I've heard nothing but great things about this band, and yet I've never heard a single one of their songs. Anyone got some suggestions? Good songs, good albums, anything. I really wanna give this band a try and I don't know where to start.
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Mahavishnu Orchestra
- Thread starter MikeyFingers
- Start date
I have the inner mounting flame and I think it's great. I find that it's great when you listen to it as a whole, it's all really solid. I normally don't listen to music like that, but I like it a lot.
Well - they only made 3 or 4 albums in their whole career - Birds of Fire is the other studio album and they released a live album Between Nothingness and Eternity...
There was also another album released more recently and maybe Apocalypse - but really - it's the first 3 mentioned that are the albums their reputation is based on!
There was also another album released more recently and maybe Apocalypse - but really - it's the first 3 mentioned that are the albums their reputation is based on!
+1 to all above. Birds Of Fire is where you want to start, followed immediately by Inner Mounting Flame. IMHO some of the most truly psychedelic music ever recorded. I mean that in a good way! Rick Laird did an amazing job - he kept it simple, but he could hang with those guys!
Birds Of Fire is one of my all-time favorites.
Birds Of Fire is one of my all-time favorites.
"Inner Mounting Flame" (the 1st album) is possibly my favourite record of all time. Listening to it right now. I don't think anything else I've heard just communicates the sheer joy of making music for music's sake. IMO, etc etc etc
Birds of Fire was the second album - still great, as was the live album "Between Nothingness and Eternity".
The lineup changed a lot for "Apocalypse" and "Visions of the Emerald Beyond". Both albums full of wonderful music, but quite different to the earlier three, which Bruce rightly identifies as the ones that really defined the band. I'd try to listen to them in chronological order, so you can hear how their music developed - but that does mean that in my opinion they're starting with the best stuff they ever did. Doesn't mean the others aren't worth hearing though, far from it. You can't go too far wrong with anything by John McLaughlin!
Birds of Fire was the second album - still great, as was the live album "Between Nothingness and Eternity".
The lineup changed a lot for "Apocalypse" and "Visions of the Emerald Beyond". Both albums full of wonderful music, but quite different to the earlier three, which Bruce rightly identifies as the ones that really defined the band. I'd try to listen to them in chronological order, so you can hear how their music developed - but that does mean that in my opinion they're starting with the best stuff they ever did. Doesn't mean the others aren't worth hearing though, far from it. You can't go too far wrong with anything by John McLaughlin!
I used to be a huge fan until I met Billy Cobham. He was a total jerk and though I know I can't judge the band on his actions, I've just had no desire to listen to them since.
Lazylion said:
Dead right! Just been listening to "Celestial Terrestrial Commuters" (on Birds of Fire). That guy holds the groove absolutely tight - in 19/8 time! I can only aspire to that when I'm playing in good ole 4/4...
bassybill said:
Amen to that, Bill! John is an absolutely fantastic player, certainly one of my favourite guitarists!
I love Mahavishu Orchestra, they made some amazing music. However, my "favourite" Mahavishnu album isn't from the "classic" line-up era, and is often derided by Mahavishnu Orchestra fans for it's "80's excesses", but I love it. Plus, it features Jonas Hellborg, who, in my mind, is certainly the most taltented bassist John has ever played with!
You guessed it...
Adventures in Radioland! An absolute corker of an album, full of upbeat tunes and some fantastic playing. Some say it sounds dated with the electronics drums and whatnot but I really dig that 80's sound! Jonas gets some great sounds too from his Wal double neck, and his fretless playing on Florianpolis is superb. A real hidden gem for fusion fans!
Matt Till said:
I agree - he has played on some great records and his solo album 'Stratus' is one of my favourites - much-sampled!
