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Miles Davis

Started by swiftscout8 · · 👁 4 views · 34 replies

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Participants swiftscout8Alex Ramirez12bluebear37Hannah Hall91Olivia Lopez41boldscout72Michael MitchellAfrozenlynx29Nicholas King62bluemakerbrisknomad6Noah Myers8silentdriver5Susan Ross8Benjamin King2restlessbadger20Rebecca Sanders2Sarah Wood8feraltrucker5Gerald Thompson53quietmaker44
silentdriver5 silentdriver5 Member
22 messages
joined Apr 2010
#21 ·
It isn't quite acid jazz or even the essence of Davis 😬 but rather pure Coltrane: Ole Coltrane is absolutely incredible 👍
swiftscout8 swiftscout8 Active MemberOP
87 messages
joined Apr 2007
#22 ·
silentdriver5 said:It’s not acid or Davis, 😬 but it is Coltrane: Ole Coltrane is killer 👍

Well, obviously it isn't, for Christ's sake. 😬 But since I've already opened a similar thread once before...
Susan Ross8 Susan Ross8 Newcomer
1 message
joined Sep 2008
#23 ·
Tutu; he was my absolute first introduction—I’ve listened to a ton of them since then, but honestly, this one still stands as the best
Benjamin King2 Benjamin King2 Active Member
138 messages
joined Apr 2007
#24 ·
swiftscout8 said:Anyone got any decent acid jazz albums? Looking for some recommendations—nothing too crazy, just some solid stuff to spin. 🙂

Look, let's be real—calling "acid jazz" a single genre is a massive stretch. It’s such a loose, slippery concept that trying to pin it down feels almost impossible. You’ve got this huge, sprawling spectrum where jazz just kind of crashes into disco, funk, soul, hip-hop, Latin vibes, and house music all at once... it's an incredibly wide net to cast. 🙂 It’s pretty much a given that the sounds of the 60s and 70s just keep bleeding into newer genres—it's like this continuous loop where everything gets richer because of the remix. Over in England, this whole movement really started picking up steam in the early 80s when you had that funk revival colliding with the rise of acid house, which basically acted as a catalyst for mixing in some seriously funky jazz. Meanwhile, over here in the States, you had that rare groove jazz vibe swirling together with disco and funk... and honestly, it wasn't just the musicians driving the bus. This specific way of interpreting the music became a massive pillar of DJ culture—they weren't just playing records; they were often jamming right alongside the artists. You’d see people digging deep into Miles Davis or Parker's catalogs, and you even had instances like Branford Marsalis performing with Public Enemy. It was all interconnected.

I honestly have no clue what you’ve been listening to or what actually floats your boat—so I can't exactly give you a targeted recommendation here—but if you're looking for a starting point, just dive into some Quincy Jones, maybe check out a Gilles Peterson compilation, or perhaps see if Astrud Gilberto's vibe hits for you.

Take a look through this—there’s some actually useful info buried in here: Check out this link—it’s basically a deep dive into the Acid Jazz scene: http://www.cmd.uu.se/AcidJazz/
restlessbadger20 restlessbadger20 Newcomer
2 messages
joined Jan 2003
#25 ·
I won't start a new thread, I'll just keep going here...

About ten days ago, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival happened. Since there wasn't much else going on, I figured, "Why not give this a shot?" Rock is my territory, and I've never actually tried listening to jazz before. Anyway, on the very first night, we got to hear two vocalists. First up was Diana Krall backed by The Supremes (which left me thinking, "Yeah, this definitely isn't for me—it's dead, cold, and boring"😢), and then Esperanza Spalding with Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Now, *that* caught my interest. When they played "Girl from Ipanema," it was...😁 It was actually pretty cool how both singers performed some of the same tracks (Bye Bye Blackbird, Lush Life, Lullaby of Birdland...). It really shows how much an interpretation can either kill a song or breathe life into it... and hook someone enough to make them start digging deeper. 🙂

So, I immediately jumped online to find different versions of those songs and stumbled upon a few artists. But you know what they say—the smart ones ask, while the fools just wing it. Can anyone recommend some must-listen albums for a jazz beginner? I'm mainly looking for vocal performances, not just instrumentals...
Thanks in advance!
Rebecca Sanders2 Rebecca Sanders2 Member
20 messages
joined Jan 2008
#26 ·
swiftscout8 said:So, let me ask you guys—is there anyone else in this group actually digging these specific jazz subgenres? Finding these albums is an absolute nightmare unless you're willing to hunt them down through Amazon. Does anyone here have any solid Acid Jazz recommendations? 🙂


Look, who actually has the time to go trekking through every single record store in town just to hunt down these specific albums? Let’s be real—you aren't going to find them. And if you think you're going to have a smooth experience wrestling with Amazon, good luck with that. Honestly, save yourself the headache. Just fire up Soulseek or hit the torrents and download whatever you're looking for. It's much simpler.

If you’re looking to dive into the more "out there," psychedelic side of jazz, you absolutely have to check out Sun Ra. Specifically, go listen to the *Space is the Place* albums. Honestly, listening to that stuff feels like a heavy trip—it’s practically its own kind of drug. 😁 You know, when you start diving deep into the discography—stuff like Lanquidity, Nuclear War, Jazz at Lincoln Center, or even that moody vibe of Jazz in a Silhouette—you realize there’s a massive difference between just listening to music and actually experiencing it. It's one thing to have some background noise playing while you're doing the dishes, but it's another thing entirely to let these compositions hit you. These aren't just tracks; they're entire atmospheres.

Look, if you want to talk about the heavy hitters, you have to look at John Coltrane. Specifically, we’re talking about *Tower of Song*, *Interstellar space*, *Sun Ship*, and *Meditations*. Most of his earlier stuff is absolutely incredible, don't get me wrong, but those later albums? That's where things get wild. They get free. They get beautifully unhinged. And then you’ve got Alice Coltrane—*Journey in Satchidananda* is just in a league of its own.

If you’re looking for something outside the mainstream—that deep, cosmic, astral jazz vibe—you really have to dive into stuff like Pharoah Sanders with *Black Unity*, *Karma*, *Thembi*, or *Jewels of Thought*. Or even Lonnie Liston Smith's more astral-leaning tracks. It's a whole different world.🙏 ...Visions of a New World (which honestly feels more like pure funk than actual jazz), and so on.
Sarah Wood8 Sarah Wood8 Active Member
95 messages
joined Aug 2007
#27 ·
I have to admit, sitting through the "Kind of Blue" album was one of the most difficult and genuinely painful listening experiences of my life. During a particularly depressive and mentally neurotic stretch of my life, revisiting this record was even more agonizing. The whole thing just left me feeling utterly depressed because of its monotony, its emptiness, and that kind of soulless, colorless jazz noodling that some people—God help them—actually mistake for deep emotion or a "heavenly" experience.
To me, there was zero emotion in this album, zero creativity, zero anything. The only redeeming quality is that they actually know how to play their instruments.
Listening to such overrated garbage is like having someone hand you a piece of Styrofoam to chew on while insisting, "this is the best cake you'll ever taste in your life." The improvisations are boring, simplistic, repetitive, and pointless, and the sheer length of the tracks makes the whole ordeal even more painful.
Honestly, I’d love to see the faces of all those hypocrites and snobs who would look me dead in the eye after I finished listening to this crap and tell me, "you just don't understand music, you don't grasp the depth of this masterpiece, you probably listen to trash and have no taste." I want to look at those assholes with pure disgust while they try to lecture me.
And the performances are so lifeless... the music sounds like someone standing right next to me, whispering in fascination, "Look... there's a guy in the window! Look... a yellow car just drove by! Look... there's a sewer grate! Look... that man has a gray hat!"
And my response would simply be... "Yeah? So what? I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT ANY OF THAT!"
This music feels like a constant reminder that life is meaningless—that existence is gray, bland, and depressing, and that emotions are nothing more than a pile of dryness and a nauseating, monotonous impression created by this so-called "music."
I practically needed a double dose of antidepressants after finishing that pile of junk.
Just the realization that certain losers have written massive books *only* about this album makes me question the growing absurdity of life on this planet; it shows the exhaustion of the human spirit, joy, happiness, and everything that is supposed to give meaning to this already difficult life.
This isn't music you listen to with your heart, your soul, or your musical sensibility; it requires some sort of pseudo-intellectual approach, which is exactly what makes it even more revolting.
I’ve heard much better jazz in my entire life, even in the dive bars on the wrong side of town.
Rebecca Sanders2 Rebecca Sanders2 Member
20 messages
joined Jan 2008
#28 ·
Man, I honestly can’t remember the last time I read this much absolute garbage in one single place. Seriously, props to you! 🙏 🙏 🙏
I have to give it to you, your writing style is something, but you completely missed the mark here. 🙏
Let me just tell you straight: you clearly don't know the first thing about music. Your peak is probably listening to Britney Spears. At this point, you can look at my username and avatar with pure disgust—just make sure you grab a bucket so you don't accidentally vomit from the sheer level of revulsion you're feeling. 😁

Look, you’re suffering from a sort of "simple pop structure" syndrome. I’m not saying that to be condescending or to talk down to you, but that's just how most people are. They get used to certain types of music constantly surrounding them, they expect a specific predictable structure, and when they don't get it, they dismiss it as being "wrong."
Also, "jazz" is an incredibly massive term. Personally, I totally agree with your take on the snobbery involved. It genuinely nauseates me how jazz gets marketed as this music for some pseudo-elite crowd (who usually don't know a damn thing about actual music). You've got these pretentious hacks showing up at some poolside terrace singing endless, boring, stereotypical jazz ballads 🤮 (which I am especially allergic to, because that nonsense gives most people a totally warped view of what jazz actually is) and gathering around fancy tables filled with 200 snobs in tuxedos and evening gowns who are basically spitting $167 all over those pathetic performances. It's gross!

Anyway, like I said, jazz is a huge umbrella with massive differences between subgenres. Most people perceive jazz through rhythm—it’s the backbone of everything. If you catch the rhythm first while listening, then everything else starts to click. But most people just hear a trumpet or a sax and fail to grasp the actual structure of what's happening... they don't even realize what they're hearing. People stereotypically think of jazz as "relaxing" music, but for me, it’s the exact opposite. It hits me with this intense movement that makes it hard to just sit back and listen calmly, especially the more complex stuff. 😬

As for *Kind of Blue* itself, I’d agree that it’s overrated and played out in that sense, but calling it bad, empty, or depressing? Not a chance. On the surface, the album feels light and slow, so if you're used to high-strung, fast-paced rhythms, it might seem anemic to you. But it isn't like that at all if you listen to it in a normal state of mind, without being impatient or having preconceived expectations. I don't know, maybe you need to be on something just to perceive this album properly; you’re probably too jittery and tense to actually hear the content instead of just projecting whatever you want to hear onto it. 😬
For what it's worth, I also happened to listen to it for the first time when I was in a nasty depression, but it had the complete opposite effect on me. I found it incredibly interesting and positive, and it actually helped pull me out of that bottomless pit for a bit. Or maybe I was just too numb to perceive it any other way, huh? 😁

Here, have something a little more positive so you don't have to throw up right now. 😁
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xez...hings-19_music

Or this: Pharoah Sanders - Colors

Or Lonnie Liston Smith - astral

Sun Ra - Where Pathways Meet
feraltrucker5 feraltrucker5 Active Member
117 messages
joined Oct 2012
#29 ·
Look, I’ve put my thoughts out there, but let’s keep this civil—give me actual arguments instead of just throwing insults or cheap shots my way. 🙂 That absolute joke of a post over there is a perfect example of how communication shouldn't work in a civilized society.
Gerald Thompson53 Gerald Thompson53 Newcomer
1 message
joined Jul 2010
#30 ·
Not sure if anyone cares, but the Bitches Brew band played some festivals over in Europe, and it popped up as a free DWLD back in early January. Here’s the info if you want to go hunting for it.

Personally, I thought the gig was incredible, even if Miles Davis isn't actually in my top three.
Sarah Wood8 Sarah Wood8 Active Member
95 messages
joined Aug 2007
#31 ·
Robert Kim44 said:Good grief, I can't even remember the last time I stumbled upon this much absolute garbage all in one place. Honestly, bravo! 🙏 🙏 🙏
I have to give it to you, your writing style is solid, but man, you completely missed the mark on this one. 🙏
Look, I’m telling you right now, you clearly don't know the first thing about real music. Your peak probably tops out at Britney Spears. Honestly, you can look at my handle and my avatar with all the disgust you want—just make sure you have a trash can nearby so you don't accidentally vomit from the sheer level of revulsion you're feeling. 😁

Look, Prika, you’re clearly suffering from that syndrome where you can only digest simple, cookie-cutter pop structures. I’m not saying that to be condescending or look down on you, but it’s just how most people work. When you’ve spent your whole life surrounded by the same predictable patterns, you start expecting them every single time. Then, the second you encounter something that doesn't follow those basic rules, you just toss it aside as if it's somehow "wrong."
Jazz is an incredibly broad term. Honestly, I’m right there with you on the whole snobbery thing—it absolutely nauseates me when people try to brand jazz as this high-brow music for some pseudo-elite crowd that doesn't know the first thing about actual music. It’s always the same scene: some pretentious jerk shows up to a poolside lounge in Miami, acting like they're sophisticated while listening to endless, boring, stereotypical jazz ballads that have zero soul. 🤮 I have a massive bone to pick with this, mostly because those people who only listen to jazz when they’re dealing with a bout of food poisoning end up having a completely warped perception of what the genre actually is. It’s that same crowd you see swarming around some overpriced table at a high-end gala, where two hundred snobs in tuxedos and evening gowns are just sitting there looking down their noses. $167 That's just disgusting. Honestly, give me a break.

Look, I’ve already said this: "jazz" is such a massive, sweeping term that the subgenres are worlds apart. Most people listen to it through the rhythm—that’s the heartbeat of everything. Once you actually lock into the rhythm first, then everything else starts to make sense. But most listeners? They just latch onto a trumpet line or a sax riff and completely miss the actual structure of what’s happening. They don't even realize what they're listening to. There's this tired stereotype that jazz is just "chill" background music, but for me, it’s the exact opposite. It hits me with this intense, moving energy that makes it almost impossible to sit still while listening, especially when the arrangements get complex. 😬

When it comes to *Kind of Blue*, I’ll admit it’s probably overrated and played out, but that doesn't mean it's bad, hollow, or depressing. On the surface, it feels light and slow—someone used to high-strung, frantic rhythms might find it sounds anemic—but that’s only if you approach it with impatience or preconceived notions. Honestly, maybe you need to be high just to actually perceive what's happening on that record. You're probably too wound up and restless to actually listen to the music instead of just projecting whatever you want to hear onto it. 😬
Funny enough, I also happened to be listening to this for the first time when I was stuck in a nasty depression. But for me, it worked in the exact opposite way—it felt incredibly engaging and positive, actually helping me pull myself out of that bottomless pit for a bit. Then again, maybe I was just too numb at the time to perceive it any other way, huh? 😁

Here’s something a little more positive so you don't end up puking right this second. 😁
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xez...hings-19_music

Or maybe this Pharoah Sanders - Colors

Or Lonnie Liston Smith - Imani

Sun Ra - Where Pathways Meet


Alright, fair enough!

But there's one thing I just don't get. Why is it that whenever someone dares to touch a sacred cow, people immediately act like if you don't like it, you must be stuck listening to "Britney Spears"?
Is that some kind of rule? Is her name just shorthand for "garbage"? Look, I don't listen to Britney Spears, nor anything remotely like it, but I've heard much worse music than hers. And honestly, the "Kind of Blue" album falls right into that category because, in my opinion, it isn't just overrated—it's exceptionally bad.
And no, I'm not avoiding complexity because I crave simple song structures; if that were the case, I’d still be vibing to all that Modern Talking dance and techno junk I grew up with back in the 90s.
It seems to me like there are two types of people in this world. There are those who love a good melody that everyone else dismisses as low quality. Then there are those who will insist a terrible melody is actually high art.

First off, music isn't math. It might look like math on paper, but that’s not its purpose. Its purpose is to move me on some level.
And no, I’m not some massive jazz fanatic, nor will I ever be, but I think I’ve listened to enough jazz, classical, and various other genres to earn the right to have an opinion.

Sometimes, a great pop song is nothing less than a classic musical work that doesn't constantly evolve. That’s what defines true classical music at its highest level—the way it develops and improvises a basic melody almost endlessly without being trapped by strictly defined forms. Even Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, which I love, is simple compared to certain classical pieces where motifs never repeat, and the composition just builds upon itself.

But getting back to jazz... okay, I’m not obsessed with it, and I won't lecture you about it, but I think Glenn Miller is great, and I’ll listen to Ella Fitzgerald, who has plenty of jazz influence. Personally, I can't stand "pop jazz," like Diana Krall or those modern, half-baked jazz subgenres that are just death by boredom.

Maybe I just prefer the kind of jazz you’d hear in a 1940s Tom & Jerry cartoon, but I’ve heard enough different styles of jazz to conclude that, for me, "Kind of Blue" remains a total pile of trash.

I don't find any depth in it. Take "So What"—it starts out sounding like someone is playing the saxophone and just saying "so what," circling around two tones for, what, ten minutes? It’s dry and monotonous from start to finish. Whether that musical torture lasts two minutes or twenty hours makes no difference to me, because you'll have heard everything in two minutes that you would have heard in twenty hours of that lifeless dragging.

You can try to paint me a picture of some groundbreaking new jazz movement within that album or present it as the greatest miracle on earth. You could send a group of musicologists to explain to me why it's a masterpiece from a scientific or mathematical standpoint. Someone could even write a new Bible about this record claiming it's overflowing with emotion, but there's one small problem: I've listened to it a few times, and no one can sell me that story anymore. From beginning to end, the album is literally just stumbling around in the dark. I don't feel it; I don't see it. It’s not even good background noise. It doesn't convey anything, doesn't spark the imagination, and doesn't stir any emotions. From a musical perspective, it’s completely uninteresting to me. In fact, it actually repels me because it is so dry and senseless that it makes life itself feel a little less meaningful when you realize people consider this not just a good album, but one of the greatest masterpieces in history.
The sheer emptiness and lifelessness of this album hits me on such a deep mental, psychological, and emotional level that it honestly feels soul-crushing.
It makes me lose faith in humanity. This record is just repulsive. It’s incredibly basic, lacks any real creativity, and there isn't a single decent improvisation to be found... just a tedious loop of a few tones that lead absolutely nowhere.
I’ve heard more compelling jazz passages in some of Ennio Morricone's lesser-known soundtracks.
Look, I won't sit here and claim they don't have technical skill, but listening to this made me want to scream, "This can't be real; life actually exists out there, surely this whole thing isn't just one giant lie or a hideous nightmare—there has to be something more than this total nonsense."

Afterward, I actually had to take a Xanax just to settle down.
Sarah Wood8 Sarah Wood8 Active Member
95 messages
joined Aug 2007
#32 ·
Look, the links you posted are definitely an improvement over "Kind of Blue." Personally, I’ve never really been a fan of that specific vibe compared to what John Coltrane was doing, but there's actually some life and genuine creativity in this stuff.
Rebecca Sanders2 Rebecca Sanders2 Member
20 messages
joined Jan 2008
#33 ·
Look, when I brought up Britney Spears, I was using her as a caricature—basically a shorthand symbol for that generic, cookie-cutter pop music. It wasn't me suggesting I’m some hardcore Britney superfan. To be honest, I don't actually follow your specific playlists, and I have no clue what you even listen to most of the time since I only ever see you popping up in random corners of other forums. That whole thing was just an ironic jab at that comment you made about wanting someone to "tell you straight to your face..." 😁

This is exactly why I talk about the "pop music syndrome." From what I’ve observed looking around, most people don't actually perceive jazz as a complete sonic experience—they aren't really processing the interplay of rhythm, melody, and instrumentation as a single unit. Instead, they just latch onto the lead instrument, and if that doesn't hit them immediately, the whole thing feels hollow. It’s like someone trying to find the catchy chorus in a standard track; most casual listeners who don't spend their lives immersed in music simply can't connect with anything that doesn't have a vocal line. To them, if there's no singer, it's automatically boring. I’m not saying that to imply you're stupid or that you "don't get" music. It's more like you're just not tuned into that specific frequency. It’s not your vibe, and that’s perfectly fine. Honestly, I wasn't a jazz fan myself back in the day either. I hadn't really sat down to listen to it properly; whatever scraps of jazz I caught drifting from a TV in the background sounded absolutely terrible to me. Then, one day, I stumbled upon a piece that actually grabbed me. It stuck in my head, so I went online to figure out what it was, tracked it down, listened to it again, and then started hunting for similar stuff. Before I knew it, I was hooked. At the end of the day, if there isn't a spark of spontaneous interest, there's no point in forcing it. You could be listening to something that technically fits your taste under the right circumstances, but if it's being shoved down your throat or forced upon you, you’re going to hate it. There shouldn't be any kind of "training" required to listen to music. The idea that you need to "exercise" your ears just to enjoy a genre makes zero sense to me.
Look, I listen to pretty much everything within the entire spectrum of Black music—we’re talking soul, funk, R&B, rap, jazz, reggae, dub... even pop, rock, a bit of metal, and a massive amount of electronic stuff ranging from techno to electro-pop. Usually, I lean toward the more alternative side of those genres, but that’s not really the point here. What I’m trying to get at is that I’m not downplaying other genres when I talk about this whole "pop syndrome" thing. I listen to it all—well, okay, maybe except for Britney Spears or Gage. 🤣).

Honestly, I think this whole debate is becoming pretty pointless. We’re essentially just arguing over subjective, personal experiences with music, and trying to pick a fight over that is a complete waste of breath. Look, we get it—you aren't feeling *Kind of Blue*. To you, it sounds depressing, lifeless, and just plain obnoxious. My take is the polar opposite; I find the sound rich and engaging. It isn't depressing or boring to me, and it certainly isn't soulless—it's actually a really pleasant listen. While it might not sit at the very top of my all-time favorite jazz albums, I still think it's a solid record. So, where does that leave us? You're probably just going to double down and tell me again how dead and awful it is, and we'll just keep circling the drain like this. I truly don't see the point. 🤷

Look, I never once claimed this album was some holy grail or a flawless masterpiece that only idiots would fail to appreciate. Nor did I go on about mathematical formulas for musical perception, or suggest you need some fancy degree just to wrap your head around it—honestly, that would be completely pointless. What I’m actually talking about is the act of listening itself: that subjective impression and the raw feeling you get when the music hits you. Period.
I feel like my best friend applies that exact same logic whenever I talk about an album by someone like Marvin Gaye or Erykah Badu. It’s impossible for me to just sit there and take it, because when I listen to that music, it carries me away—there is just so much actual soul in it. But to him? It’s complete garbage, totally devoid of any emotion. He basically ends up gravitating toward artists like Bob Seger, which personally drives me insane. Listening to that kind of stuff makes me feel terrible; it feels like I'm listening to some chronic loser lurking in a dark corner of a dive bar in a dead-end town, someone who has zero desire to explore anything or actually move forward in life. That’s the vibe I get from a huge chunk of that old-school classic rock era, even if it isn't all of it. Yet, you have piles of people who absolutely adore it. Honestly, there’s just no point in arguing about it.

It’s funny how people divide themselves into camps when it comes to art. You’ve got one group that thinks hyper-realism is the absolute gold standard—they want every single pore and hair rendered perfectly—while they dismiss expressionism as nothing more than messy, mindless garbage. To them, someone like Dalí is just some disturbed degenerate playing with shapes. Then you have the complete opposite side of the aisle. These folks look at hyper-realism and see nothing but soulless, mathematical precision—basically just a high-tech photocopier masquerading as "creativity." For them, expressionism is where the magic happens; it’s pure emotion, raw inspiration, and actual soul. At the end of the day, it all boils down to perception. It’s entirely subjective. You can either wrap your head around the fact that everyone sees things through a different lens, or you can keep arguing about it. It's your call.
Sarah Wood8 Sarah Wood8 Active Member
95 messages
joined Aug 2007
#34 ·
I can respect anyone's perspective, but I also feel obligated to voice my own convictions. 😁
For instance, I’ve never quite understood people who can't stand instrumental music. It always makes me think of those crowds obsessed with low-brow country music; it strikes me that they might actually lack any musical ear at all, or perhaps their mindset just gravitates toward that specific American style—those generically repetitive tracks loaded with mindless, cliché lyrics that all sound exactly the same.

I’ve always been more drawn to melody than to whatever "deep, profound lyrics" people try to sell. Maybe that's why I lean toward classical, or even certain pop tracks and various genre blends. I won't limit my taste to one box, but I definitely know when something hits right.
Take Ennio Morricone, for example. I love him because his music feels organic, aggressive, hyper-sensitive, neurotic, and visceral... there's a little something for everyone in there. Honestly, I found more intrigue in his experimental pieces than I did in that *Kind of Blue* album, but hey, we already established that tastes are subjective.

To me, when a certain genre becomes a tool for snobs to signal how much they belong to an "elite," it actually kills my affection for those artists. Nowadays, it's treated like a sacred truth that calling Nick Cave, Bob Dylan, or Leonard Cohen "boring" is automatically a sign of incompetence.
There was a time when people listened to what they actually enjoyed. Now, we’re surrounded by these deeply insecure types who will follow the global consensus of music critics to the letter, just so they can feel superior to the rest of the "unrefined masses."

And what happens as a result? Because of this growing mentality, artists like Dylan, Cohen, Cave, Waits, and even the entire heavy metal scene end up becoming music for the masses. Everyone listens to them just to feel special, but they aren't being unique anymore—they're just being predictable. Personally, I find that aspect of human character absolutely revolting.
Then you have the people who mock "mainstream" music or "suburban" pop, yet if you look at the follower counts for major metal bands on Facebook compared to those critically acclaimed artists, the numbers tell a different story. Compare that to someone like Michael Bolton or Barry Manilow, who are labeled as "radio-friendly" music for a "mass audience" that doesn't even exist anymore.
Today, the masses listen to a completely different kind of garbage because they’ve developed this manufactured "self-awareness," and their egos demand they consume what is deemed "quality."

So, on one hand, we had the trash MTV fed us since the 90s, and today we have the trash that is critically acceptable, which somehow makes it automatically valid.
Because of this, you see more and more people claiming to be jazz fans just so they can sit in a coffee shop and condescendingly judge others for not knowing Miles Davis, even though they've barely scratched the surface.
It’s a sad reality that music has become a way to perform "intellectualism."

I’ve heard plenty of great jazz that I loved, and plenty that irritated me, and that’s that. When everything boils down to mere technical playing, improvisation, and rhythm without any emotional shift, it just feels like background noise to me—though I couldn't tell you for what. I want to *feel* the music. Sometimes I want to feel like the music is there for me, not just for the person performing it.

As for Erykah Badu... she’s alright. Not exactly my vibe, but she’s good. I know a girl who is absolutely obsessed with her.
quietmaker44 quietmaker44 Member
42 messages
joined Oct 2011
#35 ·
Lonely fire, Soul What ... 👍

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