NewCC0010: Miles Davis
- Birth of the Cool (57): *****
- Kind of Blue (59): *****
- Miles Smiles (66): *****
- Bitches Brew (69): *****
- In a Silent Way (69): *****
- Miles Ahead (57): *****
- Walkin' (55): *****
- Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet (56): *****
- Relaxin' (56): *****
- Porgy and Bess (58): *****
- Sketches of Spain (59): *****
- Milestones (58): *****
- The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel (95): *****
- Round About Midnight (56): *****
- The Complete Concert: 1964 (My Funny Valentine & "Four More") (64): *****
- Chronicle: The Complete Prestige Recordings (1951 - 1956) (80): **** 1/2
- Miles Davis & Gil Evans: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings (96): **** 1/2
- A Tribute to Jack Johnson (70): **** 1/2
- Pangaea (75): **** 1/2
- Bags Groove (55): **** 1/2
- Miles Davis & the Modern Jazz Giants (55): **** 1/2
- Workin' (57): **** 1/2
- Miles & Coltrane (58): **** 1/2
- Steamin' (61): **** 1/2
- The Legendary Concert, Stockholm, March 22, 1960 (60): **** 1/2
- E.S.P. (65): **** 1/2
- Sorcerer (67): **** 1/2
- Nefertiti (67): **** 1/2
- Highlights from the Plugged Nickel (95): ****
- Agharta (76): ****
- Miles Davis, Vol. 1 (52): ****
- The New Miles Davis Quintet (55): ****
- At Carnegie Hall (61): ****
- Someday My Prince Will Come (62): ****
- Seven Steps to Heaven (63): ****
- Miles in the Sky (68): ****
- Filles de Kilimanjaro (68): ****
- Live - Evil (70): ****
- Circle in the Round (79): ****
- We Want Miles (81): ****
- Star People (82): ****
- Miles in Tokyo (77): ****
- Miles in Berlin (76): ****
- Miles Davis: The Columbia Years 1955 - 1985 (88): *** 1/2
- On the Corner (72): *** 1/2
- Miles Davis, Vol. 2 (53): *** 1/2
- And Horns (53): *** 1/2
- Blue Haze (54): *** 1/2
- The Musings of Miles (55): *** 1/2
- Miles Davis and Milt Jackson Quintet / Sextet (55): *** 1/2
- Collector's Items (56): *** 1/2
- Blue Moods (56): *** 1/2
- Music from Siesta (87): *** 1/2
- Aura (89): *** 1/2
- Live Around the World (96): *** 1/2
- This Is Jazz, Vol. 22: Miles Davis Plays Ballads (97): *** 1/2
- Get Up With It (72): *** 1/2
- Hot Spot (90): *** 1/2
- Miles & Monk at Newport (58): *** 1/2
- Dig (51): ***
- Quiet Nights (62): ***
- Live Miles: More Music from the Legendary Carnegie Hall Concert (61): ***
- Miles Davis at Fillmore: Live at the Fillmore East (70): ***
- Black Beauty: Miles Davis at Fillmore West (70): ***
- Big Fun (74): ***
- Dark Magus (77): ***
- Miles Davis and the Jazz Giants (86): ***
- Tutu (86): ***
- Amandia (89): ***
- Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux (93): ***
- This Is Jazz, Vol. 8: Miles Davis Acoustic (96): ***
- First Miles (88): ** 1/2
- Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud (58): ** 1/2
- In Concert: Live at Philharmonic Hall (73): **
- Decoy (84): **
- You're Under Arrest (85): **
- The Man with the Horn (80): **
- Doo-Bop (92): * 1/2
This is a new entry in an up-dated series I'm calling the New Critical Consensus. Several people have requested updates of the older series, and since critical opinions shift, I am revamping the entire system. I am averaging the opinions of several excellent music critics to produce a list of each artist's albums. Rather than using a number system, which was perhaps a bit clunky, I will now be using a five-star system. The albums will be listed in a recommended purchasing order, so new fans will have an idea of where the best place to start buying an artist's work is.
These are not my opinions, although, since I have chosen the critics used (and I'm using many), my taste will perhaps seep through a bit.
Terribly nerdy, I know, but maybe this will help people only now beginning to dabble into certain artists' bodies of work.
Scale:
***** - Masterpiece
**** 1/2 - Classic
**** - Great
*** 1/2 - Good
*** - Above Average
** 1/2 - Average
** - Below Average
* 1/2 - Bad
* - Terrible
1/2 - One of the worst albums ever
One quick note: The first four above were consistently highly praised and singled out for especial attention. They're probably your best bets for starting out.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Amusingly enough, I've got 2 Miles Davis CDs. Kind of Blue (2nd from top) and Doo-bop (dead bottom). I wouldn't disagree with these assessments
Miles between them, wouldn't you say?
(I'm very very sorry... Bad puns possess me at times.)
I've only heard a few minutes off Doo-Bop, and I feel no desire to hear any more. Kind of Blue, on the other hand, is probably my favorite jazz album.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs