Smiles!?

This is one of those posts in which I admit my utter despair at ever knowing anything at all about music.

1. Miles Smiles

I returned to the album after the almost two-year hiatus from any jazz that needed brainwork and found it almost as confounding as I did then. The liner note essayist (who's definitely on somebody's payroll) seems to think it was the jazz album of the 1960s, well poo on that. I don't understand it at all. The only reason I can think Miles would inexplicably be smiling is that he just shafted the remaining few of his loyal listeners (no left hand for herbie!) and just when you hear the familiar progression of the blues on the last track 'Gingerbread Boy' he pulls an awful stunt where he gets Ron Carter to make funny noises on his double bass for four additional bars, just to screw over those of you who dared to hope they could follow a 12 bar blues.

No, I'm sure it's great but what gives !? Why did he have to take away Herbie's left hand? Back on E.S.P. it was the tenuous thread connecting the band into a harmonic structure and without it it's just noise and strings. Maybe I'll get it someday.

2. Leonard Cohen

is some kind of awesome

but what kind I don't think I'll ever know.

adam