MILES DAVIS — We Want Miles (review)

Live album · 1982 · Fusion

5/5 · 2012-02-06
darkprinceofjazz

We Want Miles From 1982, Shows trumpeter Miles Davis almost returning to his past form, In fact listening to this live double vinyl twice in the last few days, I am struck at how this music really sounds a lot like where Agharta and Pangaea leave off in 1975, The sound is a bit more polished, and the rough edges aren't there, maybe a little of the excitement is lost as well, but not much, This is hard funk jazz with Miles really feeling his oats, in my opinion We Want Miles is the best album from the 80's, Marcus Miller plays some mean funk Bass on this too, he has a crisp no none sense sound, you have some seriously good conga grooves being laid down by Minu Cinelu especially on "Fast Track", Mike Stern plays some mean guitar as well, he has a nice clean sound that cuts through the mix, I am also struck at how clean this recording is too, all instruments are clean and ringing through the mix, it's a product of it's time, I hear some of that 80's New Wave Synth mixed in here and there, that does kind of date the album a bit, but it's not over the top in any way.

I don't know if too many will agree with this, But I swear on "Fast Track' I hear clear influences of early 80's King Crimson, The last 5 minutes in particular, Miles is really cooking as I write this, This music surely makes you wish that miles would have built on this a little more in future music, you can run out and buy that 19 CD Montreux Box and lose your self in that for weeks.

"Jean-Pierre" gets a couple of readings on this double vinyl, both are the weak point on the album, sort of comes of as filler, though after repeated listening they do kind of grow on you, with the minimalist child like theme, and and nice varied solos buy all concerned, Saxophone Bill Evans doesn't embarrass him self either on the album.

The 20 minute "My Man's Gone Now" is the High Point of a stellar 80 minutes of music, But this aint 1958, and sure as hell wasn't arranged by Gil Evans, But Miles plays it kind of straight the first few minutes in, the funk builds through out the track, and that raunchy blues funk swagger builds, then all of a sudden the return to 1958 and they play it straight, which is a treat to say the least, Then its back to funk n blues and miles trilling and hanging those call and response notes, giving plenty of space to breath, Miles stretches all over the map here, he still seems a little shaky at times, but to be honest, in some ways, that fractured wounded tone is irresistible and part of what Miles was, and appealing to my ears.

I don't think I would have any problem saying this album is worthy of being grouped in with the other essential electric albums, I can't imagine how thrilled people were to hear this in 1982, after miles had basically been gone for 7 years, and and damn near didn't make it out of the 70's alive, Miles would play it safe the rest of the decade, in the studio in particular, many a live document available though, to show miles still had some chops left, We Want Miles and Aura I think are the best from the 80's, with Star People a distant second, if your new to Miles, and this is where you start in the 80's you may be disappointed at other albums. We Want Miles is Easily worth 5 stars in my book.