I just love that record. Actually it was the first I got, together with You're Under Arrest. My boyfriend bought the two for me when I got all excited when I saw them lying in Christopher Tracy's room.

I listened to loads of old Miles Davis stuff, but kinda lost interest after the electric period, which were too messy for me as I was not doing any drugs.

These two albums, co-produced with Marcus Miller were Madhouse's birthing ground. Funny, if you know that these two albums were made by Mr Davis when he was heavily influenced by Prince's music. Funny that. Prince inluencing Miles Davis, Miles Davis influencing Prince. Hehehe.




[Edited 11/28/04 11:15am]

To be honest, I don't really hear much that's influenced by Prince in TUTU.
But if anybody was, it would have to have been Marcus Miller who composed 5 of the 8 tunes.
(1 co-written with Miles, 1 written by George Duke and Perfect Way is a Scritti Politti cover)

Unfortunately, I haven't heard the Madhouse material yet.

Now Miles Davis influencing Prince? That's another story.

TUTU is one of my favorite CDs though.

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

theAudience said:

Working with Miles Davis is not like Marcus Miller walked into the studio with his latest recordings and then just say; "Play over that, mf."

I am sure they talked about what Miles Davis wanted and then Marcus composed some stuff to fit Mr. Davis's demands or just reworked some songs to get into the vibe Mr. Davis requested.

And I hear Prince's vibe all over Tutu, esp the guitar parts.

GooeyTheHamster said:

I'll take that statement as being used for effect.
Nobody in their right mind would make that assumption, but Marcus may have been given more sway over the TUTU compositions than one might think...

Miller's hands-on approach to producing has at times led to the accusation that the albums he produces are really Marcus Miller solo albums featuring the artist. It was a criticism levelled most strongly at Miles Davis's Tutu and Amandla, but also at some David Sanborn albums.

"Just because I write most of the music and play most of the instruments on an album doesn't mean it's my album. I get irritated by comments like that, because it takes away from the artist. Miles played the horn, that's what made Tutu. I created a setting for him, and he took over. Nobody else could have pulled Tutu off. There is nobody else who could have given that kind of depth to the album that he did..."

"What I do is create backdrops for the artists. When I write or play for an artist I put myself in their environment. I always play what is appropriate for the situation."
http://www.soundonsound.c...marcus.htm

To my ears, the compositions have a great deal more harmonic density and complexity than anything i've heard by Prince and the guitar parts sound more Sly-like. However i'm more than willing to become enlightened as to where exactly you hear the connections.

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

The connections to me are in songs like Tomaas, featuring a rhythm guitar that just remind me of Prince, Splatch's opening guitar and Full Nelson as an entire song. And the heavy use of synths on the album.

It is long ago that I read Miles Davis's autobiography but it seems like you are a person that might have it close at hand. I remember him making references to Prince, saying that he was influenced by the stirring of the musical borderlines Prince was doing at the time.

But like I said; it was a long time ago; it also might have been in one of the interviews I read.

tutu and amandla are the shit in the cool dept.

rockwilder said:

Yer Under Arrest is a no?

GooeyTheHamster said:

I've only heard "you're under arrest" a few times.I'll have to break it out again. I liked "amandla","tutu",and "kind of blue" immediately.

rockwilder said:

Just the use of Sting as a French policeman is amazingly funny!