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Zitro View Drop Down
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Points: 1321 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Mahavishnu Orchestra finally "clicked" on me
    Posted: June 01 2006 at 22:18

I always thought as them being extremely complex and unmelodic with a style of King Crimson, but way less accessible. However, I enjoyed their album "Apocalypse" and Vision is a Naked Sword really interested me. Afterwards, I tried going back to the two albums I consider inaccessible (Inner Mounting Flame, Bird of Fire) and I'm starting to enjoy them all.

The band members blow me away with their great musicianship, especially the drummer who can keep up with the crazy time signatures. Mc Laughlin is espectacular too. I still have a long way to go to absorb the sound, but hopefully the band may be one of my favourites after dozens of more listens and could even open me up to King Crimson as The flower Kings made me like Genesis more, and Spock's beard with Gentle Giant.
 
I don't know how I managed to be so patient. I did it with Yes' Relayer (I found the jazz-fusion inaccessible and ugly at first) and this band's music was even harder to get into. I hope it keeps growing on me.
 
 
 
So, this is a Mahavishnu Orchestra appreciation thread actually.
 
 
 
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Points: 1381 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 01 2006 at 22:29
Yes!
McLaughlin is a GOD.
 
I got Inner Mounting Flame last year from my music teacher. I was told to put it on, turn off the lights, lay down, and absorb! He let me borrow it for a week, and in that week I heard the album at  least over 30 times.
 
I blew my mind. The music, musicianship, writing, everything! It just blew my mind. I was totally thrown back by the intesity.
I have only gotten into Birds of Fire since then, but I love that too.

Great sh*t!
I can strangle a canary in a tin can and it would be really original, but that wouldn't save it from sounding like utter sh*t.
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Sean Trane View Drop Down
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Points: 20339 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 02 2006 at 03:52
Re: Mc Laughlin , try his Devotion allbum Just about the most sizzling hard-driving jazz rock >> and i should be writing jazz-ROCK, because it rocks!!!!!
 
I certainly love IMF and BOF, and the Lost Trident Seesion. Between Nothingness and Eternity is a lttle indulgent at times
 
However the Mk II line-up: From Apocalypse onwards does not do much for me.
let's just stay above the moral melee
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Points: 1242 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 02 2006 at 04:02
If you liked those albums try also the best: "Inner mountain flame" and "Birds of fire".
 
Live from nothingness to eternity is exceptional work also.
 
"lost trident sessions" are worthy album too.
 
Solo McLaughlin albums: "Extrapolation" (a bit jazzy), My goals beyond (a bit acoustic) and especially "Electric guitarist" are excellent.
 
"Love devotion surrender" with Carlos Santana is one of the best fusion albums.
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Points: 441 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 02 2006 at 05:59
Mahavishnu have changed my music appreciation from Black Sabbath to John Coltrane - you get the drift...
McLaughlin in his great spiritual devotion has created something new and exciting, never heard before. The intensity is just awesome and most players are above first class.
 
Shakti followed, very different and extremely satisfying.
 
The man just had to invent genres, performed to ultimate heights, no doubt due to his tenure with Miles Davis, a great inspiration.
 
McLaughlin remains one of my most respected artists/composers to date and whilst he gave way to red wine and marriage, resulting in mediocre outputs for a while, he is back with his full might now. More mellow and thoughtful, yet so classy that words fail me to explain. Check out "After the rain" .  
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Points: 395 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 02 2006 at 06:55
if you dont have Vision of the Emerald Beyond, get it quick, it's so f**king good
 
Aaron
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Points: 264 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 02 2006 at 06:56
Between Nothingness... & Hendrix' Band Of Gypsys are 2 of my all-time favorite live records. I've always felt that there was a connection between them, I think it's the music's texture being similar...Nothingness contains some great bluesy/rock passages that could've easily come from Jimi...
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Points: 1881 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 02 2006 at 09:16
Great stuff the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Birds of Fire is one of my desert island discs. Although McLaughlin and Cobham are the players that may stand out on the first few listens, Jerry Goodman is great on violin - and I'm not a fan of that instrument - and of course there's Jan Hammer (I'm talking MO Mk I here). Glad you're enjoying them.
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Points: 1321 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 02 2006 at 10:03

I have "Electric guitarist" and that side-project with Santana (an album my brother bought to do a project in a jazz class). I have to give them more listens.

Vision of the Emerald Vision? Well, in a couple of months I could see if I can get it only if Bird of Fire/Inner Mounting Flame keep growing on me.
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Points: 20339 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 02 2006 at 10:08
Originally posted by Zitro Zitro wrote:

I have "Electric guitarist" and that side-project with Santana (an album my brother bought to do a project in a jazz class). I have to give them more listens.>>Love, Devotion Surrender is a fabulous record >>>> an Homage to Coltrane

Vision of the Emerald Vision? Well, in a couple of months I could see if I can get it only if Bird of Fire/Inner Mounting Flame keep growing on me. >> wise decision Vision Of Emerald Beyond is fairly different >> much funkier
let's just stay above the moral melee
prefer the sink to the gutter
keep our sand-castle virtues
content to be a doer
as well as a thinker,
prefer lifting our pen
rather than un-sheath our sword
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Points: 235 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 03 2006 at 19:16

I agree, MO is one incredible band...and if you like that and don't have any of Miles Davis' 70's releases, you should get them (of course, McLaughlin is on many of them). You might also like the three releases from Go (in which the guitarist slot is filled by Al Dimeola, no slouch in the speed department himself).

I only got into MO about 5 years ago and cannot believe it took me that long.
If you like art of musicians, check my site (the music section) and tell me what you think! http://www.kenmeyerjr.com
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Points: 7341 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 03 2006 at 19:39
Yay Mahavishnu Orchestra!Clap
 
Those guys rock really hard and manage to combine resonance and technical skill in an almost unheard of way. Every musician is a virtuoso supreme that know when to back down. There is also a spiritual element to there music that adds to the sound. I only have the the first two albums and the live albums and the really manage to impress me every time I listen. Everyone needs to listen to these guys.
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Points: 2822 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 03 2006 at 19:52
"Inner Mounting Flame" clicked with me right away.
"Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard." -- H.L. Mencken
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Points: 28057 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 03 2006 at 20:40
Sorry, I guess I'm not at your enlightened stage yet. Unhappy
 
Birds of Fire has impressive musicianship, but ultimatly leave no emotional impression on me save a bit of queasyness (sp?) and vertigo, not because of the fast speeds, but because of the melody lines can be so out of key and are seemingly random jazziness to my eas that I can't stand it. I'm not a big fusion fan. Confused
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Points: 31540 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 03 2006 at 23:42
I love most Jazz-Rock Fusion (of what I've heard, at least) And I think Mahavishnu's two first albums are excellent. The only problem is that they can get tiresome at times, IMO.
RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on!
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Points: 7341 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 03 2006 at 23:46
Sometimes they scare me with what they can do on their instruments. Wacko
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Points: 67 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 05 2006 at 18:44
 I am very glad that you got the MO. They were one of my first prog bands; I was simply amazed by everything they did on Inner Mounting Flame and Birds of Fire. As a musician myself, I appreciated the technical skill of McLaughlin and Goodman especially (I play cello and guitar) and as a listener I was blown away by the sheer volume, so chaotic yet always directed. Get those two albums if you haven't already.
Many Bothans died to bring you this information.
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Points: 720 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 05 2006 at 19:48
John McLaughlin is THE greatest guitar-player of all IMO, and he will be remembered for a long time. I've only got Birds of Fire of Mahavisnu, but I've got a lot of John's other material.


You've just had a heavy session of electroshock therapy, and you're more relaxed than you've been in weeks.
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Points: 86 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 06 2006 at 01:23
Think of them as just some guys jamming and dancing and interacting in a conversation.

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Points: 7559 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 06 2006 at 02:46
The music of the Mahavishnu is fantastic - McClaughlin can certainly compose well, and the band get the groove on like troopers.

Pity about the rubbish guitar playing on "Inner Mounting Flame" though - almost all of it is really awful.
The important thing is not to stop questioning.
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