MILES DAVIS — You're Under Arrest (review)

MILES DAVIS — You're Under Arrest album cover

Album · 1985 · Fusion

3/5 · 2011-12-29
Matt

"You're Under Arrest" which many Jazz fans thought should have happened to Miles Davis after the release of this later album in his career but didn't they slam "On The Corner" as well and at least Miles puts some great notes together on his horn at times throughout this recording. Plenty of big names accompanying Miles on this album with John Scofield, John McLaughlin, Al Foster and even Sting makes a cameo. Recorded in 1985 with that 1980's electronic sound and beat to go with it that seems to be primarily funk but more in a low key manner with Miles playing his solos and additions over this. Once again there were questions over some of the chosen material in particular "Human Nature" and "Time After Time" but if one looks back didn't they say that when he chose "Bye Bye Blackbird" to be included back in 1957 on his first Columbia album "Round Midnight" and a good pop song is a good pop song which Miles had no problem with playing. This album surprsingly made it to number three on the jazz charts at the time of its release, so someone was buying it and perhaps it was the young people who like myself back then knew these two songs from Michael Jackson and Cyndi Lauper with both of them being contempary for that time. They are only a small proportion of the album though with Miles Davis and John Scofield in a less manner writing the majority of the material for the rest of the album. Funk seems to be the main undercurrent to all the majority of these tunes although slightly subdued as well there is the addition of Miles actually doing a narration in his best gravel tone.

"One Phone Call, Street Scenes" is the album opener and the funk begins with Miles narrating the call but the stab and solo of John Scofields guitar throughout with the addition of Miles on mute and open trumpet in the proceedings brings in that early seventies sound to the track. "Human Nature" is played exactly as that with Miles on mute and keeping primarily to the tune with a great laid back result. Driving beat with more Funk is back in the three part composition "MD1/Somethings On Your Mind/MD2" with a more straight approach in the centre of the three part composition. "Ms. Morrisine" is where John Scofield takes a break and is replaced with John McLaughlin on guitar which brings some great stretch and range that he has with his style and Miles goes first with the majority of the solo time but John puts in quite a nice one to finish of this composition with those stabbing points coming from the band right throughout. This is actually one of the great sequences within the album as John finishes off his solo for "Ms Morrisine" he leads us in with the prelude for "Katia" and he then leads the main composition with his wonderful crunchy guitar that he played at times. Cyndi Lauper's tune "Time After Time" follows and once again Miles plays mute and keeps the song well within its structure but surprisingly it works beautifully with Miles's beautiful trumpet tone. The album title "You're Under Arrest" which is a John Scofield composition is more electronic funk undercurrent with Miles and the last track which is a medley and it is primarily Miles playing over the funk again but there are some sound additives within the composition with a crying baby etc with the last section being more stretched in a Jazz manner.

I am not a fan of Miles Davis's later work but still there were times when it is just a joy to hear Miles play not to mention John Scofield and John McLaughlin and if one takes this album for what is, a creature of the 1980's and at least Miles was still trying. I find this a much more interesting listen than the more electronic sounding "Tutu" which followed. There are not many people who have a good thing to say about the album "You're Under Arrest" these days but take it for what it is and although I do admit it is far from Miles Davis's best there are some great moments and playing at times and it those pop tunes that I like the best with that funk undercurrent starting to tire towards the albums end.