A largely unexciting effort.
Michael Stack | North Chelmsford, MA USA | 12/10/2008
(2 out of 5 stars)
"A remarkably lackluster effort coming on the heels of the superb Tutu, "Amandla" is one of the softer records in Miles Davis' late catalog. It's an album that I think is best distinguished by an utter lack of distinguishment-- the performance are limp, the songwriting is fairly pedestrian, and there's not much great material here.
Mind you, not much great and no great are different things-- there's a couple real standouts on the record-- "Hannibal" in the middle of the album finds Davis and altoist Kenny Garrett splitting the melody over a great subtle basline by Marcus Miller and has a couple great leads, "Amandla" is a neat ballad with a great framing and some nice, vaguely haunting playing by Davis, and closer "Mr. Pastorius", written by bassist Miller as a tribute to the then recently departed bass great Jaco Pastorius, finds Davis in an unsually sentimental timber with a delicate support around it.
The rest of the album though bounces from one dull theme with unexciting performances ("Catembe", which finds Garrett reaching for all of his standard vehicles as a soloist rather than branching out, the utterly forgettable "Jo-Jo"). None of it's horrible, but it's not exactly going to capture your attention.
Interested parties in late period Miles Davis should start with Tutu, "Amandla" is best left for the diehards."
Mild Miles
IRate | 08/11/2009
(2 out of 5 stars)
"2 1/2
Entrenched Eighties production would be forgivable if there was more substance to the songwriting but this sadly remains a mainly tired affair, offering acceptable trumpet lines over casio-toned production, though not without a share of noteworthy moments amidst the onslaught of fusion caricature."
Track Listings (8) - Disc #1