View source for In a Silent Way

{{Infobox album
| name         = In a Silent Way
| type         = studio
| artist       = [[Miles Davis]]
| cover        = Miles-davis-in-a-silent-way.jpg
| alt          =
| released     = July 30, 1969<ref name = release>[http://www.milesdavis.com/albums/in-a-silent-way/ Miles Davis.com]</ref>
| recorded     = February 18, 1969
| studio       = [[CBS 30th Street Studio|CBS 30th Street]] ([[New York City]])
| genre        = *[[Jazz fusion]]<ref>{{cite book|last=Finkelman|first=Paul|author-link=Paul Finkelman|date=February 2, 2009|page=20|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6gbQHxb_P0QC&pg=RA1-PA20|title=Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present: From the Age of Segregation to the Twenty-First Century, Volume 1|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|isbn=978-0195167795}}</ref>
*[[jazz-rock]]<ref>{{cite book|author=The New York Times|year=2011|page=172|title=The New York Times Guide to Essential Knowledge: A Desk Reference for the Curious Mind|publisher=[[St. Martin's Press]]|isbn=978-1429950855|edition=3rd|author-link=The New York Times}}</ref>
| length       = {{Duration|m=38|s=08}}
| label        = [[Columbia Records|Columbia]]
| producer     = [[Teo Macero]]
| prev_title   = [[Filles de Kilimanjaro]]
| prev_year    = 1968
| next_title   = [[Miles in Tokyo]]
| next_year    = 1969
}}
'''''In a Silent Way''''' is a studio album by the American [[jazz]] trumpeter, composer, and bandleader [[Miles Davis]], released on July 30, 1969, on [[Columbia Records]]. Produced by [[Teo Macero]], the album was recorded in one session date on February 18, 1969, at [[CBS 30th Street Studio]] in [[New York City]]. Macero edited and arranged Davis's recordings from the session to produce the album. Marking the beginning of his [[Miles Davis#1968–1975: The electric period |"electric" period]], ''In a Silent Way'' has been regarded by music writers as Davis's first [[jazz fusion|fusion]] recording, following a stylistic shift toward the genre in his previous records and live performances.
Upon its release, the album was met by controversy among music critics, particularly those of jazz and [[rock music]], who were divided in their reaction to its experimental musical structure and Davis's electric approach. Since its initial reception, it has been regarded by fans and critics as one of Davis's greatest and most influential works. In 2001, [[Columbia Records|Columbia Legacy]] and [[Sony Music Entertainment|Sony Music]] released the three-disc box set ''[[The Complete In a Silent Way Sessions]]'', which includes additional tracks.<ref name = complete>Kenyon, John. [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/davismiles-silentway/ Review: ''The Complete in a Silent Way Sessions'']. [[PopMatters]]. Retrieved on 2010-04-01.</ref>
== Background and recording ==
By January 1969, Davis' core working band had stabilised around [[Wayne Shorter]] on soprano saxophone, [[Dave Holland (bassist)|Dave Holland]] on bass, [[Chick Corea]] on electric piano, and [[Jack DeJohnette]] on drums.{{sfn|Davis|Troupe|1990|p=295}} For his next studio album, Davis also brought in drummer [[Tony Williams (drummer)|Tony Williams]] and keyboardist [[Herbie Hancock]], previously members of his [[Second great quintet|Second Great Quintet]].{{sfn|Davis|Troupe|1990|p=295}} In the following month, the six were joined by Austrian keyboardist [[Josef Zawinul]]{{sfn|Davis|Troupe|1990|p=296}} and English guitarist [[John McLaughlin (musician)|John McLaughlin]], who had been in the United States for less than two weeks to join [[The Tony Williams Lifetime]] before Davis asked him to attend the recording session. McLaughlin had been a longtime fan of Davis, and spoke with Davis of his nervousness at the prospect of recording with his idol.{{sfn|Davis|Troupe|1990|p=296}} Among the compositions by Zawinul that Davis took a liking to was "In a Silent Way", an atmospheric piece that was titled at the suggestion of [[Cannonball Adderley]] while Zawinul was in his band. Adderley wished to use the piece for himself, but Zawinul turned him down after he learned that Davis also wanted to record it.<ref name="tingen2001">{{cite magazine |last=Tingen |first=Paul |date=2001 |title=The Making of In A Silent Way & Bitches Brew: An Earwitness Account |url=http://www.miles-beyond.com/iaswbitchesbrew.htm |access-date=30 December 2017 |magazine=MOJO |via=Miles Beyond}}</ref>
Although Davis' live performances and recent albums ''[[Miles in the Sky]]'' and ''[[Filles de Kilimanjaro]]'' (both 1968) had indicated his stylistic shift towards [[jazz fusion]] and increasing incorporation of electric instrumentation, ''In a Silent Way'' marked a complete transition into the style, marking the beginning of his [[Miles Davis#1968–1975: The electric period|"electric" period]].<ref name="Considine" /><ref name="Southall">Southall, Nick. [http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/on_second_thought/miles-davis-in-a-silent-way.htm Review: ''In a Silent Way''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710222208/http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/on_second_thought/miles-davis-in-a-silent-way.htm|date=2015-07-10}}. ''[[Stylus Magazine]]''. Retrieved on 2010-04-01.</ref><ref name="O'Brien">O'Brien, Chip. [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/davismiles-water Review: ''In a Silent Way'']. [[PopMatters]]. Retrieved on 2010-04-01.</ref><ref>Tate, Greg. "[https://books.google.com/books?id=Xi0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA90&dq= Voodoo Ray Gun]". ''[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]'': 90. September 1997.</ref> It was also his first recording to be constructed largely by the editing and arrangement of Davis and producer [[Teo Macero]],<ref name="O'Brien" /> whose editing techniques on ''In a Silent Way'' were informed by classical [[sonata form]].<ref name="tingen2001" /> Both tracks on the album consist of three distinct parts that could be thought of as an [[Sonata form#Exposition|exposition]], [[Sonata form#Development|development]], and [[Sonata form#Recapitulation|recapitulation]], with the first and third section of each track being the same piece.<ref name="tingen2001" />
''In a Silent Way'' was assembled from various takes from a three-hour session on February 18, 1969, at [[CBS 30th Street Studio]]'s Studio B in [[Manhattan]].{{sfn|Svorinich|2015|p=47}}{{sfn|Davis|Troupe|1990|p=296}} "Shhh/Peaceful" was composed solely by Davis, while the opening and closing section to "In a Silent Way/It's About That Time" is based on Zawinul's "In a Silent Way" which he would record in its original form in 1970 for his third solo album ''[[Zawinul (album)|Zawinul]]'' (1971).<ref name=tingen2001/> After Zawinul presented the tune to the group, it was rehearsed as it was originally written, but Davis wished for it to sound more rock-oriented and stripped the various chord changes to leave a more basic melody built around a [[pedal point]].{{sfn|Svorinich|2015|p=47}} McLaughlin had some difficulty playing in the manner Davis wished of him, but found his way after the trumpeter suggested he play the guitar as if he were a novice.<ref name=tingen2001/> Davis believed that Zawinul was never happy with his adaptation of "In a Silent Way", but felt that the album would have been less successful had its original arrangement been kept.{{sfn|Davis|Troupe|1990|p=297}} Zawinul had expressed some dislike of Davis' arrangement, in particular of two chords that he believed that Davis was wrong to remove.<ref name=tingen2001/> Zawinul claimed that he was responsible for the melodic bass line and descending melody of "It's About That Time" but was not credited; he blamed Macero for this, as he "always put things together so that it came out as if Miles had written it."<ref name=tingen2001/>
Two days after the February 18 session, Davis returned to the studio and recorded "Ghetto Walk" with drummer [[Joe Chambers]]. "Ghetto Walk" was intended to be included on ''In a Silent Way'' with "Shhh/Peaceful", but it was later swapped for "In a Silent Way/It's About That Time".{{sfn|Svorinich|2015|p=47}} The group also played through "Early Minor", another Zawinul piece, on February 20, but it too was scrapped.{{sfn|Svorinich|2015|p=47}}
==Release==
''In a Silent Way'' was originally released on July 30, 1969.<ref name = release/>
In 2001, [[Columbia Records|Columbia]]/[[Legacy Recordings|Legacy]] released the three-disc box set ''[[The Complete In a Silent Way Sessions]]'', which includes the original album, two tracks from ''[[Filles de Kilimanjaro]]'', additional unreleased tracks, and the unedited takes utilized for production purposes.<ref name = complete/>
In 2002, [[Sony Music Entertainment|Sony Music]] released a 5.1 surround sound mix of the album, produced by Bob Belden and engineered by Mark Wilder.<ref>{{Cite AV media notes |title=Miles Davis – In a Silent Way |date = October 24, 2007 |type=SACD booklet |publisher=Sony Music Japan International }}</ref>
== Reception ==
{{Album ratings
| title = Retrospective professional reviews
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1Score = {{rating|5|5}}<ref name="Jurek">Jurek, Thom. [{{AllMusic|class=album|tab=review|id=r106165|pure_url=yes}} Review: ''In a Silent Way'']. [[Allmusic]]. Retrieved on 2010-04-01.</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[The Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]''
| rev2Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Larkin|first=Colin|author-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|year=2011|chapter=Miles Davis|title=[[The Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|publisher=[[Omnibus Press]]|isbn=978-0857125958|edition=5th}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[MusicHound|Musichound Jazz]]''
| rev3Score = {{rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Holtje|editor1-first=Steve|editor2-last=Lee|editor2-first=Nancy Ann|year=1998|title=Musichound Jazz: The Essential Album Guide|publisher=[[Music Sales Corporation]]|isbn=0825672538|chapter=Miles Davis|title-link=MusicHound}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[The Penguin Guide to Jazz]]''
| rev4Score = {{Rating|4|4}}<ref name="CookMorton">{{cite book|page=[https://archive.org/details/penguinguidetoja00cook_1/page/326 326]|last1=Cook|first1=Richard|author-link1=Richard Cook (journalist)|last2=Morton|first2=Brian|author-link2=Brian Morton (Scottish writer)|year=2006|title=The Penguin Guide to Jazz|publisher=[[Penguin Books]]|isbn=0141023279|edition=8th|title-link=The Penguin Guide to Jazz}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''
| rev5score = 9.5/10<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/2199-the-complete-in-a-silent-way-sessions/ |title=Miles Davis: The Complete In a Silent Way Sessions Album Review |work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |date=7 November 2001 |access-date=9 October 2021 |last=Leone |first=Dominique}}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
| rev6Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="Considine">{{cite book|last=Considine|first=J. D.|author-link=J. D. Considine|editor1-last=DeCurtis|editor1-first=Anthony|editor1-link=Anthony DeCurtis|editor2-last=Henke|editor2-first=James|editor3-last=George-Warren|editor3-first=Holly|chapter=Miles Davis|page=179|title=The Rolling Stone Album Guide|publisher=[[Random House]]|year=1992|isbn=0-679-73729-4|edition=3rd|title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide}}</ref>
| rev7 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide]]''
| rev7Score = {{rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite book|page=57|last=Gilmore|first=Mikal|editor-last=Swenson|editor-first=John|author-link=Mikal Gilmore|chapter=Miles Davis|year=1985|title=The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide|publisher=Random House|isbn=0-394-72643-X}}</ref>
| rev10 = ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]''
| rev10Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite journal|journal=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]|title=none|page=139|date=November 2002|author=Anon}}</ref>
}}
Peaking at number 134 on the U.S. [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' Top LPs]] chart, ''In a Silent Way'' became Davis's first album since ''[[My Funny Valentine (Miles Davis album)|My Funny Valentine]]'' in 1965 to reach the chart.<ref>Ruhlmann, William. [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p6377/biography|pure_url=yes}} Biography: Miles Davis]. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2010-04-01.</ref> While it performed better commercially than most of his previous work,<ref name="Freeman"/> critics were divided in their reaction to the album upon its release. The album's incorporation of electric instrumentation and tape editing became sources of controversy among jazz critics.<ref name="Taruskin">Taruskin, Richard. "[https://books.google.com/books?id=CafvvoPxvzcC&pg=PA335 Music in the Late Twentieth Century: Fusion]". [[Oxford University Press]]: 335. vol. 5. 2009.</ref> According to ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]'' (1992), Davis' recording process and producer Teo Macero's studio editing of individual recordings into separate tracks for the album "seemed near heretical by jazz standards".<ref name="Considine"/> In his book ''Running the Voodoo Down: The Electric Music of Miles Davis'', Phil Freeman writes of critical response to the album: "Rock critics thought ''In a Silent Way'' sounded like rock, or at least thought Miles was nodding in their direction, and practically wet themselves with joy. Jazz critics, especially ones who didn't listen to much rock, thought it sounded like rock too, and they reacted less favorably".<ref name="Freeman">Freeman, Phil. "[https://books.google.com/books?id=0xT1CYPMf4cC&pg=PA26&dq= Running the voodoo down: the electric music of Miles Davis]". [[Hal Leonard Corporation]]: 26–27. 2005.</ref> Freeman continues by expressing that both reactions were "rooted, at least partly, in the critic's paranoia about his place in the world", writing that rock criticism was in its early stage of existence and such critics found "reassurance" in viewing the album as having [[psychedelic rock]] elements, while jazz critics felt "betrayed" amid the genre's decreasing popularity at the time.<ref name="Freeman"/>
{{quote|"It didn't swing, the solos weren't even a little bit heroic, and it had ''electric guitars''... But though ''In a Silent Way'' wasn't exactly jazz, it certainly wasn't rock. It was the sound of Miles Davis and Teo Macero feeling their way down an unlit hall at three in the morning. It was the soundtrack to all the whispered conversations every creative artist has, all the time, with that doubting, taunting voice that lives in the back of your head, the one asking all the unanswerable questions."|Phill Freeman<ref name="Freeman"/>}}
In a rave review, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' rock critic [[Lester Bangs]] described ''In a Silent Way'' as "the kind of album that gives you faith in the future of music. It is not rock and roll, but it's nothing stereotyped as jazz either. All at once, it owes almost as much to the techniques developed by rock improvisors in the last four years as to Davis' jazz background. It is part of a transcendental new music which flushes categories away and, while using musical devices from all styles and cultures, is defined mainly by its deep emotion and unaffected originality".<ref name="Bangs">[[Lester Bangs|Bangs, Lester]]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071025062229/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/milesdavis/albums/album/291761/review/6068005/in_a_silent_way |date=October 25, 2007 |title=Miles Davis: ''In a Silent Way'' : Music Reviews }}. ''[[Rolling Stone]]''. November 15, 1969. Archived from the [https://web.archive.org/web/20071025062229/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/milesdavis/albums/album/291761/review/6068005/in_a_silent_way original] on 2007-10-25. Retrieved on 2007-09-10.</ref> Davis' next fusion album, ''[[Bitches Brew]]'', showed him moving even further into the area that lay between the genres of rock and jazz. The dark, fractured dissonance of ''Bitches Brew'' ultimately proved to be instrumental in its success; it far outsold ''In a Silent Way''.<ref name="Freeman"/>
''In a Silent Way'' has been retrospectively regarded by fans and critics as one of Davis' best albums. In a retrospective review, ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]'' writer K. Leander Williams called it "a proto-[[Ambient music|ambient]] masterpiece". Citing it as "one of Davis's greatest achievements", Chip O'Brien of ''[[PopMatters]]'' viewed that producer Teo Macero's studio editing on the album helped Davis "embrace the marriage of music and technology".<ref name="O'Brien"/> In regards to its musical significance, O'Brien wrote that ''In a Silent Way'' "transcends labels",<ref name="O'Brien"/> writing "It is neither jazz nor rock. It isn't what will eventually become known as fusion, either. It is something altogether different, something universal. There is a beautiful resignation in the sounds of this album, as if Davis is willingly letting go of what has come before, of his early years with [[Charlie Parker]], with [[John Coltrane]] and Cannonball Adderley, of his early '60s work, and is embracing the future, not only of jazz, but of music itself".<ref name="O'Brien"/> ''[[Stylus Magazine]]'' writer Nick Southall called the album "timeless" and wrote of its influence on music, stating "The fresh modes of constructing music that it presented revolutionised the jazz community, and the shifting, ethereal beauty of the actual music contained within has remained beautiful and wonderful, its echoes heard through the last 30 years, touching [[Electronic dance music|dance music]], [[electronica]], rock, [[Pop music|pop]], all music".<ref name="Southall"/> ''[[The Penguin Guide to Jazz]]'' has included ''In a Silent Way'' in its suggested "Core Collection".<ref name="CookMorton"/> The album was also included in the 2005 book ''[[1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die]]''.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Robert Dimery |author2=Michael Lydon|title=1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition|date=7 February 2006 |publisher=Universe|isbn=0-7893-1371-5}}</ref>
== Track listing ==
{{tracklist
|headline= Side one
|title1= Shhh"/"Peaceful
|writer1= [[Miles Davis]]
|length1= 18:16
}}
::* "Shhh"&nbsp; – 6:14
::* "Peaceful"&nbsp; – 5:42
::* "Shhh"&nbsp; – 6:20
{{tracklist
|headline= Side two
|title2= In a Silent Way"/"It's About That Time
|length2= 19:52
|writer2= [[Joe Zawinul]] ("In a Silent Way"), Davis ("It's About That Time")
}}
::* "In a Silent Way" – 4:11
::* "It's About That Time" – 11:27
::* "In a Silent Way" – 4:14
== Charts ==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Chart performance for ''In a Silent Way''
! scope="col"| Chart (1969)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r106165/charts-awards|pure_url=yes}} Billboard Albums: ''In a Silent Way'']. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2010-04-01.</ref>
|-
! scope="row"|U.S. [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' Top LPs]] <!-- chart names per 1969 issue of Billboard, https://books.google.com/books?id=xykEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA72&dq= -->
| 134
|-
! scope="row"|U.S. ''Billboard'' [[Top Jazz Albums|Best-Selling Jazz LPs]]
| 3
|-
! scope="row"|U.S. ''Billboard'' [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|Best-Selling Soul LPs]]
| 40
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
! scope="col"| Chart (2024)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row"| Croatian International Albums ([[Top of the Shops|HDU]])<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.top-lista.hr/www/lista-prodaje-strano-38-tjedan-2024/|title=Lista prodaje 38. tjedan 2024.|date=September 25, 2024|publisher=[[Top of the Shops|HDU]] |language=hr|access-date=September 25, 2024|archive-date=September 25, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240925063852/https://www.top-lista.hr/www/lista-prodaje-strano-38-tjedan-2024/|url-status=live}}</ref>
| 30
|}
== Personnel ==
Credits are adapted from the album's 1969 liner notes.<ref name=LPnotes>{{cite AV media notes|title=In a Silent Way|year=1969|publisher=Columbia Records|id=CS 9875|url=https://www.discogs.com/Miles-Davis-In-A-Silent-Way/release/654119}}</ref>
=== Musicians ===
* [[Miles Davis]]&nbsp;– trumpet
* [[Wayne Shorter]]&nbsp;– soprano saxophone
* [[John McLaughlin (musician)|John McLaughlin]]&nbsp;– electric guitar
* [[Chick Corea]]&nbsp;– electric piano
* [[Herbie Hancock]]&nbsp;– electric piano
* [[Joe Zawinul]]&nbsp;– electric piano, organ
* [[Dave Holland (bassist)|Dave Holland]]&nbsp;– double bass
* [[Tony Williams (drummer)|Tony Williams]]&nbsp;– drums
=== Production ===
*[[Teo Macero]]&nbsp;– producer
*Stan Tonkel&nbsp;– engineer
*Russ Payne&nbsp;– engineer
*[[Lee Friedlander]]&nbsp;– cover photo
*John G. Walter&nbsp;– back cover photography<ref>{{ cite news | last =Smith| first =Cliff | publication-date =September 11, 1969 | date =September 11, 1969 | title =Rochester After Dark| periodical =[[Rochester Times-Union]] | page =1D| location =Rochester, NY | publisher =[[Gannett Company, Inc.]]}}</ref>
*Frank Glenn&nbsp;– back cover notes
== References ==
'''Citations'''
{{Reflist|30em}}
'''Books'''
* Carr, Ian. ''Miles Davis: The Definitive Biography''. Thunder's Mouth Press, New York, 1998.
* Tingen, Paul. ''Miles Beyond: The Electric Explorations of Miles Davis, 1967–1991''. Billboard Books, New York, 2001. [http://www.miles-beyond.com Miles Beyond]
* {{cite book|last1=Davis|first1=Miles|last2=Troupe|first2=Quincy|title=Miles: The Autobiography|isbn=978-0-671-72582-2|publisher=Simon & Schuster|year=1990|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/milesautobiograp0000davi}}
* {{cite book|last=Svorinich|first=Victor|title=Listen to This: Miles Davis and Bitches Brew|isbn=978-1-626-74357-1|publisher=University Press of Mississippi|year=2015}}
== External links ==
* {{Discogs master|8408|type=album}}
* [http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/rock/jazz-70.php "Jazz Annual: Miles Davis/Tony Williams"] by [[Robert Christgau]]
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=lKsu7XejoPkC&pg=PA91 "Electric Miles: A Look at the ''In a Silent Way'' and ''On the Corner'' Sessions"] by Victor Svorinich
{{Miles Davis}}
{{Chick Corea}}
{{Herbie Hancock}}
{{John McLaughlin}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:In a Silent Way}}
[[Category:1969 albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Teo Macero]]
[[Category:Albums recorded at CBS 30th Street Studio]]
[[Category:Avant-garde jazz albums]]
[[Category:Columbia Records albums]]
[[Category:Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients]]
[[Category:Jazz fusion albums by American artists]]
[[Category:Miles Davis albums]]
[[Category:1960s instrumental albums]]
[[Category:Jazz-rock albums]]