Comments for Davis, Miles, Get Up With It

This is absolutely the real shit, heavy heavy heavy. Sides 2,3,4 are full of brilliant music the likes of which has not been heard elsewhere. Check out "Mayishia", a simple relaxed masterpiece. Focus in on Michael Henderson's HEAVY bass throughout, and in the slow part of "Calypso Frelimo". Dig Al Foster & Mtume tearing up beats throughout. & Miles is of course blowing up a storm over much of this. Absolutely must-hear, as heavy and original and important as music ever gets. Miles continued to progress from "Bitches Brew" on & at this point in 1974 he was really arriving somewhere. Most people have yet to catch up to this point.

I''ll agree that there are great parts here, and I sit rapt through both of the 30+ minute cuts (He Loved Him Madly and Calypso Frelimo), but the shorter ones are hit and miss, although all feature something you must hear. Maiysha is the next best track, and Cosey''s (I think it''s him anyway) guitar is about the strangest thing I''ve ever heard that''s still recognizable as a guitar. Honky Tonk is a strong one that ends too soon for me, Rated X''s organ distracts from the serious rhythm work underneath it, although when I''m in the mood it''s the perfect thing. Red China Blues has moments, but it''s not as rhythmically "on it" as I''d care for and Mtume and Billy Preston (the songs, not the players) both go on too long - they end up as interesting background but don''t pull me in the way most everything else from this period does.

This for me is Miles et al at their heaviest. Miles busies himself conjuring blats of electro-murk from his trumpet and elbowing a keyboard. Al Foster and Michael Henderson (poached from Stevie Wonder) comprise a rock-solid funky metronome and the rest wail over this foundation. Top Cuts: Calypso Frelimo, the coda to Maiysha and Honky Tonk. Rated X, He loved him Madly and Billy Preston are re-mixed to much greater effect on Panthalassa, but the album as a whole is essential listening. I give this a 9/10 rating.

A double album of assorted styles Miles was flirting with from1970-1974. Faturing Dave Liebman, Carlos Garnett, John Mclaughlinand Herbie Hancock.