| Review by ravnspore May 22, 2003 (1 of 1 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics: |
Another classic from Miles.
A demanding listen for some - maybe, with it's ultra long
tracks.
With 3 keyboardists, 1 guitar player, one saxophonist plus drums
and bass and not forgetting Miles, it is almost a "big" band,
but the playing is - as the title suggests - very slow and intimate.
In surround it is very nice experience with Corea, Zawinul and Hancock
floating around each corner and Miles, Shorter and McLaughlin up front.
Make sure you have a good center-speaker to appreciate the fine work
of Miles and Wayne.
Sonically it will show it's age, but considering that, it is still
worth 4 stars.
The performances though are top notch.
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| Review by vonwegen September 11, 2003 (2 of 2 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics: |
My first & favorite Miles Davis album, this is great for driving. Too bad Sony or Philips isn't curently developing any SACD surround car systems at the moment.
One note: there are apparently two different versions of this SACD, both with identical 5.1 mixes (which sound great, BTW, especially the 3 keyboards and their sonic positions)--but with different stereo mixes. Most review copies sent to magazines had the re-mixed stereo mix done by Bob Weldon & Mark Wilder when the CD version was issued several months ago.
My copy has the original stereo mix from the vinyl issue--you can hear how the multiple splices Teo Macero & Miles did have deteriorated in sonic quality--one splice in particular, at 10:42 into Shh/Peaceful, is particularly noticeable because the mixdown tape has a big drop-out due to tape crinkle.
Also the closing fadeouts at the end of both sides of vinyl are obviously much cruder and quite abrupt because the faders on the mixing board at Columbia Studios were not nearly as sensitive as the ones in use today--vinyl of course covered that up because most people didn't have the equipment to reveal such sonic 'problems'.
It's actually quite fun to compare the old stereo mix with the 5.1 one--shows how much DSD technology has brought us.
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| Review by madisonears September 6, 2004 (1 of 1 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics: |
| Absolute music. These are not bebop or free jazz interpretations of chestnuts. This is original, pure music. There is no theme, definitely no lyrics, and even close to no structure, but the music is universal, almost familiar, arousing yet soothing some primitive recess of one's consciousness. This music gets in your head and puts you in a place that you might not get to without hearing it. That, to me, is the best kind of jazz; indeed, the best kind of music, period. The sound is terrific, with merely a few reminders of its vintage status.
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| Review by eesau February 2, 2005 (1 of 4 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics: |
Hi,
music is superb but why do they make multi-channel mixes like this?
Where does the drummer play? Somewhere on the left hand side but
nowhere special and he changes position when you turn you head ...
Oh boy ... Sony/Columbia should not make multi-channels out of their
old material at all. All Dylan and Miles multi-channel mixes suck.
Avoid them.
The stereo version is very good ... but I've had it already as CD
for nearly two decades ... so this was not a good investment at all.
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| Review by DeSelby February 13, 2005 (1 of 4 found this review helpful)
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Sonics: |
| stereo sonics: Davis plugged in. Great!
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| Review by JW September 14, 2006 (1 of 1 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics (S): |
Two tracks. That's all. This music sounds as if it floats in a three-dimensional space. Miles' trumpet has tremendous bite but never distorts. The electric piano can distort a little on some of the overtones, but not by much. Well layered soundstage. Infectuous rythmns by Tony Williams on drums underpin the whole thing. Yup, the bass is muddy/woolly - as observed above by another reviewer. And it has tape hiss.
Straight ahead jazz fans beware. This is Miles in electronic and improvisational - though not experimental - form. Not angular, no counterpoints, but it is a little free form although it stops well short of free jazz in my opinion. Nicely flowing. And very interesting, especially track 1. Track 2 is monotonous until about 8m.30s into it, then it gets going with Dave Holland laying down some very cool (electronic) bass patterns. But you know, 2 tracks and 38 minutes is enough.
Jw
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| Review by carledwards August 4, 2008 (1 of 1 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics (S/MC): / |
| The multi-channel format really serves this music well. The extra detail and spatial separation put you right in the middle of the mix. As to the performances, it's obvious that this is a classic session and for good reason: Miles was breaking new ground at the time. It sounds just as fresh today as it did in the sixties. One of my all-time favorite records and a delight to have it on SACD.
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