The most powerful studio statement by the Miles Davis/Wayne Shorter/Herbie Hancock/Ron Carter/Tony Williams quintet is an autumnal record that stays mostly at a simmer even on tracks with titles like “Madness” and “Riot.” The title piece flips traditional jazz structure on its head; Davis and Shorter repeat the melody over and over as the rhythm section (Williams in particular) journey through a thousand variations on the groove, never playing it the same way twice.

– Phil Freeman