Mahavishnu

[ras52]

I've found a stash of Mahavishnu LPs at a fair - which ones do you recommend?

[leschirons]

Between nothingness & eternity, and Birds of Fire. Both early albums but absolutely brilliant. Don't know much about the later stuff but still play these two today.

[Doctor J]

All of them.

If you were to make a selection though, The Inner Mounting Flame and Birds Of Fire are essential. Bear in mind, you can get a five album compilation pretty cheap on CD these days.

[Beer of the Bass]

I find the later stuff with vocals pretty offputting, but enjoy the older lineup on Birds of Fire and Inner Mounting Flame. All of the Mahavishnu albums are of their time, but Visions of the Emerald Beyond has dated especially badly in my opinion.

[ras52]

Thanks guys... got Birds of Fire, [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Visions of the Emerald Beyond and Apocalypse, plus Love, Devotion, Surrender for good measure![/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]£2 each and all for charidee... now I need to unpack my turntable which is still in the "spare" room after last year's move :-O[/font][/color]

[Conan]

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwyuB8QKzBI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwyuB8QKzBI[/url]

[Bilbo]

Mahavishnu '84 was my favourite.

[EssentialTension]

Also check out the pre-Mahavishnu McLaughlin album [i]Devotion[/i]. It's kind of a prequel.

[dmccombe7]

Birds of Fire brilliant album.

Dave

[RhysP]

"Visions of the Emerald Beyond" has always been my favourite.
"Apocalypse" is pretty stunning too.

[Chris2112]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1324635283' post='1476424']
Mahavishnu '84 was my favourite.
[/quote]

Yep, it was fantastic. 'Adventures in Radioland' was pretty good too. Much better than the 'old' Mahavishu.

[4000]

[quote name='Chris2112' timestamp='1324652681' post='1476717']
Yep, it was fantastic. 'Adventures in Radioland' was pretty good too. Much better than the 'old' Mahavishu.
[/quote]

I much prefer the "old" Mahavishnu. I found Adventures in Radioland pretty insipid.

[spongebob]

Don't forget 'Inner Worlds', the last LP before the first split.

I finally got it this year - it's awesome, the kind of album which would never be made today.

Opening track sets the tone -

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hNxW1sRWbE"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hNxW1sRWbE[/url]

Loads of their stuff on Youtube as well.

My faves? Have to agree with what Doctor J said - all of them!

Well done on 'Love Devotion Surrender' too....one of my top albums as well!

[Soliloquy]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1324635283' post='1476424']
Mahavishnu '84 was my favourite.
[/quote]

Mine too !

Jonas Hellborg on bass.

[Len_derby]

I think this touches on a few recent threads.

I enjoyed seeing this one about the Mahavishnu Orcs. I loved the band. Can you imagine a record label bank-rolling an act like them now?

I realised all I'd got was Inner Mounting Flame and Birds of Fire on vinyl records.
So, a quick look on Amazon. They've got a 5 cd complilation for £10.99.
So I ordered it at 22.30 on Thursday night. I went for the free 'super saver' delivery option.
Jeanette, my smiling postie has just delivered it on Saturday morning, Christmas Eve. Brilliant.

[spongebob]

Enjoy....one of the best bands ever in my book!

The 5-CD box doesn't have 'Inner Worlds' though.

I'll have to try the two 'later' albums....always been a bit scared with how they'd compare to the '70s model.

[RhysP]

[quote name='spongebob' timestamp='1324721130' post='1477271']
I'll have to try the two 'later' albums....always been a bit scared with how they'd compare to the '70s model.
[/quote]

They're nowhere near as good as the earlier stuff IMO - it's just very polished & unoriginal fuzak to my ears.
I did see them live at Hammersmith in 1984 though & they were awesome - Cobham couldn't do the gig for some reason & Danny Gotlieb was his replacement. The material from the first album sounded much better live.

[ras52]

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1324634995' post='1476418']
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwyuB8QKzBI[/media]
[/quote]

And although I can't yet play my new LPs, I can at least watch this - which had my 8-yr-old daughter in hysterics. Thank you

[Cosmo Valdemar]

I really like the Lost Trident Sessions CD, it's the album they recorded after Birds of Fire but never released as the band felt the live versions were far better. It doesn't flow as well as the first two albums, and side two has a track by each band member alone (due to a dispute over songwriting credits) but the two lengthy pieces are superb. The production is excellent too, definitely the best for hearing Rick Laird's bass.

Check out the riff at 5:00, and the ensuing violin and guitar solo duel. It's astonishing.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1WEQq6iPZM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1WEQq6iPZM[/url]

[Raslee]

Yeah Lost trident sessions is a favourite...but for hangovers 'Visions of the Emerald Beyond' it is...great stuff! I've even got a Mahavishnu t-shirt. Shakti anyone?

[EdwardHimself]

[quote name='Soliloquy' timestamp='1324669699' post='1476984']
Mine too !

Jonas Hellborg on bass.
[/quote]

I must say I've only actually ever heard of Hellborg for the fact that he has his own line of bass amplification that costs a bomb and looks like some kind of posh kitchen appliance.

[RhysP]

[quote name='Rasta' timestamp='1324842068' post='1478071']
Shakti anyone?
[/quote]

Oh yes. The three original Shakti albums are superb.
Never got round to hearing any of the "Remember Shakti" stuff though.

[Chris2112]

[quote name='EdwardHimself' timestamp='1324905864' post='1478361']
I must say I've only actually ever heard of Hellborg for the fact that he has his own line of bass amplification that costs a bomb and looks like some kind of posh kitchen appliance.
[/quote]

Must try harder.

Especially for his stuff with Shawn Lane.

[ras52]

[quote name='Rasta' timestamp='1324842068' post='1478071']
Yeah Lost trident sessions is a favourite...but for hangovers 'Visions of the Emerald Beyond' it is...great stuff! I've even got a Mahavishnu t-shirt. Shakti anyone?
[/quote]

Oh yes, I have and love "Natural Elements". Plus the stuff with Miles Davis, the "Electric Guitarist" pot-pourri, and the "Trio of Doom" (Hm...). But I'm still a Mahavishnu virgin.

[Beer of the Bass]

My favourite Mclaughlin stuff is from before Mahavishnu; Extrapolation, all of the Miles Davis records, Carla Bley's Escalator Over the Hill and the Lifetime albums. The earlier material sounds like a jazz guitarist cranked up and letting rip, and I find it somehow more exciting than the premeditated loudness of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. I like the weird jaggedness of his sound, the mad skittery runs and the out of tune bends on the early stuff! Does that make any sense, or is it just me?

Edited December 26, 2011 by Beer of the Bass