Miles Davis – Big Fun

I am not a full analog pressing purist and neither do I claim to have ears trained to tell the difference between well mastered digitally sourced records vs AAA pressings but this sounds too good to be a sub-par digital source. It’s either hi-res digital copy/DSD or maybe cut from an analog tape.

The reason I say this is because of the incredible depth, soundstage and stereo separation this reissue offers. Side A and C has more than 27 min of music yet sounds amazing.

I have almost always bought MOV releases for any albums post 90s as they are imo the best label to do reissues of digitally recorded albums. This is my first time buying a jazz record from 70s on MOV and I am blown away.

Also this album is an absolute gem. I love every second of it.

Excellent pressing as per usual from mov.
Sound is clear if not a bit sharp at times.

No reason to this version up if the price is right. 1987 wasn't exactly a great year for digital, but it sounds great on my system, especially for $10. The art booklet packaging is interesting. I have never seen another CD like this. No hard plastic jewel case.

it´s one of the Best Albums of the magical carreer of Miles!

Go Ahead John is reason alone enough to get this album, a blistering fireball of white-hot energy. I thought I was listening to Deep Purple for a second.

I have a large Miles Davis collection, mostly original or at least vintage analogue LPs. There’s only 3 of his og electric albums that I don’t have on vinyl: Dark Magus, Black Beauty, and this (I have an og w nasty groove wear but it’s pretty unlistenable).

I’m in the process of getting LPs of Dark Magus and Black Beauty cause that’s how much I don’t like those CDs, they’re good for the car but disappointing at home. This one however, I find much more enjoyable. The sound is pretty smooth compared to the other two. You may hear a little degradation of the master tape on occasion, and the master isn’t shy about showing a little tape hiss either, but that also contributes to the more analogue vibe of this. Yes, there is some noticeable compression, but it’s much less intrusive than say, Dark Magus. A track like ‘Go Ahead John’ is so purposefully disorienting that any kind of weird pulsing of the cymbals just kind of blends in with the overall experience. ‘Lonely Fire’ might suffer the most in this department but it’s honestly kind of hard to tell with this music without comparing it to an original.

The sound of this is pleasing enough that I’m not in a rush to get the LP. I really appreciate the expanded track listing and generally consider this an essential cd to have in the collection. It succeeds in enveloping me in the vast space of Miles Davis.

Go Ahead John is Teo Macero's finest hour. 'nuff said.

It's somewhat unfathomable that this album didn't really get any traction when it came out in 1974. It was riding on the coattails of Bitches Brew and Live-Evil. But then "On The Corner" did poorly critically and Big Fun was summarily dismissed. Big Fun (which is really a collection of outtakes from Bitches Brew and adjacent sessions) is Miles and crew and their most spacey and inventive, further redefining jazz music in their own image. It manages to be swampy and ethereal. It brings the whole world together in one statement. If I was alive and into jazz music in the 1970s, after listening to Big Fun I would have probably thought to myself, 'is there anywhere else jazz can really go now that it hasn't already been'? If there's one part that detracts, its the stereo switching effect used throughout much of "Go Ahead John". Trying to use stereo as another instrument, making the switching part of the rhythm that is, is just one more example of the brave experimentation in this album. But I find it jarring and unnecessary. The track would have been even more wonderful without it.

Which source was used for the mastering - assume not tapes as it's not mentioned?

beautiful repressing , very highly recommended most of this series is excellent in fact. the only ones i didn't like were Agharta (used an inferior remixed master from the 80's or 90's ) and Get up with it (the attempt at remastering just made it sound harsh)