In a Silent Way

Marking Miles' first embrace of the electric sounds, tone, and instrumentation of rock and roll, the rambling soundscapes of psychedelic music, and the improvisational genius of jazz, In a Silent Way represents some of Miles at his best. Miles has always been most interesting when he shattered down the barriers of what was acceptable in jazz, and he does it better than absolutely everyone else.

The record features a jaw-dropping array of musical geniuses (I do not use that term lightly) including John McLaughlin, Tony Williams, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, and of course Miles. In typical Miles fashion, he manages to extract every ounce of genius out of the cast of characters, and assembles an absolutely titanic sonic masterpiece.

This record is definitely built more on the new and unique tones of the electric guitar, keyboards, and organ, and Miles arranges these tones into some absolutely gorgeous soundscapes, breaking new ground all along the way. The highlight of the record is the B-side, which I think should be listened to as one song. The B-side features the title track, a soothing building soundscape of keys and guitar to which the rest of the band builds delightfully. Abruptly, however, the track erupts into a groove ("It's About that Time") that makes even Meshuggah cringe with how brutal it is. Seriously, go give it a listen. The keys and bass absolutely captivate, all while Tony Williams' drums show just how powerful simple yet dynamic drums can be. The tension builds magnificently as you nearly die from the heft of it, yet tension is inevitably resolved through the reoccurring and uplifting organ pops that come more and more frequently as the song vamps up, down, and up time and time again. Throw in a few excellent solos from Shorter and Davis, and you have one of Miles' finest moments. Then to top it off, the band circles back in turn to another round of "In a Silent Way" to cap off the record brilliantly.

You need to go check out In a Silent Way. It's one of the highlights in a career filled with accomplishments that make Miles unquestionably the greatest musical figure of the 20th century. I give it a 10/10.

-TRO