Customer Reviews

On the Corner

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

People tend to focus on certain albums of Miles' discography as their "line in the sand". Because the trumpeter's career was dramatically divided into distinct periods and even micro-periods there are a number of places where certain listeners can say, "this far but no farther." I know people whose love of Miles ended with Night at the Blackhawk, or Miles Smiles, or Bitches Brew. My own ended with The Man With the Horn. But perhaps one of the most controversial love-it-or-leave-it albums in Miles' discography is On the Corner. Looked upon as a sell-out in the 70s, even by those who loved the electric bands, this album has been vilified ever since. However, a careful re-examination thirty years later reveals an album that was radically ahead of it's time, though not perhaps even a jazz album anymore.

On the Corner was one of the last albums Miles did with his rotating, multi-layered electric bands of the early 70s. The albums after this would delve into avant-rock-funk of the Agharta period, before Davis took his complete hiatus and suffered his mid 70-s breakdown. Assembled for this disc is a typical conglomeration of the jazz-rock stars of the 70s, including Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock on electric pianos, John McLaughlin on guitar, three drummers including both the marvelous Jack Dejohnette and Billy Hart. Along with these luminaries were Dave Liebman and Sonny Fortune on saxes, fat funk grooves by Michael Henderson, Colin Walcott on electric sitar and Badal Roy on tablas. This lineup is probably the most complexly layered group Miles had in the electric period, and the inclusion of Indian instruments gave the album a world music groove that was years ahead of its time.

Most of the criticism that has been lobbed at this album has to do with the fact that, in many people's estimation it's not a "jazz album". What is meant by this is not always clear, and an old refrain that is leveled at just about every album considered a departure from the "tradition". There seems to be some complaint that On the Corner is devoid of improvisation. This is not true. In fact the album is one long improvisatory jam. What it doesn't have is a clear head-solos-head structure. Rather, the rhythm section provides a dense polyrhythmic carpet over which the horns solo in an extended manner. Also, Miles continued his trend toward significant post-production work in the mixing of the album. As a result, much of the improvisation by the band is used as source material for further creative manipulation, through electronics, and through other post-production effects. The result is a mix which is trance-like, hypnotic and a precursor to the trance and techno albums of Aphex Twins and others from the 90s. To jazzers, this post-production work signaled a retreat by Davis from the studio-as-club-date attitude of most traditional jazz sessions. But to my mind, this shows that Miles and company had really thought through the nature of electronic music. Rather than just playing on electric instruments and adding some bleeps, bloops and funk grooves to what was basically a 1960s jazz album, Miles added electronics idiomatically, creating a new art form in the process. Miles' jazz fusion of this period cannot be compared to his work in the 50s or 60s. It's a completely different animal that functions by different rules.

This is not an album that you can speak about in cuts. There are pre-composed pieces, and probably some pieces that were composed after the fact, by splicing together tracks and grooves and giving them shape. But each separate piece tends to blend into the next, prefiguring the DJ jams of the 90s. The result is funky and infectious, but also hypnotic. On the Corner may be demonized by traditionalists, but Miles was saying something here, and it's something that still bears listening to, after thirty years. Miles' music of this period is not dated badly at all and still has implications for younger musicians. Approach this as a sonic experience and not as a jazz album and you will be pleasantly surprised.

A landmark recording that even several decades later is a struggle for many fans--jazz and pop--to get a grip on. Miles Davis finds a precarious balance between the vital rhythm-oriented advances of the James Brown-originated funk idiom and Stockhausen's manipulation-of-sound concepts...and still manages to bring his jazz-based perspective along for the ride.

High in the top ten all-time jazz-reactionary myopic criticisms: that ON THE CORNER is a sellout to commercialism! If anything--and there's much more to it than this--Davis took the then up-and-coming, hot-selling funk idiom, stripped it of all surface characteristics that could be easily absorbed in one sitting, then rebuilt the style via his own post-modernist approach...and somehow the intoxicating James Brown-via-Sly Stone THERE'S A RIOT GOIN' ON groove survived intact.

The results are marked by deep polyrhythmic grooves that are decidedly left-of-center. Over this solid bottom a variety of keyboards, guitars, sitars, and the like engage in basically free associative textures, anchored by Michael Henderson's less-is-more bass figures (who else can make a repetitive "duh-dut" bassline sound as if adding even one more note would be overkill?).

Holding this all together is what many critics seem to miss, that being significant solo passages particularly by Davis, heard on no less than three extended--and assertive--segments, with the electrified wah-wah pedal used not as a gimmick but for its vocal-like qualities. Also, various guitarists, reeds, and percussion offer compelling statements that alternatively ride over and react within the dense backdrop.

As if all this weren't enough of a challenge, the "tunes" lack identifiable melodies except for BLACK SATIN. Then again, are the bass lines the melodies? Or the percussion patterns? Or what? If you like seeing a string of "what is jazz" paradigms shattered with one stunning blow, ON THE CORNER is your heavyweight champion of the world. This album DEFINITELY has a purpose!

In 1973, Miles Davis was fuming. He had released On the Corner a year before to negative reviews and an apathetic public; and now, his sideman Herbie's fusion record Headhunter's was on its way to becoming the bestselling jazz album of all time. In his autobiography, he whines about how Columbia doomed the record by not promoting it correctly. Personally, I don't think Miles has a leg to stand on. Even if Columbia had put massive amounts of money behind it there's no way it could've stuck in 1972. Columbia had only one hope: Hire a team of brilliant scientists who would build a time machine, and drop this album on the public 40 years in the future. That's right, 10 years from now. We STILL aren't ready for On The Corner...

There are so many dismissive complaints leveled at this album- it's repetitive! there's barely any melody! It's not even Jazz! You hardly every even HEAR miles! I have no counter argument; these are all facts. However, there have been a few things that have been missed by its critics:

Miles had a vision with this record. This wasn't just a street record, this was intended to be THE street record. The ultimate black-power world-encompassing fusion call-to-arms. He intended to reach his black audience- the world's black audience. When you hit play on this record, you are on EVERY dang corner in the world: Los Angeles, Dakar, Nairobi, New Orleans, Havana... This is THE fusion album.

The album is thoroughly immersive. I can't think of a denser album, or an album that rewards repeat journeys better than this. At first it's entirely impenetrable and almost hostile to the listener, but once you find a way in there's a world of details and fascinating characters to discover. Take the first 30 seconds; when you hit "play" you seem to have been dropped into the middle of a muddled fusion stew. It almost seems sloppy; but listen close and you'll realize you do have a proper introduction- the first 30 seconds are an inversion of the following minute, Miles in front, Liebman in back. Then at 30 seconds, the wall of drums hits, and you get the exact same scene again, only inverted- Miles has been thrown to the back and Liebman is right in front of your speakers. Very clever; Stockhausen would be proud of this tape manipulation. It tells the listener: here, time folds in on itself; Miles will NOT be the star; you'll have to pay REALLY close attention...You've entered a parallel world...

And, finally, the best argument for the enduring genius of this album- there is nothing that sounds like On the Corner in the canon of recorded music before or since. Nothing so bewilderingly experimental yet funky, or that fuses different cultural musics into such a seamless whole. The density and layering of this album is relentless, the solos enigmatic. It exists outside of classification. That is quite a recommendation- To this day, On the Corner stands completely alone. Give it a chance- it can take you places that no other album has gone!

This 1972 release is intense. Period. And don't let the cover art fool you - the cartoon images on the front cover have nothing to do with the seething fury that lurks within the CD case. In fact, come to think of it, a Jackson Pollock would have been more far more appropriate as cover art and is certainly more in keeping with the music. Editorial comments aside, this is yet another remarkable Miles album and was his most controversial.

Alongside Miles (electronically altered trumpet) is a large ensemble including: John McLaughlin and David Creamer (electric guitar); Herbie Hancock and Harold Williams Jr. (electric organ, possibly moog synthesizer); Jack DeJohnette (drums); Don Alias and James Mtume (percussion); Michael Henderson (electric bass guitar); David Leibman and Carlos Garnett (tenor saxophone); Teo Macero (saxophone); William Hart (drums and percussion); Badal Roy (tabla); and Colin Walcott (sitar).

This particular iteration of the Miles Davis band had an unbelievably disciplined rhythm section. In fact, the machine-gun like and staccato bursts on the drums and the endless ostinato on the bass guitar seemed to draw the most fire from critics when the album was released. I happen to like the approach quite a bit because it reminds me somewhat of the meditative drones that minimalist composers like Terry Riley were writing at the time. The soloists are also excellent (of course) and weave their parts seamlessly into the hypnotic trance set up by the rhythm section. Unfortunately, you do not hear too much of Miles - this was another thing the critics harped on. The synthesizer textures are pretty interesting as are the tabla and percussion parts (the sleigh bells come to mind) - they add a very interesting dimension to the music.

Like a lot of Miles output during this period, the pieces are long: Tracks 1-4 comprise a 20 minute or so suite, while Helen Butte clocks in at 16'07". Musically, the pieces incorporate elements of German avant-garde composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, some free jazz, and American minimalism, although influences taken from James Brown and other soul/funk musicians can be heard as well. I have to admit though - this is unlike any funk I have ever heard before. In fact, it lurches along in fits and starts and quite frankly, is about as funky as a seizure. Or a sneezing fit.

Well I could easily go on and on raving about this album and the enormous contribution Miles made to music but I won't. This is supposed to be a review after all. If you enjoyed On the Corner, you might also like Live at the Fillmore East (March 1970); Bitches Brew (1970); Live Evil (1971); and A Tribute to Jack Johnson (1971). This is all simply amazing stuff.

For those not familiar with Miles's Second Great Quintet of the mid to late 1960s, there is an undisputed masterpiece performance which redefined the development of a piece of jazz. This was the title track of "Nefertiti." Instead of playing the head, followed by solos and then the head out, Miles and Wayne Shorter play the melody with slight variations over and over again, while the rhythm section shifts the beat, the accents, the harmonic implications, and every other subtle element of "background." To the uneducated or unhip listener, the performance sounds like it goes nowhere. However, the dynamic changes and developments in the rhythm section constitute the subtle direction for the piece, while the melody is the thread that holds it together, as opposed to a walking bass line and constant chord changes that are generally the thread in jazz pieces. Another reviewer from this site described it aptly as being like "time lapse photography," where the subject is the same but the hues are slightly different.

"On the Corner," the most controversial album Miles ever made, revisits this concept of time lapse photography, albeit in a way that is most offensive to jazz purists but probably the best way to implement the concept. Instead of using the melody as the thread, he uses the basic rhythm of the drums and the bass line. This may seem unremarkable in how traditional it is on the surface. But the groove of bass and drums is SO consistent and unchanging that the thread or continuity has the maximum effect. From there, Miles adds layer by layer, including various percussion instruments, different chord colors from keyboards and guitar, and then the soloist, but he does it so slowly that each level gets insinuated into the listener's consciousness; we begin to vibrate with the insistence of the music, and just as we get used to it, another layer is subtly introduced, taking the stream of consciousness to a new level. In fact, the thread of bass and drums remains more or less the same, repeating the same figure, for the last three tunes, or the majority of the album. The mastery of this album is how everything else grows around it, from the slightest alterations of the drums or the wah of the bass to the sinister chords from Herbie Hancock's rhodes barely audible but profoundly felt as something different. Funk in and of itself may not be particularly subtle, but what Miles does with it and how this album moves from level to level is more subtle than even "Nefertiti." There isn't even much dynamic change in the traditional sense; it never really gets louder or softer, only thicker and more complex. Brilliant.

Not surprisingly, Miles alumni were profoundly affected by the concept of this album. Herbie Hancock's "Sextant" is quite similar in feel to "On the Corner" and one could argue that the entire improvisational concept of Weather Report was based on this concept of layering and repetition, with no one instrument more important than any other, though the best example is "Sweetnighter," Weather Report's third album. Neither subsequent album was as successful as "On the Corner" at this particular concept, though.

A warning (or maybe instructions) to listeners: this album only makes sense if you have the fifty minutes to listen and feel it the whole way through. I suppose in this way it's not particularly easy to listen to, and it's not a good place to start with Miles nor is it a good bridge from rock into jazz. If the sonic and psychological experiment of this album sounds interesting to you, a basic understanding of Miles's second great quintet on albums like "Nefertiti," "Miles Smiles," and "Miles in the Sky" is required to appreciate its depth, and be sure to check out "Bitches Brew" and "Live Evil" to get used to the sometimes abrasive sound of the music.

As a long time listener of Miles Davis' varied musical endeavors, I always figured that there was nothing left in his catalog that could truly throw a faithful listener for a loop. But if you're familiar with his other albums and haven't heard "On the Corner," do yourself a favor and GET IT NOW. Even by today's standards, when technology has seemingly squeezed every the life and surprise out of every available sonic possiblity, this album just comes screaming from the speakers and kicks you ... like nothing before or after it. The drummers and percussionists leave dizzy, and the solos are like nothing you've ever heard. Any 'groundreaking' genre that proceeds it, be it house, electronica, hip hop, jungle, drum n bass, etc., suddenly sounds very old and contrived. This album is the bar which the most computer savvy producers today are either conciously or unconsciously trying to pass.

'On The Corner' is probably the most controversial work of Miles' career but its hard to see why. Traditional jazz fans will have alienated immediately by the clumsy drum loops, slippery bass lines that are sometimes difficult to pin down and the oftn atonal soloing. Closer inspection of the LPs four pieces reveal that 'On The Corner' is a logical extension of the highly reverred 1969/70 recording 'B*tches Brew'. 1972's 'On The Corner' is not as dark, but no less experimental and the soloes are just as 'difficult'. The most contentious issue surrounding 'On The Corner' must be its seminal use of looped percussive samples as a rythmic framework. For many this will have produced a sound too artificial for a record produced by a jazz artist. Well documented is the fact that the drum loops were the fruit of the influence of legendary German avant-garde composer Karlheinz Stockhausen of all people. Krautrock played by a black American jazz artist anyone? Well, not really. Beside the Stockhausen influence strains of the sort of psychedelic funk that the likes of Sly And The Family Stone, Funkadelic and Parliament were producing at the time can be heard in what is a crazy mix of sounds from different cultures. By fusing these elements, throwing in some electric sitar and tabla and getting a stellar cast of musicians that include Dave Liebman, Bennie Maupin, John McLaughlin, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea and Jack De Johnette to play it, Miles created something compelling and utterly unique for 1972. The confusion of the old guard of jazz critics in the early 70s at the sound of a musical revolution should not cloud the judgements of modern audiences wishing to investigate not only one of Miles' most exciting works, but also the roots of 90s and 00s jungle, drum and bass and trip-hop.

From 1972, "On the Corner" shows Miles Davis in the midst of yet another transition in his playing, writing, and image.

Many Miles fans dislike the lp because they see it as, dark, thick, repititious drudge; And those instruments used?! How can Khalil Balikrishna's electric sitar possibly fit in the realm of jazz?!

These points, esprcially from jazz purists, are certainly valid ones- but Miles was hardly a traditionalist by 1972. His visions of James Brown/Sly Stone funk meeting Hendrix (listen to Miles' use of the wah wah petals on his trumpet) in the middle of the African jungle came to fruition on this lp. The electric sitar and tablas add interesting spice to the overall project (and such instruments are common in some forms of Eastern African musics).

While Columbia records did not give "On the Corner" the proper backing they should have, (mainly because they didn't understand it) other jazz artists heard what Miles did and ran with it. Not surprisingly, Miles veteran Herbie Hancock, who also graces this lp in places, came out with his amazing "Headhunters," "Sextant," and " Thrust" lps in the wake of "On the Corner," and sales were superb on all 3 lps- funk/fusion classics.

In heinsight, it's easier to grasp what Miles was trying to do on "On the Corner," making it all the sadder that most of us didn't get it then. The music was ahead of its time- uncompromising, proud, and unqustionably BLACK- just like Miles himself. A gem of an lp and a lot of fun to listen to. Just listen to those deep bass grooves. Funky as all get up. Miles got it right- then again, did he ever not get it right?!

Another intriguing logical progression, and, given the similar approaches on later albums like Dark Magus, Pangaea and Agharta, it's certainly not deserving of the universally negative criticism it received back in 1972 (or receives now). After Live-Evil got Miles' foot in the door of the funk revolution, it's not at all surprising that he should carry the experiment further and deeper, into a looser, more tribal, much more African (and occasionally Indian) sound. There is perhaps greater rhythmic complexity here than on any of Miles' other albums, utilizing multiple layered percussive instruments simultaneously. In fact, in many ways, this is Miles' most sophicated album, as it embraces the avant garde more than any of Miles' other albums (except perhaps Black Beauty). The fact that the album has eight tracks (a record number for an album at this stage in his career) is deceptive, as most of the tracks flow seamlessly into one another, forming one long extended jam that effectively changes quite dramatically from one end to the other. Miles had hoped to attract a young, black audience with this album, hence the ghetto-inspired, sadly dated, cartoon caricatures that adorn the cover. Unfortunately, the whole bid for the "James Brown audience" failed, and, consequently, the album flopped. It's a real shame too, as this much maligned but fun album deserves much better. Essential for those with open minds.

Don't listen to the antagonists and nay-sayers.

Listen to this: On the Corner is WICKED COOL! This is one of the most interesting recordings I own. It never grows old, everytime I play it I hear something new. Miles and Teo were lightyears ahead of everyone in the music business when it comes to sampling and tape loops. Brian Eno and Danny LeNois must have learned an awful lot from On the Corner. I gotta get one of those "On the Corner" T-shirts with the album art! Anyway...

Many years ago, way back in the 70's, I let a "friend" who was a jazz know-it-all talk me out of purchasing the Lp "On the Corner" He told me it was crappy experimental funk and that this record was a disaster to be avoided at all costs - even if it was Miles. Fast forward a good 30 years. I saw some of these great reviews out here on Amazon. I decided to take a chance and picked up a copy. I really didn't know what to expect of the "cartoon" album when I popped it into my car's CD player. I expected something a bit like Davis's "Big Fun" release. Indeed, some of the same instruments, notably sitar and tabla find their way onto "On the Corner." But this music is much more in your face than "Big Fun." It's full of odd percussion and polyrhythms. There's all sorts of interesting sounds, some even sound like furry woodland creatures! At times it is a complete cacophony but it all works together somehow. It might take a few listens for the average electric Miles listener to get his/her head around this one. If there is any fault with this release I would say it is the way the listener is sort of dropped into the middle of a very busy piece of music - there is no introduction, the opening edit is right in the middle of a very busy passage! That's a small problem though, the music is just amazing! Stay with it and you'll end up loving this CD.

If you happen to be a musician it's also fun to play along with "On the Corner" When I play this CD at home I find it is impossible to resist the urge to plug in the telecaster and pedal board (especially the wah-wah and distortion pedals) and play along, and you will too. You'll fit right in with this menagerie of a band.

Anyway, I'm sorry I waited so long to pick this up. Maybe back in the 70's I wouldn't have understood it, heck, I'm not sure I do now, but I do know I really love this CD. The remastering job is superb! I can't get this thing out of my CD player, it is so wildly weird and funky!

A must have if you enjoy Miles's work from the 70's.
By the way, if you like On the Corner then I strongly recommend you pickup a copy of Herbie Hancock's "Sextant". "Sextant" has much in common with On the Corner.