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105 of 108 found the following review helpful:
 Best Jazz Album Ever With Some Extra GoodiesJan 29, 2009
By Socrates Stewart
"Baltimore Boy, Music Collector, Classic Literature Connosieur, Philosopher, and Noteworthy NeoCon"
"Kind of Blue" is an album that all collectors with even a passing interesting in jazz should own. No need to review the core album as most listeners would be familiar with it by now and there are tons of testimonials for the original.
So why the special "Legacy Edition?"
This is not for everyone to be sure, but for listeners who really love this album, Miles Davis, and jazz of the 1950's and early 60's, "Legacy Edition" will give more insight into the material and help the listener appreciate more of what went into making "Kind of Blue" the great jazz standard that it is.
While it might overkill for some, true jazz lovers and "Kind of Blue" fans will not only get some nice second helpings from the album, they'll also get an idea of how Davis and his all-star cast created this gem.
One other note, those having old CD copies of "Kind of Blue," the ones with the animated profile of Miles on the booklet cover, not the recreation of the original LP cover, should definitely ditch their old CD and get the new remastered release. It is a huge improvement. Instead of sounding washed out and slightly off pitch, the remaster sounds fresh, with very high resolution, warm, and intimate, just the way Miles Davis and his stellar side kicks recorded it.
161 of 170 found the following review helpful:
It's about time!Mar 13, 2009
By R. Davis
I have owned nearly every digital version of this album.
I had the first one from the wrong tape. I then got the Gold 'corrected' version, then I got the mass release of the 're-master'. I bought the SACD.
Now this re-master (by the same folks who did the first re-master).
OK... so here's my take.
Let's forget the first CD. It was a mistake.
The Gold was the right speed, but the two track master used is just dead and the mix is awful, allowing too much echo in some parts, not enough presence, and some passages of horn are just nearly impossible to hear well.
The first re-master was a revelation. The horns were right up front, the balance was greatly improved and you could tell that they remixed it from the original 3-track. I loved the new Alternate Take of Flamenco Sketches. But something was wrong. This was obviously meant for the iPod crowd, and not for audiophiles. The channels had been normalized to HOT and without using any dynamic compression. The loud horn passages were all clipped severely, resulting in a viciously harsh presentation.
The SACD is a joke. They made this a 5.1 disc for some stupid reason, adding echo - reverb - whatever, in the rear channels. Whaaaa? Come on, I just wanted to hear the original 3-track masters as faithfully as possible. Ugh... Even being DSD does not help this mess.
Finally... this last release is done right. The balance is correct. There is NO clipping. It's near perfect in its presence. The middle channel is well represented (phantom), and the soundstage is wonderful. The horns have warmth that the clipped version just couldn't create. This is finally done properly... by the same folks. So how come they got all the others so wrong??
So... even if you have the last releases, this one (the 50th Anniversary) has to be purchased because it is the only one that is correct. It is the only one that actually represents the best possible 2-channel CD-quality mix. Obviously it's not perfect in that it is still only 16bit - 44.1khz, but it's a vast improvement.
Enjoy!
58 of 58 found the following review helpful:
So what more can anyone want from an album?Feb 13, 2005
By J. Lund
"jazzbrat"
KIND OF BLUE has been reissued so frequently that I fear something is amiss if a year goes by without a new and improved version popping up somewhere in the world. This 2005 edition provides an audiophile surround-sound option that is compatible with regular DVD players (unlike the SACD version which requires special hardware). On both 5.1 versions the sound is subtly widened while keeping the integrity of the original mix. As a bonus option there is a 25 minute video documentary about the album, featuring interviews with prominent musical artists from different generations and genres. All but the most knowledgeable Miles fans should find it to be an informative overview of arguably jazz's greatest album of all-time.
In the documentary drummer Jimmy Cobb -- the only surviving participant -- stated that he didn't understand why KIND OF BLUE stands out above any of Miles' many other outstanding albums. Perhaps it is because the user-friendly music satisfies the listener at whatever level they prefer. If you want to get emotively involved with the music, it leads you there. If you're a musician looking to pick apart the music, you'll discover a level of sophistication attained by very few. If you want to relax, the music is soothing on its surface. If you want to hear memorable improvisations, Miles and his sidemen lead the way by avoiding the use of cliched phrases. If you want to hear teamwork, the musicians know how to create together (when to play and when NOT to play). If you want something timeless, the music's freshness has no expiration date. Yet if you have a nostalgic twinge for the cool, acoustic jazz of the 1950s, this album will take you back in time.
275 of 297 found the following review helpful:
Your CD colletion is kinda blue if you don't own this! (5+)Jun 27, 2000
By Cary S. Whitt
"Tune Junkie"
If your idea of the perfect jazz record is Kenny G's Duotones, then don't bother reading this cause it talks about the REAL thing.Well this is THE jazz album to start off with. I'm sure you've all heard that before, but, it's quite true. From Freddie Freeloader to All Blues, we are constantly reminded of what a genius time it was for jazz in that period. Just look at the all-star line-up on here, Cannonball, Coltrane, Bill - simply amazing! This is a disc that everyone has heard before at some point in their life whether they were aware or not. The saying that this is the most influential jazz record may be true, I tend to think its the most rewarding. This re-release version is superb! It contains an alternative version of "Flamenco Sketches" and original photo package to boot. the sound is by far the best this recording has ever seen. This is a recording the word masterpiece is reserved for. An absolute must own! If this is your first jump into real jazz might I suggest, Cannonball Adderly's "Somethin Else" or Coltrane's "Love Supreme", both make excellent companions to "Kind of Blue".
177 of 194 found the following review helpful:
Both classic and historicDec 26, 2002
By MurrayTheCat
KIND OF BLUE (1959) has a stark, hushed, understated, but very heady nature, a staggering difference from the previous year's MILESTONES. KIND OF BLUE went on to become a mega-classic, historic and trend setting. It introduced modal tunes to jazz, which provide much more space for improvising on each chord compared to conventional jazz tunes and standards. Consider "So What," which opens the album. There are but two chords, D minor 7th and E-flat minor 7th, and there are spots were 24 bars pass, all on the D minor 7th. This allows the soloist to--as Miles put it--stay in the mode. The song initiated a wave of influence and inspired a host of modal tunes, including John Coltrane's "Impressions" (built on the same chords and structure). "So What" also has the very rare instance of the melody being played by the bassist (but this was Paul Chambers; check out his Blue Note album BASS ON TOP from 1957). For those who don't know, the late Bill Evans is a jazz-piano icon. This brilliant innovator contributed two compositions here: "Blue In Green" and "Flamenco Sketches." Bill's hypnotic vamps and harmonically rich voicings add to the heady atmosphere that Miles typically created with his sparse, cerebral style. It's difficult to pick out high points; the whole album is on such a high level. Coltrane, Adderley, Evans...these guys could play. The solos throughout are haunting and magical. All of the compositions exhibit unusual and sometimes subtle characteristics, like the altered blues changes in "Freddie Freeloader" (on which Wynton Kelly plays piano) and the 10-bar, "A"-section-only form of "Blue In Green." In "All Blues," pay special attention to the harmonic treatment during the last eight bars of its 24-bar blues-waltz structure. You don't have to be a music student to recognize the unique magic or the mood-inducing power that pervades this album. With players of this caliber, the music making is magnificent and amazing. The talent and importance of these truly monumental musicians cannot be stressed enough. And, the importance of KIND OF BLUE as a record is deserving of all the hoopla that can possibly be mustered on its behalf. This is a legendary recording by a legendary band. Another reason this album is historic is the introduction of what came to be known as "So What" chords. They are the chords that answer the melody line in "So What." Here are the two chords Bill Evans played there: E below middle C, up a fourth to A, up a fourth to D, up a fourth to G and up a major third to B. D below middle C, up a fourth to G, up a fourth to C, up a fourth to F and up a major third to A. If you're so inclined, try playing those two chords to answer the melody and you will hear the heady magic they produce. To use this chord elsewhere, just remember it's the root, eleventh, seventh, third and fifth of a minor seventh chord.
Cheers,
Murray
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