Miles Davis In A Silent Way ( vinyl LP )

Release date:15-10-2015 (originally released in 1969)

2015 EU repressing vinyl LP - Miles Davis' 1969 album. Miles Davis continued to experiment through the 1960s and, heavily influenced by German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, fused jazz with electronica on the influential albums 'In a Silent Way'.

Upon it's release, the album was met by controversy among music critics, particularly those of jazz and rock music, who were divided in their reaction to it's experimental musical structure and Davis's electric approach. Since it's initial reception - the four pieces recorded with Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Wayner Shorter, Tony Williams and others - has been regarded by fans and critics as one of Davis's greatest and most influential works - edited and arranged in two lenghty and beautifully etheral works.

Tracks:
A Shhh / Peaceful

B1 In A Silent Way
B2 It's About That Time

Shhh. The command to be quiet is not just part of the title of one of the two sprawling compositions on this pioneering album. It’s also an apt metaphor for the relaxed hypnotism and spaced-out atmosphere that define In a Silent Way, a record that pushes the boundaries of studio possibilities, artist-producer relationships, and rock-jazz chasms. Recognized as Miles Davis’ first full-on fusion effort and part of his “electric” era, the 1969 landmark claims a Who’s Who lineup that sends the music into an ethereal stratosphere.

If the record’s only accomplishment is its introduction of guitarist John McLaughlin to the world, it alone would be enough. Yet In a Silent Way continues to bedazzle, puzzle, and inspire for myriad reasons—not the least of which is the seemingly telepathic communicative methods employed by the group’s members. The lineup is great on paper, but, if it’s even possible, the octet sounds even better in practice, with the instruments and tonalities conjoining in avant-garde communion like hyper-sensitive tentacles exploring the stippled landscapes of an undiscovered planet.

Diverting from expectation, tubular grooves twist, turn, and spin, sometimes piling atop of each other, always shying away from structure and melody. Ellipsoidal solos provide hesitant guidance, ranging from Chick Corea’s Fender Rhodes phrases to Davis’ decorative spirals. And as color is the primary unit of currency on Davis’ Sketches of Spain, laidback episodes, geometric spaces, and quiet sensuality reign here, with the set’s maverick reputation attained via musings on solitude rather than explosions of noise.