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Summary: The whole truth, nothing but the truth
Review: This book is a gospel for all true jazz lovers. Miles tells all about the jazz scene in such a vivid manner, that you will feel like he is talking directly to you. you will laugh, you will cry, you will learn about all the heavy hitters of the 30s, 40s,50s, 60s,and beyond. miles was so on the money on a lot of issues and he didnt pull any punches when he talked about his own much publicized short comings. He will tell you about every band,every recording session and what impact that it had on his life at that time. Every musician that he ever played with is included in this book. This is a great biography. You will truly understand what a powerful musician miles really was, and the great impact that this trumpet giant made on the music world. This book is a must read for all true jazz lovers.
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Summary: a true maverick
Review: this book is great.i 've read this book many times over.i like his honesty about the state of music.his influences and his impact on the music world.the things he is looking for in sound and color.his feelings on race,class,success,ladies,structure&the world.getting his feelings on duke,dizzy,jimi hendrix,james brown,sly stone,prince,michael jackson&wynton marsalis,herbie hancock,john coltrane among many.this book was well presented by quincy troupe.it's one of the greatest subject matters that i've ever read.that's the vibe of miles davis.the highs&lows.i also liked the bond of him&richard pryor and sugar ray robinson.so many great moments within the context on this book.it sheds light on personnel things in mr davis's life.a true must read on a musical pioneer genius&legend.
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Summary: Miles! Miles! Miles!
Review: This book is the sole reason I became a jazz musician. I first read this at a public library in high school and immediately fell in love with Miles Davis. This is an unbelieveable account of an unbelieveable life. Any jazz fan should read this book.
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Summary: Cleaner than a broke ---- dog
Review: This is a magnificent book! The text reads as if Miles is talking (and brandishing his patented, colorfully profane language) right in your face. Though Miles regrets his misogynistic past, casual readers should beware: this is honest and brutal storytelling. The book's vivid prose will whirl you away like you're riding atop an impossibly transcendent trumpet solo. Hip hip hooray for Miles Davis! Hooo-eee!
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Summary: The genius of jazz comes through with a compelling read
Review: This is a must read for those who want to know about the man who helped create the "cool" jazz era of the 40s and 50s, then radically changed his approach several times in the following decades. The narrative is rough, but the personality and character comes through loud and clear. I found most of it fascinating, but less so as Miles got more and more conked out on coke and alcohol in the later part of his life and career. I love his music, and this book goes a long way to explain how he approached and executed his craft. And lots of inside stories about the other jazz giants of his era.
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Summary: Half inspiring, half provocative, all engaging...
Review: This is a powerful book. The way in which Miles conveys his message to the reader is so gripping that you can't help but be enthralled. There is so much to absorb that it will definitely leave you satisfied. What I liked the most about this book is how he described his relationships with the other prominent jazz musicians of the 40s and 50s. His insights gave me a much clearer sense of jazz history, and it also gave me some interesting background information I could keep in mind as I listen to the old CDs. (The pictures are an added bonus.)Although I think this is an excellent book, I must say it is not without its flaws. I think the first two-thirds of the book (the first 13 chapters, which cover the period between his birth and the late 60s--when he became electric/funk oriented) are MUCH more engaging than the final seven chapters, which cover everything up to the present. His vulgar, yet powerful tone remains consistent throughout the book, but he starts talking more about drugs and his problems with with women while he only glosses over what he was doing musically. And when he starts talking about the musicians in his later bands, he often only presents a laundry list of names without really going into any detail about their character or any experiences he's shared with them (like he did with those in the first half of the book). This can bog the reader down because it makes it difficult to identify with what's going on. He just says "I liked what so-and-so was playing" or something like that, and that can get repetitive. Also, the way he ends the later chapters doesn't really grip the reader and compel him to read further like the way he ended the earlier chapters. In a way, sometimes his writing becomes cliche and predictable, and it makes me wonder if Miles was becoming increasingly impatient as the book progressed. I don't know if the final few chapters of the book are more boring because he's talking about drugs a lot or if it's because he's not playing jazz or if it's because the people and musicians in his life seem more anonymous or if it's because his later musicians were more obscure, but whatever it is, it's frustrating. But despite all this, the wild ride Miles takes us on during the first 13 chapters or so makes this book more than worth the price of admission.
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Summary: Miles Ahead: A No-Holds Barred Autobiography
Review: This is a superb book, but not for the easily offended. Miles' autobiography reveals a hardworking, supremely talented musician who challenged himself continually as he, time after time, reinvented jazz. Yet Miles Davis is full of contradictions; the victim of racism; he rails, at times, against whites, yet plays with and respects them. His attitudes and behavior toward women can be appalling, yet he had a tender, generous side, and admits (and also denies) his faults. As far as I can tell, Miles is Miles in this book, and if there are contradictions in his story, it's because there are contradictions in the man. Some people have complained that there is not enough analysis of his music in the book, but your ears will tell you more than any technical explanation. He talks of his early days at Juilliard, skipping the school to play with Bird and others in New York, his courageous "cold turkey" quitting of heroin, his abuse by police, and the various bands and movements he led. Lots of amusing (and tragic) anecdotes, comments on other musicians, insights into his wide-ranging tastes, and interesting sidelights (he and Jimi Hendrix almost made an album together). Miles Davis is candid, and quite generous with his use of obscenities--but no matter. He tells it like he sees it. One gets the impression that if the man is flawed, and his recollections perhaps self-serving at times, he at least is being as honest as he can be with himself. We really don't know, just as we can't really know all the "true facts" in any autobiography. His music is unspeakably beautiful, and one may wonder how his music seems to transcend both his victimization and his own prejudice. But then, maybe that is our bias: To try to fit Miles into some definition that would explain these seeming incongruities. Miles defies categorization, and that is the challenge and the beauty of the book: To take it on its own terms, to accept the complexity of the man, flaws and all (as we are all flawed), and then to be thankful that Miles smiled on us. This is a landmark of autobiography, transposing the seen and the felt. The book makes you think, and would be an excellent choice for a book club or classroom. Very highly recommended, one of the best books ever written about one musician's personal journey.
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Summary: THIS BOOK WILL HELP YOU APPRECIATE THE MUSIC
Review: This is a very informative book. It is written in the flavor of Miles Davis. I found out about his life and what made him what he was and why he did what he did. It is always interesting to read how people get to where they get to in life. I've been listening to Jazz seriously since 1965. What this book did for me was to make the music have a depth that was lacking in my life. It tells of the climate of the music and all the people throughout the various stages of his life. I understand the music better, because I understand the people better. It gave the stories behind each album Miles made. Now when I listen, I listen differently. I know why he made the album and the story behind each one. Musicains that played before my time become alive. Miles becomes alive. I understand what his music was about to him and what he was about. I understand his social ravings. The only thing not enjoyable was the constant cursing. I understand that it has to be in the book, because that is how Miles talked. It makes the book authentic. However, it is tiring after awhile to read the same word over and over and over. However, the book flows along. The story flows along easily I learned from the life of Miles Davis what tormented genius is. Anyone who listens to Jazz at any level should definately buy this book.
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Summary: THE Jazz autobiography
Review: This is definitely THE Jazz autobiography. Miles as controversial as ever. He just could have explained better why he left Jazz and started playing that weird fusion stuff... Mr. Troupe's wonderful ghostwriting job must be acknowledged.
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Summary: A superb literary work.
Review: This is one of the finest works to date concerning the legendary musician, Miles Davis. I actually believed that I was walking through the life of this great artist as I read this work. It is definitely well written and researched. A bargain for the price. If you did not or if you do know Miles, pick this one up. PICK THIS ONE UP!!!!!!!! IT IS A WORK FOR THE AGES!!!!!!!!
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