Miles! Miles! Miles!: Live in Japan '81

[Dmitry]

Acquired this Japanese 2 cd set yesterday from a local joint in RI[viva independent record stores!]. Wasn't cheap, $30 for a used set, but I don't think I've ever seen it before. I'm not overly familiar with the post-75 Miles, but this is one cool set!

Where does this fall in Miles' discography? I haven't seen it discussed on the jazz boards.

[Claude]

It's the complete (?) Tokyo October 4, 1981 concert from which there are tracks on the "We Want Miles" album.

It seems that there also exists a video from this concert:

http://www.plosin.com/milesAhead/Sessions.aspx?s=811004

Edited November 11, 2004 by Claude

[jazzbo]

I've had this for years. . . interesting, and yours was a decent price. . . .

[Dmitry]

So "We Want Miles" and "Miles! Miles! Miles!: Live in Japan '81" are one and the same or ...?

[Quincy]

So "We Want Miles" and "Miles! Miles! Miles!: Live in Japan '81" are one and the same or ...?

Not the same. From Miles Ahead.

We Want Miles

Record 1

Jean Pierre (M. Davis) Oct 4, 1981 10:41

Back Seat Betty (M. Davis) Jul 5, 1981 8:15

Fast Track (M. Davis) Jun 27, 1981 15:17

Jean Pierre (M. Davis) [edited] Oct 4, 1981 3:58

Record 2

My Man's Gone Now (D. Heyward-G. Gershwin) Jun 27, 1981 20:13

Kix (M. Davis) Jun 27, 1981 18:42

Miles! Miles! Miles!

October 4, 1981

Disc 1

Back Seat Betty (M. Davis) 20:18

Ursula (M. Davis) 2:00

My Man's Gone Now (D. Heyward-G. Gershwin) 15:44

Aida (M. Davis) 12:12

Disc 2

Fat Time (M. Davis) 12:59

Jean Pierre (M. Davis) 11:30

[Claude]

"We Want Miles" is a compilation with tracks from three 1981 concerts:

Boston 6/27

New York 7/5

Tokyo 10/4

If I have read the discography correctly, the only Tokyo track on "We Want Miles" is the short version of "Jean-Pierre" (3:56), which has been edited. So there is almost no duplication between both albums.

Edited November 12, 2004 by Claude

[Aggie87]

I just picked this set up about a week ago (got a good price, even cheaper than Dmitry's!). Was this ever released domestically? There are used copies available at half.com for $250 I like this recording quite a bit, though Miles clearly isn't the dominant instrument.

[Rosco]

It's the longer take of 'Jean Pierre' from We Want Miles that is from the Tokyo concert.

IIRC, the TV footage of the Tokyo gig has Miles looking very frail indeed. It's a miracle he could even play at all. The band cooks, though.

[.:.impossible]

What stores have you been hitting up there Dmitry? It was great to see you over xmas. I'll assume your brakes didn't fail heading north!

[Dmitry]

What stores have you been hitting up there Dmitry? It was great to see you over xmas. I'll assume your brakes didn't fail heading north!

You mean in RI? 'tis dry pickins round here, as you know; just one or two used cd joints that fail to excite and the local chain Strawberries. Haven't checked out the used cd scene in Providence yet, just went to one vinyl joint on Wickenden St, Round Again Records. Not bad.

Made it home ok. No adventures. Brought this baby up to 110 mph a couple of times, but won't attempt that again till the tune up and the valve adjustment are done. I think I can add ~30 hp once I put in the Conforti chip, to bring it up to about 280 hp.

The sound of that throttle opening up at about 100 mph is better than [some] sex!

[.:.impossible]

[Claude]

Was this ever released domestically? There are used copies available at half.com for $250

No, but the same recording (which would have fitted on one CD) was also released by Jazz Door (without authorization I assume) on "Fat Time":

http://www.plosin.com/milesAhead/Disco.aspx?id=FatTime

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/jazz/detail/-/hnum...azz/rsk/hitlist (audio clips)

Edited January 3, 2006 by Claude

[Aggie87]

Thanks for the info, Claude. I guess I'm kind of shocked at the price being asked on half.com, that was the reason behind the question. I don't really understand why the legit release is on 2 cds either - it's not as if it were one of the first cds issued, where they may have tried to emulate more of a vinyl release.