When I heard Billy Cobham start playing a shuffle rhythm against that opening 10/4 my head exploded and I suddenly realized that all kinds of things were possible that had never occurred to me. Such a seminal track from a groundbreaking album by an inconceivable band.
I was introduced to the Mahavishnu Orchestra by a dear friend who died early this year. Now every time you react to one of their tracks, I listen with both a smile and a sense of real longing. This group was the true definition of "experimental", and their songs end out being works of true genius. Also, I agree with equating this to King Crimson's Red album - another group/album that this friend turned me on to. You can certainly tell that Mahavishnu was quite the influence on King Crimson!
Bought this album after hearing this "experience" on the radio (WNEW-FM) in NYC in 1972 when I was 14 and was captivated. It made me even more wanting to be a drummer.
Wow! I've been a fan of the Mahavishnu Orchestra since the 70's. They are certainly one of the more heavier jazz-rock groups around. Another great track from them is ,,One Word" from the ,,Birds of Fire" album.
Mahavishnu is at the intersection of Mile Davis, Zappa, and Crimson. Brilliant. Of course you have to go to Tony Williams, Allan Holdsworth, the Softs, and maybe even the softer wing of the post Miles musicians...
Yes, the influence on the hard side of Red era King Crimson is obvious, in the instrumentation of front line violin plus guitar and the sequential progressions in odd time signatures. Strangely, Mahavishnu's odd metric patterns tend to lurch and restart like Stravinsky's, whereas Crimson's usually swing more fluidly. Robert Fripp's interest in Mahavishnu around that time can probably be inferred from the fact that he interviewed John McLaughlin for Guitar Player magazine In the early 70s, before Larks' Tongues I believe. The way the A and B themes in Dance of Maya get combined in the final section is clever and compelling.
The influence on mid-70s King Crimson -- down to having violin in the mix -- can't be overstated. And yeah, it's fusion although as you say it's not that jazzy, other than the idea of going from arrangements the group plays together to solo excursions. The old term that would more closely apply to this is "jazz-rock".
A fine way to start off my Sunday morning. Thank you JP! Try to imagine hearing this when it first came out. Believe it or not THIS was my gateway to listening to jazz.
You picked up on the Red-era King Crimson vibe. Or rather, Red had a Dance of Maya vibe...which makes sense on the spiritual level, in that Maya is the world of illusion, Samsara, not Nirvana. Industrial. Heavy, not light. Excellent share. Happy holiday!
That's a 20/8 time signature (6+6+6+2). During the transitions the subdivision changes to 5 x 4/8. John McLaughlin used the 20/8 meter again in the mid-section of Lila's Dance, which title is obviously a nod to Dance of Maya.
I get totally lost trying to count time signatures, except for a few easy ones like the Apocolypse in 9/8 section of Suppers Ready. It's in the title! And the grouping is easy to follow, 4+3+2.
One of your most accessible - to me - reactions yet. Loved it and the track 👣 👌 😍 🙌 👏 ❤️ Again, I heard McLaughlin and Cobham together with Santana touring their album in Toronto, '74(?). Others have disputed the date. I was there and know what my life was at the time.
Really, really, REALLY enjoyed this one! Maybe a foreshadowing of …. Oh, I don’t know…. Could it be….LILA’S DANCE? From what? Visions of the Emerald Beyond??? See you when you get there.😊
What a bizarre twist! From a Miles acid trip to an Indian Buddhist monastery to a trip down the Mississippi to New Orleans with John McLaughlin doin' shrooms. Contemplative journey? Good review. I agree with your idea of 'Red' King Crimson. Let's ask Robert. He surely listened to this.
This album and Visions of Thr Emerald Beyond (thr second version of the band) are my favorite albums by them I always was curious as to why this album never gets props as Birds If you listen carefully Birds Of Fire is almost a remake of this I suppose it depends on which you heard first I got into MH i b a funny way i heard Genesis Los Endos on the radio and they didn't say who the group was me not knowing either group well assumed it was MH I kept buying their records looking for the song and in the process liked what I heard I finally got A Trick of The Tail when I heard Squonk I was so surprised when I heard Los Endos Another favorite song on this album is You Know You Know
My art friend had this album, he probably saw the song title and bought it and Birds of Fire and Visions of The Emerald Beyond for the covers, cuz I don’t think he likes them now. I’ve been reading Fripp’s Guitar Player mag interview, he says he loved all the blues revivalists. It was what most young guitarists wanted to be. Why didn’t he? He thought he just wasn’t good at it… This to me, gives me a hint of that it might have been like had Fripp gone blues.
This group was my wasband's favorite. I get it - Billy Cobham, who I can really appreciate. But something about the sound of the lead guitar - made my skin crawl.
Jazz-rock, Fusion? Just damn fine music to me! Lucky enough to see them do this live in Hartford back when I was too young and dumb, it was a burner!!! Quite a few artists claim them as an influence, so you will find. "Love,Devotion, and Surrender" and as always Peace.
I read that it was hearing Mahavisnu Orchestra that made Frank Zappa realize that he had to shape up his own band. Which he did by hiring only virtuosos from then on.
@@JustJP 😄 Yes Justin like looking through the curtains in The Wizard of Oz or "Fripp" Lol. What is this Glorious Sonic Wizardry I keep hearing about in the worlds of Prog !! John wonders to himself !! 🤔☺🎶
And don't forget the part played by Jerry Goodman's violin, sometimes played with a wah wah pedal. There's a good early example of that on the song "Truth", with his former band The Flock.
Yes, King Crimson! Had the same thought, only a bit more vague in the details. I'm almost sure there's a specific King Crimson song this has phrases from (or donated some phrases to). Can't put my finger on which one, though. Pleasantly frustrating. I suppose the song could be criticized for incoherence, but it's the way it keeps falling apart that I like about it. And now I can't go out in public, because my face has melted, and I'll scare the kids if I do.
@@JustJP Halloween is slowly catching on round these parts, but I think masks still stand out for for a moment or so, before people maybe get what they're for. Hmm ... but Halloween. I could have lots of fun going around, knocking on windows, and staring at people with a melted face. I have a cousin who lost his head the other day. I must see if he's willing to give me a lift on his horse.
The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame is a joke. What use can such a thing be? They are people who congratulate each other and bow down, that's all. there's no point in making a big deal out of it and besides, I don't see what rock is doing in there!
@@a.k.1740 A lot of the selections have been a joke, but it's still a big deal, imho. It was great to see Yes, Genesis, Rush and others get the recognition they deserve, even if long overdue.
@@michaelbenz8092 Frankly, even though I appreciate Yes, Genesis, Rush & Co. I don't see the point of such a thing since they have always had the recognition of the public, the media and show business. This kind of stuff is useless. If the goal is to highlight artists, why in this case not rather make known totally unknown artists who deserve it? it would be much more logical and it would make sense whereas when it's just the music business that congratulates itself it doesn't speak to me !
How about a Hat-less Video target to get us to 26k in a Flurry of Subscribers from Eager JP Cranium Assessors? No, thought not. Frank Marino says No too. But you'd enjoy side One of Mahogany Rush's "Tales of the Unexpected" from 1979. 4 contrasting songs!
A mixture of jazz fusion, progressive and blues-rock but a bit sterile and boring for me. To tell the truth, I find that musically it's a bit messy and I've never been very fond of the Mahavishnu Orchestra.
@@pentagrammaton6793 Same for me! I still have the Mahavishnu Orchestra albums from the 70s and I listened to them at one time but I haven't been able to listen to them for several years. I hear musicians with oversized egos who compete with each other but not really music with moments of breathing and silence. As I've written elsewhere, I prefer John McLaughlin's two late '70s albums, Electric Guitarist (1978) and Electric Dreams (1979), in which he leaves more room for emotion, and less for demonstration as he did in the first part of his career.
When I heard Billy Cobham start playing a shuffle rhythm against that opening 10/4 my head exploded and I suddenly realized that all kinds of things were possible that had never occurred to me. Such a seminal track from a groundbreaking album by an inconceivable band.
I was introduced to the Mahavishnu Orchestra by a dear friend who died early this year. Now every time you react to one of their tracks, I listen with both a smile and a sense of real longing. This group was the true definition of "experimental", and their songs end out being works of true genius.
Also, I agree with equating this to King Crimson's Red album - another group/album that this friend turned me on to. You can certainly tell that Mahavishnu was quite the influence on King Crimson!
Thats a wonderful connection Traci, I'm sorry to read about your friend.
I also hear where Happy the Man gets some of their sound, especially the beginning
When my fusion band formed 14 years ago this was the first song we played
Saw them do this at the Whisky, standing room, about 6 feet from the stage. They blew me away.
Hi Tim. Good memory of that show? Please contact me if so :-) Thanks.
I saw John + 2 drummers + ... in Berlin in a venue for (modern) classical and oriental/arabic music and he blew the roof off the place - loved it!!!
Bought this album after hearing this "experience" on the radio (WNEW-FM) in NYC in 1972 when I was 14 and was captivated. It made me even more wanting to be a drummer.
Wow! I've been a fan of the Mahavishnu Orchestra since the 70's. They are certainly one of the more heavier jazz-rock groups around. Another great track from them is ,,One Word" from the ,,Birds of Fire" album.
Unique chord progressions gave them their mysterious dark dense mood that was very original and intriguing.
Mahavishnu is at the intersection of Mile Davis, Zappa, and Crimson. Brilliant. Of course you have to go to Tony Williams, Allan Holdsworth, the Softs, and maybe even the softer wing of the post Miles musicians...
Yes, the influence on the hard side of Red era King Crimson is obvious, in the instrumentation of front line violin plus guitar and the sequential progressions in odd time signatures. Strangely, Mahavishnu's odd metric patterns tend to lurch and restart like Stravinsky's, whereas Crimson's usually swing more fluidly. Robert Fripp's interest in Mahavishnu around that time can probably be inferred from the fact that he interviewed John McLaughlin for Guitar Player magazine In the early 70s, before Larks' Tongues I believe. The way the A and B themes in Dance of Maya get combined in the final section is clever and compelling.
The influence on mid-70s King Crimson -- down to having violin in the mix -- can't be overstated. And yeah, it's fusion although as you say it's not that jazzy, other than the idea of going from arrangements the group plays together to solo excursions. The old term that would more closely apply to this is "jazz-rock".
A fine way to start off my Sunday morning. Thank you JP! Try to imagine hearing this when it first came out. Believe it or not THIS was my gateway to listening to jazz.
A fine gateway :)
When you said "That sound so heavy", I was thinking at the same time that there is a same feeling than Starless of King Crimson.
just Love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Album is frammed and hangs on my music room wall
You picked up on the Red-era King Crimson vibe. Or rather, Red had a Dance of Maya vibe...which makes sense on the spiritual level, in that Maya is the world of illusion, Samsara, not Nirvana. Industrial. Heavy, not light.
Excellent share. Happy holiday!
That's a 20/8 time signature (6+6+6+2). During the transitions the subdivision changes to 5 x 4/8. John McLaughlin used the 20/8 meter again in the mid-section of Lila's Dance, which title is obviously a nod to Dance of Maya.
I get totally lost trying to count time signatures, except for a few easy ones like the Apocolypse in 9/8 section of Suppers Ready. It's in the title! And the grouping is easy to follow, 4+3+2.
Yes ! I too thought of the Red album of King Crimson.
listened to this the month it came out...i was 16 still play it often,
One of your most accessible - to me - reactions yet. Loved it and the track 👣 👌 😍 🙌 👏 ❤️
Again, I heard McLaughlin and Cobham together with Santana touring their album in Toronto, '74(?).
Others have disputed the date. I was there and know what my life was at the time.
Really, really, REALLY enjoyed this one! Maybe a foreshadowing of …. Oh, I don’t know…. Could it be….LILA’S DANCE? From what? Visions of the Emerald Beyond??? See you when you get there.😊
I noticed the similarities at once, because I know Visions by heart. It's John who fabricated it all, so... Yeah.
The very last note sounds like their instruments are actually breaking from the stress.
The mighty Mahavishnu Orchestra. Both scary and utterly enthralling. Great reaction.
Good description Phillip!
Love this album. So glad my brother introduced me to this music when I was a teenager.
What a bizarre twist! From a Miles acid trip to an Indian Buddhist monastery to a trip down the Mississippi to New Orleans with John McLaughlin doin' shrooms. Contemplative journey?
Good review. I agree with your idea of 'Red' King Crimson. Let's ask Robert. He surely listened to this.
This album and Visions of Thr Emerald Beyond (thr second version of the band) are my favorite albums by them I always was curious as to why this album never gets props as Birds If you listen carefully Birds Of Fire is almost a remake of this I suppose it depends on which you heard first
I got into MH i b a funny way i heard Genesis Los Endos on the radio and they didn't say who the group was me not knowing either group well assumed it was MH I kept buying their records looking for the song and in the process liked what I heard I finally got A Trick of The Tail when I heard Squonk I was so surprised when I heard Los Endos
Another favorite song on this album is You Know You Know
McLaughlin used to announce this live as starting in 10/8 and then changing to 20/8 in the middle section
I think of it as 20/8, i.e. 3 bars 6 1 bar 2...
My art friend had this album, he probably saw the song title and bought it and Birds of Fire and Visions of The Emerald Beyond for the covers, cuz I don’t think he likes them now.
I’ve been reading Fripp’s Guitar Player mag interview, he says he loved all the blues revivalists. It was what most young guitarists wanted to be.
Why didn’t he? He thought he just wasn’t good at it…
This to me, gives me a hint of that it might have been like had Fripp gone blues.
Certainly, one of my favorites from Mahavishnu Orchestra! Thanks JP.
This is so King Crimson..... absolutely right JP.
I would love to hear one of the doom-ier modern metal bands cover this. Maybe someone along the lines of Mastodon.
Ooo definitely! Good call on Mastodon
This group was my wasband's favorite. I get it - Billy Cobham, who I can really appreciate. But something about the sound of the lead guitar - made my skin crawl.
We called this jazz-rock. And that song is really jazz and rock for me at least.
Jazz-rock, Fusion? Just damn fine music to me! Lucky enough to see them do this live in Hartford back when I was too young and dumb, it was a burner!!! Quite a few artists claim them as an influence, so you will find. "Love,Devotion, and Surrender" and as always Peace.
Had this album for YEARS. Good fusion by all accounts.
Mahavishnu Orchestra predates the 1972-74 King Crimson incantation and paved the way.
I read that it was hearing Mahavisnu Orchestra that made Frank Zappa realize that he had to shape up his own band.
Which he did by hiring only virtuosos from then on.
❤
One of Maha's Best !!! Maha "Peeking" into some Prog here !! 🧐👍🎶🎸🎹🥁🎻🎼✌
Just a glance :D
@@JustJP 😄 Yes Justin like looking through the curtains in The Wizard of Oz or "Fripp" Lol. What is this Glorious Sonic Wizardry I keep hearing about in the worlds of Prog !! John wonders to himself !! 🤔☺🎶
I was just playing this album today bro this whole entire album is good intermountain flame and birds of fire both albums!
Happy listening Ron!
@@JustJP 🤘
FUSION!!!
Same instrumentation MO and KC save for Minimoog in MO and Mellotron in KC.
And don't forget the part played by Jerry Goodman's violin, sometimes played with a wah wah pedal. There's a good early example of that on the song "Truth", with his former band The Flock.
Very true R, ty for the reminder
I hear some Zappa-esque elements to it as well.
They tear this composition apart live, especially on the unreleased tracks record
Yes, King Crimson! Had the same thought, only a bit more vague in the details. I'm almost sure there's a specific King Crimson song this has phrases from (or donated some phrases to). Can't put my finger on which one, though. Pleasantly frustrating.
I suppose the song could be criticized for incoherence, but it's the way it keeps falling apart that I like about it.
And now I can't go out in public, because my face has melted, and I'll scare the kids if I do.
Lol! Its almost Halloween, so a mask wouldn't stand out 🎭
@@JustJP Halloween is slowly catching on round these parts, but I think masks still stand out for for a moment or so, before people maybe get what they're for.
Hmm ... but Halloween. I could have lots of fun going around, knocking on windows, and staring at people with a melted face. I have a cousin who lost his head the other day. I must see if he's willing to give me a lift on his horse.
I think there are several time signatures 3/4 and 7/8 for sure.
Love these guys!
These guys should definitely be considered for the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.
The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame is a joke. What use can such a thing be? They are people who congratulate each other and bow down, that's all. there's no point in making a big deal out of it and besides, I don't see what rock is doing in there!
@@a.k.1740 A lot of the selections have been a joke, but it's still a big deal, imho. It was great to see Yes, Genesis, Rush and others get the recognition they deserve, even if long overdue.
@@michaelbenz8092 Frankly, even though I appreciate Yes, Genesis, Rush & Co. I don't see the point of such a thing since they have always had the recognition of the public, the media and show business. This kind of stuff is useless. If the goal is to highlight artists, why in this case not rather make known totally unknown artists who deserve it? it would be much more logical and it would make sense whereas when it's just the music business that congratulates itself it doesn't speak to me !
Good.
A recommendation: The Tony Williams Lifetime album "Emergency!" Of 1969, With Tony McLaughlin at guitar. Thanks.
Great suggestion.
Anyone think Fripp had this record. Nice and psychedelic. Thanks jp
How about a Hat-less Video target to get us to 26k in a Flurry of Subscribers from Eager JP Cranium Assessors?
No, thought not. Frank Marino says No too. But you'd enjoy side One of Mahogany Rush's "Tales of the Unexpected" from 1979. 4 contrasting songs!
Never!😅👒
It made my day better. : )
That genuinely makes me happy to read that Renee :) Enjoy the rest of your weekend
@@JustJP Thanks JP , you too!! : )
Shuffle section is in 20/8.
Fantastic tune! The beginning and end are in 10/8 as for the middle hmm, not so sure.
@@Katehowe3010 If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.
@@Katehowe3010 To hell with whatever tripe you listen to.
It's in 10/8 count it 1-2-3 1-2-3 1-2-1-2
3-4-3 moving to 6x3 +2
Sounds like a cd....try lp.
Get to 'One Word'
A mixture of jazz fusion, progressive and blues-rock but a bit sterile and boring for me. To tell the truth, I find that musically it's a bit messy and I've never been very fond of the Mahavishnu Orchestra.
I was a little bored with the beginning, then perked up in the middle section.
The older I get the less I like McLaughlin's early playing, damn he was sloppy and overly indulgent.
@@pentagrammaton6793 Same for me! I still have the Mahavishnu Orchestra albums from the 70s and I listened to them at one time but I haven't been able to listen to them for several years. I hear musicians with oversized egos who compete with each other but not really music with moments of breathing and silence. As I've written elsewhere, I prefer John McLaughlin's two late '70s albums, Electric Guitarist (1978) and Electric Dreams (1979), in which he leaves more room for emotion, and less for demonstration as he did in the first part of his career.
Bruh, who doesn't like Dance of Maya? Pfft.