Kind Of Blue (Legacy Edition)

Miles Davis | Format: MP3 Music

Product Details

• Original Release Date: January 19, 2009
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Columbia/Legacy
• Copyright: This compilation (P) 2008 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
• Record Company Required Metadata: Music file metadata contains unique purchase identifier. Learn more.
• Total Length: 2:00:37
• Genres:
  • Jazz
• ASIN: B001P4IQSI
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (962 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #48,575 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

126 of 130 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Jazz Album Ever With Some Extra Goodies January 29, 2009

By Socrates Stewart

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

"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.

196 of 206 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It's about time! March 13, 2009

By R. Davis

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

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!

80 of 81 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars So what more can anyone want from an album? February 13, 2005

By J. Lund VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

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.