In A Silent Way

I initially came to Miles Davis through the "traditional jazz" of the late 50's and early 60's such as the work of John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins. When I heard "In A Silent Way", I was expecting the same sort of music, not knowing anything about the fusion style Davis created in the 1960's-70's. This album, then, came as a bit of a shock. I slowly came around to enjoying it after getting used to its unique style.

"In A Silent Way" includes some instruments that had not been standard in the jazz style before, such as electric piano, organ and electric guitar. The title of the album is fitting: the two pieces create a peaceful and calming mood but at the same time manage to be musically interesting. You can listen closely to the record or alternatively relax or study to it, letting it work its great atmosphere. Either way, the trumpet, saxophone, electric piano and guitar constantly weaving on top of a light drum pattern build an excellent listening experience.

The only complaint I might have about the album, which I have heard from others, deals with the repetition of the long intros to both pieces. The choppy editing makes the intros feel merely tacked onto the ends of each. Still, it's not a big deal. If you want something in this style that's giant and ambitious, get "Bitches Brew". "In A Silent Way" is sort of slight by comparison, but it's definitely worth having.

Miles always let the music do the talking, so my advice is just listen to this album. Nevertheless, I will bang on about it a bit, just like the others.
This is a CD I put on after I come back from the pub, or club at night when I've had a few drinks or whatever. Somehow it just calls out to me "Luke... Luke... PLAY ME" and I do. It never fails to move me (and sometimes physically). It is a strange, dark brew of textured piano and electric piano riffs and some minimal rythmical work by Williams and Holland, with Miles gliding over it like only he can and John McLaughlin creating great atmosphere with some wonderful guitar work. It is raw, like most Miles Davis stuff, but also very smooth and peaceful - with a kind of dark streak running through the middle. Quite unlike any music you will hear these days, bar perhaps Aphex Twin.
When I first got this album I thought it was incredible and powerful and was even quite scared of it for a while - it seemed to possess some kind of quiet voodoo power. There is magic in this music, definitely. But, over the years I have listened to it regularly and it continues to give me warm pleasures. Every listen becomes a rich, rewarding experience. It is a real grower, and calmer than most of Miles' other fusion work. It is a good companion to "A Tribute To Jack Johnson" (Mainly because of the presence of McLaughlin on guitar), although this album is far less aggressive, and more gentle and mysterious. The album will take you on a pleasant little journey down a bubbling creek, in the middle of the night...

This is my favorite Miles Davis CD next to Bitches Brew and captures Miles Davis in the early stages of inventing what would become known as fusion. He retained several of the players from his previous quintet (Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, Wayne Shorter) but also added some different instrumentalists to create this music. The songs on this one are like one extended piece and Miles' solos are restrained; this disc is a great example of his saying that what you don't play is as important as what you do. Wayne Shorter really shines here too. The only thing that disappoints me about this one is that Tony Williams (who was capable of the most incredible drumming I've ever heard) was relegated to playing the same pattern on his hi-hat for pretty much the entire album. Aside from this small complaint, "In A Silent Way" really is amazing and doesn't sound dated like a lot of fusion era jazz does today. The last few minutes are really funky and its interesting to see the riff that the band jams on developing for a few minutes before the band really breaks into it. Highly recommended for any fan of fusion or jazz.

Miles Davis had quite an illustrious career that took him through numerous phases and alot of different exploratory modes. all those experiments were not entirely successful, but he was always in control and knew exactly what he wanted from himself, his bandmates, and his albums. his landmark album Kind Of Blue was a very subdued affair, utilizing sketches of music, rather than the full pieces written out for all the instruments; and the results were stellar. that landmark album catapaulted Miles into a whole new realm of composition and changed the way alot of people listened to music...especially jazz.

ten years later, In A Silent Way is released and it could easily be seen as a companion album to Kind Of Blue. this recording seems to effortlessly soak in the spirit of the night time air; it's audio contents are gentle breezes that drift and float and carry you along for the ride with it's gentle melody and mesmerising rhythm. some people call it the beginning of fusion. others call it ambient. whatever it may be, it's an understated album of sheer beauty and control.

The title track is the sole masterpiece. Also, please be aware that the titles are mistitled. What you've got here is an ABA format wherein the first track is reprised at the end. IN A SILENT WAY/IT'S ABOUT THAT TIME should actually be listed as IN A SILENT WAY/IT'S ABOUT THAT TIME/IN A SILENT WAY. Likewise, SHHH/PEACEFUL should be listed as SHHH/PEACEFUL/SHHH.

IT'S ABOUT THAT TIME is an incredibly lame dud-track that should've been omitted. SHHH/PEACEFUL/SHHH are perfectly enjoyable hack-tracks whose appeal is based on instrumental texture rather than compositional content. In other words, what you've got here is all timbre and not much content. Wayne Shorter's low-key eloquence is just as enjoyable as the electric pianos. Miles's trumpet, however, is too overbearing during some of his passages. He's too loud during those hackneyed high-register passages.