History Music / BitchesBrew

Despite this, it is a dark, unsettling album, befitting its title; it's quite dissonant, and most songs have an unsettling atmosphere, as though something is slightly out of place. Miles' other major fusion works from this period, ''Music/InASilentWay'' (also 1969) and ''A Tribute to Jack Johnson'' (recorded 1970, released 1971), are quite a bit brighter, with less usage of dissonance and more usage of major keys, and may be better places for timid listeners who are curious about Miles' fusion period to start.

# "Pharaoh's Dance" (20:00)

# "Spanish Key" (17:29)
# "John [=McLaughlin=]" (4:26)

# "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down" (14:04)

->''"The word '[[ThisIsForEmphasisBitch bitches]]', you know, probably that was the first time [[RefugeInAudacity a title like that]] was ever used. The title fit the music, the cover fit the music."''\\

* ShoutOut:
** ''Son of a Bitches Brew'' by the prolific Japanese PsychedelicRock band Acid Mothers Temple is a shout-out to this album.
** Canadian punk/jazz[=/=]MathRock band [=Nomeansno=] recorded a WithLyrics cover of the title track on their album ''One''. While it's shorter than the original, it's still fifteen minutes long.
* [[ShoutOut/ToShakespeare Shout-Out: To Shakespeare]]: The title is a play on "Witches' brew", as in the opening scene of ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}''.

''Bitches Brew'' is a double album by Music/MilesDavis, recorded from August 19 through 21, 1969, and released in early 1970, and widely considered one of the most revolutionary albums in {{jazz}} history, alongside Davis' ''Music/KindOfBlue''.

--'''Teo Macero'''

''Bitches Brew'' is a double album by Music/MilesDavis, recorded from August 19 through 21, 1969, and released in early 1970, and widely considered one of the most revolutionary albums in {{jazz}} history, alongside Davis' ''Music/KindOfBlue''. While it wasn't the first album mixing rock and jazz, or even Miles' first album using electric instruments, it's often seen as the TropeCodifier for JazzFusion, mixing traditional jazz instruments with electric guitars and keyboards improvising over [[EpicRocking long]], {{funk}}-inspired rhythms, inspired by contemporary artists like Music/JimiHendrix and Music/SlyAndTheFamilyStone. It also qualifies as the GenrePopularizer, as it sold quite a bit better than any previous work in the genre.

* DarkerAndEdgier: This album could essentially be described as ''Music/InASilentWay''[='=]s evil twin. The title track's main riff has an almost demonic sound to it. The first disc is a bit darker than the second, though both are quite dark by the standards of 1960s jazz.[[note]]Well, ''most'' 1960s jazz - Music/JohnColtrane's ''The Olatunji Concert'', performed in 1967, makes this sound downright tame, though it wasn't released until much later, owing to the poor recording quality.[[/note]] It's also quite a bit darker than the major studio work that followed this, ''A Tribute to Jack Johnson''.

* DistinctDoubleAlbum: One of the most famous double albums in jazz. The first half's lengthy compositions were spliced together by producer Teo Macero in the studio, which completely altered the composition of the songs. The famous intro to "Pharaoh's Dance" is actually the entire first 1:38 repeating twice-- and even that section is spliced up a bit. The title track also featured extensive editing; it's centred around segments featuring two separate, memorable riffs, and each of these riffs was taken from its own section. The song has an A-B-A-B-A structure, meaning there's quite a bit of editing. The whole process pissed off jazz purists, who said it compromised the integrity and improvisation of the genre. By contrast, the second half of the album is comprised of one-take recordings. The first disc is also quite a bit more unsettling, though both are still dark.
* EpicRocking: It's a six-song double album. Only one song clocks in at under 10 minutes, and the longest ("Bitches Brew") is ''twenty-seven minutes long''. Keep in mind that this was in an era where where it was extremely rare for songs to exceed about 25 minutes due to LP space limitations-- to press longer album sides, one would have to reduce the volume, which would in turn increase the noise floor.

* {{Instrumental}}: Miles' verbal directions aside, all songs are instrumental.

* RearrangeTheSong: Sort of. Much of the album, especially "Pharaoh's Dance" and "Bitches Brew", is actually edited together by RecordProducer Teo Macero, who used a ton of studio tricks including looping and editing tapes.

Despite this, it is a dark and unsettling album, befitting its title; it's quite dissonant, and most songs have an unsettling atmosphere, as though something is slightly out of place. Miles' other major fusion works from this period, ''Music/InASilentWay'' (also 1969) and ''A Tribute to Jack Johnson'' (recorded 1970, released 1971), are quite a bit brighter, with less usage of dissonance and more usage of major keys, and may be better places for timid listeners who are curious about Miles' fusion period to start.

* DesignStudentsOrgasm: The psychedelic album cover by famed German-French artist [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mati_Klarwein Mati Klarwein]] (who also painted the cover for Music/{{Santana}}'s ''Music/{{Abraxas}}'', amongst other recordings).

* ThisIsForEmphasisBitch: The title. According to his ex-wife Betty Mabry (who later became a boundary-pushing artist in her own right), Davis originally did intend for it to be called "Witches Brew", [[WitchWithACapitalB just skirting the edge of decency]], but she was the one who suggested the alternate, punchier title; Miles, [[SirSwearsALot also a virtuoso when it came to the word "bitch" and its derivatives]], liked it.

* DarkerAndEdgier: This album could essentially be described as ''Music/InASilentWay''[='=]s evil twin. The title track's main riff has an almost demonic sound to it. The first disc is a bit darker than the second, though both are quite dark by the standards of 1960s jazz.[[note]]Well, ''most'' 1960s jazz - ''Music/JohnColtrane's ''The Olatunji Concert'', performed in 1967, makes this sound downright tame, though it wasn't released until much later, owing to the poor recording quality.[[/note]] It's also quite a bit darker than the major studio work that followed this, ''A Tribute to Jack Johnson''.

* DarkerAndEdgier: This album could essentially be described as the evil twin of ''In a Silent Way''. The main riff of the title track has an almost demonic sound to it. The first disc is a bit darker than the second, though both are quite dark by the standards of 1960s jazz. It's also quite a bit darker than the major studio work that followed this, ''A Tribute to Jack Johnson''.
* DesignStudentsOrgasm: The psychedelic album cover.

Despite this, it is a dark and unsettling album, befitting its title; it's quite dissonant, and most songs have an unsettling atmosphere, as though something is slightly out of place. Miles' other major fusion works from this period, ''In a Silent Way'' (also 1969) and ''A Tribute to Jack Johnson'' (recorded 1970, released 1971), are quite a bit brighter, with less usage of dissonance and more usage of major keys, and may be better places for timid listeners who are curious about Miles' fusion period to start.

* NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly: How some people saw it initially; it still remains controversial for jazz fans.

''Bitches Brew'' is a double album by Music/MilesDavis, recorded from August 19 through 21, 1969, and released in early 1970, and widely considered one of the most revolutionary albums in {{jazz}} history, alongside Davis' ''Music/KindOfBlue''. While it wasn't the first album mixing rock and jazz, or even Miles' first album using electric instruments, it's often seen as the TropeCodifier for fusion jazz, mixing traditional jazz instruments with electric guitars and keyboards improvising over [[EpicRocking long]], {{funk}}-inspired rhythms, inspired by contemporary artists like Music/JimiHendrix and Music/SlyAndTheFamilyStone. It also qualifies as the GenrePopularizer, as it sold quite a bit better than any previous work in the genre.

Magazine/TimeMagazine included the album in their [[TimeAllTime100Albums 2006 list of 100 timeless and essential albums.]] The album was listed at No. 95 in ''Magazine/RollingStone'''s [[UsefulNotes/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]]

* LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition: The 4-CD ''Complete Bitches Brew Sessions''. The title is a bit of a misnomer, though-- many of the tracks included on it did not come from the sessions for the album.

[[caption-width-right:300:''"When you're creating your own shit, man, even the sky ain't the limit."'']]

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bitches_brew_7218.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:''"When you’re creating your own shit, man, even the sky ain’t the limit."'']]

Magazine/TimeMagazine included the album in their [[TimeAllTime100Albums 2006 list of 100 timeless and essential albums.]] The album was listed at nr. #95 in ''Magazine/RollingStone'''s [[UsefulNotes/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]]

'''Personnel'''

!!Tropes brew:

* DistinctDoubleAlbum: One of the most famous double albums in jazz. The first half's lengthy compositions were spliced together by producer Teo Macero in the studio, which completely altered the composition of the songs. The famous intro to "Pharaoh's Dance" is actually the entire first 1:38 repeating twice – and even that section is spliced up a bit. The title track also featured extensive editing; it's centred around segments featuring two separate, memorable riffs, and each of these riffs was taken from its own section. The song has an A-B-A-B-A structure, meaning there's quite a bit of editing. The whole process pissed off jazz purists, who said it compromised the integrity and improvisation of the genre. By contrast, the second half of the album is comprised of one-take recordings. The first disc is also quite a bit more unsettling, though both are still dark.
* EpicRocking: It's a six-song double album. Only one song clocks in at under 10 minutes, and the longest ("Bitches Brew") is ''twenty-seven minutes long''. Keep in mind that this was in an era where where it was extremely rare for songs to exceed about 25 minutes due to LP space limitations - to press longer album sides, one would have to reduce the volume, which would in turn increase the noise floor.

* LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition: The 4-CD ''Complete Bitches Brew Sessions''. The title is a bit of a misnomer, though - many of the tracks included on it did not come from the sessions for the album.

* ThisIsForEmphasisBitch: The title.

''Bitches Brew'' is a double album by Music/MilesDavis, recorded in 1969 and released in early 1970, and widely considered one of the most revolutionary albums in {{jazz}} history alongside Davis' ''Music/KindOfBlue''. While it wasn't the first album mixing rock and jazz, or even Miles' first album using electric instruments, it's often seen as the TropeCodifier for fusion jazz, mixing traditional jazz instruments with electric guitars and keyboards improvising over [[EpicRocking long]], {{funk}}-inspired rhythms, inspired by contemporary artists like Music/JimiHendrix and Music/SlyAndTheFamilyStone.

* BlatantLies: Any song on ''The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions'' that isn't one of the above listed tracks was actually recorded long after the sessions for ''Bitches Brew'' ended.

* DistinctDoubleAlbum: One of the most famous double albums in jazz. The first half's lengthy compositions were spliced together by producer Teo Macero in the studio, which completely altered the composition of the songs. The famous intro to "Pharaoh's Dance" is actually the entire first 1:38 repeating twice – and even that section is spliced up a bit. The whole process pissed off jazz purists, who said it compromised the integrity and improvisation of the genre. The second half of the album are one-take recordings.

* {{Improv}}: Miles' direction was so sparse that no sheet music was prepared, and he gave directions on the fly. He can be heard in the quieter sections of "Bitches Brew".

* SingerNameDrop: "Miles Runs The Voodoo Down" refers to Miles Davis. The track "[=McLaughlin=]" is a shout-out to Music/JohnMcLaughlin.

* AllLowerCaseLetters: Ralph J. Gleason's liner notes.

* Wayne Shorter: soprano saxophone

''Bitches Brew'' is a double album by Music/MilesDavis, recorded in 1969 and released in early 1970, and widely considered one of the most revolutionary albums in {{Jazz}} history. While it wasn't the first album mixing rock and jazz, or even Miles' first album using electric instruments, it's often seen as the TropeCodifier for fusion jazz, mixing traditional jazz instruments with electric guitars and keyboards improvising over [[EpicRocking long]], {{funk}}-inspired rhythms, inspired by contemporary artists like Music/JimiHendrix and Music/SlyAndTheFamilyStone.

* NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly: How some people saw it initially; it still remains something of a BaseBreaker for jazz fans.

* GratuitousPanning: The songs have at least two drummers or keyboardists at once, mixed all the way on the left or the right channels.

# "Miles Runs The Voodoo Down" (14:04)

* DistinctDoubleAlbum: One of the most famous double albums in jazz. The first half's lengthy compositions were spliced together by producer Teo Macero in the studio, which completely altered the composition of the songs. The famous intro to "Pharoah's Dance" is actually the entire first 1:38 repeating twice – and even that section is spliced up a bit. The whole process pissed off jazz purists, who said it compromised the integrity and improvisation of the genre. The second half of the album are one-take recordings.
* EpicRocking: It's a six-song double album. Only one song clocks in at under 10 minutes, and the longest ("Bitches Brew") is ''twenty-seven minutes long''. Keep in mind that this was in an era where where it was extremely rare for songs to exceed about 25 minutes due to LP space limitations.

* LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition: The 4-CD ''Complete Bitches Brew Sessions''.

* [[StepUpToTheMicrophone Step Up to the Amp]]: Miles doesn't play on "John [=McLaughlin=]", instead letting his [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin guitarist]] take over.
* ShoutOut: "Son Of A Bitches Brew" by ''Acid Mothers Temple'' is a shout-out to this album.

* ShoutOut: "Son Of A Bitches Brew" by Music/AcidMothersTemple is a shout-out to this album.