reviews
Mar 03, 2008
Bells
rated it: 
****Bad words ahead!!! stop reading now if you get your panties in a bunch around "naughty words". ****
If foul language offends you, DO NOT pick up this book.
If you could give a shit, pick it up and enjoy!
one motherfucking good read!
-read it with a glass of wine and some miles playing in the background-
it will blow your mind, motherfucker!
If foul language offends you, DO NOT pick up this book.
If you could give a shit, pick it up and enjoy!
one motherfucking good read!
-read it with a glass of wine and some miles playing in the background-
it will blow your mind, motherfucker!
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Feb 21, 2009
Ethan
rated it: 
An absolute must for musicians and fans. I would think this autobiography would be interesting for anyone just based on the insight into such a magnificent cultural era(s) in our country but I am biased because I love Miles and his work. The narrative really reads like you are being spoken to in Davis' tone, cadence and patois. And he seems to hold little back including a lot of recollections and ideas that you wish were not part of someone's heart and mind that you so greatly admire. But that i
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Oct 30, 2010
Julene
rated it:
I love this book. It is in Miles own words from interviews and he says it like it is, lays out his life, his music and many personal aspects of relationships with family and women, as well as his health. A brilliant musician he was a master at mentoring musicians. If you want to learn about the creative process this book provides an amazing study.
Some quotes:
"A musician's attitude is the music he plays."
"Things take time, you know, you just don't learn som More...
Some quotes:
"A musician's attitude is the music he plays."
"Things take time, you know, you just don't learn som More...
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Jan 15, 2009
Adam
rated it:
As usual, it took me no time at all to finish this one since it has to do with a subject I'm obsessed with. There couldn't be a more mind-boggling character of the Black Jazz community of the 20th century than this man.(maybe Archie Shepp)[where's his book?:] It reads so well, giving you the sense that he's just sitting there lighting cigarette after cigarette, pouring brandy after brandy. Each time you pick it back up, he's wearing a new pair of sunglasses, or a new fucked up hat. It also mad
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Oct 07, 2011
Nicholas
rated it: 
This book was...complicated. The first, oh, 250/300 pages of Miles is a fun and personal reflection by one of the pioneers of jazz. The further you get into the book, however, the less interesting it becomes. Since the book is pretty much just stories and gossip about Miles and the people he came into contact with throughout his life, you get tons of stories about musicians such as Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, and others. The problem is that Miles managed to outlive pretty much
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Mar 27, 2011
Allan
rated it:
Miles Davis's autobiography takes no pains whatsoever to varnish the author's reputation as a kind and loving human being. By far, the word that appears more often than any other in Miles: The Autobiography, written in partnership with Quincy Troupe, is that 12-letter, four-syllable all-purpose standby for a person who engages in sexual relations with his own mother. In whip-quick conversational prose that moves with the deft, percussive rhythms of truth when it riffs out hesitation free, Davis
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Oct 19, 2009
Jason
rated it: 
Miles Davis is one of the great geniuses of the history of American music, of American art, really, but he was also an addict and a misogynist. His autobiography covers it all.
It's always disappointing to learn about the gross personal failings of someone whose artistic achievements you admire. I was well aware of Miles's shortcomings going into this book, but to hear how unapologetic he is about his less savory personal characteristics was, again, disappointing. I know most of the jaz More...
It's always disappointing to learn about the gross personal failings of someone whose artistic achievements you admire. I was well aware of Miles's shortcomings going into this book, but to hear how unapologetic he is about his less savory personal characteristics was, again, disappointing. I know most of the jaz More...
Jun 09, 2009
Ben
rated it:
i won't say this is the absolute best book i've ever read, but it sure is a motherfucker, as miles would probably say if he were here. though actually he'd probably just punch me in the face for saying that and tell me to come up with my own shit to say, instead of copying him and trying to look hip when i'm not. and he'd be right about that as he is about pretty much everything else, except maybe on the question of whether or not one should beat women, but hey, everybody's got their blind side.
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Jul 30, 2011
Garrett
rated it:
Very interesting look into a life that I was apparently completely unaware was so colorful... I really enjoyed reading through the life of Davis and approaching the lives and relationships of the Jazz artists that I have come to love and respect through listening to them. I have always found myself more interested in them than in Davis, and to see them reflected and their own struggles described Davis was fascinating. Gil Evans, Chick Correa, Dave Brubeck, Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker, Bill Ev
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Jul 30, 2008
Andy
rated it:
When Miles played his trumpet he's a crowd pleaser, and this book does just that. There's some great anecdotes in this book, like Miles telling us one of the biggest influences on his trumpet playing was Orson Welles' soothing radio voice(!). He tells us John Coltrane used to pick his boogers and eat them (!). Whether he's telling Thelonious Monk to fuck off or fight a drug habit, Miles has served a real page-turner. You won't get bored with this one!
Oct 30, 2010
Wayne
rated it:
Even if you are not a jazz or miles fan, you will get a kick out of the ebonics/vernacular used in this book. The words , "fuck, fuckin', shit" add up in the thousands.
Also tales of the artist hallucinating in elevators, and sexual encounters and "the man" holding him back put you right there in nyc, chicago and other big jazz centers provide a riveting look inside his world, and name checks many other jazz greats...
jazz isn't weak...
Also tales of the artist hallucinating in elevators, and sexual encounters and "the man" holding him back put you right there in nyc, chicago and other big jazz centers provide a riveting look inside his world, and name checks many other jazz greats...
jazz isn't weak...
Feb 11, 2012
Ben
rated it:
This is one of the most inspiring musician biographies I've ever read, and I'm not a rabid Miles fan. It's good in the same way the recent Keith Richards autobiography is good - because it's a book about MUSIC by a guy who loves music, has played a lot of music and knows a lot about music. Also, unlike the comparable Ray Charles autobiography it doesn't wind down halfway through when it becomes clear its protagonist is an incurable man of habit and a control freak. Nah, that ain't Miles. Miles i
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Feb 21, 2011
Tedbrogan19
rated it:
Miles Davis's life story is truly amazing. It's also amazing that he uses the word "motherfucker" an estimated 13,593 times. There are some wild-ass stories from of the old iconic jazz greats that are a bit unexpected. Some of these include Dizzy Gillespie's fondness of riling up monkeys by making faces though the glass window of a tv studio and Charlie Parker multi-tasking a bucket of fried chicken, a syringe and BJ. Regardless, Miles stands alone in my mind for his virtuosity and
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Jul 17, 2007
Edward
rated it:
i bought this in high school and still cant put it down...the stories are priceless...like the time he was all strung out on dope in the elevator of his apt and thought he was in his ferrari so when a woman got on, he slapped her in the face and said "get out my car bitch!"
shit is amazing...
shit is amazing...
Oct 17, 2011
Scott
rated it:
The amazing part of this book is how much it becomes an autobiography and history of jazz from the mid-1940s and forward. It seems that Miles Davis knew and played with nearly every major jazz figure at some point in his illustrious career. And he helped propel careers of many of those figures.
Yet this remains a somewhat disappointing book. At first, the vulgar language is off-putting, thought eventually the reader becomes inured to it. The co-author, Quincy Troup, tries to justify i More...
Yet this remains a somewhat disappointing book. At first, the vulgar language is off-putting, thought eventually the reader becomes inured to it. The co-author, Quincy Troup, tries to justify i More...
Aug 25, 2011
James
rated it:
Miles was an icon. A burning flame like a candle to light the darkness. I have read this book over & over. This book is Jazz incarnate. If you want to understand what it is like to be a Jazz musician, read it and explore the mind of pure genius.
This is not a book for the faint hearted or if you are easily offended by strong language. But, if you can get past the language & sometimes rough stories, you will get to the heart of what Miles Davis was all about. He was musical visionary who was More...
This is not a book for the faint hearted or if you are easily offended by strong language. But, if you can get past the language & sometimes rough stories, you will get to the heart of what Miles Davis was all about. He was musical visionary who was More...
Dec 20, 2011
Kirsten
rated it:
Miles: The Autobiography is an excellent book to read for anyone who is a fan of Miles Davis and his works or jazz music in general. In this book, Miles not only talks about his personal life but also about other major figures in jazz such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Gil Evans, Chick Correa, and many more. It was very fascinating to read about how Miles first fell in love with music and overcame the problems he faced, like his heroin addiction. It also gives details about the
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Jan 10, 2012
Eric
rated it:
Ever since my freshman undergrad roommate put on "Bitches Brew", which blew my mind, Miles Davis has been one of my favorite musicians. All the jazz styles he mastered and/or invented appeal to me. His style was so cool, too, first Brooks Brothers suits, then far-out scarves, shades, and hip garb assemblages. Above all, his voice is what compels me to play his albums repeatedly: it's serene, proud, angry, ecstatic, inquisitive, soulful, and extraordinarily powerful. Whatever the music
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Oct 30, 2010
Nick
rated it:
Believe the hype - but only if it comes from the man himself.
Miles lays the voodoo down, and you get to see why he has been called so many things in his time: innovative, junky, arrogant, inspiring, racist, disciplinarian, genius. From his perspective he is all and none. He just does what he has to do, and leaves the bullshit to everyone else. If you ask him a stupid question, you'll get a stupid answer. If you try to understand what he is doing you may be able to understand some - definit More...
Miles lays the voodoo down, and you get to see why he has been called so many things in his time: innovative, junky, arrogant, inspiring, racist, disciplinarian, genius. From his perspective he is all and none. He just does what he has to do, and leaves the bullshit to everyone else. If you ask him a stupid question, you'll get a stupid answer. If you try to understand what he is doing you may be able to understand some - definit More...
Jan 08, 2012
Errol
rated it:
Miles Davis didn't have much to say in words that was particularly interesting, but he made innovative and timeless music that constantly changed and grew with the progressing decades. The best part of reading his autobiography was learning about the historical and social contexts of Miles's different phases- early bop stuff with Bird & Dizzy, the Kind of Blue modal era (my favorite), and the birth of Jazz Fusion with albums like Bitches' Brew. What is less interesting is Miles's rambling descri
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Oct 30, 2010
Jake
rated it:
In a word-—provocative.
Echoing what others have mentioned, there’s an awful lot of salty language here. When you read it with a Tipper Gore mindset, it’s indeed offensive. But when you see it through the lens of Steven Pinker and socio-cultural linguistics, it’s just Miles’ idiosyncrasy. And this book certainly won’t bridge any racial gaps or soften stereotypes. No topic is taboo.
At first, Miles, through his own words, managed to deflate my image of Miles: he’s possessive More...
Echoing what others have mentioned, there’s an awful lot of salty language here. When you read it with a Tipper Gore mindset, it’s indeed offensive. But when you see it through the lens of Steven Pinker and socio-cultural linguistics, it’s just Miles’ idiosyncrasy. And this book certainly won’t bridge any racial gaps or soften stereotypes. No topic is taboo.
At first, Miles, through his own words, managed to deflate my image of Miles: he’s possessive More...
Nov 15, 2008
Nick
rated it:
Fans know how Miles' particular style of trumpet playing is immediately apparent on his recordings. Likewise, a huge effort has been made in this work to preserve the singularity of the voice of Miles Davis. By presenting it as a monologue (solo) in his own vernacular, you get a personal and very uncompromising insight into his life, loves and opinions on everything musical and political. He doesn't seem to want us as readers to like him in one way or another - a view which is echoed in his c
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May 06, 2009
Stacie
rated it:
Miles Davis' autobiography exemplifies how the thing that makes a person a genius is all-consuming. Miles often referred to music as a "curse." It was larger than him, larger than the women he married and dated, larger than his children, larger than his drug use. At times reading his autobiography I was astonished by his brilliance, the way he so passionately writes about his connection with music. Other times it was horrifying to read about his blatant disregard for others because he
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Jan 23, 2009
Amanda
rated it:
Unlike other co-written autobiographies I've read (Three Cups comes to mind first), there was no third person aftertaste about Miles. This book is his story, in his voice, with his words- though Quincy Troupe could have done Miles (and the rest of us) a favor and edited a little more closely to refrain from repeating things several times. But I have the highest regard for Quincy's ability to step back and rearrange the story without diminishing Miles' voice.
Miles himself is so angry, More...
Miles himself is so angry, More...
Sep 19, 2007
Matt
rated it:
"I... just couldn't put this book down!" That's what everybody always says, right? True in this case. For me. First time that ever really happened, at least first time in a long time.
The best part is that it's written in Miles' own language: "motherfucker" this, "motherfucker" that. But despite (or in addition to) the color that this approach obviously lends, the motherfucker is smart as shit. His memory is incredible, and he walks you through each stage More...
The best part is that it's written in Miles' own language: "motherfucker" this, "motherfucker" that. But despite (or in addition to) the color that this approach obviously lends, the motherfucker is smart as shit. His memory is incredible, and he walks you through each stage More...
Aug 29, 2007
Andrew
rated it:
this review first appeared on [http://intraspace.blogspot.com]
this is a classic of jazz writing. and while i'm reaching for superlatives, can i also say that it is pretty much an essential read for anyone interested in jazz?
miles davis was apparently quite well-known for getting details wrong, but even if every detail in this book isn't entirely accurate, it still gives great insight into the jazz world he inhabited.
nearly every famous name in jazz was associa More...
this is a classic of jazz writing. and while i'm reaching for superlatives, can i also say that it is pretty much an essential read for anyone interested in jazz?
miles davis was apparently quite well-known for getting details wrong, but even if every detail in this book isn't entirely accurate, it still gives great insight into the jazz world he inhabited.
nearly every famous name in jazz was associa More...
Dec 24, 2008
Mary
rated it:
This book is not just an unflinching tale of a jazz legend, drug addict, and absentee father. It is also something of a history of jazz from the bebop movement on.
Miles vividly recounts his frustrating experiences with bigotry, as well as his early days playing with now-legendary musicians like Billy Eckstine, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. A frank, colorful delivery combined with a depth and range of musical perspective makes this book an addictive read for any jazz lover.
Miles vividly recounts his frustrating experiences with bigotry, as well as his early days playing with now-legendary musicians like Billy Eckstine, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. A frank, colorful delivery combined with a depth and range of musical perspective makes this book an addictive read for any jazz lover.
