Love Songs (Miles Davis album) explained

Love Songs
Type:compilation
Artist:Miles Davis
Cover:Love Songs - Miles Davis.jpg
Released:February 2, 1999
Recorded:May 10, 1957 – February 12, 1964
Genre:Jazz
Length:60:29
Label:Sony
Producer:George Avakian, Bob Belden, Cal Lampley, Teo Macero, Seth Rothstein
Prev Year:1998
Next Title:Out of the Blue
Next Year:1999

Love Songs is a compilation album by American jazz musician Miles Davis, released on February 2, 1999, by Sony Music Records. The songs it compiles were recorded between May 10, 1957, and February 12, 1964.

Critical reception

Robert Christgau, writing in The Village Voice, gave Love Songs an "A" and said that "Miles's quiet cool and taciturn affection for the limits of the melody at hand" summons a "consensual intimacy" that "definitely won't kill the mood."[1] Matt Robinson of All About Jazz felt that it explores Davis' "trademark poise and lyricism" that was best expressed in ballads and credited the compilation for "revealing a diversity even in the broad unity of the love song."[2] Q magazine gave it four out of five stars and stated, "The master of the art, Davis could push an entire universe of fragility into a simple love song and play the trumpet with such disarming candour it hurt".[3]

In a mixed review for Allmusic, Scott Yanow gave the album two-and-a-half stars and said that, because of "the slow tempos and the lack of variety in moods, this set is really designed more for background music than for close listening."[4] In The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), J. D. Considine gave Love Songs three-and-a-half out of five stars and found it "quite sweet" for a "theme-oriented collection".

Track listing

  1. "I Fall in Love Too Easily" (Cahn, Styne)  - 6:48
  2. "I Thought About You" (Mercer, VanHeusen)  - 4:56
  3. "Summer Night" (Dubin, Warren)  - 6:05
  4. "My Ship" (Gershwin, Weill)  - 4:34
  5. "Someday My Prince Will Come" (Churchill, Morey)  - 9:09
  6. "Stella by Starlight" (Washington, Young)  - 4:51
  7. "My Funny Valentine" (Hart, Rodgers)  - 15:09
  8. "I Loves You, Porgy" (Gershwin, Gershwin, Heyward)  - 3:40
  9. "Old Folks" (Hill, Robison)  - 5:17

Personnel

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. News: Christgau. Robert. Robert Christgau. December 28, 1999. Consumer Guide: Cheap Gifts!. The Village Voice. New York. May 20, 2013.
  2. Web site: Robinson. Matt. January 20, 2013. Miles Davis: Love Songs (2000). All About Jazz. May 20, 2013.
  3. Review: Love Songs. Q. London. 126. May 1999.
  4. Web site: Yanow. Scott. Scott Yanow. Love Songs - Miles Davis. Allmusic. May 20, 2013.
  5. Web site: Love Songs – Allmusic – Charts & Awards. Rovi Corporation. Allmusic. 2011-06-22.