INNER WORLDS

When I got this album first I absolutely hated it so much I wanted to break it, or get rid of it somehow. I even kept thinking about how I could get rid of it, I guess I was expecting the white hot intensity of the earlier Mahavishnu albums, mainly as the first two are fusion classics as the McLaughlin led band became pioneers of the genre. But over a time I grew to like Inner Worlds and it does have some charms and it is quite different to any other release by the Mahavishnu Orchestra. It starts off promising with a nice pacy, half beat kilter number in "All In The Family", Micheal Walden is a competent drummer though very different to the powerhouse who is Billy Cobham.

"Miles Out" I can only guess is a tribute to McLaughlin's mentor Miles Davis, but at best it is an unfinished messy outtake, Miles Out being a very apt description. The album picks up on the next track which is low key but spiritually beautiful song called "In My Life" which features Walden on vocals and the following track "Gita" is equal to it with its lyrics very hypnotic and memorable. "The Way Of The Pilgrim" sees McLaughlin producing some acrobatic guitar work at last, though is still subtle but a good tune none the less with some nice changes in its tone and its the nearest thing to "traditional" Mahavishnu Orchestra, and in many ways familiar to Jeff Beck's take on fusion which in turn was influenced by McLaughlin...McLaughlin IS the master when it comes to this stuff, of that there can be no doubt!

"River Of My Heart" sounds like "In My Life" and contains the same sentiment in the lyrics and like that song, I also find its a highlight, but again like many McLaughlin tunes its dedicated to that damn guru the Sri Chimney or whatever his name is!!! What follows is a tune called "Planetary Citizen" and fans of Massive Attack might find some of this familiar as they nicked parts of this for their piece "Unfinished Sympathy", its another highlight for me, great vocals too. Very uplifting and I often found myself singing " Are you ready to be...A planetary citizen...", the only problem I have with this song is thats its too short. Next up is a dark piece "Lotus Feet", which features some nice guitar synth from John and and subtle and effective congas and sleigh bells from Walden and a Mini Mood played like I have never heard before by Stu Goldberg. This being his standout moment on the album. Inner Worlds has a kind of futuristic sound about it, a more advanced and better version of "Miles Out" though its basically some sound effects and "Inner Worlds Part 11" is a fitting coda to the album but its hard to tell where PART 1 ends and PART 11 starts! Overall its a Mahavishnu album where McLaughlin shares the load in the writing etc...and Micheal Walden has a starring role and though at first I may have had reservations (at the very least!) its actually a very good album, fusion with some extra experimentation I might add, but a good album and one that I would recommend but do not expect Birds Of Fire, but do have an open mind.