What albums did you listen to today?

^ Earthen and System A, then. Thanks Curiously, I was thinking about buying some of his albums next month. Good timing

It's a compilation of completely different tracks but I think the album flows surprisingly well. I totally agree with that At SWilson's concert last year there was a group of fans listening to Jupiter Island and making fun of it... I wasn't mad since I was digging that track

^ I saw there's currently a AWM sale and I'm thinking about getting four CD's: Architexture, Horizons and two others. What do you recommend?

Today:
Soft Machine - Seven
Porcupine Tree - On the Sunday of Life (What a trip!  I prefer this one to HCE and The Incident)
Saturnia - Muzak
Møster! - When You Cut Into the Present
Embryo - Opal
Counterpunch - Bruises
Push Kings - Far Places

Yesterday (Tuesday)...

Sagichim wrote: Funny you mentioned Santana, do you know the collaboration album of McLaughlin and Santana? I forget the name now. I certainly prefer it to MO's debut, it doesn't sound that technical like you said (although it does contain a certain level of technical playing) but still not as interesting as Birds Of Fire

Sagi, I do have that Collab album, I just haven't listened to it very much yet. I have a friend who rates in amongst her absolute top 10 favourite albums of all time, so I promised her that I'd actually get onto listening to it. I think my `ho-hum' response to the first Mahavishnu Orchestra album kind of disinterested me from the Collab album so far.

Sagichim wrote: ^ Thanks Michael I'll check it out on utube. Birds Of Fire remains the only MO album that I like, I'm not into Mclaughlin's playing really, but this one is awesome. I remember the first time I heard MO was when I was studying in sound school, and we had to play something we like to the whole class and this dude played the 10 minute One Word. I was just getting into prog and I don't think I've ever heard anything that intense and tight before, and I remember everyone thinking What the f**k was that?? Of course later I asked him if he'd like to be my best friend... I played Zappa Peaches En Regalia and the only one who liked it was my teacher, he winked at me and went like this

    Hilarious, my friend!

I had my first exposure to the Mahavishnu Orchestra when I was dating my second girlfriend, something like about 18-20 years ago. Her Dad had a big vinyl collection, full of prog and jazz fusion, but he eventually got won over by the punk, new wave, indie stuff a few years later and moved on fully to that. He was astonished that a younger fella was so completely obsessed in the early 70's/prog stuff, and he pretty much started going through his LP's, digging out record after record, saying `here, take all this'. One of them was Mahavishnu Orchestra's live disc `Between Nothingness and Eternity'. I have to admit, had he known of the sort of sexual debauchery and naughtiness his daughter and I were getting up to, he probably would have been pretty reluctant to give me much of anything besides a shotgun pointed in the face!

About a year back I bought a cheapo CD box-set from a local music chain that had the first four studio and first live album of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. It cost roughly $15 Australian, and I thought that would be the least expensive and least risky way to get their most highly-regarded works. Only the second album has made much of an impression on me so far...I'll keep at it. I certainly don't connect with it in even close to the same way as the first seven or eight Santana band albums (although that's probably a very clichéd and lazy comparison), I pretty much adore all of their albums.

Meltdowner wrote: I thought it was boring because he never stays a lot of time in the same place, the music has a lot of movement and detail. The sound quality of that track is also not really good. If it's an hidden track I think it's part of the album, but if it's not I'll ignore it then.

Well it's not even listed on the CD spine, no mention of it in the CD booklet/sleeve, and I wouldn't even have a clue what the title is! Just think of it as a fleeting experiment he probably threw on there with no real motive. It's certainly THE most drone based work I've ever heard from him, even those two albums I mentioned above that are slightly more `drone'y' from him are still full of colour and floating sounds.

Aussie-Byrd-Brother wrote: Porcupine Tree – The Incident Mahavishnu Orchestra – Birds of Fire (soooooo much better than the debut album) Jethro Tull – Too Old to Rock N Roll…

Meltdowner wrote: How was it this time? I should listen to them more, I heard one of the tracks the other day and really liked it Was it Dull? Today: Harmonium - Si on Avait Besoin d'Une Cinquième Saison (I heard this album so many times and still don't understand a half of the lyrics ) Soft Machine - Six Acid Mess - II (Michael (if you remember them ), it looks like they'll release this album on vinyl soon. They also announced a concert here and I sure want to go ) My Home On Trees - How I Reached Home NOFX - So Long And Thanks For All The Shoes

Perhaps check out Youtube and listen to the Mahavishnu Orchestra debut first, then the follow-up? I don't know...the debut (for me personally, and perhaps Sagi feels the same way?) seems overly technical to the point of having not a trace of genuine emotion in it, and the pieces are relentless, overlong and become very monotonous. To be honest, it's held me back from trying to explore the band more, because I always find it very unengaging, and trying to force myself to like it hasn't worked so far! The second album instantly sounded more interesting to my ears. Let us know your thoughts if you hear the debut, it's mostly considered a total classic of jazz-fusion, so maybe I'm the lone lunatic?!

I didn't get to give `The Incident' my full attention, but it seemed even more unengaging than I recalled. The heavier elements seem really below them and kind of basic, and it doesn't convince even slightly as a `55 extended concept piece' (it's really just a bunch of fragments thrown together). It holds some terrific pieces - `I Drive the Hearse', `Time Flies' etc are all superb, but it's not a patch on the amazing `Fear of a Blank Planet' album before it, which still holds up immensely well.

That Tull album...Do you know it's often considered by JT fans as one of their poorest? Well, maybe because I don't really care about JT, I find it perfectly listenable, and if anything the punchier tracks and more concise arrangements make it easier to enjoy! Maybe have a listen and see if you can stand it more as well?!

Thanks for the tip-off, will you please keep me updated on the Acid Mess vinyl?! I'll likely forget!

Edited by Aussie-Byrd-Brother - January 27 2016 at 01:00

^ Nice story Sagi

Tonight's choices:
Kari Ikonen Trio - Bright
Il Tempio Delle Clessidre - alieNatura (I has to turn the volume up on this one. It's incredible from one end to the other )

Aussie-Byrd-Brother wrote: Sam, I had to dig out my CD, turns out that is a very diferent track from the fifteen minute `mix' piece that came with the download version. The one you're referring to is a very cold electronic drone. I certainly wouldn't call it boring (although some people cannot find much merit in the more drone-based electronic music), but it's definitely not considered part of the proper album. Just do what I do with most bonus/extra tracks - ignore them altogether, or listen once, appreciate and then banish!

I thought it was boring because he never stays a lot of time in the same place, the music has a lot of movement and detail. The sound quality of that track is also not really good. If it's an hidden track I think it's part of the album, but if it's not I'll ignore it then.

Aussie-Byrd-Brother wrote: Porcupine Tree – The Incident Mahavishnu Orchestra – Birds of Fire (soooooo much better than the debut album) Jethro Tull – Too Old to Rock N Roll…

How was it this time?

I should listen to them more, I heard one of the tracks the other day and really liked it

Was it Dull?


Today:
Harmonium - Si on Avait Besoin d'Une Cinquième Saison (I heard this album so many times and still don't understand a half of the lyrics )
Soft Machine - Six
Acid Mess - II (Michael (if you remember them ), it looks like they'll release this album on vinyl soon. They also announced a concert here and I sure want to go )
My Home On Trees - How I Reached Home
NOFX - So Long And Thanks For All The Shoes

Aussie-Byrd-Brother wrote: Out of Focus – Not Too Late

Meltdowner wrote: La Coscienza di Zeno - Sensitività Michael Brückner - Naura (Michael, I read your review again, and you say something about a 15 minute hidden track, but on mine is 21 minutes long and is completely different from the album's music... kind of boring too )

Sam, I had to dig out my CD, turns out that is a very diferent track from the fifteen minute `mix' piece that came with the download version. The one you're referring to is a very cold electronic drone. I certainly wouldn't call it boring (although some people cannot find much merit in the more drone-based electronic music), but it's definitely not considered part of the proper album. Just do what I do with most bonus/extra tracks - ignore them altogether, or listen once, appreciate and then banish!