A short break from the relentless march through the alphabet (I'm currently trying to do artists not yet visited) to focus on CDs I've acquired recently.
This is also the first 'request' review. A friend who'd seen this site asked me about this album and quite by chance I spotted it in Whitstable's finest secondhand CD emporium - Rock Bottom records.
This is a bit of an odd album. It's a 1988 reissue of a 1958 102 album, a soundtrack to the film of the same name, with the addition of multiple takes from the session. But perversely, these 'bonus tracks' come first, with the original soundtrack pieces relegated to the final ten tracks of 26. I'm still dating the album at 1958, as that's when all the recordings were made, and I make the rules.
What of the music, the original 25 minute soundtrack? As you'd expect from Miles, it's smooth, laid-back jazz, with the echo added for the film giving it an atmospheric feel. Generique and L'Assassinat De Carala open the soundtrack with a slow, moody feel, before the high speed, high pitched journey Sur L'Autoroute. Julien Dans L'Ascenseur takes us back to a more moody feel before Florence Sur Les Champs-Elysees lightens up a little with a lovely tune, and Diner Au Motel feeds us another fantastic piece of high energy bebop. Evasion De Julien and Visit Du Vigile are slow bass progressions, then Au Bar Du Petit Bac evokes parisian cafe culture with a gentle, smooth feel, before the more brooding conclusion Chez Le Photographe Du Motel.
The alternative takes, which make up nearly two-thirds of the CD release are historically interesting in seeing the development of the final pieces, but really don't contribute to the piece as a whole. These are presented without the echo which was put on the soundtrack, often making a stark difference.
Soundtrack albums aren't meant to stand up on their own. They're incidental, meant to enhance a film, not overshadow it, and listening to a good one in isolation, you're always aware of this. But the music here does stand up on it's own merits, and it's a great listen. It's not a defining moment of Davis' output, but it's an interesting snapshot of his ability to generate a little bit of magic out of a different set of musicians.
4* - a worthy part of Miles Davis' legacy. Never anything less than a great listen.
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