Mahavishnu

Mahavishnu

Mahavishnu

ASIN: B000068TLK

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
John McLaughlin is regarded as one of the greatest guitarists in the history of music. Making albums from the 60's through the present, his intense guitar work with The Mahavishnu Orchestra and Miles Davis gave birth to jazz/fusion. In 1984 he formed a reincarnation of sorts of The Mahavishnu Orchestra. Featuring original Mahavishnu drummer Billy Cobham, plus saxophonist Bill Evans and bassist Jonas Hellborg, this high-energy electric album is regarded as one of his best efforts and has been his most sought after album for CD reissue. It is making its worldwide CD debut! Wounded Bird Records.

Mahavishnu,Mahavishnu Orchestra,Wounded Bird Records,Fusion,Jazz,Jazz Music,Pop,Rock/Pop
Birds of Fire
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Essential Jazz Fusion
  • Sublime Experimentation
  • If You're Thinking of Upgrading Your Old Copy...
  • A Work of Genius
  • Extroadinary
 Birds of Fire
Mahavishnu Orchestra With John McLaughlin
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop GeneralBebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
Jazz FusionJazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music
Modern PostbebopModern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. The Inner Mounting Flame
  2. Between Nothingness and Eternity
  3. Visions of the Emerald Beyond
  4. Apocalypse
  5. Romantic Warrior

ASIN: B00004VWA8
Release Date: 2000-08-08

Tracks:

  1. Birds Of Fire
  2. Miles Beyond
  3. Celestial Terrestrial Commuters
  4. Sapphire Bullets Of Pure Love
  5. Thousand Island Park
  6. Hope
  7. One Word
  8. Sanctuary
  9. Open Country Joy
  10. Resolution

Amazon.com

Thanks to yet another pristine digital remastering from the archivists at Legacy, we are drawn deeper into the creative vortex of John McLaughlin's groundbreaking fusion ensemble, captured at the peak of their powers in August 1972. By this time, Mahavishnu were headliners, and by offering greater bass extension, more air and resolution, and a clearer sense of distinction between the component parts, McLaughlin's collaborators sound clearer in their shaping of the group's overall sound. Clearly, guitarist McLaughlin was the creative lightning rod, as his chanting solo on the title tune suggests, colored as it is by the cathartic melodic fire of late Coltrane and Hendrix. Likewise, his interest in the vocalized scales and extended rhythmic cycles of Indian classical music reveals itself in the round-robin solo exchanges on showstoppers like "Celestial Terrestrial Commuters" and "One Word" and in the more formal designs of "Hope" and "Resolution."

But in Billy Cobham, McLaughlin had found his Elvin Jones. Cobham's ability, with bassist Rick Laird, to focus ferocious energy toward making odd meters groove, and the band's funky, backbeats swing--while playing with an enormous tonal palette and a keen sense of dynamics--balanced the formal and improvisational aspects of each arrangement. Likewise, Jerry Goodman's soaring violin is the ideal vocal foil for an electric guitar, and the woefully underrated electric pianist and synth innovator Jan Hammer clearly helps flesh out the harmonic fabric on every arrangement, such as the funky changes of "Miles Beyond" and the classical airs of "Thousand Island Park." Ultimately, the joy of seeing Mahavishnu live was in sharing their sense of adventure and discovery, and that collective chemistry is what makes this reissue of Birds of Fire so vital. Truly, the sum was greater than the parts--too bad you can't go home again. --Chip Stern

Amazon.com

If not for the Mahavishnu Orchestra's first album, The Inner Mounting Flame, this second, 1973 outing might well be considered the greatest of all jazz-fusion essays. Both are staggering calls to celestial coursing and reckoning, and to resolution. All is breathtakingly purposeful and assured, with vast group cohesion, and phenomenal contributions by keyboardist Jan Hammer, violinist Jerry Goodman, bassist Rick Laird, torrential drummer Billy Cobham, and foremost, by the leader, guitarist John McLaughlin. One hears all the elements of his musical makeup: Tal Farlow; Django Reinhart's stunning single-note runs; flamenco guitar; sophisticated Delta blues; way-over-the-top arena-rock distortion, feedback, and power amplification; and Indian classical and folk music. All that, plus childhood lessons in classical piano and violin and recent studies with spiritual leader Sri Chinmoy, set the cosmic stew to boil. -- Peter Monaghan

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Essential Jazz Fusion.......2007-05-18

Birds of Fire was my first jazz-fusion album. Coming from the world of progressive rock, jazz-fusion was easily accessible music for me. And John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra got me hooked on the genre. Birds of Fire remains to this day my absolutely favorite fusion album. The classic line-up of MO couldn't have gotten any better: John McLaughlin on guitar (a master), Jerry Goodman on Violin (as good as John), Jan Hammer on keyboards, Rick Laird on Bass, and who can forget Billy Cobham (quite possibly the greatest drummer of all time).

From the opening tension of "Birds of Fire," to the explosive energy released in "One Word," all the way through the aptly titled "Resolution," this album fails to disappoint. I listen to this album weekly, and I always find something new in it. It's definitely a desert-island album for me. Pick it up and I think you will agree: it gets no better than this.

5 out of 5 stars Sublime Experimentation.......2007-02-01

The first time I heard Mahavishnu Orchestra's second studio album, I had no idea what to think. I didn't know if I hated it or loved it- all I knew for sure was that it bowled me over. Another listen convinced me it was good, and by the third listen, I was (and still am) certain that this is one of the single greatest achivements of the fusion era. Make no mistake, though- despite its "fusion" label, Weather Report this ain't. Imagine if Jimi Hendrix and John Bonham started a band with Joe Zawinul and John Entwhistle. Then imagine they played in 19/16 or 13/8 on every track. Specifics aside, that's the basic sound. Purists will surely scoff, but an open minded listener can't help but be consumed entirely by the scorching, molten tracks contained herein. Birds of Fire indeed.

3 out of 5 stars If You're Thinking of Upgrading Your Old Copy..........2007-01-29

...Don't. This 2000 remaster is no better than the original from the 80's. In fact, if you still have the vinyl and a turntable, you're probably better off than those of us with the CD's. I was so disappointed with the sound quality of this remaster that I removed "The Inner Mounting Flame" from my wish list. I'll wait until someone remasters these right.

5 out of 5 stars A Work of Genius.......2006-10-04

I bought this album back in 1973,and this has always seemed like a work of genius. The line-up of electric violin (Goodman), guitar (Mclaughlin), keyboards (Hammer), drums (Cobham) and bass (Laird)was new. The music is influenced by Coltrane, Cream, Lifetime, Indian music and probably Miles' Bitches Brew band. Although they use electric instruments, the music is complicated and difficult to listen to. Its speed and ferocity make it challenging and alien for those not familiar with jazz. Ken Scott who engineered for the Beatles and later produced David Bowie made the album sound like a rock album.

At the time, the musicianship and the interplay were a revelation. Jazz critics accused these guys of selling out, but it's much more adventurous than the average jazz album of its time. in 1973, Jeff Beck declared the Orchestra the best band in the world, and he was probaly right.





5 out of 5 stars Extroadinary.......2006-08-10

Tight musicianship, memorable tracks, and just flat out amazing. This is fusion jazz at its finest.
The Inner Mounting Flame
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • a must own album
  • oldie but a timeless goodie!
  • light up the incense and dig
  • DE COMO LA CRUDEZA SE VISTE DE VIRTUOSISMO....
  • The Classic Fusion album of all time!!
 The Inner Mounting Flame
John McLaughlin & Mahavishnu Orchestra
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
Jazz FusionJazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Birds of Fire
  2. Between Nothingness and Eternity
  3. Visions of the Emerald Beyond
  4. The Lost Trident Sessions
  5. Romantic Warrior

ASIN: B000009RC2
Release Date: 1998-08-18

Tracks:

  1. Meeting Of The Spirits
  2. Dawn
  3. Noonward Race
  4. A Lotus On Irish Streams
  5. Vital Transformation
  6. The Dance Of Maya
  7. You Know, You Know
  8. Awakening

Amazon.com

Reissued with sparkling audio and exclusive photographs, this first, 1971, Mahavishnu album certainly vies for the title of the greatest of all jazz-rock recordings. Through spiritually questing flights of intense fury and exquisite quiet, it never loses its sense of inexorable force. Jan Hammer (keyboards), Jerry Goodman (violin), and bassist Rick Laird are completely sympathetic with guitarist John McLaughlin's vision as the music abandons the standard jazz format of successive solos in favor of rapid, heightening, braided, interactive contributions--a structure much drawn from Indian classical music. Astoundingly, the music retains discipline. For that, thank Billy Cobham: Through all the expressive, irregular meters, he remains a steady, resolved engine of percussion, vastly resourceful but ultimately reserved. McLaughlin's alchemy distills many worlds of music­-the jazz-guitar masters, flamenco, blues, Indian forms, and his experience in the innovations of the seminal jazz-rock outfits of Miles Davis and Tony Williams. Of course, distortion, feedback, and arena-rock amplification were crucial, as was the influence of Sri Chinmoy, McLaughlin's spiritual guide. "The Noonward Race," "Vital Transformation," and "The Dance of Maya" are music for the ages. -- Peter Monaghan

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars a must own album.......2007-05-27

While bands like Deep Purple played some lightning fast guitar rock back in the day, little did most people know that "The Inner Mounting Flame" by the Mahavishnu Orchestra featured some of the fastest and craziest rock and roll put on record. Okay, so the album is remembered mostly for being a blend of jazz and rock, but seriously, many parts of this album are VERY close to heavy metal. It's amazing an album with this much speed and relentless power actually existed in 1971.

If there was ever an album that needed to be heard from the very beginning all the way to the last track, it's this album. Why? Because each of the eight songs gradually builds and progresses into other musical sections. The album was designed to be heard all the way through, to appreciate the entire thing as a whole.

One thing about this album that really fascinates me (and puts emphasis on the fact that it's an "orchestra") is the way each of the band members seem to be playing their respective instruments and seemingly making their own compositions by themselves. It's like each member of the band has their own theme going on, and when the time came for the band to come together and put their ideas on tape, they did so without blending in with what the other members and instruments were doing. For example in one song, while a fast and furious violin jam is occurring, at the same time, a burning hot guitar jam is taking place. It opens a door for the listener and gives you an option "Do I want to listen to the violin, or the guitar?"

I think the best word to describe this album would be "detailed" because that's exactly what the music is. Any time you are given an option on what musical instrument you'd like to listen to (because of all the creativity taking place) you KNOW you are in for a treat.

Even though the album is only 46 minutes long, it really feels like it's much longer than that. A very interesting listen. Oh, by the way- why does "The Dance of Maya" sound like something King Crimson was doing at the time? Seriously, listen to the Islands album and see if you can hear some similar musical ideas from both artists. Also, listen to the King Crimson song "Larks Tongue in Aspic Part II" and tell me there's some similarities between that and a song on this album called "Vital Transformations". I think there's a connection between the two bands.

There are some bits of melody thrown in occasionally too. I think if the album has one weak point, it's a bit of a dated sound to the whole thing. One second you're listening to some really intense guitar playing, and the next it's like the Carpenters walked in the studio. Strange.

You really should own this album. Whether you like jazz or rock, there's something here for everyone. The question is- can you handle it? It's one intense listen. Just keep that in mind before listening to it.

5 out of 5 stars oldie but a timeless goodie!.......2007-05-17

everyone else has pretty much said it:great musicianship which places your mind into a different spectrum for a while.it does to you what true music should.

4 out of 5 stars light up the incense and dig.......2007-01-29

while i am not a big fan of john mcLaughlin or mahvishnu orchestra - i cannot deny that they really had something with this album.. It is something new - not just an extension of miles davis - they were breaking new territory... There is a cohesiveness amongst the band members - of course abounding with improvisational talent - this is fushion but first of all it is music.

5 out of 5 stars DE COMO LA CRUDEZA SE VISTE DE VIRTUOSISMO.... .......2006-11-13

ELECTRIZANTE DEBUT DE ESTA MAGNIFICA BANDA, CON LOS PIES EN EL JAZZ MAS FURIBUNDO Y ECLECTICO....MAGNIFICAS CANCIONES (CANCIONES?) QUE EN ALREDEDOR DE 5 MINUTOS CADA UNA OFRECEN UN DESPLIEGUE INIGUALABLE DE POLENTA Y TALENTO...PUNTO CULMINE DE LA FUSION QUE ABREVA EN LAS EXPERIENCIAS PIONERAS DE MILES DAVIS

5 out of 5 stars The Classic Fusion album of all time!!.......2006-10-11

If you see four and a half to five stars when nearly 100 people wrote a review, then that's your answer. BUY IT!
Visions of the Emerald Beyond
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Visions of the emerald beyond
  • Marvelous creation from McLaughlin.
  • John M has really gotten into the jazz and funk with this!
  • Probably their best
  • Mahavishnu I Is Better. So Is Apocalypse
 Visions of the Emerald Beyond
Mahavishnu Orchestra
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
Jazz FusionJazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
CDs $7 - $10CDs $7 - $10 | Jazz General | Jazz | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
All Bargain TitlesAll Bargain Titles | Jazz General | Jazz | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
4-for-3 Jazz4-for-3 Jazz | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
4-for-3 Pop4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
4-for-3 All Music4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Apocalypse
  2. Between Nothingness and Eternity
  3. Birds of Fire
  4. The Inner Mounting Flame
  5. The Lost Trident Sessions

ASIN: B0000027EU
Release Date: 1990-12-29

Tracks:

  1. Eternity's Breath Part 1
  2. Eternity's Breath Part 2
  3. Lila's Dance
  4. Can't Stand Your Funk
  5. Pastoral
  6. Faith
  7. Cosmic Strut
  8. If I Could See
  9. Be Happy
  10. Earth Ship
  11. Pegasus
  12. Opus
  13. On The Way Home to Earth

Amazon.com

Even though it is not as consistently convincing as Mahavishnu's first two albums, this fifth, 1975 outing nonetheless provides plenty of the same listening rewards--urgent, inexorably forceful jazz-rock fusion with an intense interactivity among the players. Jean-Luc Ponty provides the fresh interest. Always most convincing when employed, rather than in charge, here he revels in the open spaces and blissed prompting that McLaughlin's celestial-run formula provides. The album was one of a few later Mahavishnu recordings that announced that the revolutionary band's mission was near completion, and perhaps already played out. McLaughlin's playing soars at some points, but it was time for him to leave the capsule, and settle into a new phase: his extraordinary Shakti collaborations. --Peter Monaghan

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Visions of the emerald beyond.......2007-03-30

All the great groups seem to hit that stride of 3 or more great albums. This is one of their best 3 along with the inner mounting flame and birds of fire. They really made their best music on these records.

5 out of 5 stars Marvelous creation from McLaughlin........2007-02-21

The title of this review summarizes my feelings.
Fantastic playing, recording, mixing & production.
As an historic MO fan, I had already bought this gem in LP format in the seventies, but this CD edition is incomparably better.
The 1990 issue adds clarity, quality and emotion.
Although some people may attribute "commercial" aspects for the MO-2,
I believe "Visions" is still MO best album ever.
Ponty added dynamic, rhythm and speed to the music, a master amidst the masters...
I agree that both lineups have this pros & cons, and this is not under trial.
Worth each cent you pay and more....

5 out of 5 stars John M has really gotten into the jazz and funk with this!.......2007-01-10

What an etherial display of John Mclaughlin's and Jean Luc Ponty's collaboration attempt. This Attempt works well.
PLeased to own it.

4 out of 5 stars Probably their best.......2005-12-30

This is a classic and probably their best recording.
I would skip track four as it spoils the work here,
but otherwise a classic rock/jazz/fusion at the height of this band career.

2 out of 5 stars Mahavishnu I Is Better. So Is Apocalypse.......2005-12-02

The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Apocalypse
The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Visions of the Emerald Beyond

Mahavishnu II was nowhere as good as MI, but it had its good points in this inaugural album, most notably the pristine of electric violinist Jean-Luc Ponty. McLaughlin still generates the heat but sounds like he is recycling more forceful work from earlier albums. The drumming, bass and keyboards are unexceptional but not notable. There is a pretty vocal solo by keyboardist Gayle Moran on "Smile of the Beyond." All in all, there's too much recycled in this album, the musicians (Ponty and McLaughlin excepted) are mediocre at best, and the Buddhist propagandizing seems egregious. But at least it's better than the next album, Visions of the Emerald Beyond, which has almost nothing to recommend it, except for its moments of ersatz funk ("Cosmic Strut," "Can't Stand Your Funk").
Between Nothingness and Eternity
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • between nothingness and eternity
  • Bliis-filled Memories
  • Fusion at it's best
  • "trinity of sounds"
  • Greatness!!
 Between Nothingness and Eternity
Mahavishnu Orchestra
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
Jazz FusionJazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music
Jazz FusionJazz Fusion | Live Albums | Jazz | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Live Albums | Jazz | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
CDs $7 - $10CDs $7 - $10 | Jazz General | Jazz | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
All Bargain TitlesAll Bargain Titles | Jazz General | Jazz | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
4-for-3 Jazz4-for-3 Jazz | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
4-for-3 Pop4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
4-for-3 All Music4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Visions of the Emerald Beyond
  2. Birds of Fire
  3. The Inner Mounting Flame
  4. Apocalypse
  5. The Lost Trident Sessions

ASIN: B00000252D
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

  1. Trilogy: The Sunlit Path/La Mere De La Mer/Tomorrow's Story Not The Same
  2. Sister Andrea
  3. Dream

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars between nothingness and eternity.......2007-07-04

the more time goes on, the more i appreciate the original m.o.; each musician was a show-stopper in himself. this is one terrific recording. if you can't get enuff of this, try to dig up the live m.o. bootlegs they made at berkeley, hunter college, cleveland and miami - they are available if you spend some time looking.

5 out of 5 stars Bliis-filled Memories.......2007-04-07

I was there. Both nights at the Wollman Skating Rink in Central Park; 15th row, center aisle. To this day, it remains one of the most beautiful and most powerful live performances that I have ever seen. Only one other show by the Mahavishnu Orchestra ever matched it for both sheer virtuosity and that special spark between all of the players and that was at the Capital Theatre in Passaic and I saw that too. This album is as close to your getting share such a memory with me as we can get; most of the stuff on YouTube is in sad condition, but still worth a peek. This, on the other hand, is crisp. The only glitch to the recording is when Jan's keyboard head blew and that long space in Dream comes from the road crew having to get a new one in place. How's THAT for memory? LOL!!! Yes, this is Lost Trident Live, but it also has pieces from Like Children (c'mon, Sony, release that chestnut!). A "must" for fusion lovers. Sat Nam!

5 out of 5 stars Fusion at it's best.......2007-01-15

If you haven't heard this one, buckle your seat beat and put on a flame retardent suit, it's a wild ride and these guys are on FIRE on this CD.
Classic live recording which demostrates the intensity the group possesed which is not eveident from the studio recordings as great as they are.

5 out of 5 stars "trinity of sounds".......2006-12-21

The greatest band there possibly will ever be! Why all of a sudden is there so many tributes going along concerning this band. What happen was John McLaughlin set the guitar world on fire. Nobody had ever heard the guitar played like that, and it changed the way guitarist play today. He gets very little credit from the mainstreamers of the guitar world. But it wasn't all about John's playing as it was his own concept of music. He started this genre of music that later many would crop to follow. With that said, the other band members played just as an important role as John. Jan Hammer played keyboards like nobody, (he was ahead of Zawinul at the time). Jan had a personal voice that was new to the musical world, which he doesn't get enough credit for. What he did with the keyboards (is like what Jaco did with the bass). Billy Cobham's drumming was second to none. His duets with John were legendary every night, to be honest nobody had ever played drums with a guitarist like that every before. (Holdsworth/Husband were right behind them in the 80's). The man was on a mission. Jerry Goodman was raw as anything!! He could keep up with Hammer and McLaughlin, which is impressive enough. I have many bootlegs of this band and I will tell you that Rick Laird was no slouch, the man played melodically many nights that were right on time. If only the members would have shared and effectively communicated to each other, more music would have been recorded and performed from this great band.

When the band would rave up into the "trinity of sounds," when the guitar/violin/& keyboard would intertwine they would reach the visions of the emeralds beyond!!

I never saw this group but I want to share some more. I am sure all our fans have the MO show in Germany 1972. This is when the band began to start its apex. They have a video of the show and it's around 45 minutes total with the two parts. The other scenario is that we have the concert on CD (Spirit of Bird) as well that goes beyond 80 minutes. The sad part is, where is the rest of the video? They cut out Mclaughlin's solo on Meeting of the Spirits (which is killer); they cut out One Word (except for the drum solo and the ending); and they cut out The Noonward Race. But the second part of the video has them playing "A Lotus on Irish Streams" and it's not on the CD. They probably played 2 hours!! The "powers that be" decided to edit this performance of the greatest band that ever was. All we want is a complete show of this particular band and we know that it's out there somewhere. Heck they played everywhere. Somewhere in Germany they need to rebroadcast the complete show and release it on DVD. If you saw this band live, you are a fortunate human being. For the rest of us who weren't born to see them we will have to wait until Sony gets off their hindmost to release some live material.

(it's also a shame Colombia/Sony hasn't released the full two day shows of this concert at Central Park. What we got was 1/4 of the concert.)

5 out of 5 stars Greatness!!.......2006-10-15

Awesome, especially "Dream", this live version never gets old. Been diggin' this same recording for 20 years.
The Lost Trident Sessions
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Work In Progress That Was Never Finished
  • escuchar..sentir...latir..respirar.....nada mas!
  • Lost for a Reason, But This One Grows On You
  • These lose sessions are not lost on quality
  • impressive album of dynamic rocking jazz fusion...wait, come back!
 The Lost Trident Sessions
Mahavishnu Orchestra
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
Jazz FusionJazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Between Nothingness and Eternity
  2. The Inner Mounting Flame
  3. Birds of Fire
  4. Visions of the Emerald Beyond
  5. Apocalypse

ASIN: B00001R3G0
Release Date: 1999-09-21

Tracks:

  1. Dream
  2. Trilogy: The Sunlit Path/La Mere De La Mer/Tomorrow's Story Not The Same
  3. Sister Andrea
  4. I Wonder
  5. Steppingstones
  6. John's Song

Amazon.com

Recorded during a brief stopover in London on June 25, 1973, these unprepossessing studio performances, despite (or maybe because of) the heavy compression (particularly on the drums) and a mixed-on-the-fly feel, convey far more of the edgy, go-for-broke energy, ferocious solo intensity, and telepathic interplay of Mahavishnu's peak 1973 live shows than their only live album (the August 12, 1973, Central Park performance caught on Between Nothingness & Eternity). McLaughlin's extended forms, "Dream" and "Trilogy," are made up of hyperkinetic blues vamps, classical elements from both the Western art music and Carnatic traditions, shifting minor modes and complex rhythmic cycles, while keyboardist Jan Hammer's "Sister Andrea" adds a welcome touch of funk to the formula. Unreleased tunes by violinist Jerry Goodman and bassist Rick Laird shed new light on their contributions to the band's overall repertoire, and everyone plays like their life depends on it--no one more so than Billy Cobham, whose ability to swing rock rhythms and depict a wide range of dynamic nuances is simply remarkable. Cobham's ferocious exchanges with the guitarist walk the line between Hendrix-style psychedelia and Coltrane-like dervish dances. A thrilling snapshot of fusion's musical possibilities before it all went sour. --Chip Stern

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Work In Progress That Was Never Finished.......2007-03-09

This is hardly a finished product ready for commercial release, but that is what makes the CD so good. You hear the makings of what may have been an outstanding final studio album from the original Mahavishnu Orchestra.

Taking a brief respite from an overly ambitious tour schedule, the music was recorded in Trident Studios in London, England, from June 25-29, 1973, with the band in the midsts of fracturing due to artistic and financial squabbles.

The sessions had appeared in bootleg form since the 1970s, but the original unmarked tapes were only stumbled upon by producer Bob Belden in November 1998 while inside Columbia's Los Angeles vault compiling tapes for the reissue of Birds Of Fire.

The track that sounds the most complete is Dream, with a Cream-inspired scorching guitar solo from John McLaughlin and Billy Cobham's Ginger Baker-styled drumming. The theme is repeated again in Trilogy before the band deviates into a less-than-inspiring art rock motif.

Jan Hammer's composition, Andrea, is arguably the track with the most potential, as a restrained Hammer on synthesizer and Cobham introduce a funky rhythm, only to have it stop cold by some spacey guitar work from McLaughlin, which gives way to the neat beat to end the piece. Eliminate McLaughlin's solo and Andrea is fusion that way it ought to sound.

I Wonder, Steppings Stones and John's Song #2 are vastly incomplete pieces, with the latter quite frustrating, as an abrupt ending happens when the band is just getting into a groove.

The project was never revisited and the band played its final concert later in the year in Toledo, Ohio. The sessions were a work in progress that may have been a classic coda from a group that was a leader in defining the 1970s fusion sound.

5 out of 5 stars escuchar..sentir...latir..respirar.....nada mas!.......2006-11-27

es incomprensible que ante tamaño virtuosismo, dejadez, improvisacion y libertad, haya gente que critique cuestiones de sonido,edicion,etc..VAMOS MAL.........si semejante obra puede ser juzgada por cuestionamientos tecnicos, NADIE ENTIENDE NADA..esto es musica, sublime, poderosa, nada mas y nada menos que eso....cualquiera que tenga la suerte de pulsar una cuerda o tecla, cualquiera sea el instrumento usado, sabe que esta obra es algo especial...si sentis eso, si podes alejarte de los botones y consideraciones comerciales, ESCUCHA Y compra este disco, esta edicion bien merece la pena.....booklet informativo, es un hallazgo que no merecia estar oculto, brindo por legacy y su hermosa costumbre de seguir editando tesoros incunables....BUY IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2 out of 5 stars Lost for a Reason, But This One Grows On You.......2006-06-25

Things are usually lost for a reason. Then, when they show up unexpectedly much later, they take on a significance that, had it been there in the first place, they would not have gotten lost. If you think this last sentence was grammatically rough, you will freak out when you hear "The Lost Trident Sessions."

But then this music grows on you.

From what I've heard of this group (only what's available on Amazon samples, this album and "Birds of Fire"), the best overall selection of music is on "Birds of Fire," an example of what I call drawing room fusion, where Stravinsky's dissonances are EFFECTIVELY woven into a jazz form, which itself mixes Coltrane's wall of sound with rock rifs in a manner that actually complements all of the ingredients. This unique mixture requires (at least) two conditions: (1) the compositions themselves must be good and (2) the dissonance must be accompanied by enough consonance to keep the music from becoming as tedious and overbearing as, well, Stravinsky.

"Birds of Fire" was more affected by hard rock and is, in some ways, less listenable than some of the music on this album. In a word, it is over-composed, but is this way by necessity, given the point at which the music was made - hard rock giving way to jazz fusion. So, for what it was, BOF is a better piece of work than, for what it was, LTS is. Still, LTS is somewhat more advanced because the soloing is more experienced and unrestricted. Had they been able to come up with some more good compositions and edit out some of the excesses, I would prefer LTS to BOF. (Actually, I'd rather listen to LTS because it is much less brutal than BOF overall. It's just that half the songs should have been dumped or improved.)

"Dream," "The Sunlit Path," and "Sister Andrea" are all good compositions. The second one lifts something from the Beatles' treatment of melody, guitar and strings and is far too short and undeveloped. "Steppings Tones" is also quite good and belongs more with BOF. "John's Song" took me some time to like at all, but Goodman's violin work is reflective of the overall evolution of their sound. But, the music itself was constrained compositionally in a way that lead to the band's extinction. And, though I'm not familiar with MO and McLaughlin's work that much after this period, when I listen to McLaughlin's opening track on "Que Alegria," for all of his instrumental virtuosity, he seems quite limited as a composer. On the other hand, he out-Hendrixes Hendrix on his collaboration with Sting on "The Wind Cries Mary" on one of the Hendrix tribute cds. So, you just never know.

4 out of 5 stars These lose sessions are not lost on quality.......2005-12-16

A lot of times, so called "lost sessions" have been known to be of poor recording quality, poor performance or poor compositions, or all.

This is not the case. These ones by the MO arejust a step below the considered classis: Inner Mounting Flame and Birds of Fire.

If the classics get a 8/10, this gets an 8.5/10

By the way, why does Amazon include a 'NO' in 'was this review helpful to you?'. People are only human and don't like opinions that differ from themselves. With some who are less mature, this the 'NO' makes it too easy express such displeasure.

Are they trying to discourage negative reviews, hence not purchase the CD. Such reviews only help a person in not being dissatisfied a product that received positive reviews

4 out of 5 stars impressive album of dynamic rocking jazz fusion...wait, come back!.......2005-11-01

i like my fair share of progreesive rock and have only in recent years been (cautiously) getting into the fusion side of things...exploring bands that, in my opinion, have been pleasantly inspiring (Lifetime) and shockingly trite (Weather Report). Mahavishnu Orchestra takes alot more of a progressive rock approach to writing and playing their songs; yet their jazzy/fusion lines are obvious and are executed with precision and flair. this cd has a powerful and direct edge that pulls me in like a strong ocean current. the melodies are very well-written and the playing is fiery, elegent, and full of intense expressions that blend in seamlessly with the songs...much like the brilliant French avant-prog group Magma. of special interest to me, is the guitar work by the well-known fusion and Miles Davis disciple, John McLaughlin, and the cerebral drum assault of Billy Cobham, who utilizes every ounce of ability to produce some fine and powerful playing. if more so called "fusion" sounded so alive as Mahavishnu Orchestra, i'd be buying more of it.
Apocalypse
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Cheese, but enjoyable cheese
  • Winning Combination
  • Tales from Apocalyptic Oceans??
  • My Favorite alltime
  • No Comparison
 Apocalypse
Mahavishnu Orchestra
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
Jazz FusionJazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
CDs $7 - $10CDs $7 - $10 | Jazz General | Jazz | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
All Bargain TitlesAll Bargain Titles | Jazz General | Jazz | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
4-for-3 Jazz4-for-3 Jazz | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
4-for-3 Pop4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
4-for-3 All Music4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Visions of the Emerald Beyond
  2. Between Nothingness and Eternity
  3. Birds of Fire
  4. The Inner Mounting Flame
  5. The Lost Trident Sessions

ASIN: B00000273F
Release Date: 1990-04-20

Tracks:

  1. Power Of Love
  2. Vision Is A Naked Sword
  3. Smile Of The Beyond
  4. Wings Of Karma
  5. Hymn To Him

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Cheese, but enjoyable cheese.......2007-04-18

Seriously, this whole thing sounds like The Mahavishnu Orchestra Plays Music from Ben-Hur. Not to discount Ben-Hur, since that's a great movie. But this is so pompous at times it makes Queen seem like a group of little folkies. Take the ending of Vision is a Naked Sword. Coulda came right out of some epic movie. So could the ending of Hymn to Him. Now, these are GOOD songs. Seriously, John McLaughlin is some sort of god in guitarist form. But they're SO CHEESY that it at times distracts from the entertainment value. As usual, the song titles are ridiculous and overblown (a good example is Smile of the Beyond, which happens to be the worst song here - another example is Wings of Karma, which I actually like).
This is kind of a disjointed review, so I think I'll make my point now and shut up: this is a good album (though not as good as The Inner Mounting Flame!) that would've been much better if it didn't tkae itself so seriously. Okay, that's all.

4 out of 5 stars Winning Combination.......2007-01-15

This release featruing the 2nd Mahavishnu group with orchestrations is a winning combination. Some of the strongest and finest Michael Walden playing from this period. John McLaughlin is playing at the highest level and Jean Luc Ponty is a wonderful addition to the group. The only drawback are the vocals, which tend to take this music from the spiritual element to Broadway. I've never understood why opening a can of peas can inspire song and dance.

2 out of 5 stars Tales from Apocalyptic Oceans??.......2006-12-02

I was rather surprised by the mostly glowing reviews this disk has received here. I've been a Mahavishnu fan for ages, but never bothered to buy this disk until a few weeks back when I was able to pick it up for $6 at the Tower Records bankruptcy sale. While quite audacious in its ambitions, it doesn't hold a candle to any of the other early 70's Mahavishnu releases, including Visions of the Emerald Beyond. In fact, for some reason it reminds me of another ambitious, but ultimately flawed album from around that time, "Tales From Topographic Oceans" by Yes. Both albums have their moments, but both also have some very weak moments that render the overall listening experience a bit burdensome.

5 out of 5 stars My Favorite alltime.......2006-10-05

Saw this concert in '75(?). Journey was the warm up band playing "Kohutek". Mahavishnu was mind blowing. This album has been my favorite for 30 some years. All "MO" albums are unique and very good for their "style" of music. But Apocolypse transcends them all. His finest work. Don't miss this ! Really. This one album is different. For me, it's better than Miles, Weather Report, RTF, Cobham, Joe Schmoe and your girlfriend. An ABSOLUTE PEAK !

5 out of 5 stars No Comparison.......2006-07-27

It would be very difficult to compare this album to any other work for John McLaughlin.
Encounter between John McLaughlin, Conductor Michael Thomas and the London Symphony Orchestra.
This encounter wasn't taken seriously back in 1974, however the stated combination, adding Jean Luc Ponty on Violin and Vocalist Gayle Moran, released a superb complete album.
The combination of Classical, Jazz and Fusing Rock toped by an opera voice makes this album a real gem.
If you are into some Classical, Some Rock and Jazz; If you are into great vocals, Check out this album
Return to the Emerald Beyond
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Worth The Wait - Incredible Performances!
 Return to the Emerald Beyond
Mahavishnu Project
Manufacturer: Cuneiform
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
Jazz FusionJazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Live Albums | Jazz | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Phase 2
  2. Back on the Corner
  3. Brown Street
  4. Metheny Mehldau Quartet
  5. Pilgrimage

ASIN: B000KRN2GW
Release Date: 2007-01-16

Tracks:

  1. Eternity's Breath
  2. Lila's Dance
  3. Can't Stand Your Funk
  4. Pastoral
  5. Faith
  6. Cosmic Strut
  7. If I Could See
  8. Be Happy

Tracks:

  1. Earth Ship
  2. Pegasus
  3. Opus 1
  4. On The Way Home To Earth
  5. Smile Of The Beyond
  6. Vital Transformation
  7. Sister Andrea

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Worth The Wait - Incredible Performances!.......2007-01-25

"Apocalypse" and "Visions Of The Emerald Beyond" represented ambitious new directions for The Mahavishnu Orchestra in the mid 1970s. The band expanded from a quartet to an actual orchestra with impressive results. Sadly, these were the last offerings of new material by this amazing band.

For the last 30 years, we could only hope that some lost studio recordings or live performances might be unearthed and released. It's almost beyond belief that, except for "The Lost Trident Sessions", there isn't more Mahavishnu Orchestra music out there.

Enter The Mahavishnu Project in 2004 with "Phase 2" and again in 2007 with "Return To The Emerald Beyond", both stellar offerings by a band that embodies what we appreciated about The Mahavishnu Orchestra: extraordinary musicianship and impassioned performances of some truly amazing music.

The performances by The Mahavishnu Project on "Return To The Emerald Beyond" capture the fire, nuances and precision of the original Emerald Beyond-era Mahavishnu Orchestra. Stylistically, the performances are impressively faithful to the originals, but the players stretch out on their own enough to make this recording a very worthy companion to the original.

If you are a die-hard Mahavishnu listener, your collection must have these albums. You will not be disappointed. Very highly recommended.
Mahavishnu
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • eighties revisited
  • A Fusion of Sounds
  • Excellent
  • Great players, great sounds
  • A high-tech snoozefest
 Mahavishnu
Mahavishnu Orchestra
Manufacturer: Wounded Bird Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
Jazz FusionJazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Jazz FusionJazz Fusion | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Between Nothingness and Eternity
  2. Visions of the Emerald Beyond
  3. Apocalypse
  4. The Lost Trident Sessions
  5. Birds of Fire

ASIN: B000068TLK
Release Date: 2002-06-18

Tracks:

  1. Radio-Activity
  2. Nostalgia
  3. Nightriders
  4. East Side West Side
  5. Clarendon Hills
  6. Jazz
  7. The Unbeliever
  8. Pacific Express
  9. When Blue Turns To Gold

Album Description

John McLaughlin is regarded as one of the greatest guitarists in the history of music. Making albums from the 60's through the present, his intense guitar work with The Mahavishnu Orchestra and Miles Davis gave birth to jazz/fusion. In 1984 he formed a reincarnation of sorts of The Mahavishnu Orchestra. Featuring original Mahavishnu drummer Billy Cobham, plus saxophonist Bill Evans and bassist Jonas Hellborg, this high-energy electric album is regarded as one of his best efforts and has been his most sought after album for CD reissue. It is making its worldwide CD debut! Wounded Bird Records.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars eighties revisited.......2007-02-07

I first bought this album on vinyl in 1986 at Tower Records, Piccadilly Circus, London. There came a point where I no longer had a turntable so I got rid of all my vinyl albums (big mistake!). I was delighted to see the album had been re-issued on CD as I could vividly remember the rush of first listening to this album. This album is a delight for any lover of good music and especially for fans of mclaughlin/mahavishnu/jazz/fusion. There is a veritable feast of delights inducing all kinds of emotions. Like all good jazz you must allow each of the tracks to develop and reach their climax to achieve the emotional high. Beautiful and Nostalgic.

4 out of 5 stars A Fusion of Sounds.......2006-03-07

The eighth record of John McLaughlin's cult fusion band Mahavishnu Orchestra is now truncated to simply "Mahavishnu." Any records utilizing cutting edge technology always risks sounding dated years later. It is in this context one needs to listen to content while consciously filtering out the overcompressed drums, the 80s handclaps, and the biggest culprit of them all: those Yamaha DX7 keyboard stabs.

For well-seasoned fans of John McLaughlin's furious guitar shredding abilities, the Synclavier II guitar synthesizer actually triumphs in its realization of this musician's signature sound. Listen carefully to McLaughlin's unadorned, slippery pearl-like notes on Miles Davis's Live Evil from 1970 and you will find that the Synclavier II's timbre-shaping features allowed McLaughlin not only to bring his esoteric tone into the modern era, but improve on the microtonal bends that he has produced with a scalloped fretboard on many of his guitars throughout his career.

Keep in mind that the root word of fusion is fuse. McLaughlin has alternately fused musical genres as well as different ranges of tempi and extremes in amplitude as bandleader of Mahavishnu. So it should come as no surprise that when he got his hands on a guitar synth, he would naturally attempt to fuse sounds, whether it be wave-shaping or overlays of patches. To expect a petrified version of his 70s electric guitar wail, as much as we all love and yearn for it, is to stand in the way of progress.

Radio-Activity introduces the Synclavier II: A descending howl dissipates as a string of notes mysteriously snakes its way out of the abyssal darkness like a Erenna specimen. The unmatched McLaughlin speed is captured, a testimony to just how far ahead of the times New England Digital was with their technology, as tracking and latency (the ability to capture every note without a time lag ), is still way below par in this day and age of guitar synthesizers. Billy Cobham, a Mahavishnu Orchestra alumni from the debut album onwards, is happily present, with his tight rocking style. Nostalgia is a mellow ballad featuring Bill Evans the saxophonist (not to be confused with Bill Evans the pianist, who was a great influence to McLaughlin) on soprano sax. One begins to see how this reed player's tone complements the rounded timbre McLaughlin is going for. Nightriders sounds very eighties-dated as a shuffle around a riff, with the musicians taking turns vamping. Straight distorted guitar is featured, periodically punctured by a stray handclap sample that appears to have escaped from Phil Collins' studio. East Side West Side is a Bill Evans vehicle enabling the saxophonist to trade his Michael Brecker runs against Mclaughlin's Synclavier at full speed. This piece sounds as if it could be an exciting out-take from Saturday Night Live's opening theme song, which Brecker played on for many years. Clarendon Hills can only belong in an ABC televised Olympic feature story segment, ending in a variation of the four note ostinato from A Love Supreme. Jazz gets interesting again, with Cobham's crisp syncopated drumming highlighting Hellborg's fretless bass, a perfect match to East Side West Side as we ride inside the mind of McLaughlin as he takes us across Manhattan. The Unbeliever is an atmospheric where the drums play a more lyrical role within the composition. Pacific Express is a fast jati using sample waveforms to create gamelan-like timbres benath Hellborg's playful fretless bass, before switching into a more traditional jazzy ensemble. Then we return to the first form, with one fantastic passage after another of fretless bass work that shows Hellborg as a heir to the Jaco crown. When Blue Turns Gold is unarguably the most beautiful piece on the album. A dazzling conservatory piano run opens into a ruefully singing flute bending across tablas, handclaps, Indian percussion, and a strumming steel-string acoustic. It becomes apparent at this point that the flute, played in this style, is among the inspiration McLaughlin has to building his Synclavier sound.

5 out of 5 stars Excellent.......2005-10-08

I've been waiting a long while for this to become available on CD. I wore out several copies of this album back in the 80's...

Not many people can make a guitar synth work at all much less make one so musical.

5 out of 5 stars Great players, great sounds.......2004-12-03

The players here are great: Billy Cobham of course in his only comeback to Mahavishnu, Bill Evans on saxes/flute, Mitch Foreman on keys, and bass monster Jonas Hellborg. And as for McLaughlin, if you like John's music - which I love - he is his usual fired-up but meditative self.

The sound, as other reviewers have pointed out, is all electric, and if you like that sort of thing, there are some wonderful voices: listen to the awesome "violin" (synth guitar) on the opening "Radio-Activity", or the "trombone" (synth guitar or keys?) on "Florianapolis", or the fluttering duetting flutes (one real, one synth guitar) on "Pacific Express".

While I agree with other reviewers that not all the tunes will end up as standards, I think that a few really should: "Nostalgia" is a beautiful ballad (with a great solo), and "Pacific Express" - with it's flowing melody over driving rhythm section - is unforgettable.

I had this album on LP and got it as soon as it came out on CD. If you like electric jazz, you'll like this.

1 out of 5 stars A high-tech snoozefest.......2004-09-15

This is a sad example of high expectations and trendy technology colliding with the suits, all gone horribly wrong. Sad to say, despite the presence of very high calibre musicians, the compositions are at best weak fuzak-lite and are in no way shape of form representative of the brilliance that John McLaughlin was capable of.

One of the most maddening things, besides the weak material, is the fact that Johnny Mac's guitar synth is completely indistinguishable from the heavy synth-overkill dominating the album. Its rather dated 80's production values are no help either.

Skip this turkey.

My Goal's Beyond
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Worth the import price!
 My Goal's Beyond
Mahavishnu John McLaughlin
Manufacturer: Rykodisc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

BritainBritain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | International | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
Jazz FusionJazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Extrapolation
  2. Emergency!
  3. Natural Elements
  4. The Best of Mark-Almond
  5. In a Silent Way

ASIN: B0007GFUF2
Release Date: 2005-02-07

Tracks:

  1. Peace One
  2. Peace Two
  3. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
  4. Something Spiritual
  5. Hearts and Flowers
  6. Phillip Lane
  7. Waltz for Bill Evans
  8. Follow Your Heart
  9. Song for My Mother
  10. Blue in Green

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Worth the import price!.......2007-01-11

The two peace songs are outstanding and I wish it would go on for a full 40 min instead of 19 minutes. Maybe someday they will find the original tapes and reissue them in a longer format or with the outtakes.
Although John on acoustic guitar is great and encouraging throughout the peace songs, it is Jerry Goodman and his electric violin marriaged with the Eastern instruments and imitated by the clarinet, which is so captivating.
I agree with the other reviewer about their island CD for it is also mine, along with Pharoh Sanders "The Creator has a Master plan" (minus the 8 min. of noise& chaos that I successfully cut out) leaving that song also, a 30 minute master piece.
LAGQ - Guitar Heroes (Multichannel Hybrid SACD)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • LAGQ Guitar Heroes by the LAGQ
  • A Guitar Grimoire for 6 string enthusiasts
 LAGQ - Guitar Heroes (Multichannel Hybrid SACD)

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Los Angeles Guitar QuartetLos Angeles Guitar Quartet | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Dark Side of the Moon 30th Anniversary Edition
  2. Friday Night in San Francisco (Stereo SACD)
  3. Telarc SACD Sampler: Sound and Vision
  4. David Chesky: Area 31 [Hybrid SACD]
  5. Slowhand

ASIN: B000294RMG
Release Date: 2004-06-22

Tracks:

  1. Icarus
  2. B & B
  3. We Know You Know: Reverie For Mahavishnu
  4. Pluck, Strum And Hammer
  5. Letter From Home
  6. Uarekena
  7. Aire Para Un Dia (Mood For A Day)
  8. Gyspy Flower
  9. Pop
  10. El Baile De Luis Alonso
  11. Lament And Wake
  12. Let's Be Frank
  13. Blue Echo/Country Gentleman

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars LAGQ Guitar Heroes by the LAGQ.......2005-03-24

This was the Grammy award winner in classical crossover for 2005. It is great if you appreciate the innovators in 20th century guitar music. Listen to The "Assad Duo" and a rock remedition of a Michael Hedges tribute" Lament and Wake which stand out. Both these songs got great reviews as arrangements by the newspaper critics. Get the multi channel version if you have a a top notch audio system with the speakers to show off the enginneering. If you just want "pretty" background music this is not an album for you.

4 out of 5 stars A Guitar Grimoire for 6 string enthusiasts.......2004-08-14

This is an exciting display of 6 string prowess that really isn't classical, yet will inevitably become a classic. It is an amazing tour de force worthy of the California Guitar Trio. The efforst here focus on composers and players who are heroes to this quartet, and it is a compendium of the best: McLaughlin, Hendrix, Metheny, Towner, Howe, Rheinhart. Each and every selection is brilliant whether they are essaying Norman Blake or Frank Zappa. York, Tennant, Kanengiser and Dearman command their instruments with power and discipline, and the finessse and passion leaps off the strings. The fretwork is a tribute to each of the heroes honored, and indeed this is truly an honouring of great fretmen. The digital encoding of the disc is such that you get a very precise definition of who is playing spacially from right to left. Very impressive, as you would expect from Telarc.
Their take on Towner's "Icarus" is both timely and quite a creative adjustment of the tempo. Steve Howe's "Mood For A Day" undergoes a makeover as a flamenco tour de force, and it actually comes off even more amazing than Howe's various re-workings of this abstemious wonder. At times, the compositions are those of the heroes, at others it is the LAGQ's composition evoking essential qualities of the personalities honoured. It works beautifully on all accounts. If you are a fan of acoustic guitars, or even of any of the guitarists honoured here, you owe it to yourself to pick this up.

Jazz Music:

  1. Matt Renzi/Jimmy Weinstein Quartet With Ben Monder and Chris Higgins
  2. Misty [Hybrid SACD]
  3. My Heart Will Go On
  4. Night on the City [Import]
  5. No Assembly Required [Hybrid SACD]
  6. Oh Moscow [Live]
  7. Percussion Duets
  8. Portraits [Import]
  9. Portraits in Jazz and Clave
  10. Quietly There: Zoot Sims Plays Johnny Mandel

Jazz Music

Jazz Music