Then There Were None

I'm not sure if You're Under Arrest was THE last Miles Davis album but if not, it was certainly ONE of the final efforts. Recorded in 1985, it sounds very much a product of those years and as such very dated. The whole album is soaked with the kind of synth sounds that polluted many an artists work around this time ( think Springsteen Dancing In The Dark for the kind of inappropriateness apparent here ) But despite that there are unexpected moments of lyrical beauty, oddly enough on the two pop covers of Michael Jackson's Human Nature and Cyndi Lauper's Time after Time. Also, Miles himself takes most of the solo work and is in fine form on the mute. Most of the other players are of pygmy status when compared to the great bands, there's little sax, no piano and just a bit of wailing guitar from John Scofield and funky synth doodling, some of which is admittedly danceable. Sadly though, I the impression left is of an artist finally running out of stream after one of the most creative journeys in 20th century music....the album ends with the weird and poignantly titled Then There Were None.