In A Silent Way (Other Miles Davis albums)

Member Name: JonnyM79

Product:	Other Miles Davis albums
Date:	04/05/02 (226 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Chilled, Novel, Funky

Disadvantages: Not for metalheads, Boring if not in the mood

Miles Davis was going through exciting musical changes in 1968, listening and playing things which were leading him into the future, a new electric sound and into In a Silent Way. His music and lifestyle were being influenced by a wave of new sounds and ideas, and he was responding deeply to the music of James Brown, Sly Stone, and Jimi Hendrix. Having already pushed acoustic jazz to the limits with his mid-Sixties quintet, Miles altered the new sounds around him, creating a work that still stands up today. It couldn't be more different to the following Bitches Brew, with a supremely relaxed vibe to showcase his new "plugged in" sound.

There are only 2 tracks, each one lasting a side of the original LP release. On the title track, Miles threw away Joe Zawinul's chord sheets, and in the process I think he transformed the original melody of "In A Silent Way" into a sublime electric mantra that is overwhelmingly beautiful and fresh. On "Shhh/Peaceful," Dave Holland and John McLaughlin intertwine to create a circularly repeating rhythm which melds elements of traditional Indian music to subtle funk, creating a trance-like groove. The three pianos of Hancock, Corea, and Zawinul play as extensions of one another, perfectly washing across the spaces left open in the rhythm without cluttering it through over-playing.

Egos give way to unity in this album. In a Silent Way represents one of the most important self-declarations of artistic independence to ever go down in jazz history. This is not "jazz" aimed at its traditional audience, but rather a new thing directed at the counter-culture that was busy turning on, tuning in, and dropping out around the time of its release (the summer of '69 was just around the corner). The album is psychedelic, spiritual, peaceful, funky, and complex. It delivers a hypnotic vibe for those intent on chilling with soothing sounds in the background. As Q said when
it included it in its best chillout albums of all time it sounds like an introduction that lasts the entire length of the record. This is music to experience rather than listen to, so get experienced!

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