12. Miles Davis – Birth Of The Cool [1957]

12. Miles Davis – Birth Of The Cool [1957]

I was a little apprehensive about doing this album. I have heard this album before (7 years ago, Thank you Last FM) and I remember not being too impressed by it. In fact I don't remember Kind Of Blue doing much for me either. If I wanted something by Miles Davis I would go for something later in his career like Bitches Brew or On The Corner. Let's see if time has mellowed my opinion.

This compilation was recorded over 3 sessions between 1949 & 1950 and finally put out by Capitol Records as one collection in 1957. It obviously became a landmark recording even if it didn't sell too well at the time. And here's where the problem lies.

Even though it is a landmark recording for the time it's not that time now, it's 65 years later. It's difficult to appreciate things as being revolutionary or influential when they sound like things that are commonplace. I can appreciate things that were new 20 or 30 years ago that sound commonplace now mainly because I was there at the time to hear how revolutionary and original they were. But an album as old as this? Forget it.

Of the songs on the album I enjoyed the more uptempo ones like 'Move', 'Jeru' & 'Boplicity'. 'Israel' was a pretty cool song too. I don't know why you would write a song called 'Rocker' that doesn't really rock at all. I guess it did rock back in 1949/50. The final song 'Darn That Dream' is the only song with vocals. I nearly caught myself why you would add a single song with vocals to an album, but then quickly remembered that this is in actual fact a compilation.

Didn't really hate it or find myself having a massive change of heart about this album. It's middle range all the way.

Rating 2.5 / 5