Miles Davis – Big Fun

I have a large Miles Davis collection, mostly original or at least vintage analogue LPs. There’s only 3 of his og electric albums that I don’t have on vinyl: Dark Magus, Black Beauty, and this (I have an og w nasty groove wear but it’s pretty unlistenable).

I’m in the process of getting LPs of Dark Magus and Black Beauty cause that’s how much I don’t like those CDs, they’re good for the car but disappointing at home. This one however, I find much more enjoyable. The sound is pretty smooth compared to the other two. You may hear a little degradation of the master tape on occasion, and the master isn’t shy about showing a little tape hiss either, but that also contributes to the more analogue vibe of this. Yes, there is some noticeable compression, but it’s much less intrusive than say, Dark Magus. A track like ‘Go Ahead John’ is so purposefully disorienting that any kind of weird pulsing of the cymbals just kind of blends in with the overall experience. ‘Lonely Fire’ might suffer the most in this department but it’s honestly kind of hard to tell with this music without comparing it to an original.

The sound of this is pleasing enough that I’m not in a rush to get the LP. I really appreciate the expanded track listing and generally consider this an essential cd to have in the collection. It succeeds in enveloping me in the vast space of Miles Davis.

The sound of this 2000 cd (Columbia C2K 63973) version is more compressed, good for car or radio but not so for hifi.

While Bitches Brew overshadowed this and several other releases from this immensely fertile period. This album and "Get up with it" are in many ways superior.
Don't get me wrong. Bitches Brew is a fantastic album. But , Big Fun is much more surprising. And it is a fun album to listen to. In the way that On the Corner was a fun album.
Big Fun is a study in taking off. It's a heavier album in many ways than Bitches Brew and is more entertaining to listen to. It utilized much more of Teo's production prowess and incorporated the studio as creative tool in a way that probably only "In a Silent Way" or "On the Corner" had done previously.
One of the many overlooked Miles Davis albums that deserve a much deeper listen.