Come on people help me out on this one.
I've just gotten acess to several of Miles Davis' albums on CD and I keep hearing about how great he was so I just grabbed as many of his albums as possible (don't ask me how I got them) and I'm trying to find out which albums I should get into first, and which ones I should just avoid all together, as a newcomer to his music. These are the CDs that I have:

ROUND ABOUT MIDNIGHT
KIND OF BLUE
SKETCHES OF SPAIN
IN A SILENT WAY
BITCHES BREW(BOX SET)
BITCHES BREW(REGULAR)
ESP
MILES SMILES
NEFERTITI
MILES IN THE SKY
TUTU
AURA
SIESTA
DOO BOP
MUNICH CONCERT(LIVE)
SEVEN STEPS(BOX SET)
THE COMPLETE JACK JOHNSON SESSIONS(BOX SET)
FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHTS AT THE BLACKHAWK(SET)
THE COLUMBIA YEARS(BOX SET)
LOVE SONGS
BLUE MILES
BLUE MOODS
PORGY AND BESS
SORCERER
BIG FUN
LIVE-EVIL
LIVE AT THE FILLMORE WEST
LIVE AT THE FILLMORE EAST
ON THE CORNER

NAMOR3000 said:

Listen to Kind of Blue first. Because it's nothing short of amazing and surpasses its hype.

Then start in rough chronological order.

If you can squeeze 2 more CDs in, try to get Volume One (Blue Note) and Birth of the Cool. Listen to those.

Then go through the Columbia years box set.


Then check out Seven Steps, Then Bitches Brew, then Tutu.

That's a rough sampling of his career. Then fill the rest in.

This is just ONE suggested method. Anywhere you start with Miles is a good start.

namepeace said:

That's what I always say!!

NAMOR3000 - You don't list any preferences re. Miles or jazz (ie. the older be-bop/ hard bop or the later jazz rock fusion stuff), so I'll just list some of my favoured Miles albums that get the Org Miles seal of approval.

You may know that Miles started out with be bop sax god Charlie Parker, but, good as these sides are, and as is a whole lot of other Miles stuff from 1945 - 55, for the beginner, I'd leave them alone for now (tho the Prestige records 'Cookin'/Steamin/ Relaxin and Workin with the MD Quintet' are all pretty killer, especially when you realise all four were recorded together in a matter of days'! You can get the Complete Prestige Miles box set from Amazon US for $30.00 as I write, containing these and many other goodies.

But, for the Miles beginner, I'd agree with Namepeace and say start with 'Kind of Blue'. It is rightly seen as the classic 'acoustic' Miles album. You also get great band members like John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley and Bill Evans to check out too on this album, as all these were amazing artists in their own right too. 'Kind of Blue' is a beautiful, spacey album that is great, varied but pretty easy on the ear too (meaning the musicians aren't trying to cram as man notes into each bar as they can ). It's worth it for the almost funky 'So What' and the gorgeous 'Blue in Green' alone. Buy/ listen to it now.

Other very good to great acoustic Miles albums imo include 'Milestones' - a very similar band to 'Kind of Blue', but the record is more uptempo and bop influenced. Then there's 'Porgy and Bess' and 'Sketches of Spain', two 'large band' (not really 'big band') records Miles made as lead soloist with an orchestra led by the great composer/ arranger Gil Evans. 'Porgy' is based on George Gershwin's 'blues opera' of the same name, and has a great version of the song 'Summertime', with Miles playing the vocal part on flugelhorn. 'Sketches' of Spain' has the great 'Concierto de Aranjuez', a beautiful and powerful epic track based on a Spanish classical guitar piece. Miles was never the typical jazz musician, as can be already be seen ...

Personally, as a beginner, I'd jump over most of the '60s albums, good as they are (anbd featuring such great musicians as Hernie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Tony Williams), as they essentially build on things established in 'Kind of Blue', but are a little 'difficult' imo. The sound over the next several years, especially from 1967 on, very very gradually morphs into a very individual but more contempory sound, uses more and more electric instruments, until we reach 1969 and the great 'In a Silent Way' album. This record is utterly beautiful imo opinion, and has a generally reflective, 'searching' feel from the soloists. Another must buy imo, especially if you like the idea of 'chill out' music (much as I hate the term).

The next album was the notorious 'Bitches Brew', which has many of the musicians featured on 'Silent Way', and is best descibed as a mad, dark brew of boiling afro/ jazz/ rock percussion grooves, with loads of bonkers tinkling Fender Rhodes electric piano on top, topped off with loads of freaky, yet 'searching' soloing, mainly from Miles, whose trumpet playing is glorious. He sounds like a preacher controlling a fervent baptist church congregation; he has this huge golden tone. It's wierd, but best viewed imo as Miles' personal summary of the history of black American music up to 1969, yet still looking ot the future. You'll either love or hate this one.

My next recomendation would be 'Jack Johnson', which is kind of 'Bitches Brew gone down to a seedy bar and sitting in with a killer blues band. . One of Miles best ever records imo. Probably his most accessible 1969-75 record.

I'd leave the likes of 'Live/Evil', 'On the Corner' and the great 1975 twin live in Japan albums 'Agharta' and 'Pangaea' until you find out what you truly dig. These are 'Miles passprt needed' records imo. Tho 'Agharta' is a pretty killer jazz/ funk / rock record in itself.

After 1975, Miles got pretty sick and decided to lay back and do loads of drugs and women for five years (Sounds good to me! ) until 1980-ish, when he started cleaning up and getting back into action and 'with it' with the current sounds.

Personally, I now find Miles' final era (1981-91) to be very patchy, and the only great record imo is 'Aura' (1985), which is kind of an update of the Gil Evans Miles improvising with an orchestra type thang. The music, while of its time is modern classical influenced and Miles is on great trumpet form.

Other merely 'good' late Miles albums include 'You're Under Arrest', which is quite funky/ poppy, and has a couple of good ballads in the Cyndi Lauper hit 'Time After Time' and a version of MJ's 'Human Nature'. There's also 'Tutu', probably his best '80s record after 'Aura', which is a dark-ish, funky, electric record, made in collaboration with producer/ bass master Marcus Miller. 'Tutu' has subtle echoes of sounds from throughout Miles' career up to that time, such as echoes of 'Birth of the Cool' and 'Bitches Brew' (Marcus imitating Bernie Maupin's creepy bass clarinet sounds from 'Brew').

Miles' final years saw him make 'Amandla', which is ok but is essentially 'Tutu II' but with a more live band feel. TGhe highlight of 'Amandla' is 'Mr Pastorius', a mournful tribute to then recently deceased bass master Jaco Pastorius.

Actually, for a better view of '80s Miles, there's single CD and mega box set of Miles 'Live in Montreaux', at the Montreaux Jazz Festival, various shows from 1983 (I think) to '91, plus a bonus 2 CDs from a 1973 show there. These are often better, more exciting performances of the material from the '80s albums imo.

Two last interesting imo albums are 'The Hot Spot', a film soundtrack (the film starred Don Johnson, and is not too bad), a moody, bluesy, atmospheric album in which Miles solos over grooves generated by the likes of blues legends John Lee Hooker and Taj Mahal, and finally 'Doo Bop', in which Miles blows over ok-ish hip-hop grooves. I'm actually fond of 'Doo-Bop', partly as it's one of the most accessible Miles records, and also as Miles plays so damn well all over it. He is on great form imo, playing fast and high, and having the time of his life by sounds of it.

So - After all that, here are my top three Miles recommendations -

'50s Miles - 'Kind of Blue'

'First Electric Period Miles' - 'In a Silent Way','Bitches Brew' or 'Jack Johnson. I:'d go for 'Jack' myself, as it's easy to get into and even has a sample of 'Silent Way' near the end.

'Second Electric Period/ Late Miles' - 'Tutu', as it's a good, uptempo record with some good playing from Miles . Or for depth, I'd say 'Aura'1/2.

Miles' catalogue is so huge and diverse, you could have a whale of a time getting into it, but some patience may be needed here and there, especially with some of the longer and more way-out stuff of '69-75.

Enjoy Miles Davis. Then dig all the cool stuff his band members made without him and all the stuff influenced by him.

I highly recomend you to read his autobiography

http://www.amazon.com/Mil...0671725823

and listen to the music in chronological order as you
get to those places in the book.
/peace Manki

3000..ALL of them are great. Miles was able to hit people with different moods with different kinds of music. Enjoy all of them.

You've been given some extremely good advice from everyone.


The only thing I might say is that since Miles has so many stylistic periods to chose from, you might want to start from the start...



...so that you have some chronological perspective.


And as has been said...it's all good.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

aaahhhhh yeah


its been remastered w/ a live concert of the album..



haven't heard it in awhile

funkpill said:

The Complete Birth of the Cool...



...with the only live recording of the material.
(Like Coltrane's A Love Supreme Deluxe Edition)

Got 'em both!


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

thanx for this thread guys
I also wanted to know
where was a good place to start

I have Kind Of Blue on vinyl
and j'adore "So What"

what's that one with Betty
on the front cover?
[Edited 8/7/07 19:19pm]

theAudience said:

Me too

I wasn't into Jazz at all and then got Kind of Blue and it blew my mind. So thats my suggestion.

BlueNote

Get "Milestones"

As much as it pains me, I agree with theAudience - it would be best to start chronologically with Birth Of The Cool.


Kind Of Blue has always been slightly overrated, imo.

theAudience said:

That has always been my advice to Miles Davis newbies.....it gives a good perspective of his artistic/musical evolution....and once you have experienced all of his stylistic periods, it is easier to decide which you like the best.

That is how I started my daughter at 19 years old when she first showed an interest in jazz...and she has grown into quite the aficionado.

Listen to them all at once.No,take a few days and marathon them.That's basically,what I did. I was feverish for more and more!I became manic and listened sideways and back and in chronological order until it started making a little more sense! It inspired me beyond belief! I went through such a creative period because of Miles I blew me own self away!Follow the other's suggestions.They aren't as crazy as I am.

manki said:

I got the book, and after I read it, it completely blew my mind and that's when I went out and got all of the CDs that I have now. That book was one of the best books that I've ever read and I still re-read parts of it from time 2 time. It's amazing that U can read a book about someone that U know nothing about and become so completely absorbed by their life. That man had an incredible and wild life.

theAudience said:

I have yet 2 hear anything negative about any of Miles' work, so I look 4ward 2 begining my journey. I've already read the autobiography by him & Quincy Thorpe, so now it's time 2 jump in2 the art itself.
Thanks everyone... U guys r the best!!!!!

NAMOR3000 said:

That is quite an extensive/complete collection for someone unfamiliar with his work....

Happy listening!

DirtyChris said:

Someday My Prince Will Come?

namepeace said:

That's Frances...



...Betty's on Filles de Kilimanjaro



tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

By the way, you can't go wrong either way with Miles' or rockwilder's methodologies. Immersion in Miles is a good way to get a feel for his music.

Let me also put another word in for Miles Davis' Volume One on Blue Note. It is a great sampling of the formative stages of his signature sound. It contains a version of "Dear Old Stockholm" is sublime, and happens to be my favorite. "Donna" and "Woody N' You" are also favorites of mine.

theAudience said:

That's tA, teaching us something every day!

theAudience said:

merci beaucoup!

how's this album?

DirtyChris said:

De rien.

I enjoy it.
Historically, it's sort of a transition album that signals the end of the 2nd Great Quintet era and makes way for the impressionistic In A Silent Way album that follows.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

Watch out y'all!
The Complete On The Corner Sessions box-set is coming out this September!!!

Cheek said:

For real??!!!


HIP!!!

Miles said:

funkpill said:

'Tis apparently true. I had to read the info a couple of times to make sure it was right. After all the delays, it is indeed supposed to be coming out next month.

Here's hoping there's a few good unreleased jams on there too, as this imo was one of Miles' most intriguing periods.

I wonder what they might do next Miles boxset-wise? I'm not sure there's enough studio material for a 'Complete Get Up With It Sessions' set, partly as about half that record was actually recorded during the 'On the Corner' era, but 'produced up'/put together slightly later by Teo Macero. There's supposed to be at least one recording Miles did during his long hiatus era, in about 1978, working with Larry Coryell of all people. But I'm unclear as to the
ownership and quality of that stuff.

I'd certainly be all for a good remix/ remaster of the 'Agharta/ Pangaea' live albums tho, and any other cool live stuff that is unreleased from 1974-75, one of the Miles electric band's strongest eras, despite Miles' crumbling health (and hip). I believe some exists, but am unsure as to the sound quality and ownership.

I'm not overly relishing the prospect/ possibility of a 'Complete Man With the Horn Sessions' set tho

I'd love to hear a decent sound version of a brief jam Miles apparently took part in on TV with BB King in 1972-ish tho.