Miles "In A Silent Way" Box

[JSngry]

Been listening to this and the Quintet sets all over again this past week, and I gotta say, the IASW box is shockingly revelatory...not necessarily "great" always, but...to hear all the changes Miles was going through, how many different ways he looked at to contextualize the ideas that he finally coalesced with Bitches Brew, it's a fascinating look at the creative process. The changes really began at the tail end of the Quintet's life, but here is where the corner is turned with no looking back. And what really fucks me up is the unedited-ish version of "Shhh/Peaceful", how there was an actual head in place that not only ended up on the proverbial cutting room floor, but one that also had a passage that echoed/predicted Zawinul's title tune, and one that is repeatedly referenced in the solos. Who knew? And "Ghetto Walk"!!! How did we get Big Fun and not get this? This IS big fun!

All in all, for "only" 3 CDs, this is one hell of an adventure. Perfect it's not, but fun? You betcha'!

Besides, I swear that before I die, I will be in a band that plays "Dual Process" in public, more than once, and plays the living shit out of it.

[.:.impossible]

Back when Organissimo was soliciting the forum for tunes to cover, I recommended "Ghetto Walk". There was going to be a covers album at some point. Oh well.

I like "unedited-ish"! Ha.

[A Lark Ascending]

Along with the 2nd Quintet box, my favourite of the boxes.

[JSngry]

Two things I don’t know that I’ve ever seen/heard mentioned before:

“Shhh/Peaceful” (the groove, not the head) goes back as far as to one section of “Country Son”

The basic A-Section groove of “It’s About That Time” (the budah-buh thing) appears to be a formalized extrapolation of what the band got into on the solo sections of “Tout de Suite”.

So much logical evolution is revealed, in this case, by the unreleased material in this & the Quintet sets. Marvelous!

I like "unedited-ish"! Ha.

Yeah, if I'm reading the notes right, what's presented is as best of a reconstruction of the original session tape as was possible, not the actual session tape itself.

[Rooster_Ties]

"Ghetto Walk" is da bomb. Seriously heavy stuff. "Early Minor" is nice too.

My copy is 1,000 miles away at present, but aren't "Splash" and "Splashdown" pretty hip too??

[jeffcrom]

Well, I want to be in a band that plays "Mornin' Fast Train From Memphis to Harlem," which this box revealed was the original title (and conception) of what ended up as "Shhh/Peaceful." In its original form, the piece had not one, but two composed melodies, which were left on the cutting room floor when the album came out in 1969. I prefer that original conception to the way it ended up being edited on "In a Silent Way."

And yes, "Splash" and "Splashdown" kick butt, especially the former.

[Guy Berger]

Agreed, this is a great box - I've never had similar interest in, for example, the non-album portions of the Bitches Brew box (though I've heard much of its contents via Big Fun and other sources, and don't feel like I am missing much). And it's interesting that what went in (the "unedited-ish") is so different from what came out, and was presented as Miles/Teo's vision.

Guy

[Rooster_Ties]

I've never had similar interest in, for example, the non-album portions of the Bitches Brew box...

Yeah, it's taken me years to even half-way get into all the bonus material from the Bitches Brew box -- and even then, I have to be in just the right mood. I haven't decided yet, though, if that's my fault -- or the material's. It might be both.

The IaSW box, as well as the Jack Johnson and On The Corner boxes, have all provided me many hours of listening pleasure. The bonus material there is mighty fine.

[medjuck]

I agree with all the above (though I don't care that much for the original "head" of Shhh/Peaceful). On later live versions of It's About That Time donesn't Miles often play a "head" that copies what Teo did via editing?

[jazzbo]

This is a wonderful box set. I love the material from Filles De Kilamanjaro and Water Babies included here, and always have since the first times I heard the material in the 'seventies. It's very interesting to have the component pieces of In A Silent way this way (and the surrounding material) but I confess. . . I LOVE the Macero edited tapestry and still prefer to listen to that. It's just such a musical event, a doorway, a historical document for the ages.

The Miles solo on "It's About that Time" remains a sentimental favorite. Every wonderfully chosen note placed just so.

[PHILLYQ]

Listening to 'Ghetto Walk' right now, great groove and everyone's listening closely to each other. When one player makes a statement, everyone else is right there- fantastic group interplay.

[Kyo]

Love this box set, both for the originally released material and the bonus stuff.

[Hot Ptah]

I find it odd that "Ghetto Walk" was never released before this box set. It is much more of a major work to me than much of the "Big Fun" album, Side 2 of "Water Babies", and some of the later material on "Circle in the Round" and "Directions", to name some of the official releases from 1974-80 which contained vault material.

I think that the previously unreleased material on this box is generally stronger than the previously unreleased material on the other Miles Davis' boxes, although the "On the Corner" box has its revelations too.

[.:.impossible]

This is a wonderful box set. I love the material from Filles De Kilamanjaro and Water Babies included here, and always have since the first times I heard the material in the 'seventies. It's very interesting to have the component pieces of In A Silent way this way (and the surrounding material) but I confess. . . I LOVE the Macero edited tapestry and still prefer to listen to that. It's just such a musical event, a doorway, a historical document for the ages.

The Miles solo on "It's About that Time" remains a sentimental favorite. Every wonderfully chosen note placed just so.

For me it was the 'nineties, but Water Babies has always been a special album for me. I actually never owned IASW until this box came out. My brother had it. Our collections sort of happened like that.

[.:.impossible]

For me, Tony Williams has never sounded better than he did during that Water Babies era. I'm not able to put my finger on what makes that music move differently, but it does. Splashdown and Dual Mr. have such an open boogaloo groove that is wide open for his drumming. It spilled into the other tracks as well.

I hear Emergency! in his drumming on Splashdown especially. Shame Emergency! Wasn't recorded the way these sessions were!!!

[Rooster_Ties]

Shame Emergency! Wasn't recorded the way these sessions were!!!

My god, yes. I've heard poorly recorded bootlegs, multi-generations from the original, that I could take more easily than Emergency! Lord knows I've tried.

[Teasing the Korean]

Is the LP edit of the album included in the box, or is it just the raw extended takes?

[Quincy]

Is the LP edit of the album included in the box, or is it just the raw extended takes?

Yes, the proper album is included at the end of the last disc.

[Teasing the Korean]

thanks!

[Peter Johnson]

Slightly off-topic, but is that the case with all of the Miles "single-lp" box sets (on the corner, jack johnson come to mind)? The full original record is on the last CD?

[Big Wheel]

Slightly off-topic, but is that the case with all of the Miles "single-lp" box sets (on the corner, jack johnson come to mind)? The full original record is on the last CD?

Not exactly - in the case of Bitches Brew, the original record is at the beginning rather than the end. (Though maybe that doesn't qualify as a "single-LP"?) Of course the Cellar Door box isn't configured this way either, but that material isn't really concentrating on an LP anyway since it leaves off all the studio material that appeared on Live/Evil.

[Teasing the Korean]

In A Silent Way must be one of my favorite albums ever in any genre. For me, it is the Miles Davis album that Bitches Brew gets the credit for being. I have IASW on LP but never got a CD. While I've been tempted by this box for a long time, I also worry that it will forever change the way I hear the original. Who knew "Shhh/Peacefu"l had a "head" in the traditional sense? I'm torn between which way to go. The album is so perfect. Teo was a member of the band as far as I'm concerned.

[Big Al]

I used to think that as well, but hearing the full versions ended up only enhancing my enjoyment of the original album. For me, it's two completely different experiences, neither one taking anythinh away from the other.

[mikeweil]

I used to think that as well, but hearing the full versions ended up only enhancing my enjoyment of the original album.

Same here - great to hear how the music developped in the studio.

For me, it's two completely different experiences, neither one taking anything away from the other.

Yes, but I could live without most of the edited takes that ended up on the LPs. I find the music to be more organic the way it was played.

[Teasing the Korean]

Yes, but I could live without most of the edited takes that ended up on the LPs. I find the music to be more organic the way it was played.

Wow.