what jazz is all about. It’s not free jazz, but it's freer and looser than Kind of Blue. The musicians constantly playing off each other. For example In the first track, the trumpet starts picking up on what the drums are doing, then the guitar, bass, and keys fall in, and suddenly it locks into a solid groove. Then it breaks apart again, with everyone going their own way. That pattern keeps repeating coming together, breaking apart so each track feels alive, growing, and shifting in all kinds of directions. But it doesn’t just descend into utter chaos and insanity like true free jazz. There’s always an underlying groove holding it all together.

Certainly many 20 minutes songs of someone tooting their horn

I enjoyed this one much less than the first Miles David album. Can appreciate the craft but I'm full thanks

I just don't like jazz, period

Nope

Luckily I was busy working on something but that was incredibly background music

I was tapping my foot a few times, but this is not something that I need listen to again... I mean: which song was which?

Just when I was starting to think that I liked jazz, now I wonder... It sounds like someone is trying to keep their groove while navigating obstacles, random interruptions and instrument issues. If I think about it, I don't like it. If I let it play in the background and don't think, it's ok. Solidly belongs on this list though.

Too weird, sorry Miles.

Nothing special, and a bit too long.

I win nothing for sitting through this. I dont gain anything for pretending this is brilliant What can I say? It's long? Because it lasts for fucking ever. Its dull? A bit yeah. Its not that interesting? Probably It is what it is. Not my thing. Not evil or harmful, but I will never ever ever listen to this again

For rodet til mit hoved

The lucid moments are great

I've listened to it more than a few times. My uncle liked jazz and I played it at his celebration of life.

I’m probably the problem, but my attention span doesn’t allow for full enjoyment of this album. Found it difficult to maintain interest, songs go on for very long and while there’s a lot to like- it’s hard to remain engaged.

Replying to another user: I don't dislike Miles Davis because his music "stands out." In fact, I don't think his tracks are particularly remarkable. Give me something wild like the Gerogerigegege.

Pitkä kuin nälkävuosi. Välillä mielenkiintoista ja paikoin hyvääkin mutta olisi saanut olla tunnin lyhyempi. Kuuntelin kuitenkin loppuun asti ja vaimeana taustamusiikkina toimi aivan hyvin.

Siis ihan mielenkiintoista ja monia hauskoja elementtejä, mutta miksi tää kestää ikuisuuden?! Ekassa levyssä kaks biisii ja ne kesti jo 45min🥲 Välillä oli vähän liikaa kaikkea meneillään ja jopa kaoottinen niin tuli jotenki levoton olo. Mutta muuten todella mielenkiintosta ja hauskaa

Best Song: John McLaughlin More jazz. It's like Godfather 3, "every time I think I'm out, they pull me back in." This is more music that does nothing for me, besides maybe writing/cleaning to it. But, this time the songs are way longer. 3/5.

What a bummer for this to be my album #300. I guess Jazz just doesn't work for me. And that's okay. I endured 30 minutes of this and won't force myself through the rest of it.

Some pretty decent jazz. Fav- Bitches Brew

Experimental Jazz. I like experiment and the non linear. The sounds and tone of the album would definitely go well with acid. Even without I am seeing shapes and colour in my mind. I don't 'Get' the album, I don't think you're necessarily supposed to. On any given day, depending on your state of mind, it will make you feel different ways, including displeasure. It's wonderfully weird and an enigma to me.

I tried listening to this album a couple of times before, today it finally clicked. What an insane and atmospheric album

1. pharaoh - 2.5 2. bitchez -2 3. zpanizh - 2 4. john - 1.5 5. milez -1.5 6. zanctuary - 3.5 7. feio - 2.5

Miles Davis is an amazing musician, I'm just not that into instrumental jazz. Best song: John McLaughlin

Bitches Brew is monumental -- so tremendous it struggled to carry its own weight.

Would prefer to give it 3.5 stars, but I’ll round up

Miles Davis pushes the limits of both jazz and listenability on this album. He breaks the former (in a good way) but not the latter. There's 90 minutes of music here, but it doesn't feel too long. There's so much going on - piano, electric guitar, horns, drums, bass - but it never feels chaotic or overstuffed. There are subdued moments, but there's always enough going on that you're not waiting for the next loud moment. It's a true jazz odyssey...I'm just not sure it goes anywhere. Having been stitched together from live sessions, it feels like a long jam that doesn't build from or to anything. It's just 6 great jazz tracks. Which can probably be said of many albums, but I think I need to rewire my brain for jazz before this goes from being an album I admire to a personal favorite.

This album is going to be either exquisite or excruciating, depending on your relationship with experimental jazz - there's not a lot of in between with this genre. If you're struggling to get into this album, I might recommend starting with Disc 2 to get your bearings on the shorter songs first. They're a little less experimental which could make them more palatable and help acclimate you to what you'll get on Disc 1. You might still hate all of it, but at least this gives you a little more runway to work with. I've spent more time with Davis's masterpiece, Kind Of Blue (1959), so this feels like a pretty radical evolution compared to that reference point. For starters, there are electric instruments here that absolutely weren't present in Kind Of Blue. It's also certainly more chaotic and requires a slightly different headspace to appreciate. I can get there, but it feels more like homework than casual listening; I don't think I'l revisit this as often as I play Kind Of Blue. "Miles Runs The Voodoo Down" stood out as a good balance of experimenting while staying grounded in more traditional jazz. If you can only listen to one song, maybe this is the one. "Sanctuary" sounds more like what you'd get on older MD albums, so it resonated with me from that aspect.

This is an album I've had on my radar for a while but have always found it too intimidating. The skill and vision is clear. But i found some of the improv parts to be hectic. Its probably objectively a 4-5 but I'm taking a star for it not being my cup of tea.

THE FIRST HALF IS TERRIBLE AND FOR A DOUBLE RECORD IS TOO MUCH. SPANISH KEYS GETS COOL.

At first I was like "oh sick, this is great jazz!" And then I was like "oh no, this is so much jazz" Excellent music, from and for someone on another wavelength. And despite everything, jazz sometimes feels like a gullibility test. Maybe that's what makes it interesting.

Do I understand this album? No. Do I groove with each of its tracks? No. Do I even feel touched at an emotional level? Not exactly. So why the hell do I like this album so much? I think it's because of its ability to create soundscapes that, even more than 50 years later, feel unexplored and possible. There's an optimism and curiosity and boldness and ebullience to this album that keeps me coming back.

Absolutely legendary piece of jazz. Messy, brilliant, noisy, and beautiful.

I mean good, but I'm not a huge jazz fan.

Good background album that isn't boring or uninspired. Lots of cool jazz sounds and enjoyable all through, especially when you're using the album as a way to work on another activity.

It's pretty good, but also pretty hard to get through. Lots of really sparse improvisation in most of the songs. It has its moments, especially in Spanish Key and Sanctuary but as a whole it was fairly boring. The best part by far is the album cover, that goes incredibly hard.

2.17

Look I get that it's a renowned album for what it does. I just don't care for Jazz. Too many notes.

Good background music

I always like Mikes Davis when I hear him, and this is great music, but I’m rarely in the right mind space to give this the time it deserves.

I listened to a lot of Miles when I first got into jazz of course, but this one always felt much more lukewarm than his previous albums, such as the chaotic “Miles in the Sky,” which has always been my favorite record of his. This is probably my most attentive listen of this album and hanging around for the much livelier second disc was worth it, because they felt much less tense and build-up-ish than the first disc. Definitely enjoyed my time with it as a whole, though.

Struggled with this one slightly, was pretty intense

Ok

- Great I enjoyed - I thought it would feel long but it really didnt - i cant really say what a stand out would be cause it all blended together well - the songs were long thats not good or bad

Second time I smoked was to this album. Everybody knows the second time is when it really hits. It was a revelation. I listened to it for a solid 2 weeks after that. It's hard to comprehend algebra 2 when Miles is empirically proving that I'm a product of Yakub.

I did not enjoy this as much as his previous albums.

Bitches Brew is one of many jazz masterpieces underneath Miles Davis' belt, but I'd argue it's his most important release of them all. It started a whole new movement of jazz and created a giant ripple into the world of jazz that can still be heard today in modern jazz and jazz infused projects. The music in this project doesn't quite reach the same heights as Kind Of Blue, but I do think it is the closest to reaching it out of everything by Miles I have heard. The songs are long but full of thought provoking sound combinations that keep your mind thinking from front to back. As I slowly wrap up the album I don't really have too much else to point out other then the textures of the sounds feel amazing with some good headphones on. It's a classic. Nuff Said.

I was so seated for this one. You have no idea how seated I was. In fact, I wanted to go to the toilet, like, 10 minutes in, but I remained seated the whole way through. That's how seated I was. Jazz sort of has a reputation of being a snobby genre because a lot of the highly regarded jazz records happen to be avant-garde. I understand how comments akin to "you just don't get it" can get frustrating. Everyone should be entitled to their own preferences. I also don't enjoy a lot of critically acclaimed albums. However, I personally think that there's nothing to "get" here. I think this just sounds awesome. I also think that people who don't agree that long-form songs are superior are just lying. This album has some incredible consistency for something so purposely inconsistent. You don’t know what’s coming next, but every time, it sounds incredible—and that’s what made it so fun for me. I feel like jazz is the perfect genre for this sort of chaotic, polyphonic music. With genres that heavily rely on electric instruments like rock, due to their inherent loudness, detail tends to get lost in the mix, and the fact that you can’t hear every individual instrument clearly makes me enjoy it a little less. You can use it to your advantage, of course, but more often than not, I find the mixing/mastering job on chaotic/noisy rock or electronic records to be less than stellar. You can certainly also go louder with jazz (this album is not the most frantic and definitely not the most aggressively loud jazz record that I’ve heard), and modern jazz fusion, in my experience, also tends to fall into that trap. But when everything is set up so you can hear every musician as clearly as possible, if everyone plays something great at the same time, all of that combined sounds even better—and that’s what this album does. I still prefer music with more pronounced crescendos, so I can’t say this albums suits my preferences exactly, but this was genuinely one of the most engaging albums I’ve ever heard. 9/10

An interesting experiment that didn't *quite* make it as far as being great, but definitely good fun to listen to.

Typical miles Davis. He’s such an asshole I have a hard time enjoying him. I don’t really think he’s that good honestly

Pioneer of the jazz movement. One of his most experimental albums. but I like Someday my Prince will come and Sketches of Spain better.

This is not music I can sit with. It’s noise wearing a mask. Maybe it is genius, I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter if I can’t make it past twenty-two minutes without grinding my teeth. The improvisational sprawl is relentless. A towering achievement for someone else, but pure torture for me. Spins: 0.20952380952 (roughly 2 minutes into the second track, I dipped). Playlist Additions: - John McLaughlin (because it's only 4m long).

I've not listened to this all the way through before. Found it hard to get into the first time. Being used to Kind of Blue, Sketches of Spain and others, this always stood out as quite chaotic. But I am glad I stuck with it. You can see the progression that Davis was making and appreciate his mastery.

Nice to put on in the background. Have been doing that for a while with studying. Is quite long lol so can doze off when i try to listen to it on its own. Still quite an expansive experience and puts to music a sense of urgency that is really good to do when studying or doing chores. And returning of motifs and shifting to entirely new ones within a song is good enough to retain your attention if you break up listening experience to chunks lol. 4 stars

I just cannot connect with this sorry but It really sounds like some children have been given some musical instruments to play with!

I got this album the day after a Stan Getz bossanova album, and the contrast made me laugh. The Getz album is pretty easy-going and perfect for a dinner party. Bitches Brew is something very, very different. Let me put it like this: this album is like abstract art. If you want a pretty painting of a beautiful woman, you don't go looking at abstract art. If you want conventional song structures, harmonies, and memorable riffs, you don't play Bitches Brew. This is my first time with this album and it's deeply fascinating. Is it something for Sunday mornings with my boo? Nope. Right now I'm listening to it on headphones while grading papers, and it's pretty fantastic for that. Feet tapping, head nodding. I won't go back to this over and over, but it's an album I'll keep in hand for when I need it. Good stuff.

Too jazzy for me

I do not like jazz

This was definitely a challenge. I always struggle with jazz but this had a mild psychedelic vibe to it that I liked. It hilariously gave my partner a mild panic attach cause she hated it so much. But honestly it took a while for it to grow on me and even then I really have to be in a specific mood to listen to this. Still fun though.

Sounds like 5 shitty, totally unrelated songs being played over each other. And oh yeah, it’s almost 2 hours of this nonsense. Don’t do drugs kids. A torturous cacophony of misplayed notes and unharmonious “experimentation” disguised as high art. I don’t trust anyone that says they genuinely enjoy this.

++: Pharao's Dance, Bitches Brew, Spanish Key, John McLaughlin, Miles Runs the Voodoo Down, Sanctuary 9,9/10

Not really the type of Jazz that I like. I'll try and give this another listen and see if it grows on me.

An unbelievable album - a complete game changer, and not just for jazz. Highly recommended.

Perfect.

8/10

This fucks. Sexually

an awesome album name. Aggressive witchy jazz. Maybe even stressful but high energy

Man, I know Miles Davis is a master of his craft. I know Bitches Brew is some sort of landmark achievement in the jazz world. I know that "not really getting it" makes me some sort of rube in the music nerd community. I don't care about any of that, because listening to this record is a chore. I'm sure the musicians were having fun, but this what my problem is with experimental jazz: it's fine that the musicians are experiencing joy in what they're doing, but it doesn't really translate for me. Their joy is unfortunately not contagious; rather, it feels like it actually sucks my joy from me for as long as I'm willing to listen. I find it a more joyful affair for me to just quit listening...which is what I've done here. 2/5

I dig, you dig?

I hung on till the bitter end waiting for a break through moment. I wanted to find something to be surprised by and take away. Sadly that did not happen.

If your music comes with the instructions of “trust me…you’ll eventually like it”, or “give it multiple listens, and then I’ll think you’ll get it”…you’ve already lost. This album fails for those very reasons and is a good example of why jazz gets a bad rap, regardless of how good the players are. There’s a lot of good jazz out there, but this snooty, sanctimonious, cacophonous shit ain’t it. Now…I think I’ll go drink a proper brew.

The first song sounded like 20 minutes of an orchestra warming up. Second song didn’t get much better. And they both just made me feel agitated and anxious. I didn’t make it to disc 2.

I thought I was pretty cool back in the day when I picked up this vinyl cuz the internet told me it was a masterpiece. I don't think I made it through one song back then and this is probably my first time revisiting in like 15 years. And you know what? I don't like it. I mean, who is this for? You wouldn't put it on for a dinner party, a regular party, casual get together with friends, or just for some leisurely listening. This albums is for peeps who want to sit alone with Hi-Fi speakers/headphones so they can lecture peeps on experimental jazz. That's not my tempo. I was considering rounding up cuz it is Miles Davis and obviously important to lots of people, but naw. 1.5/5

Музыка: 2/10 Разнообразие: 2/10 Тематика и вайб: 2/10 Цепляемость (отдельные песни зашли): 1/10 Реиграбельность (можно ли рандомно врубить на фон): 2/10 Итог: 0.9

Not his best....

Proud I got all the way through. Didn’t entirely feel like taking my vitamins. I would listen to this again in the background.

Fine

Fuck jazz. Fuck experimental jazz, in particular.

first day of school. the whole "abandon all hope ye who enter here" atmosphere lingers... and there's jazz. free jazz. avant garde jazz. with a swear word in the title free avant garde jazz. I have listened to "Sound of Silver" before. but anyway here's a mashup of miles davis soloing over the last song of that album. https://youtu.be/huEtJw7pfLk?si=QrA_te7fIvzzY5HW this album is a whole different beast. pharaoh's dance is good but the title track really feels long and boring to me. that make it a 4. 4/5

Miles Davis’ Kinda Blue is one of my favorite albums. This was miles trying something different like Picasso not painting an apple as an apple. This was different, tough, satisfying, wandering. It felt like experimentation. It is somewhere between a 2 and 4.5.

Some good ones but but not totally my style.

Interesting? Yes, Worth being on the list? Yes. Can i think of a time that i would listen to it again? No

I wasn't that into the earlier Miles album but it did get me into a deep dive and it was his fusion era I was most into. I held back on this one as I knew it was on the list and even though it"s denser than the classic albums either side of this I think I was prepsred for it and I was into it more than I thought. One of those albums where it all comes together, cover, title and music - definately taking from Sun Ra's Afrotuturism but adding Sly Stone/Hendrix funk/Rock influences. Undoubtedly sprawling and not without some dips but managed to squeeze in a couple of late night listens where it's syncopated Rhythms and twistscsnd turns left me wanting more each time.

Confession. I listened to two songs, but that was equivalent to a normal album length. In no world am I spending 1h 46m to review one album. This is clearly good jazz, it has a distinctly progressive feel to it compared to say “a love supreme” which remains my favourite of the handful of jazz albums I’m familiar with. Bottom line though, jazz just ain’t my jive. For enjoyment this is a 3, for execution I’m happy to give a 5 based on my limited. knowledge. I’ll meet Miles in the middle.

Classic, interesting, challenging

Did not listen in the end, hard stuff. Soundtrack doing something what not suppose to

rædsom 1

This album was my introduction to Miles when I was younger, I think it was my first jazz cd too. Incredible musicianship through out and it’s always inspiring to revisit.

What a cast! I love Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea. John McLaughlin, and of course Miles. I'm not sure who the rest of the guys are, but it works.The title track is dope! Uber long songs, perfect for a psychedelic listen. I like the journey on Spanish Key. Long jam session on this album. Miles Runs the Voodoo Down is a change of pace, and Sanctuary takes it back to an earlier Miles sound. Groovy album with a stellar ensemble. 4

Mildly overrated. Love me some Miles but always found this one a bit much.

That's sexist bullshit.

Not mine, nervous fucker

Sounds stupid but I did not realize how experimental the Beatles were

Rating: 9.5/10 This man is simply a jazz genius: another Miles Davis album that pushes the boundaries of what jazz can sound like. All of the songs take you on a journey that is mystical: this is an album that is experimental yet beautiful and meditative. It is quite sprawling and long, so I prefer In A Silent Way, but this is also absolutely incredible.

amazing

it would have been a 4/5 but the first half is such a fucking slog

I'm a Jazz interloper. I like it and listen to it quite a bit, but I am not knowledgeable. It's all very gut-level for me. I like what I like, and I have trouble explaining why. This, I like. It's just the right amount of experimental, in my opinion. It has long jams, but they all go somewhere. Standout Track(s): Bitches Brew, Miles Runs the Voodoo Down

I always love a good jazz album. It pulls me into a pleasant mood

Nice to listen to

okay, 7 songs and an hour 45?!?!?!?!

3.1

He's great, no doubt. These days though, i'm not in the mood for this.

Заебись х2, но сука долго

I enjoy all the fusion projects that Miles did. While this one is considered his most famous and the entry point for a lot of people, it’s not my favorite. The name is appropriate because it is a strange brew of somewhat unfocused jams.

I’ve tried multiple times to enjoy this. Just not doing it

The music itself is fine, but I can't imagine going to see this live and not getting a bit bored with it. I, personally, need some breaks. Davis is without question one of the greats, but these 20+ minute improvisation pieces couldn't hold my attention. If all these songs were a bit shorter, it would have been great.

Offbeat, dissonant stuff is not my vibe

This bitch brewed

Disc 2 helped me do admin. Disc 1 was a slog. 4th time was a charm

I don’t understand a thing about jazz, but I like it. I especially don’t understand Bitches Brew but for nearly two hours I was never bored. Miles Davis was a weird dude but he could play the fuck out of some trumpet.

not a huge fan of jazz... lol

JAAAAAZZZZZ Love the title. The album is definitely a journey and involves plenty of patience, especially for non-jazz lovers. Definitely an impressive collection of free form jazz infused with electric instruments. Just not really my kind of thing.

This band is still playing shows?? Their first album was 1974 🤯that's wild. I would have had my mind blown listening to them in the 70s before electronic music was a thing. But it's 2025. Still dancable thou! Paging all therobots in particular. Spacelab I've heard in movies before.. iconic now

Miles is extremely talented but oh my god does this kind of music grate very quickly. I have never understood the appeal.

I love jazz but this was a bit too experimental for me, and has a high bar for anyone’s early exposure. 3/5 enjoyment but there’s probably better albums to put on the project

This, for me, is "difficult... listening... hour" to quote Laurie Anderson but I listen to difficult music sometimes and appreciated this suggestion.

2/5 Best Track - "John McLaughlin"

It was like it would never end. got a little over halfway through and just couldnt finish it.

This is just a weird album, I know how great Miles was and how talented he was. However this album just sounds like everyone sat in a room for two hours playing whatever they wanted to while someone recorded it.

I don't like jazz

I love this, it is amazing to get to hear multiple master musicians improvising jazz sessions. It’s like you get to be a fly on the wall. It isn’t easy to digest and I definitely understand why this won’t be for everyone but the complexity makes it interesting to go back to and hear something new each time.

Jazz is so boring to me. 2 stars or D-.

I'll give respect but not my taste

so much jazz! i’ve added it to library, for my repertoire of atmospheric sort of music.

Jazz great 10/10. Did I clearly hear all of it no I was eating poke

I didn’t connect with this one.

I can confirm that I really don’t like jazz

Not as good as Kind of Blue but how could it be? It’s also completely different. I do like it but not sure how often I will want to listen to it.

Really enjoyed this. Jazz is very Marmite for some people. Miles Davis is extraordinary though.

Not a big fan of jazz and it was hard to keep enthused with nearly 2 hours of it here. I mean it wasn’t bad and as jazz goes probably better than a lot of other efforts but I’d be lying if I said I was ever going to listen to any of this again.

It is very possible that at the end of each song the answer to life, the universe and everything was revealed. Sadly I didn’t make it it to the end of any song to find out.

Really liking this one. Any jazz that lets the backing drums and bass be properly heard and having leading role is a winner for me. The elec piano (which is quite mellotron like) is also really adding to these songs. Stick a bit of Miles on top and Fanny’s yer aunt, cracking stuff.

Very jazzy, the stressful kind of jazz. Sanctuary was nicest.

Credo sia fondamentale come album jazz, ma non fa decisamente per me. Non riesco ad ascoltarlo né come "musica da ascensore" né come sperimentazione musicale

I’m not sure I get it. It did not hit today.

👍👍

Big name, with no big results. Impro sessions...only.

Incredible album! What a masterclass in how to change you sound in a good way. The imagery is incredible and all the sounds just work

Top-tier musicianship, every member of the band is on another level. I have a problem with pieces that are 20 minutes or longer. Although I appreciate the attempt to develop ideas and push the boundaries of the song, I find it difficult to follow every change and maintain my focus throughout the entire song. Fav track: "Spanish Key", it gets really funky in some parts. 3.5/5 might be more rewarding on repeated listens.

I feel like I'm too dumb to fully understand this music. But it's still quite enjoyable while working

Some of "the sound" of this album sounds like the interlude on The Doors "Riders on the Storm" and I wonder if The Doors did that intentionally or not, as Bitch's Brew came out before LA Woman. I admittedly had a hard time differentiating between each of the songs since they were all instrumentals. My ears are novices when it comes to jazz. I was excited for Bitch's Brew and was not let down by any stretch of the imagination but I did enjoy the prior two Miles Davis albums more. It does not help this album was longer than the other two Davis albums on this list. When I'm too stupid to understand the difference in the sound of jazz songs, then longer albums tend to be a bit tedious for me. The tracks I enjoyed were: Bitches Brew Spanish Key Miles Runs the Voodoo Down (my favorite)

john McLaughlin I love you

This is jazz as I understand it: orchestrated chaos. It takes a more educated mind than mine to truly appreciate it, I'm sure. At times it dragged on, but at others I quite enjoyed it. Makes me feel like I'm listening to the soundtrack to L.A. Confidential or something, and that's a good thing.

I appreciate the vituoso - but can also get tired of the horn. I appreciate the electric guitar and jams (sounded like the Beastie Boys) but don't understand it! I think I like it, but then I don't.....fucking Jazz.

This was just good to have on while I was doing other things. Not that I was listening passively. There's something about the energy of the music that kept pulling me in. Very enjoyable to be under this spell.

didn't really listen, didn't like the first few songs so

I've already listened to his album (5). I understand the appeal, but it's a bit tedious to listen to.

cool isntrumental album ig

Awful noise.

Not all experimental Jazz works for me, but holy hell this one does. 5/5

Just too damn long. lots of good individual parts here but theyre all found randomly 8+ min into each song. Fav track: Spanish Key

Fan av jazz, men denne traff ikke helt meg

I’ve always gone back and forth on Miles’ work as a musician and a composer, and I think that’s because for the longest time I’ve never fully understood his material. And to understand his music we have to understand why it’s different to the works of other jazz pioneers. The two that immediately come to mind are Charles Mingus and of course, John Coltrane. Two massive names in jazz but both I’ve come to realise are very different to Miles Davis. John Coltrane was not only incredible at his respective instrument but also an extremely capable composer, who through his career always had something to prove. His solos are hectic, filled with lots of notes in small places and extremely complex, so much so that many musicians at the time were terrified to even play with him, he was incredible, and died too soon. Charles Mingus, whilst being a very capable bass player, was more of a composer himself, and created incredible compositions of music filled with huge noise and collective assortments. These works from the late 60s through to the very early 70s were impressive, but im not sure if he was ever really able to expand his work and push the limits of what jazz could become. This is what makes Miles different, cause he was focused on something else, the space in between. Whilst being able to compose, he never wanted to necessarily create music, he wanted to create an atmosphere, a mental picture for the listener, and once this is understood, listening to his music becomes a very different experience. Miles instrumental involvement on Bitches Brew and scattered throughout, making its presence known through long, singular notes, no complexity, all feeling, every note has an emotion, a purpose, a goal to take the listener somewhere they are not. Both this album and 1969s In A Silent Way (album prior) have a similar atmosphere, I imagine dark streets lit by a singular street light, foggy weather and one person walking through the damp lit scene, Miles Davis. I thoroughly enjoyed this album, and came to realise that Miles’ influence on what jazz could be is incomparable to anyone else, from this record onwards miles goes on to be limitless, I mean listen to Do Wop, the guy is a freak of nature. Sorry for sounding like an unbearable music snob, i unfortunately am one. 4.2/5 FTW Happy Monday girlies, let's listen to some Jazz. Before writing this review, I did a little bit of research because I wanted to understand what I was getting myself into. 'The album that changed Jazz forever', but honestly, it mostly sounds like someone spiked a Jazz bands coffee with psychedelics and let them improvise for a few hours. It doesn't sound like the jazz I imagined, there isn't any smooth sax solos or polite background music, its what I imagine the inside of FTW's head sounds like. So it's definitely not smooth jazz, it's dark. electric and kinda hypnotic? The drums and the base don't swing they 'pulse' in like a weird spacey funky way. Do I understand what's going on musically ? Not even close. But I think that's the point, it's less about melodies and more about atmosphere and vibe. So no I don't get it, but I feel more intelligent for even listening too it. 4/5 - HF xo I love Miles Davis but I'm doing this review with extra gusto under threat that Finn will probably disown me as a brother if I don't. Miles Davis is a name I've been aware of for quite sometime and though my experience of listening to his albums isn't as extensive as Finn's, It's abundantly clear from my dabbling in jazz as a genre both how much of a genius Miles Davis is and how he impacted Jazz not just as a Genre at the time of him producing music but the impact he left on how Jazz would evolve as a whole, with the development of many genres of Jazz as well as the pioneering of Jazz fusion with Funk, Rock and Electronic music mixed in with the chaotic sounds of jazz, on albums like Bitches Brew especially. With the opening track Pharaoh's Dance, it leaves the listener with a sense of controlled chaos and in my case even anxiety in parts as well as there are so many individual pieces to this structure, the chaotic and explosive bursting cries of trumpet from Davis, chaotic keys of the electronic piano, with the backing of a steady jazz fused drumbeat and basslines keeping all the chaos barely contained in the most beautiful way possible. Not to get too real but it's incredible that through Miles Davis this musically mental genius inspired, Prince, Radiohead, even Kendrick Lamar and Carlos Santana have their little bits of inspiration they take from this nutter, it's fucking mad. Moving onto the 2nd track of the album 20 minutes in, that's fucking jazz for ya, The albums title track begins with an almost hesitant bass, throwing out a handful of notes before the cries of high pitch screeching piano notes play out, like cries of the bloody damned, then we're met once again with the aggressive cries of Davis's trumpet, reverb echoes the yells as they look to find their place within the songs structure, backed by a drum mirroring the chaotic anger of a man who's downed a six pack of Stella and wants to go toe to toe with the Mrs. After the song settles into itself, bass takes centre stage, alongside what sounds like an the slow ominous ton of some kind of bass wind instrument, maybe a bass sax? Whatever it is after the chaos that proceeded it, it grabs your attention, sit you down in front of your homework and you don't dare move. As the progression builds, other instruments find their way into the mix, Miles Davis Trumpet, even a few high tone guitar chords thrown in there, if there's one thing this album does well it's controlled chaos, you're just along for the ride. With Spanish Key we finally get to some guitar FINALLY ! And it does not disappoint. A mixture of clean, reverbed, jazz chords, with the feint keys in the back almost goading it on, with the whispers cries of the trumpet flairing in the background, held together by funky basslines and a steady drumline. The occasional sparky chord firing out from the guitar progresses into jazz licks and runs, with half tone bends, and bluesy little pulls offs and hammer ons, this is probably my favourite track of the album I won't lie, it's a guitar wanking wet dream. The wind instruments do take the stage for the later half of the track but this doesn't take away from what is probably the most structurely clean song of the album, bar John McLaughlin which follows in the same way as Spanish Key structure wise, with more of a focus on the guitar as a whole. Miles runs the Voodoo down can be described as the where the Jazz Fusion side of this album really shows it's head, the bluesy fusion of this solo is complex and leaves the listener even unsettled at times. Davis breaks the boundaries of the instrument within this track, the sound is time settles with beautiful grace and other times screams with raw energy. This doesn't even take away from the backing musicians who keep it tight with those same bluesy little licks and beautiful clean chords from the guitar with the drums and bass keeping the structure of the track tight, close to flawless. Sanctuary is a fitting end to the album, it's opening minute holds a deep sense of melancholy to it in a way, through Davis playing there's raw emotion in the held notes of that bloody trumpet, with the back instruments almost on standby in comparison to previous tracks, waiting for their place to slot in. After the four minute mark it's like a jazz backing band interrupted a funeral, the melancholy of the trumpet almost at war with the slapping bass, funky drumlines, then like anyone walking into the funeral of someone you don't know, promptly leave after a minute. For the remainder of the track, the brass is the forefront of the track, with the occasional whisp of the backing track. Right so after I've gobbed on for too long, this album is a staple for Jazz music overall and should be an album you listen to at least once, is it a fun listen? Absolutely but is it a once a week album? No but it is an important album nonetheless, 4.2/5 MTW This is my 3rd favourite Miles Davis album and it is still the 3rd greatest jazz record of all time. 4/5

Such a fabulous stew. I don’t love everything in it, but I love the everything that it is. I saw him play once pretty late in his career. He faced the back of the stage for most of the performance, but it was pretty magical nonetheless.

Never heard of this artist before so it was a pleasant surprise. The stars are for the beautiful voice I really enjoyed listening, unfortunately the songs are pretty forgettable.

There is not much left to be said about this album that has not already been put into the throws of cliché jazz head nomenclature, but I will try my best. This album is an absolute MONSTER from start to finish. Almost no where else in the history of recorded music is so much passion, energy, emotion, and life found between the grooves on an album. Miles Davis made a statement with this beast and each listen somehow gets better and better. It is an album that will stand the test of time for the rest of time and most likely will never be replicated. The timing, the delivery, the cast, and the methodology of this album are unparralelled. Is it talked about all the time, yes. Is it talked about enough? Certainly not in my generation. One of those albums that you have to have listened to in order to hold a substantial musical take. Without question or hesitation a perfect 10/10.

I need lyrics. Struggled to get through this one.

My last Miles Davis from the list. It was cool to get them in release order. We've come a long way from Birth of the Cool. One thing I didn't know about this album was just how many musicians were involved in each session. It is incredible how they complement one another and don't trip over each other, especially the multiple bass players, piano players and drummers.

Great mood and very interesting. Need to sit down and really pay attention to get the most out of it though. Not as easy to listen to as In a Silent Way.

A journey

Not a big jazz fan.

I know it is supposed to be great, but it is not my thing.

I'm sure this is well loved by many, but I legit cannot stand jazz. This long ass, meandering album put me in a foul mood.

Good

Not my jam

Honestly felt like a grind to get through. Obviously technically impressive and with a massive influence, but I’m just not cool enough to like jazz. Nearly gave up after Spanish keys, but the last 3 or 4 tracks were so much better than the first 3. 2 stars because it’s not bad to listen to while working and because it’s far from offensive to the ear - I just can’t imagine I’ll be coming back to it often. Highlights were John McLaughlin and Miles Runs the Voodoo Down.

I think this is what my dad was talking about when he said that he hated jazz. I’m listening 55 years after it came out, and it feels to me like rachmaninoff‘s concerto 2. sometimes overwhelming, sometimes quiet, sometimes it draws me in and others it pushes me away. i’ve never listened to this much trumpet. i can see how it impacted modern music. i don’t know if i would listen to this again. i do like spanish key though.

close to perfection

So so good

Niet voor mij. Te vrij, te weinig tonaliteit (houvast)

Can’t say it was my favorite from Miles. It’s very abstract to the point where there’s hardly anything in terms of groove or rhythm keeping a song going, whereas in previous listens I’ve had from him there’a usually something to catch my ear and hold on to that the music dances around. 5/10

#668. Not just jazz, but annoying jazz. Great. 2/5: how much jazz will I have to endure on this list?

Mind-blowing jazz, but ultimately the length of the tracks made it a 4 instead of 5

It's very free-flowing jazz. The songs don't have your normal verse-chorus structure. There's no repetition of melody/hook that I can pick up easily. And as a result it doesn't really grab me. The sound is pleasant/interesting, but it's not something I'm inclined to go back to. Kind of a high-2 / low-3 for me.

I really wish I like this more. I mean, I know it is hugely influential and iconic. But, the unstructured, free flow form of the songs just leaves me feeling like I'm listening to something half realized. I want to give it a 4, but that would just be me wishing I was musically cooler than I apparently am. So, I'll rate it a 3 and then cry myself to sleep for being basic.