Visions Of The Emerald Beyond
Visions of the Emerald Beyond
Artist Mahavishnu Orchestra
Album Title Visions of the Emerald Beyond
Date of Release Dec 4, 1974 - Dec 14, 1974 (recording) inprint
Genre Jazz
Tones Elegant, Sophisticated, Cerebral, Intimate, Passionate, Ethereal, Elaborate
Styles Fusion, Jazz-Rock
Time 41:56
As the second album to document the second Mahavishnu Orchestra, this one isn't as, well, apocalyptic as its predecessor, yet it does focus more intently on the band itself. Jean-Luc Ponty's curling electric violin lines help give this Mahavishnu band a more European sound than its predecessor, and some of the orchestral concepts of Apocalypse work their way into the picture via comments by a string trio and trumpet/sax duo. This band also had some interest in a bombastic funk direction that may have been borrowed from Mr. "Chameleon" Herbie Hancock, and would later be followed by Mahavishnu Two's drummer, Michael Walden. Gayle Moran's ethereal vocals don't date as badly as those on many jazz-rock records; at least she can sing. Overall, this Mahavishnu edition is more refined and not as aggressive as the first — although they could charge ahead pretty hard, as "Be Happy" and "On the Way Home to Earth" demonstrate — yet they were still capable of making memorable electric music. — Richard S. Ginell
1. Eternity's Breath, Pt. 1 (McLaughlin) - 3:10
2. Eternity's Breath, Pt. 2 (McLaughlin) - 4:48
3. Lila's Dance (McLaughlin) - 5:34
4. Can't Stand Your Funk (McLaughlin) - 2:09
5. Pastoral (McLaughlin) - 3:41
6. Faith (McLaughlin) - 3:58
7. Cosmic Strut (Walden) - 3:28
8. If I Could See (McLaughlin) - 1:18
9. Be Happy (McLaughlin) - 3:31
10. Earth Ship (McLaughlin) - 3:42
11. Pegasus (McLaughlin) - 1:48
12. Opus (McLaughlin) - :15
13. On the Way Home to Earth (McLaughlin) - 4:34
Steve Kindler - Violin, Arranger, Vocals
Mahavishnu Orchestra - Performer
John McLaughlin - Guitar, Vocals, Guitar (12 String), Producer
Jean-Luc Ponty - Violin, Vocals, Violin (Electric), Electric Violin, Baritone Violin
Ken Scott - Producer, Engineer
Ralph Armstrong - Bass, Guitar (Bass), Vocals, Contrabass
Mike Berniker - Producer, Digital Producer
Phillip Hirschi - Cello
Bob Knapp - Flute, Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Vocals, Wind
Narada Michael Walden - Percussion, Drums, Vocals, Clavinet
Gayle Moran - Keyboards, Vocals
Carol Shire - Vocals
Carol Shive - Violin, Vocals
Howard Mandel - Liner Notes
Russell Tubbs - Sax (Alto), Sax (Soprano)
Tony Tiller - Package Coordinator
Pete Cenedella - Package Coordinator
1991 CD Columbia CK-46867
1991 CS Columbia CT-46867
1975 LP Columbia 33411
http://www.allmusic.com/
Visions of The Emerald Beyond
Sri Chinmoy
No more am I the foolish customer
Of a dry, sterile, intellectual breeze.
I shall buy only
The weaving visions of the emerald-Beyond.
My heart-tapestry
Shall capture the Himalayan Smiles
Of my Pilot Supreme.
In the burial of my sunken mind
Is the revival of my climbing heart.
In the burial of my deceased mind
Is the festival of my all-embracing life.
Visions of the Emerald Beyond
Mahavishnu Orchestra | Columbia/Legacy CK 46867
Track Listing: Eternity's Breath Part 1; Eternity's Breath Part 2; Lila's Dance; Can't Stand Your Funk; Pastoral; Faith; Cosmic Strut; If I Could See; Be Happy; Earth Ship; Pegasus; Opus; On The Way Home To Earth
Personnel: John McLaughlin- guitar, vocals Jean-Luc Ponty- violin, Michael Walden- drums, vocals; Ralphe Armstrong- bass, vocals Gayle Moran- keyboards, vocals; Bob Knapp- trumpet, vocals; Russel Tubbs- sax; Steven Kindler- violin; Carol Shive- violin, vocals; Phillip Hirschi- cello
Visions of the Emerald Beyond is the most-overlooked and under-appreciated recording John McLaughlin has ever made. This album, released in 1975, features an expanded Mahavishnu line-up that went beyond a horn and string section to include the dynamic Narada Michael Walden on drums and fusion superstar Jean Luc Ponty on violin.
This album is drenched in a new sort of funkiness that McLaughlin had not explored in previous Mahavishnu recordings.
"Eternity's Breath" opens the album, and right away you know you are in for a sonic treat. McLaughlin's notes are fat and strong. Walden's drumming is powerful and propulsive. Ponty's violin literally soars to heights he has never attained on his own recordings. The strings and horns do not have that superfluous quality found in many other "third-stream" efforts. They are relevant to the musical event. Vocals even pop up now and then, and although they can be somewhat "holier than thou", they too add to the orchestral milieu of Visions.
Many listeners wanting to hear a clone of the original Mahavishnu Orchestra never accepted this band. That is too bad, because MO2 had a lot to say. The band has a full and engaging sound, plus the balls to present it in a grandiose fashion.
Michael Walden’s “Cosmic Strut” opened up side two of this album on the original vinyl release. Talk about FUNK! This tune envelops you in it. Walden, who has gone onto to become a superstar producer, was a great fusion writer.
"Lila's Dance" is another gem. When Branford Marsalis served as the musical director of America’s Jay Leno Tonight Show, his band, also featuring the fine jazz guitarist Kevin Eubanks, would regularly perform the tune, along with “Meeting of the Spirits.” Even two decades years later these tunes were too much for the establishment to take. Management told Marsalis to stop playing this type of music. That attitude, along with some other issues, convinced Branford that he no longer had a job. Eubanks has the gig now, and although he's a huge McLaughlin fan, he doesn’t play any of these tunes. He wants to keep his job. That’s how dangerous this music can still be.
~ Walter Kolosky
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/reviews/r1102_168.htm
THE ROLLING STONE REVIEW
-
The original Mahavishnu Orchestra was the most important single force in breaking the pop barrier for jazzderived electric music; its converts, having found in the group's virtuosic soloing and thunderous ensemble presence a revelation of taste-shaping magnitude, never quite forgave guitarist John McLaughlin for disbanding. The release last year of a generally disappointing album featuring a recently formed Mahavishnu Two and the London Symphony Orchestra seemed to confirm the diehards' worst suspicions. The more McLaughlin insisted that M.O. Two was the real Mahavishnu Orchestra, the more M.O. One fans disagreed. It was widely believed that McLaughlin had blissed out into the Great Beyond and would never again play the kind of tension-filled, skull-shattering music that had won him his following in the first place.
Visions, its title notwithstanding, suggests that McLaughlin knew what he was doing all along. It has its tender moments, lyrical interludes hanging suspended out of tempo, but heavily amplified guitar/bass unison riffs and thudding fatback drumming keep breaking through. The goal may be Beyond (as the title of an earlier McLaughlin album proclaimed) but for the time being the music is loud, hard, visceral rock & roll, with a marked tendency toward getting down in the funk of physical existence. The pretentious orchestral overkill of the previous LP is gone, and so is the push-pull of egos which sometimes made listening to the old band a nerve-racking or numbing experience.
Round-robin soloing was obligatory with the original M.O. Billy Cobham, Jan Hammer and Jerry Goodman were constantly attempting to outdo each other's epiphanies, and there came a time when ensemble spirit had withered. M.O. Two has only two featured soloists — McLaughlin and the French violin wizard Jean-Luc Ponty—and is a better band for it. Gayle Moran adds light, shimmering keyboard touches and a pure soprano voice which sometimes soars over the ensemble's massed voices, but she isn't trying to replace Hammer. Bassist Ralph Armstrong is both funkier and more fluid than his predecessor, Rick Laird, and drummer Michael Walden, who failed to impress on the Orchestra's previous outing, proves himself a ten-handed powerhouse who can drive as hard as Cobham but doesn't feel the need to assert himself as vociferously.
Places in the music which the old band would have filled with solos are now dominated by the M.O.'s self-contained horn section and string trio. This means McLaughlin is writing more and he has never packed this many vivid melodic flourishes and varied instrumental voicings into a single LP. "Eternity's Breath," which opens the album, includes a violin/guitar section which makes use of Indian motifs without recourse to clichés, a sonorous choral arrangement for the group's singing voices, lightning-fast string-section arpeggios over brass chords and solos by McLaughlin and Ponty which are both intense and to the point. Drummer Walden's "Cosmic Strut" finds the rhythm section laying down a nasty groove and the brass players sounding as stridently right as the MarKeys. The concluding "On the Way Home to Earth" features guitar with tonal expanders and sounds like a cross between Led Zeppelin and Sun Ra.
Fans of McLaughlin's guitar dexterity may feel that Visions has too much arranged material and too little improvisational development. But like another prominent English guitarist, Eric Clapton, McLaughlin seems to be turning away from the role of virtuoso and finding fulfillment in the creation of more premeditated musical presentations. Perhaps his albums and concerts with Carlos Santana taught him something important about editing both the length and the complexity of his solos. Perhaps the experience of Mahavishnu One taught him that a string of good solos does not necessarily make good music. In any event, Visions of the Emerald Beyond is the best Mahavishnu Orchestra album since The Inner Mounting Flame, and an achievement which most of McLaughlin's competitors, M.O. graduates included, will find it difficult to equal. (RS 188)
BOB PALMER
http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/cd/review.asp?aid=58334
Mahavishnu Orchestra Visions of the Emerald Beyond
John McLaughlin - 6 & 12 string guitars, vocals
Jean-Luc Ponty - electric violin, electric baritone violin
Gayle Moran - keyboards, vocals
Ralph Armstrong - bass guitar, contra bass, vocals
Michael Walden - drums, percussion, vocals, clavinet
Steve Kindler - 1st violin, Cadenza in 'Pastoral'
Carol Shive - 2nd violin, vocals
Phillip Hirschi - cello
Bob Knapp - trumpet, flugelhorn, flute, vocals
Russel Tubbs - alto & soprano sax
All compositions by John McLaughlin except 'Cosmic Strut' by Michael Walden.
Recorded at Electric Lady Studios, December 4-14, 1974 in New York.
Mixed at Trident Studios, London, December 16-24, 1974.
Produced by Ken Scott and Mahavishnu John McLaughlin
Sony Columbia 467904 (p) 1975, 1991
1. Eternity's Breath Part 1 - (3:10)
2. Eternity's Breath Part 2 - (4:48)
3. Lila's Dance - (5:34)
4. Can't Stand Your Funk - (2:09)
5. Pastoral - (3:41)
6. Faith - (1:58)
7. Cosmic Strut - (3:28) (+ If I Could
See + beginning of Be Happy)
8. If I Could See - (1:18)
9. Be Happy - (3:31)
10. Earth Ship - (3:42)
11. Pegasus - (1:48)
12. Opus 1 - (0:24)
13. On the Way Home to Earth - (4:44)
Visions is the most overlooked and underappreciated recording John McLaughlin has ever made. This album was released in 1975 and features the expanded Mahavishnu line-up which in addition to using a horn and string section, featured the dynamic Narada Michael Walden on drums and fusion superstar Jean Luc Ponty on violin. This album is drenched in the funkiness McLaughlin had shown little of in previous Mahavishnu recordings.
"Eternity's Breath" opens the album and right away you know you are in for a sonic treat. McLaughlin's notes are fat and strong. They snap and crackle and pop. Walden's drumming is strong and propulsive. Ponty's violin literally soars to heights he has never attained on his own recordings. The strings and horns are not superfluous like in many other "third-stream" efforts. They are relevent to the musical event. Vocals even arise and although somewhat "holier than thou", they add to the orchestral milieu of Visions.
Listen to "Lila's Dance" and discover one of the reasons the great Branford Marsalis no longer works his bandleader gig on America's late night Jay Leno TV show. He played this tune often and it was too much for the powers that be!
Walter Kolosky
smsi@attbi.com
http://www.cs.cf.ac.uk/Dave/mclaughlin/disc/full/43.html
MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA
VISIONS OF THE EMERALD BEYOND (1975)
John McLaughling's mighty Mahavishnu Orchestra, formed during his stay under the guidance of guru Sri Chinmoy, was one of (if not THE) primary superstars of those fusion bands that sprang forth from the bosom of Miles Davis in the early 1970s. One of the things I admired most about these early fusion siblings was the diversity. Not just in the tunes but in the personnel as well.And with the second "ensemble" version of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, you got it all: white, black, men, women, American, European. A band of people from different cultural backgrounds converging at a musical crossroad to kick some serious shit, the only common denominator being willingness and...talent.
I must have listened to VISIONS OF THE EMERALD BEYOND album about a billion times by now. I bought it out of curiosity close to five years ago as of this writing. At the time, I thought about 1/4 of it was untouchably brilliant and the remainder was, more or less, forgettable. Truthfully, it IS as disjointed as hell and some sections admittedly sound more dated than others. But, over time, as I found that gradually most of my waking hours seemed to be increasingly given to listening to this crazy record, I figured maybe my initial assessment was wrong.
The brilliance comes through early on for VISIONS. The first composition, "Eternity's Breath" (comprised of two sections) is, quite simply put, The One. In the first section, it all comes together, like a tornado gathering momentum, then chewing up and spitting out all in its path: flowing Indian guru-bliss, symphonic climes, and monster Zeppelin riffs. Listen to the particularly creative fills of drummer Narada Michael Walden [I especially love these ones: 1:10-1:15; 1:40-1:43; 1:53-1:56; 2:18-2:22; 2:40-2:48; and, (goddamn!) 2:52-3:02] The man just unleashes like Mount Vesuvius. By the way, this is the guy who turned out to produce Whitney Houston and Kenny G? Say it ain't so! You can put him with Phil Collins in the department of Talented Drummers Who About-Faced Creatively.
French violinist then Jean-Luc Ponty flips the warp-speed switch with a rapid arpeggio that leads into the more jazzy, jam-driven "part two." Here, McLaughlin takes the reigns, firing off a euphoric solo. Also noteworthy is the bridge [2:59-3:40] leading back into the "part one" reprise that closes the song, with keyboardist Gayle Moran's lithe piano fills and more lightning speed arpeggios from Ponty. The final firework of "Eternity's Breath" is a dazzler[4:07-4:20], with McLaughlin and Ponty flying through an earlier-stated phrase [played by the string section at 2:22-2:48 on "part one"] at a staggering 32nd-note (at least) pace. If you're not a musician, 32nd notes basically means Chuck Yeager territory.
The next track, "Lila's Dance," is a masterful piece, and the one I'd be most likely to play to someone as a demonstration of the album's merits. It begins with an ascending cycle of fourths pattern on piano courtesy of Moran leading towards a rich web of guitar interspersed with cherubic string passages (echoing Moran's opening cycle) taking flight, lifting up into the air like a kite and gently sliding back down to McLaughlin's web. The middle section of the dance provides a stark mood contrast of below-the-belt, smouldering blues that nonetheless wonderfully complements the symphonic beginnings of the song. Then, the guitar web gradually weaves back into the song, interweaving with the blues passages perfectly (an earlier example of this sort of technique in the Mahavishnu's repertoire can be found on "Dance of Maya" off of THE INNER MOUNTING FLAME). After settling down, the piece concludes as it begun, with the delicate, bittersweet cycle of fourths on solo piano. Another track on the album with a similar style of richly intricate guitar (this time acoustic) tapestries from McLaughlin is "Faith." Check it out, with Walden's spectacularly convulsive drumwork and McLaughlin's ascending 5/8 patterns propelling it all eventually into the lonely nothingness of McLaughlin's cold electric guitar.
At this point, I feel compelled to mention what is surely one of the weirdest "medley"s on an album I think I've ever heard: the juxtaposition of "Cosmic Strut," "If I Could See," and "Be Happy" at the middle of the album. Written by Walden, "Cosmic Strut" is straight out of the Superfly 70s avenue of funk, with two quite different solos: McLaughlin's is muscular and fumbling (offering a bit of comic relief?), Ponty's is a foray of irregularly accented, angular jabs. "If I Could See" is almost 180 degrees from "Cosmic Strut" in every way, with Moran's soprano voice and a string section. Out of all the tracks on the album, this one might come the closest to making the eyes roll, with its over-the-top, cosmic-hippie feel, but truth be told, there are some beautiful moments to it. Listen from the lyricless vocal section of the song onwards [0:45-], and note the power of the song's climax and slowly descending orchestrations. Well, even if you just don't hear it, at least the track is short. "If I Could See" then slopes into the improvised funk rapids of "Be Happy." This one features some blistering workouts from McLaughlin, Ponty and Walden; intense stuff. The piece also has some nice imperfections that make it more endearing; listen and you might catch Ponty make a false start on the main riff and work with it.
The album closes with the killer "On the Way Home to Earth". This is melting-point free-jazz that might have made Hendrix proud, and it'll introduce you to endorphins you didn't know you had. When I first listened to this track, I thought it was a bit over-indulgent. And perhaps it is. But the concentration on the sheer visceral impact of the guitar and drum interactions between McLaughlin and Walden eventually converted with me. The piece gives the evocative impression of a shuttle or satellite careening through the coldness of space (the opening), then re-entering and burning up in the earth's atmosphere (the second half with the string section), and finally crashing somewhere into the vast ocean (the abrupt end crescendo).
As I write this, I've noticed that I've forgotten to mention the quieter sides of the album offering balance. The beautiful "Pastoral" continues to develop the peaceful mood that opens up "Eternity's Breath, part one," with an emphasis on the strings and a violin cadenza played by Steve Kindler. The wavering "Earth Ship" is sung by Walden, with a laid-back Fender Rhodes groove, both enigmatic and calming. These pieces represent the other end of the spectrum from tracks like "Be Happy" and "On the Way Home from Earth," showing what McLaughlin and associates were capable of delivering.
When I look back on what I thought of VISIONS when I first bought it and now, I see an appreciation for the whole effort that has since grown by leaps and bounds. This is a work of tremendous energy and passion. After this, McLaughlin would make one more album (sans Moran, the strings and horns, and most critically, Ponty) with the moniker of "Mahavishnu Orchestra," INNER WORLDS. But his time under the guidance of Sri Chinmoy was clearly beginning to fade, and with it that phase of McLaughlin's career.
http://students.washington.edu/joemcg/mahvoteb.html
With this recording, the Mahavishnu Orchestra reached a new peak. After the amazing 'Inner Mounting Flame' launched their arrival, the band went into overdrive and burned out after only a few of albums, but McLaughlin's experimentation and search for the right blend of rock, classicism and spirit went on. The classical orchestra used on 'Apocalypse' was whittled down to just three string players, and 'Visions..' captures the elusive blend perfectly. Dreamy open spaces with strings and vocals, stellar guitar work, punchy bass from Ralphe Armstrong and soaring violin from Jean-Luc Ponty make this a landmark album.
Submitted by a reviewer in Tetbury, Glos. UK
http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?PID=1086923&frm=sh_google
Visions Of The Emerald Beyond (Mahavishnu Orchestra Mark II, 1974)
Personnel: McLaughlin -- guitar, vocals, Jean-Luc Ponty -- violin, Ralphe Armstrong -- electric bass, vocals, Narada Michael Walden -- drums, percussion, vocals, clavinet, Gayle Moran -- vocals, keyboards, Steve Kindler -- violin, Phillip Hirschi - cello, Bob Knapp -- flute, trumpet, flugelhorn, vocals, Carol Shive -- violin, vocals, Russell Tubbs -- alto sax, soprano sax
All compositions by John McLaughlin except Cosmic Strut by Narada Michael Walden
Recorded in December 1974
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This is the most controversial Mahavishnu Orchestra album. John McLaughlin himself told me that he thinks this album is not only the best Mahavishnu album, it is his best album ever. Some other listeners (myself included) feel that "Visions..." is too incoherent to be a serious contender for the title of the best Mahavishnu album (I reserve that title for Birds Of Fire).
Truth be told, it really is difficult to deny the extraordinary qualities that fill almost every composition on this recording. Starting with McLaughlin's guitar playing -- on this album, it truly has that 'larger than life' quality that most of his fans crave. On almost all songs, the guitar sound has that extra bite which makes it appear simply irresistible (a 'bite' that is sorely missing from John's recent recordings).
The overall concept of the album is ambitious, very ambitious. It attempts to bridge styles and concepts that are so disparate, no one's ever even thought of connecting them. And, believe it or not, the mixture occasionally works!
This album also boasts some breakthrough arrangements, especially with regards to the string quartet. Many subsequent fusion recordings will be made that will be totally engrossed in this aspect of "Visions..." (c.f. Chick Corea's onslaught of string and brass arrangements on many of his albums throughout the seventies. Chick's arrangements sound almost embarrassingly similar to those that embellish "Visions...; the best examples would be Chick's "Leprechaun" and "My Spanish Heart", however, "Musicmagic" and "Secret Agent" also come to mind).
1. Eternity's Breath Part 1 (3:10)
Eternity's Breath Part 2 (4:48)
The opening composition could very well be the best piece on this album. It is very complex, layered, and only several minutes shy from being a 'large' format. This is regrettable, in a way, because large musical formats are McLaughlin's best medium. As we've discussed elsewhere (c.f. Between Nothingness And Eternity), McLaughlin seems to be requiring ample space in order to introduce and elaborate on all the ideas he may have. Being squeezed into the rock and pop format by the real or assumed demands of the market had somewhat crippled his lavish expressiveness.
With this composition, we apparently get the best of both worlds -- the music is rather easily accessible, and at the same time, it is ambitiously constructed to bring forth all the cosmic drama McLaughlin was intent on showcasing on this album.
The album opens with a high pitched drone combined with the hiss of quick cymbals work, which together bring the feeling of uneasiness and unsettlement. When McLaughlin's weeping guitar enters, it builds an elaborate scene that is reminiscent of the ominous clouds that are grouping on the horizon, announcing the wild and threatening storm. It is amazing how he manages to create such wild diversity of feelings employing similar means -- the same weeping guitar he had introduced on "Hymn To Him" (Apocalypse, 1974), and that had brought the feelings of bliss and serenity, now announces major disturbances to come.
When the guitar finishes its brooding (by cascading to the very bottom), an even more ominous sound of electric violin enters. Ponty's violin sound is marvelous, very edgy, almost to the point of being violent. It starts deep down at the lowest possible register, but quickly soars up to the screaming heights, sounding like an ill-tempered dragon that has been awakened from the eons long slumber.
The dragon's song subsides for a moment. A hair-raising thundering of timpani enters from a distance. The metallic rattling of timpani announces that something big and powerful is approaching. All of a sudden, the blisteringly fast unison of guitar and violin breaks through this thrilling suspense. Both McLaughlin and Ponty crunch their fingers over some altered eastern pentatonic scale with such breathtaking mastery, that the listener literally feels as if being lifted up from a chair. This levitating experience leaves us hanging in mid air, when the main lick (or riff) enters the picture.
The main lick is a simple pentatonic rockish melody in the key of C that spans one octave and introduces a bit of rhythmic variety. The band joins in, all breathing one breath except for Walden, who shows off some of the most frantic drumming, shaking and jittering and going against the grain. However, that very intelligently creates a rather interesting diversion from what would otherwise be just a ho-hum rock riff.
The choir, composed of female and male voices, enters, sounding similar to the choir on "Smile Of The Beyond", from the previous album (Apocalypse). However, the overall impression is drastically different - this time there is a tremendous sense of urgency. The lyrics:
Oh Lord, Supreme, Supreme,
Let me fulfill Thy will!
Let me fulfill Thy will!
are sung with such religious fervor and zeal that the vocals appear to be almost hysterical.
Immediately after the introduction of the main vocal theme, the guitar and the violin sing their elaborate and intricate rendition of what is essentially the same melody, only stretched over several octaves. But then an even greater surprise occurs - the string quartet picks the melody up and makes it even more intricate. By now, the whole musical melange is approaching the boiling point. Suddenly, the band stops, and the guitar-violin duo is launched skywards at the speed of light. Before we get a chance to return to our senses, they are gone, leaving only the traces and echoes of their stratospheric high notes.
Part 2 begins, with a bare bones riff. The guitar joins in with a simple three note chromatic fill, as Walden breaks in with some of his trademark powerhouse drumming. To heighten the intensity of the ominous drama that is unfolding before us, McLaughlin cues in the brass section, which was miked extremely close, contributing to the overall harshness of the sound.
After several repeated riffs (and with a choir in the background chiming in enthusiastically), McLaughlin enters with his shimmering solo. His fingers caress the strings very smoothly, the sound is bouncing up and down like jello, and eventually he reaches the upper register. Now sparks begin to fly, as he pents up the volume and starts bending the strings, making the guitar yell and scream.
McLaughlin's solo finishes abruptly with an unexpectedly angular and fresh musical phrase. Now Ponty breaks in, with an extremely aggressive electric violin sound. At first, he stays in the deep end and then gradually climbs up to the middle register. He embellishes the underlying riff, and then, as if all of a sudden becoming stark raving mad, kicks into what probably is the most maddening violin playing ever recorded by the Mahavishnu Orchestra. His playing is simply berserk, ferocious, almost as if foaming on his mouth. The dragon has now reached the most frightening stage of utmost rage, breathing fire and scorching everything on its path.
Ponty's absolutely devastating solo (probably his best solo ever -- I'm only guessing here because I haven't heard all of his solos) denotes the musical pinnacle of this album. He somehow managed to steal the spotlight from McLaughlin, and that's quite an achievement.
After such exhaustive musical assertions by John and Ponty, one would expect things to deflate and to wind down, but that's far from what further unfolds in this composition. Instead of collapsing, after the scorching fire of Ponty's violin had leveled everything, the band picks up a triumphant melody, and re-enters with even higher might than in the beginning! The magnanimous lilting melody is executed with such gusto, while being underpinned with gorgeous grand piano chords, that it paints a crystal clear picture of magnificent ocean wave crushing onto a rocky shore. This turbulent scenery leads to the last entrance of the choir singing the ubiquitous Oh Lord, Supreme, Supreme... Things are now really getting blown out of proportion, everything is swelling beyond recognition, when McLaughlin and Ponty suddenly crank it up by playing the most intense, blazingly fast and utterly complicated, prolonged stretch of the initial serpentine melody. But this time, the melody had suffered so many contortions and is enriched in such a way that it's almost impossible to consciously follow its arabesque-like ornaments. And to make things even more unbelievable, as soon as the violin-guitar duo finishes this torturous run, the string quartet picks it up and rips it with even higher intensity and determination! If there was ever a demonstration of a superhuman musical execution, this will certainly be it.
Judging from all the superlatives we have listed here, someone may be tempted to believe that this composition must certainly be McLaughlin's best ever. Unfortunately, there are some problems with this song that delegate it to John's less successful creations. I will discuss only two problems here:
Despite its many-layeredness and overall complexity, the musical material presented in this composition sounds oddly conventional. The juxtaposing of easily recognizable Oriental musical flavors with classical European romantic movements is just that -- a juxtaposition. The two worlds never truly mesh on this track, rather it's "a little bit of Indian scales here, and a little bit of Rachmaninoff piano concerto there" type of a potpourri.
For some strange reason, this deeply devotional composition has the tendency to sound like a B-production movie soundtrack (something one would expect to hear when watching old movies like "Sinbad's Adventures" and the like). I could never manage to let go of that association with the cheap B-movie soundtrack, whenever I would listen to this piece.
2. Lila's Dance (5:34)
This is definitely the most popular track on this album, and one of the most popular compositions in McLaughlin's repertoire. The opening Em9 lick (the one that enters immediately after the piano intro), has probably been played by McLaughlin, in various settings, more than any other of his trademark licks. Also, one could hear, later on, how many other of McLaughlin's subsequent licks have evolved from this one (especially during his Shakti and One Truth Band periods).
"Lila's Dance" opens with some of the most gorgeous piano etudes on record (if you pay closer attention, you'll be able to hear that the gorgeousness of the piano is partly due to the exceedingly high quality of the recording and sound engineering). It is a playful, upward mobile figure that just sounds yummy when played on a well-tempered grand piano.
Then the famous shimmering 'lick' enters. Even to this very day, McLaughlin's special cross-picking technique, as exhibited here, still poses considerable challenges to the majority of seasoned guitarists. Somehow, it is just too hard to emulate the particular phrasing he is employing here, and it is exactly the phrasing which makes it into such an irresistible lick.
As the twelve string guitar motif unfolds, Walden enters hitting his snare drum, and on the second round Armstrong jumps in with some very muscular bass playing that adds a healthy dose of adrenaline. The presence and the sound depth of his bass is awesome (too bad they couldn't engineer such lush bass sound on the original Mahavishnu Orchestra albums!)
The string quartet interrupts this dreamy scene with a tantalizing, unresolvable melody that seems to be climbing skywards with ever increasing fervor.
When the melody disappears in the stratosphere, the trio (guitar, drums and bass) create again a dreamy, tapestry-like ambience over which Ponty now begins to float with his electric violin. His playing is impeccable, imaginative and soulful. After soaring through the purple-bluish mist created by the deep, shimmering chords of the guitar, Ponty ends his outstanding solo by playing some special effect on his violin (probably embellished via some studio wizardry).
Again, the string quartet tantalizes us with the same agonizing melody, but this time it gets interrupted by a very harsh, 'street smart' funky guitar. Deep down, delightful pulsations of Armstrong's bass underlie the smoky, kick-ass atmosphere that is slowly being built up. After McLaughlin plays a string of his legendary arpeggios on the twelve string guitar, Walden abruptly jumps in while McLaughlin switches to a raunchy six string guitar for one the nastiest solos he's ever recorded. His guitar simply bites, like a poisonous snake. His sound is nearly perfect, driven to the limits of distortion. His fingerwork is out of sight, as he plays some impossible phrases that pierce our ears. In the background, Walden unleashes his drums and goes berserk. One of the most intense moments McLaughlin has ever recorded!
As soon as his solo dissipates, a marvelous melody is introduced to keep the momentum going. This melody is a sheer wonder to behold, both from the formal standpoint and from the gut-feel standpoint. It is in total disarray with the underlying groove. The constituent phrases are choppy, jerky, very angular and dissonant. Rhythmically, it would be virtually impossible to imagine the meter that would be more at odds with the main meter of this segment, and yet the whole thing miraculously hangs together. Not only that, it really rocks, and it makes our hair stand on its end. Truly one of the most magical moments on this album.
After this magical episode, the band rehashes the main ascending melody, blissfully sustaining the last and the highest note, until everything falls back onto the opening, shimmering cross-picking arpeggio. This time, instead of the yearning and assertive violin licks, the string quartet repeatedly plays beautiful riffs. Finally, the flow of the orchestra dies out, and the song ends with the lush grand piano arpeggios.
3. Can't Stand Your Funk (2:09)
A typical Mahavishnu snake-like ascending melody opens up this short, monolithic piece. The melody is played in unison by guitar, violin and bass. Immediately after that, John enters with his smokiest, funkiest guitarwork. Walden joins him with some ironclad drumming, while Armstrong provides a rock-solid, firm foundation. The trio rocks real hard. However, it is a monotonous, non eventful rocking. The vamp they are playing is repeated over and over and over again. But what gives particular charm to this track is the treatment of the brass section. The trumpets sound ominous, holding their long, sustained, slowly burning notes. Every now and then, the rising crescendo gets interrupted by short trumpet riffs that punctuate the monotonous flow of this groove.
Eventually, the 'steam roller' effect, produced by this heavy rocking, dissipates and the band closes with the same melody that opened this track.
This is not the first time McLaughlin has tried his hand on funky grooves (his first official funk can be heard on the marvelous "Vision Is A Naked Sword" from Apocalypse). When "Visions..." was released, some critics interpreted the title of this number as an attack on Billy Cobham (who was, at that time, knee-deep in producing funky grooves). I would say that this interpretation is too vulgar to be considered seriously. It sounds more like the band was simply enjoying themselves going over those funky clichés with utter abandon.
4. Pastoral (3:41)
I can still remember how deeply impressed I was upon hearing this piece for the first time (back in 1975). The very idea of incorporating concrete music, such as chirping of the birds (obviously taped somewhere in the bushes), had tremendous appeal to me. At that time I was intensively involved in making excursions into the wilderness, trying to get real close to nature, and to me nothing could better depict pure, unadulterated nature, than McLaughlin's music.
Also, the sheer romanticism of the string quartet that gushes forth after the opening twelve string acoustic arpeggios and the main melody, was something that conjured up the images of youth, first love, and first misunderstanding.
The solemn ecstasy of the violin solo, albeit presented in the typical classical fashion (amounting to the cliché, if you will), always had the power to give me goose bumps and to perform some sort of a cleansing ritual on my soul.
The music slowly dies out, letting the birdsong emerge once again.
5. Faith (3:58)
The silence of the forest gets abruptly wiped out by the forceful twelve string electric arpeggios. The atmosphere created by the angular, dissonant guitar licks is ominous and mysterious. Armstrong enters with a twirling descending bass lick, that soon hits the lowest bottom and explodes like a most powerful bomb. Walden immediately joins in with a thunderous drum roll. Then, the band locks in with yet another variation of the famous ascending melody (this is just another rendition of the melody that McLaughlin first introduced on "Don't Let The Dragon Eat Your Mother" from Devotion; subsequently, he would embellish that melody, elaborate upon it, like on "Dawn" from The Inner Mounting Flame, or on "Resolution" from Birds Of Fire). In this reincarnation, the melody gains mythical proportions, squirming as it rises like a giant dragon, crying the tears of superhuman clarity.
When the slowly and deliberately climbing melody exhausts all the conceivable heights, it disappears into the void, leaving an empty silence that McLaughlin's fabulous twelve string playing is to fill up. He begins tentatively, as if feeling his whereabouts in total darkness. But soon the sparks start to fly, and with each vigorous gesture, he can see farther and farther. His faith rises, it shines beyond belief.
Suddenly, he breaks into the most virile playing ever heard on the twelve string electric guitar. It's the most exciting rhythm guitar playing imaginable. The meter is uneven, the chords are unidentifiable. The slurs and little accidentals reveal the true Master of the instrument. And before too long, the whole sky is lit with his burning faith. The valiant drums announce the big finale, where the whole band jumps in with the most intricate melody, played at impossible tempo. The melody stops, as if being cut off, only to be continued by McLaughlin's otherworldly laughter. The final effect is absolutely unreal!
6. Cosmic Strut (Walden, 3:28)
"Faith" concludes side one, and what follows on side two is a collection of compositions of various quality and intensity. Unfortunately, side one is incomparably more superior to side two, which boasts only a few extraordinary performances. This imbalance of the quality of the two sides contributes in a major way to the uneven reception of this album.
Walden's composition is surprisingly good. It withstands the test of time, and is a pleasure to listen to today (despite the substantial evolution of funk in the past 25 years). What's especially attractive to my ears is its well constructed melody and the incredibly agile and rubber-like solo by McLaughlin.
The song opens with some screeching, dissonant chords. Soon, this unpleasantness is replaced by a very appealing funky groove, thanks to Armstrong's fabulous bass work and Walden's muscular drumming. To underline the tension and to dramatize the whole song, Walden skillfully employs the brass section.
The melody, played mostly by Ponty (with possibly McLaughlin joining in unison on his modulated guitar), begins its teasing, wiggly ascent. After the melody is repeated, a very nice tag, loaded with emotion, leads perfectly into McLaughlin's solo.
And what a solo it is! Popping, futuristic, difficult to follow but at the same time so pleasing to the ear. There is nothing mellow in his playing, and the modulated sound gets to be real angry at moments, and yet the overall effect is mesmerizing.
Next comes Ponty, with one of his staple solos, this time embellished by the battery of raucous brass section. Overall, this solo is a bit disappointing, especially after McLaughlin's devastating performance. The band closes this piece by hitting the highest possible note. That leads directly to:
7. If I Could See (1:18)
Gayle Moran's dreamy, romantic overture fails to make any substantial impression. It is unbearably pompous, and the only thing worth our attention is a very nicely and elaborately crafted melody. Everything else is rather forgettable, but, if nothing else, it serves as a nice intro to the next track.
8. Be Happy (3:31)
This is where the band starts burning with the highest possible intensity. We can almost feel the melting of the metal! A typical Mahavishnu ecstasy melody is played over and over again, with the underlying 'sliding and slippery' beat. It would be quite impossible to dance to this music, and yet our feet cannot resist but move in all directions simultaneously.
But the main melody is just a stimulus for McLaughlin and Ponty to deliver their hottest improvisational lines. Both musicians pass this test with flying colors, so much so that it's impossible to imagine any other musician being able to fill in their shoes on such an occasion. The display of sheer musical pyrotechnics is simply stunning!
There is something to be said about Walden's drumming here, and in general. McLaughlin has repeatedly stressed that what he is looking to get from drums is "passion". Certainly, one could hardly ask for more passion than what he managed to get from Billy Cobham's drumming during the heyday of Mahavishnu Orchestra. But the passion Walden brings to Mahavishnu recordings is also remarkable. Sure enough, it is very different from Cobham's passion, but it has more of an ecstasy feel in it. One of the reasons for this may be in the fact that, at that time, Walden belonged to the same confessional group as his band leader (hence his devotional name, Narada). The dense and intense world of religious devotion and ecstasy, that McLaughlin was immersed in at that time, was much more familiar to his peer Narada than it could have ever been to his former drummer, Cobham. After the original Mahavishnu breakup, Cobham had, on more than one occasion, expressed his uneasiness with McLaughlin's fiery devotion to spirituality. Cobham actually cared to comment how even some of the titles of the Mahavishnu compositions sounded contrived to him (he had illustrated this observation by citing "Celestial Terrestrial Commuters"). This goes to show how little Cobham was able to actually appreciate John's work during the Mahavishnu era.
Walden is, of course, a completely different story, which is why we can feel such strong spiritual bond in the interplay between him and McLaughlin.
9. Earth Ship (3:42)
The 'raise the roof' thrashing extremes and the gut-wrenching intensity of the previous track is counter-balanced by another extreme -- this time, it is an oddly placid, 'hit the snooze button' new age ballad. It starts very slow and very quiet, just a simple chord on the electric piano, and a simple swinging lick to keep things going at a glacial pace.
The bass guitar quietly joins with a sedated, descending lick. Electric guitar and electric violin state the melody as if walking on the eggshells. Suddenly, Walden startles us with his singing. This is his first solo vocal performance, and he does a much better job than on the subsequent Mahavishnu album (Inner Worlds). At least, he's not affecting as much as he will be doing later on.
Again, the lyrics are purely devotional. This ballad sounds more as if it belongs on Santana's "Welcome" disc, than on a Mahavishnu album.
The lethargic atmosphere is briefly lifted by a very nice flute solo, but soon afterwards things drop back to the 'nod off' mode, and before you know it, the piece slowly fades away.
10. Pegasus (1:18)
Similar to "Sapphire Bullets Of Pure Love" from Birds Of Fire, this track consists of electronic effects and the so-called abstract music. There are two differences, though: it conveys a much more cosmic vision (nebulas, galaxies, constellations and the like), and it's played entirely on the electric violin. Some nice, ice cold sounds coming from Ponty, but overall, this piece is rather forgettable.
Ponty had complained that McLaughlin had signed this 'composition' although he had nothing to do with it -- it was strictly Ponty's own improvisation and fiddling around. That 'plagiarism' (in the spirit of McLaughlin's teacher, Miles Davis) may be one of the main reasons why Ponty had left the group immediately after this album was released.
11. Opus (0:15)
A surprisingly good (and a surprisingly short) string quartet written by McLaughlin. Very contemporary sounding, with a nod to such classic composers like Webern and Berg. Also, very abstract. I wish John would deliver more of such abstract pieces, because he obviously has a knack for it.
12. On The Way To Home Earth (4:34)
This piece is a perfect ending for this cosmic album. Whenever I listen to it, it always sounds like a full-blown hommage to John Coltrane. Some people believe that the entire Birds Of Fire recording is a hommage to Coltrane, but that's a more oblique connection, the one you have to work hard in order to dig up. Here, with the typical drums/guitar opening duo, which later on gets augmented by the bass, we have a classic Coltrane form. And John managed to do a marvelous job at playing those Coltrane-like sheets of sound on his guitar.
The piece begins with an ominous, grumbling chord. Walden's cymbals provide the continuity between the repeated deep grumbles coming from the guitar. A heavily distorted guitar interrupts the status quo, spewing angular, angry statements. The jagged feeling gets underlined by Walden's unevenly distributed rhythmic patterns, before the guitar and the drums lock horns and engage in a typical Mahavishnu battle.
The fierce battle drags on, but the overall effect is hypnotizing. It would be very difficult to classify this type of music. It is free and abstract, and at the same time very earthy and bluesy. But the awesome musical prowess of both players is what gives it an added freedom, making it very fresh and totally surprising.
When the bass finally joins them, the music starts flowing more evenly, having now more recognizable regularity to it. However, within the confines of this order, McLaughlin and Walden continue to deliver surprisingly free and fresh lines. This is especially true when it comes to their fantastic interplay -- at times the listener feels as if being on a roller coaster, going unpredictably up and down while, at the same time, going round and round in the strictly predictable circles.
This ride home is indeed a marvelous achievement, one of the highlights of this album. It ends abruptly, on a high note, as if cut off by scissors. However, the ride will be continued in a remarkably similar fashion on their following album, Inner Worlds.
Thus ends the one of the most ambitious projects ever attempted by McLaughlin. As I've already indicated at the beginning of this review, the results are a mixed bag, ranging from some of the most brilliant and inspired playing to some of the most uneventful compositions (like "Earth Ship"). This album also showcases an odd mix of esthetic approaches to making music. It has its ample share of trademark McLaughlin thrashing, that's been his staple ingredient since the days of Lifetime. But it also sports some surprisingly conventional, even conservative musical moments, that stand out like a sore thumb (for instance, "If I Could See", parts of "Eternity's Breath", "Pastoral", etc.) While almost everyone agrees that McLaughlin had managed to invent a completely new form of music with his work in Mahavishnu Orchestra, on this album he had started abandoning his style and getting closer to the mainstream definition of musical beauty.
My friend Michael Dougan responded immediately after reading my review of this album:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I found myself agreeing with your observations. At the beginning, for example. I remember that you'd mentioned that JM felt that this was the best MO album, the most satisfying for him. But it's not coherent enough for most of his listeners, especially fans, to agree. But it is one of the best produced. I can feel that he was trying to express something, trying to nail it, and he did. Of the MO albums I listened to in my youth, that one got played the most. At that age, I wasn't sophisticated enough to appreciate the harder, edgy stuff I would develop a taste for later. "Visions" was more melodic, more musical -- had a bite, but not too fierce or too demanding. Foreshadowing a more mainstream, less aggressive musical future. And yes, very ambitious. Perhaps JM felt that it was his first 'mature' concept album.
Your description of "Can't stand your funk" (one of my favorite tunes in high school) was right on. What saves it from being a monotonous game of "licks" is the great brass section! The idea of taking a simple funky riff and building elaborate hornplay around it is irresistible fun.
The album covers a lot of territory, but it doesn't all necessarily come together. It's strength is not originality. But I got the sense it was satisfying for the artist. Reading your notes made me not only want to play the album again, it made me want to plug in an electric guitar, an urge I haven't had for years.
My friend Gregman responded to my review of this album with his initial thoughts:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There's one thing that crossed my mind now when I think about the first song there ("Eternity's Breath"). Have you listened to King Crimson's old hit 21st Century Schitzoid Man?. I belive this was the main idea that McLaughlin built the first theme "Eternity's Breath Part 1" on.
I also know that Crimson and MO II played on the same bill before this song was rec. To me the structure is of course very different but somehow the heavy feel is quite similar on these both songs. just a thought of mine :-)
http://alexbunard.freeservers.com/music/jazz/mclaughlin/discography/vob.html
Editorial Reviews
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
Reviewer: Oliver Towne (see more about me)
You were a Mahavishnu fan in the Seventies, but time has gone by and now you can't remember what you thought of it and are trying to decide whether to buy it on CD. The answer, my friend, is of course you should.
Let me refresh you. When "Visions" came along, it wasn't quite what you expected. You were looking for a mind-blowing follow-up to "Birds Of Fire." You weren't ready for--gasp!--vocals, or horns, or funk, or overt religiosity. You liked it, but it wasn't exactly what you had hoped for.
Well, put aside those ideas. You've had a chance to grow and mature and live through years of no more Mahavishnu. You now have the luxury of going back and listening to an album like "Visions" on its own merits.
Guess what. It kicks butt. It's really good. Maybe not quite as phenomenal as the first two albums, but I'll tell you, if don't have the urge to flick your Bic during "Eternity's Breath," then you're not really MO material after all.
My guess is that you you'll be listening to this CD multiple times during the first few days you own it.
Reviewer: A music fan from Denver
I agree (with the above blurb) that this "is not as consistently convincing as Mahavishnu's first two albums", but I also find it much less convincing than the Mahavishnu Orchestra's third and fourth albums. I also agree that Jean-Luc Ponty is "always most convincing when employed, rather than in charge", but I still prefer Jerry Goodman's playing to his--and, for that matter, Billy Cobham's to what's-his-name's (a Billy Cobham imitation), Rick Laird's tasteful restraint to Ralphe Armstrong's busy bass, and, of course, Jan Hammer's keyboard playing to Gail Moran's.
The main problem here, however, is that John McLaughlin has run out of Mahavishnu Orchestra compositional ideas. These pieces tend to be harmonically bland and meandering. The Mahavishnu Orchestra signature devices, unusual meters, polyrhythm, polymodality, rapid unison riffing, etc., often seem perfunctory. There is still enough Mahavishnu Orchestra here to make this worth four stars, but "Birds of Fire" is worth ten stars.
Listen to the first four Mahavishnu Orchestra records first. If you have and prefer this..fine...I suppose, but you're on your own. Oh, one more thing: you really must hear the second Shakti album "Natural Elements".
Reviewer: mat lundin from Kingston Mass
I heard about Mahavishnu Orchestra from Megadeth's first guitarist Chris Poland. I bought Birds of Fire and was impressed. Then I purchased this masterpiece. Faith and Eternity's Breath part one and two and standouts not to be ignored. Cobham's insane drumming fits John's guitar like a glove. The violin is a nice surprise to a listener who usually focuses on the rock genre. Overall, just a great album, my favorite Mahavishnu record.
Reviewer: rkenter (see more about me) from Madras, India
I bought the vinyl album in Sept 1975 when I was a kid. I disliked the album at first. Years later gathering dust in my shelf, I listened to it again & had to eat my own words. The reason for my not liking this GEM is cause' the music made by McLaughlin was way ahead of its time. I was delighted when Columbia released it on CD. Whether it is Lila's Dance or Cosmic Strut or for that matter any track, this album of Mahavishnu is one of the top-notch fusion albums of the mid 70's & has paved the way for several guitarists to get inspiration from John's playing. The line-up is equally impressive with solid support from violinists Jean-Luc-Ponty & Steven Kindler & drummer Narada Michael Walden. If you want an introduction to what jazz fusion sounds like, buy this CD & you will be amazed at what you hear.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000027EU/qid=/sr=/ref=cm_lm_asin/t/002-8908135-9982442?v=glance
From walterkolosky@attbi.com Fri Apr 11 20:11:18 2003
Date: Sat, 1 Mar 2003 09:41:14 -0500
From: Walter Kolosky
Reply-To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
To: One-Word
Subject: [OW] JMMP#25 - LAST DRAWING
[ Part 1, Text/PLAIN 24 lines. ]
[ Unable to print this part. ]
Despite some well meaning emails directed my way, I have decided to end
the JMMP with this last drawing. The purpose of the exercise was to keep
JM content flowing while the list was quiet during JM's 1 year
sabbatical. John wasn't exactly dorment during the "sabbatical", so
activity on the list has maintained a somewhat steady flow. Conversely,
JMMP activity has been waning. I think it is time to move on and retire
the "Jazz Hat" from my office cabinet. So today, I reach into the hat's
pile of few remaining paper slips...to pull out the last JMMP.
I have chosen- ....this will make some people very happy- Visions of
the Emerald Beyond
JMMP# 25 is Visions of the Emerald Beyond from Mahavishnu Orchestra #2
Let's finish off the John McLaughlin Music Project with a bang! Thank
you all for your hundreds of JMMP comments over the last year. A big
thanks also to Julian for his invaluable archiving of our comments
at http://jma.darwinmonkey.com/jmarc1web/
Regards,
Walter
From gondella@stargate.net Fri Apr 11 20:11:18 2003
Date: Sat, 1 Mar 2003 12:59:07 -0500
From: W. Gondella
Reply-To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
Subject: Re: [OW] JMMP#25 - LAST DRAWING
[ Part 1, Text/PLAIN 30 lines. ]
[ Unable to print this part. ]
Walter,
You have me intrigued. What exactly is the JMMP and what in particular
do you seek in regards to the VEB album and music?
WayneG
----- Original Message -----
From: Walter Kolosky
To: One-Word
Sent: Saturday, March 01, 2003 9:41 AM
Subject: [OW] JMMP#25 - LAST DRAWING
I have chosen- ....this will make some people very happy-
Visions of the Emerald Beyond
JMMP# 25 is Visions of the Emerald Beyond from Mahavishnu Orchestra
#2
Let's finish off the John McLaughlin Music Project with a bang!
Thank you all for your hundreds of JMMP comments over the last
year. A big thanks also to Julian for his invaluable archiving of
our comments at http://jma.darwinmonkey.com/jmarc1web/
Regards,
Walter
From walterkolosky@attbi.com Fri Apr 11 20:11:18 2003
Date: Sat, 1 Mar 2003 22:58:31 -0500
From: Walter Kolosky
Reply-To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
Subject: Re: [OW] JMMP#25 - LAST DRAWING
[ Part 1, Text/PLAIN 45 lines. ]
[ Unable to print this part. ]
Hi Wayne,
Ugh :-) Go to http://jma.darwinmonkey.com/jmarc1web/ scroll to the
bottom of the page and everything is explained.
Regards,
Walter
----- Original Message -----
From: W. Gondella
To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
Sent: Saturday, March 01, 2003 12:59 PM
Subject: Re: [OW] JMMP#25 - LAST DRAWING
Walter,
You have me intrigued. What exactly is the JMMP and what in
particular do you seek in regards to the VEB album and music?
WayneG
----- Original Message -----
From: Walter Kolosky
To: One-Word
Sent: Saturday, March 01, 2003 9:41 AM
Subject: [OW] JMMP#25 - LAST DRAWING
I have chosen- ....this will make some people very happy-
Visions of the Emerald Beyond
JMMP# 25 is Visions of the Emerald Beyond from Mahavishnu
Orchestra #2
Let's finish off the John McLaughlin Music Project with a
bang! Thank you all for your hundreds of JMMP comments over
the last year. A big thanks also to Julian for his
invaluable archiving of our comments
at http://jma.darwinmonkey.com/jmarc1web/
Regards,
Walter
From walterkolosky@attbi.com Fri Apr 11 20:11:18 2003
Date: Sat, 1 Mar 2003 23:46:11 -0500
From: Walter Kolosky
To: Julian F. Derry
Subject: Re: [OW] JMMP#25 - LAST DRAWING (fwd)
Yeah, I know. I saw that. I do tend to give a little break to people in
that case, because sometimes I know someone can send a message and it
doesn't arrive for three hours..but there have been plenty of times when it
was clearly not that...Not that it would help..but maybe somewhere down the
line when people go to sign up for one-word, the one-word sign-up page
highly suggests they go visit the appropriate sites and study them so they
can catch up to speed. I think Wayne was probably too busy chanting to have
noticed...tired now, must go to bed. Talk with you soon.
Regards,
Walter
----- Original Message -----
From: "Julian F. Derry"
To: "Walter"
Sent: Saturday, March 01, 2003 10:58 PM
Subject: Re: [OW] JMMP#25 - LAST DRAWING (fwd)
>
> sheesh
>
> it always amazes me how some people don't exactly enter into the list
> ethic - like it helps to read other peoples' emails you know!
>
> i had a similar thing with the stranger's hand review. posted it and a few
> minutes later someone else posts their comments that echo my review - but
> they don't acknowledge that review - like where's the sequence of the
> list?
>
> mindboggling
>
>
> -----
> Walter,
>
> You have me intrigued. What exactly is the JMMP and what in particular
> do you seek in regards to the VEB album and music?
>
> WayneG
>
>
>
From gondella@stargate.net Fri Apr 11 20:11:18 2003
Date: Sat, 1 Mar 2003 23:54:18 -0500
From: W. Gondella
Reply-To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
Subject: Re: [OW] JMMP#25 - LAST DRAWING
[ Part 1, Text/PLAIN 20 lines. ]
[ Unable to print this part. ]
Thanks, Walter. I see I'm gonna have to start paying more attention to
these webpages--- lots of good information there!
WG
----- Original Message -----
From: Walter Kolosky
To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
Sent: Saturday, March 01, 2003 10:58 PM
Subject: Re: [OW] JMMP#25 - LAST DRAWING
Hi Wayne,
Ugh :-) Go to http://jma.darwinmonkey.com/jmarc1web/ scroll to
the bottom of the page and everything is explained.
Regards,
Walter
From walterkolosky@attbi.com Fri Apr 11 20:11:18 2003
Date: Fri, 7 Mar 2003 19:04:43 -0500
From: Walter Kolosky
Reply-To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
To: One-Word
Subject: [OW] Jmmp#25- Visions of the Emerald Beyond
[ Part 1, Text/PLAIN 41 lines. ]
[ Unable to print this part. ]
As always, I point you to my on-line review at
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/reviews/r1102_168.htm if you are interested.
One of the biggest regrets I have in life was not seeing this band. The
closest they came to my neck of the woods was to an outdoor venue in
Rhode Island. I remember Aerosmith was opening up for them...but if I
remember correctly, it was just too far for my piece of shit car to be
depended upon to make the trip safely. I regret it to this day.
Other VOTEB memories include my discovery of the album in a local
headshop that featured the usual paraphenalia and black lights and
posters. The place smelled of incense.....man I loved those
places...miss em. The place was not a record store, but they carried a
few records and there it was; this beautiful album cover. I didn't even
know there was an album coming out! When I put it on my friend's cheesy
turntable, he has a nice one now, the first fat licks came screaming out
at me and I thought- Yes, this is awesome! I have always loved this
album.
Through my original review on Pages of Fire, maybe 6 years ago, our
ex-member Bobby Knapp of the band emailed me directly to thank me for
commenting that the horns were not just window dressing. Then just a few
weeks later, I rec'd an email from Philip Hirschi, the cello player on
the album. He also thanked me for the review and mentioned that he
thought this band was great and never really got the praise it deserved
because of the MO 1 being so loved.....he then told me that he had become
very good friends with Bobby Knapp at the time and was sad that they had
lost touch over the years...voila...I sent him Bobby's email address and
they reconnected! Both of them sent me thank you emails because they
apparently were speaking on the phone for hours and hours.
That's what we do here on One-Word, POF, JMA, WBTG...we bring people
together :-)
Regards,
Walter
From gondella@stargate.net Fri Apr 11 20:11:18 2003
Date: Sun, 9 Mar 2003 15:01:10 -0500
From: W. Gondella
Reply-To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
Subject: Re: [OW] Jmmp#25- Visions of the Emerald Beyond
[ Part 1, Text/PLAIN 116 lines. ]
[ Unable to print this part. ]
Dear OW,
I can well empathize with Walter's regret in missing this concert. While
I saw Apocalypse live at the Syria Mosque, which was essentially the same
band, a shortage of money (due to someone stealing $75 off of me)
prevented me from catching this concert. In hindsight, what really hurts
is that premium seats back then were only $6.
The album had come out about a year earlier, and I literally listened to
it seven days a week, sometimes twice a day. I was in school at the
time, and playing it was the first thing I did when I got home. So, when
the concert came to town, it didn't seem like that big of a deal. I knew
every note! And besides, there would lots more and better concerts to
come, right? Well, we know different now.
Mahavishnu appeared with Jeff Beck as the opening band. Friends who saw
it said that what struck them were the many "off-key" odd notes, chords
and harmonics, which most musicians do not use, and could not use, which
would normally not mix together, but that somehow the Orchestra not only
used, but made fit and work well to tremendous effect. Towards the end,
Jeff Beck came back out alone with his guitar and played with the
Orchestra, presumably during "On The Way Home To Earth," to an incredible
finale and sonic climax.
"Visions" is one of John's most all-time favorite productions.
I respectfully disagree though that the vocals were "holier than thou."
They and their lyrics were the whole point of the music. While it is
true than many had a hard time accepting this band because they wanted a
clone of MO 1, this is a shame--- had the first band never existed, their
perceptions may have been different. While none of the other members of
the first incarnation were into the spirituality that drove the whole
sound and compositional process, many of the second group were, including
key people like Narada.
So many people just never see that each Orchestra album grew from the
previous one, like chapters of a book. This album far exceeds anything
done by the first band, in my opinion. While Lila's Dance is very, very,
good, the real prize of the album is the section from Opus One through On
The Way Home To Earth. The first song of the next album, All In The
Family, picks right up where this song leaves off.
Shortly after MO disbanded, I caught Ponty with Ralphe Armstrong on TV
playing a song. During the interview, Ponty made the remark that the
music of the MO had been "perverted." I always wonder what he meant by
that. The two albums he did with MO contained his finest playing ever,
in my opinion.
Some have claimed that the last, following album, Inner Worlds, was the
MO's weakest. I cannot disagree more. In fact, I would say it was the
very strongest. More so than all of the other albums combined! 95% of
the entire album is squeezed into two songs--- Miles Out and Inner
Worlds. The rest of the album is comparatively light in contrast, as I'm
sure the musicians needed the rest! Inner Worlds had no string section,
no horns, no Ponty because none were needed! They were all within the
sound of John's guitar synthesizer.
This was the culmination of the sound and goals of the entire Mahavishnu
Orchestra project, not some flub thown together just to finish out a
contract. People who study John must know that John doesn't crank out
junk just to get out of a deal. Everything he writes and performs has
musical and creative integrity and significance.
I was lucky enough to see this concert live from the 6th row, just months
after I missed Visions, and long before the album came out. It was the
most fantastic and powerful musical performance I have ever witnessed---
the concert to end all concerts. People pounded and applauded for an
encore for 20 minutes---- well into Brian Auger's gig---- who was the
"top billing" for the night. Try as he might, Brian just could not come
even close, even though he made a gallant effort. The performance that
night challenges the very limits of the recording process, and if I had
never seen it, I doubt I would have a clue what I am actually listening
to when playing the LP or CD. Very few stereos could reproduce it
anyway. Parts of Inner Worlds, like the latter part of Miles Out, just
do not come off very well in Columbia's recording. But believe me, if
you didn't see the live performance, you missed the supreme fusion of
Jazz, Rock, guitar, horn, string, and percussion of all time. The
Ultimate synthesis of music, sound, timing and sonic energy into a
single golden light! This was the end of the MO because there simply
was nowhere else higher to take the sound.
The music of the Mahavishnu Orchestra was a part and parcel of those
times back in the 1970s and the musical environment of that period. The
world shall never see it duplicated again, let alone surpassed, even by
John himself.
WayneG
----- Original Message -----
From: Walter Kolosky
To: One-Word
Sent: Friday, March 07, 2003 7:04 PM
Subject: [OW] Jmmp#25- Visions of the Emerald Beyond
As always, I point you to my on-line review at
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/reviews/r1102_168.htm if you are
interested.
One of the biggest regrets I have in life was not seeing this
band. The closest they came to my neck of the woods was to an
outdoor venue in Rhode Island. I remember Aerosmith was opening up
for them...but if I remember correctly, it was just too far for my
piece of shit car to be depended upon to make the trip safely. I
regret it to this day.
Other VOTEB memories include my discovery of the album in a local
headshop that featured the usual paraphenalia and black lights and
posters. The place smelled of incense.....man I loved those
places...miss em. The place was not a record store, but they
carried a few records and there it was; this beautiful album
cover. I didn't even know there was an album coming out! When I
put it on my friend's cheesy turntable, he has a nice one now, the
first fat licks came screaming out at me and I thought- Yes, this
is awesome! I have always loved this album.
From guita_room@yahoo.ca Fri Apr 11 20:11:18 2003
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2003 15:40:39 -0500 (EST)
From: Sandy Freeze
Reply-To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
Subject: [OW] JMMP#25 Visions Of The Emerald Beyond
HellOW. I have to say this, as Walter has deemed the venture to be
done, the John McLaughlin Music Project has drawn a few lucid comments
that I'm proud to say were mine. Mind you, I have started 3 reviews for
every one I finished, I think.
~Visions Of The Emerald Beyond~, following ~Apocalypse~ capitalizes
more on the talents of the new Mahavishnu Orchestra itself, self-
propelled, not the least by McLaughlin's miniature Orchestra the Double
RainbOW guitar.
Giving voice, literally, to the scope of John Coltrane's concern, A
LOVE SUPREME, ~Eternity's Breath Parts 1&2~ rekindles that aim
musically with a warped Trane riff and Sri Chinmoy's fostered mentoring
of personal commitment and divine realization. Guitar and violin,
divide off with a Baritone mulling sparking into upper fights, guiding
the ensemble and voices to exhortation of the Supreme as it were.
~Lila's Dance~ pretty piano lulles the masses on intro, The Double
Raibow lapping alaps , with ensemble tangents on 8/12 major triads,I
think, to a pOWer trio departure drawing from a malleable ~Dance Of
Maya~ rhytym, serving ~YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW~ vamps as an appetizer to a
stirring sucka' punch from "Great White Hope" McLaughlin with his
corner men Narada and Ralphe calling shots. This Double Rainbow MOment
can't be missed, but it's like George Forman on the mat, looking up at
Ali, the match is over for you.
~Can't Stand Your Funk~; someone's nose got to be grOWing, from lying
'bout the funk here.
~Pastoral~ is all strings (including a ~My Goal's Beyond~
twelve-string?) and Kindler passes the new Principal Violin audition)
~Faith~ tips backwards , eventually drinking from ~Devotion~ Awakening
and ~Dawn~'s more careening melody, adds a mixed Major and dominant 7th
chords, those partials along an elaborate E Diminished Scale as a
bass line, technically.
~Cosmic Strut~, Narada's contribution lets McLaughlin funk it up,
again, and I still don't knOW the chords for this one!
~If I Could See~; well ,I think I speak for the whole Gayle Moran fan
Club, she's got our number!
~Earth Ship~ with warm tandem and solo melodies, over careful
string throbs, soulful and healing, is the secret jewel.
~Be Happy~ is the Sly Stone/Larry Graham fan club at that, in 7.
~Pegasus~ Ponty's demo of his new non-bop direction after a long
traditional apprenticeship in jazz, and de-education with Zappa, and
John, tackles the electro-sonic environment freely and imaginatively
here.
~Opus One~, fractured crystals rising and falling, may have the
most pretentious-leaning title, but like a cinematic Superman's
Fortress Of Solitude, takes permanent form.
~On The Way Home To Earth~ McLaughlin takes a cue from Jan Hammer's
I.M.F. ring modualtions, and heads out to the INNER WORLDS to come.
Tilde~n, Sandy Freeze
=====
E|r4++r2+++++r4|+++----|--||E _____GUITA_ROOM_______
B|a4++a4+++++a5|+++r6++|++||B [A.K.A.: Sandy Freeze ]
G|m5++m4+++++m4|+++a6++|++||G________________________
D|-------------|---m6++|++||D PicK and Roll K\/r)a)m)
A|K3++K4+++++k5|+++k6++|++||A )-( )-( )-( )-( )-(
E|,---,---,,---|,,---,,|,,||E ~~~ John McLaughlin ~~~
......4/4...............2/4... Wings Of Kharma Vamp..
______________________________________________________________________
Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca
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From walterkolosky@attbi.com Fri Apr 11 20:11:18 2003
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2003 18:07:09 -0500
From: Walter Kolosky
Reply-To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
To: One-Word
Subject: [OW] JMMP # 25- Visions of the Emerald Beyond- TWO day warning
[ Part 1, Text/PLAIN 5 lines. ]
[ Unable to print this part. ]
There are two days left to comment on our last JMMP. Let's go out with a
bang!
Regards,
Walter
From gondella@stargate.net Fri Apr 11 20:11:18 2003
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2003 18:20:25 -0500
From: W. Gondella
Reply-To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
Subject: Re: [OW] JMMP#25 Visions Of The Emerald Beyond
Nice review, Sandy,--- embellished in your own unique style--- it raised goosebumps on my
arms.
Wayne
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sandy Freeze"
To:
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2003 3:40 PM
Subject: [OW] JMMP#25 Visions Of The Emerald Beyond
>
> HellOW. I have to say this, as Walter has deemed the venture to be
> done, the John McLaughlin Music Project has drawn a few lucid comments
> that I'm proud to say were mine. Mind you, I have started 3 reviews for
> every one I finished, I think.
> ~Visions Of The Emerald Beyond~, following ~Apocalypse~ capitalizes
> more on the talents of the new Mahavishnu Orchestra itself, self-
> propelled, not the least by McLaughlin's miniature Orchestra the Double
> RainbOW guitar.
> Giving voice, literally, to the scope of John Coltrane's concern, A
> LOVE SUPREME, ~Eternity's Breath Parts 1&2~ rekindles that aim
> musically with a warped Trane riff and Sri Chinmoy's fostered mentoring
>
> of personal commitment and divine realization. Guitar and violin,
> divide off with a Baritone mulling sparking into upper fights, guiding
> the ensemble and voices to exhortation of the Supreme as it were.
> ~Lila's Dance~ pretty piano lulles the masses on intro, The Double
> Raibow lapping alaps , with ensemble tangents on 8/12 major triads,I
> think, to a pOWer trio departure drawing from a malleable ~Dance Of
> Maya~ rhytym, serving ~YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW~ vamps as an appetizer to a
> stirring sucka' punch from "Great White Hope" McLaughlin with his
> corner men Narada and Ralphe calling shots. This Double Rainbow MOment
> can't be missed, but it's like George Forman on the mat, looking up at
> Ali, the match is over for you.
> ~Can't Stand Your Funk~; someone's nose got to be grOWing, from lying
> 'bout the funk here.
> ~Pastoral~ is all strings (including a ~My Goal's Beyond~
> twelve-string?) and Kindler passes the new Principal Violin audition)
> ~Faith~ tips backwards , eventually drinking from ~Devotion~ Awakening
>
> and ~Dawn~'s more careening melody, adds a mixed Major and dominant 7th
>
> chords, those partials along an elaborate E Diminished Scale as a
> bass line, technically.
> ~Cosmic Strut~, Narada's contribution lets McLaughlin funk it up,
> again, and I still don't knOW the chords for this one!
> ~If I Could See~; well ,I think I speak for the whole Gayle Moran fan
> Club, she's got our number!
> ~Earth Ship~ with warm tandem and solo melodies, over careful
> string throbs, soulful and healing, is the secret jewel.
> ~Be Happy~ is the Sly Stone/Larry Graham fan club at that, in 7.
> ~Pegasus~ Ponty's demo of his new non-bop direction after a long
> traditional apprenticeship in jazz, and de-education with Zappa, and
> John, tackles the electro-sonic environment freely and imaginatively
> here.
> ~Opus One~, fractured crystals rising and falling, may have the
> most pretentious-leaning title, but like a cinematic Superman's
> Fortress Of Solitude, takes permanent form.
> ~On The Way Home To Earth~ McLaughlin takes a cue from Jan Hammer's
> I.M.F. ring modualtions, and heads out to the INNER WORLDS to come.
> Tilde~n, Sandy Freeze
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From jfd3@holyrood.ed.ac.uk Fri Apr 11 20:11:18 2003
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2003 23:29:25 +0000 (GMT)
From: Julian F. Derry
Reply-To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
Subject: Re: [OW] JMMP#25 Visions Of The Emerald Beyond
On Thu, 13 Mar 2003, W. Gondella wrote:
> Nice review, Sandy,--- embellished in your own unique style--- it
> raised goosebumps on my arms.
>
> Wayne
does a boil on my left buttock count?
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From dyrral@hotmail.com Fri Apr 11 20:11:18 2003
Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2003 02:01:01 +0000
From: larry diroll
Reply-To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
Subject: Re: [OW] JMMP#25 Visions Of The Emerald Beyond
>
>On Thu, 13 Mar 2003, W. Gondella wrote:
> > Nice review, Sandy,--- embellished in your own unique style--- it
> > raised goosebumps on my arms.
> >
> > Wayne
>
>does a boil on my left buttock count?
>
>
>
And to think, some people believe a man of science can't have the soul of a
poet:-) Larry D
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From gondella@stargate.net Fri Apr 11 20:11:18 2003
Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2003 00:16:46 -0500
From: W. Gondella
Reply-To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
Subject: Re: [OW] JMMP#25 Visions Of The Emerald Beyond
----- Original Message -----
From: "Julian F. Derry"
To:
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2003 6:29 PM
Subject: Re: [OW] JMMP#25 Visions Of The Emerald Beyond
>
>
> On Thu, 13 Mar 2003, W. Gondella wrote:
> > Nice review, Sandy,--- embellished in your own unique style--- it
> > raised goosebumps on my arms.
> >
> > Wayne
>
> does a boil on my left buttock count?
Yes. But for what I do not know. :)
WG
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From walterkolosky@attbi.com Fri Apr 11 20:11:18 2003
Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2003 21:09:44 -0500
From: Walter Kolosky
Reply-To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
To: One-Word
Subject: [OW] JMMP #25 Visions of the Emerald Beyond...Last Call
[ Part 1, Text/PLAIN 0 lines. ]
[ Unable to print this part. ]
One day left for Visions of the Emerald Beyond!
From elmetti@libero.it Fri Apr 11 20:11:18 2003
Date: Sat, 15 Mar 2003 11:25:16 +0100
From: Francesco Mataloni
Reply-To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
Subject: R: [OW] JMMP#25 Visions Of The Emerald Beyond
HellOW
Sandy's review gave me spur to brush away my laziness and write something
myself.
> ~Lila's Dance~ pretty piano lulles the masses on intro, The Double
> Raibow lapping alaps , with ensemble tangents on 8/12 major triads,I
> think, to a pOWer trio departure drawing from a malleable ~Dance Of
> Maya~ rhytym, serving ~YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW~ vamps as an appetizer to a
> stirring sucka' punch from "Great White Hope" McLaughlin with his
> corner men Narada and Ralphe calling shots. This Double Rainbow MOment
> can't be missed, but it's like George Forman on the mat, looking up at
> Ali, the match is over for you.
Do you mean the majestic arpeggio after the piano-intro is taken from "You
know, you know"? If it is, I think it's become a completely new and
different thing here, in terms of both sound and complexity. I like to call
it "Arpeggio from Heaven". I like JM's strong (nearly violent) touch in this
arpeggio, particularly in the low notes. As for "Great White Hope"'s solo,
you're right, it's a knock-out punch, but I don't feel like Foreman on the
mat;-). I've always been amazed at the intensity, strength, mystical power,
violence this gentle, short-haired, soft-speaking, white-dressed guy was
able to pull out from himself, for our joy. Hendrix (as well as all those
terribly-looking and scaring heavy metallers) is like George Benson in
comparison.
> ~Faith~ tips backwards , eventually drinking from ~Devotion~ Awakening
>
> and ~Dawn~'s more careening melody, adds a mixed Major and dominant 7th
>
> chords, those partials along an elaborate E Diminished Scale as a
> bass line, technically.
In "Faith", guitar is like an orchestra.
"Be Happy", "Cosmic Strut" and "On the Way Home to Earth" (Narada is a
monster here) are among my favorites too.
> ~Pastoral~ is all strings (including a ~My Goal's Beyond~
> twelve-string?) and Kindler passes the new Principal Violin audition)
> ~Opus One~, fractured crystals rising and falling, may have the
> most pretentious-leaning title, but like a cinematic Superman's
> Fortress Of Solitude, takes permanent form.
I think "Pastoral" is more pretentious a title than "Opus 1", in that the
latter piece is more convincing as a "chamber piece". Too short, though.
Regards
Francesco
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From listaxi@amauta.rcp.net.pe Fri Apr 11 20:11:18 2003
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2003 16:37:34 -0500
From: Peter Hammond
To: one-word
Subject: [OW] JMMP#25 Visions Of The Emerald Beyond
hola amigos
Francesco wrote:
>"Be Happy", "Cosmic Strut" and "On the Way Home to Earth" (Narada is a
>monster here) are among my favorites too.
As some of you may know, I was initiated to the wonderful world of JM/MO
with VOtEB. My life changed that day in mid 1976. I don't know what you
guys think, but IMO, VOtEB is a masterpiece that has to be listened to in
its entirety in a single session, much like, say, a Rachmaninoff piano
concerto... I can't see myself dropping the cd onto the cdplayer and
skipping to, say, "Lila's Dance" and then take the cd out, I just couldn't
do that... Every time I listen to it (which is a lot) it's a start-to-finish
session.
This will probably sound crazy to some of you, but I have to confess that
when I first listened to VOtEB I was blown away not precisely by JM but by
Jean-Luc Ponty !! Shortly after that, a friend gave me his "BOF" album (on
vinyl of course), and although I loved Jerry Goodman, I still thought
Jean-Luc played better.
Anyway, I love *everything* on VOtEB, but I get a chill on my back when I
reach the fantastic conclusion on "On the way home to earth" (what a *great*
title for that track!). True, Narada is a monster there, also JM's solo is
fantastic, IMO among his very best, but what I like the most is when Narada
suddenly and abruptly ends his playing just two or three seconds before the
magical in-crecsendo effect given by Gayle's keys (I guess?) in conjuction
with JM's guitar ends the album. I have always felt that finale as a
"meeting with my maker" kind of thing (I'm going philosophical here, bear
with me).. It's like JM and Narada were fighting each other and then
suddenly the "maker" (played by Gayle's organ synth it seems?) comes up
involving the two of them, and, just before the end, Narada says "I give
up", ends his monstrous playing and leaves JM and "the maker" to end in
unison... man, what a masterpiece....
buena semana a todos.
pedro
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From aiq@ureach.com Fri Apr 11 20:11:18 2003
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 07:03:46 -0500
From: John McCook
To: oneword
Subject: [OW] JMMP#25
first, thanks to walter for doing this. i didn't participate in
even half of the selections, but the project had me listening...
VotEB is my favorite post MOI recording...it retains the flavor
of the jazz transfused rock band, while shining with the
indo/spiritualism that elevates JM's music, whether one gets
the sky sausage massage literally or figuratively.
i believe JM once referred to MO II as less masculine, more
feminine...maybe...the overall effect is that the frenzy is
dialed back a bit..of course, miss moran is on board...
the recording is a piece, that is, i agree with previous posts
stating VotEB is best enjoyed in one listening, not difficult
at 40:28. tracks 1-3 are classic MO, superb here, but could
easily be played by the franchise (you know who). C4 is a nod
to miles, isn't there at least one one every recording? 6-10 a
journey recalling the alien/human connection? literal alien
seeding, or description of the divine as celestial terrestial
commuters? are earth girls easy?
11-12 is not unlike what i heard projecKt 3 perform in virginia
a few weeks back (it was supposed to be king crimson but belew
was illin'). personal bias: fripp is more at home with the
electronics. maybe i just long to hear that les paul and a
crunchy amp.
the final track lets JM trash it up a bit before tranforming
into the closing movement...nice thematic recall...i wish this
bit had been developed more fully...
the difference between MOI and MO II, essentially diversity
from continuity, (the later MO permutations were less
satisfying for this amp freak) illustrates how amazing an MOI
reunion would be...not a "greatest hits" show but a fresh,
evolved artistic expression incorporating the 30 plus years of
growth the cats have seen...(don't tell me laird never picks up
the bass. it's impossible to quit, i've been trying for years)
they are all alive...history id full of squandered opportunity.
wishing for peace in the darkness...
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From rasibley@concentric.net Wed May 7 07:16:56 2003
Date: Wed, 7 May 2003 01:52:24 -0400
From: Rod Sibley
Reply-To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
Subject: [OW] Late JMMP #25: Visions of the Emerald Beyond
Hello to All,
Okay, the JMMP was pronounced dead in mid-March. Obviously, this is
late...alright, *very* late. So shoot me. But I was rummaging around in my
files and came across this review.
Actually, this review is a couple of emails between Thorleif Hoff (from
Norway) and myself. We stated reviewing JMcL recordings in order back in
'96, but we only got as far as "VEB". As you'll see, we weren't in much of
a hurry ;-). We rated using 1 to 5 stars, 5 being excellent.
Most of the personal stuff has been edited out.
atb,
r
On Nov. 16, 1997 I wrote to Thorleif:
HI Thorleif!
How are you doing? I hope that you are well, staying warm, that school is
coming along fine, and that you're finding some time to enjoy music;
listening and playing.
[HUGE Snip]
It's been snowing here alot lately. This should satisfy the sadists that
crave "snow for Christmas". I guess it's "to hell" with the rest of us that
can't stand the "deadly white death" :-). Hopefully winter this year won't
be too harsh. Well, on to the review:
The funny thing about this review is that I wrote it *the same day* as my
"Apocalypse" review. I wrote this July 3rd. At the time, I was determined
not to let a long time happen between reviews :-). I was going to update
it, but I changed my mind. Here is the review just as I wrote it:
Hey Thorleif!
Suprise! A review without a six month wait ;-). I was house-sitting for a
friend of mine and had some free time (finally), so I did this one right
after I finished my Apocalypse review.
"VEB" covers a lot of musical territory, but it all seems to come
together to make a unified musical statement. It's consistently strong and
also very powerful; I think in part due to the fact that the rhythm section
of Narada and Ralphe had clicked and they both play like raped apes
throughout the entire CD. And the string quartet and horns are incorporated
into the music as band music, not just "parts". The entire group plays as a
complete unit. The songs are strong, and the production and engineering is
first rate thanks to Ken Scott. I had read that this was originally going
to be a double LP, the second album was going to feature a group of Indian
musicians that John had been playing wth "on the side". But the record
company didn't like that idea and released the single LP (one guess as to
what the name of this other group was). I don't have any interesting
personal stories about this one; I bought it, I played it, I loved it. So
on to the tunes:
'Eternity's Breath (Pt.1)' - Even though I *can't* sing a lick, I always
sing along with this tune. It's just sooo powerful. The way it builds from
the opening organ chord to John playing the killer main riff, jeez! "Let Me
Fulfill Thy Will!!!!" It's like a prayer, you know? And Narada makes me
"moist" with his drumming.
'Eternity's Breath (Pt.2)' - This is a nice jam for the group. Narada is
smokin', Ralphe is groovin', John is soloin', and all is right with the
world. I love the variety of tones and degrees of distortion of John's
guitar on this track (the whole CD, really). Cain't get enough. The segue
back to the main riff is nice and just leaves ya wanting more.
'Lila's Dance' - The first secton with the recycled "Trilogy" licks for the
strings doesn't do much for me, despite John's 12-string playing. This
track doesn't really get into gear until John's solo. I think this one got
a lot of votes as a "best solo" [Back when we were doing annual polls -
ras'03]; it's vicious, but it doesn't leave me drooling like the "BOF"
lead, you know? The thing that I like most about this lead is the guitar
tone from the pickups being out-of-phase. The lead definitely makes up for
the slow start.
'Can't Stand Your Funk' - This piece comes across as filler. If you can
think of a musical reason for it to exist other than to give the horns
something to do, I'd like to hear it. This is too "stiff" to pass as real
funk.
'Pastorial' - I guess you have to give the string players something to do
also. I don't listen to this one that much, I skip it and go to...
'Faith' - 12-string heaven, I usually loop the opening and listen to it for
about 3 minutes. I love the flanging on the drums. And I always wonder how
John does that strumming pattern on the 12-string after the horn part. I've
seen him do it and it looks like a combination of strumming with hammer-ons
and pull-offs (no string muting with the palm) of certain notes. It's the
damnedest thing to see when he does it. I like this tune just because it
has a "huge" sound to it.
'Cosmic Strut' - I like this, but I don't know why. Narada's drumming is
the centerpiece to me. It's just an infectious little piece. It makes my
toes tap, that's all I know.
'If I Could See' - I love the way this comes in; the dramatic shift in mood
takes you down hard and then it builds back up. Ralphe's bassline under the
vocal sends a chill through me. I really like the "dark" quality of this
tune. The strings and horns are used to excellent effect here. And the way
Narada enters the tune with those huge drums, yeeah. Then we pick up the
tempo and head into...
'Be Happy' - another good jam piece, and another Narada and Ralphe
showcase. Narada's poundin' the shit out off those bass drums and pushing
the other's to play their asses off. I like John's solo on this track
better than the one on "Lila's Dance". It seems a little bit more on the
edge, a bit more looser and freer. And this is the only tune on the CD
where Ponty actually plays something.
'Earth Ship' - This is a nice slow tune, but I have to be in the mood for
it. It's a very soothing and meditative piece (especially after romping
through 'Be Happy'). It has a nice string arrangement. I like this (at the
right time); guess that's all that I can say about it.
'Pegasus' - Ponty supposedly quit the MO because he claims he wrote this
piece and John "stole it" from him (and the royalties). John must have
really been desperate to claim this one. (I wrote this *before* David
Graham's post confirming it)
'Opus' - something else for the strings to do, but it's a nice lead-in to...
'On The Way Home To Earth' - a ring-modulator with distortion in the hands
of some people produces nothing but noise. In John's hands you get a sound
that brings you to your knees. The duet between John and Narada in the
first section is classic, a true "duke-it-out" jam. OK, yes it reminds me
of the JMcL/Cobham "battles", but Narada plays this his way, and I think he
comes into his own on this track. Just fuckin' great!! And then to go from
that tone to that singing sustain just floors me. Sooo much feeling in
those notes. Ralphe and that knuckle-busting bassline, wheew! I love the
string arrangement of this track, they put you in another mood even with
John burnin' on top of everything. This is a great piece of music. It takes
you somewhere in a very short period of time. It goes from the rawness and
edge of the first part to the "reflective" quality of the second part. The
perfect closing number.
After I bought this one, the tour was announced. It was a co-bill with
Jeff Beck, who was touring to support his "Blow By Blow" album. When they
came to Detroit, they played two shows in the same night, so I didn't see
them play together; which they did in other cities. But the show held a lot
of suprises. I had it in my head that this group would be doing "live
versions of the album". Well, the line-up was John, Narada, Ralphe and: no
Ponty but Steve Kindler (from the string section) handling the lead violin
duties. No horn section: but a girl named Norma Jean Bell, who is from
Detroit like Ralphe (and me), still gigs locally, and has
a...[SELF-CENSORED, ras'03]. She was not only playing the saxophone, but
playing the Shit Out Of It!!!. And a guy named Stu Goldberg on keyboards
(Where's Gayle?). And they were playing funked-up versions of the album
tunes, even the string section was getting funky!?!? (they sounded like
country fiddlers rather than classical musicians). It was a total suprise,
to say the least! I mean, it was a great show, but it was a slight shock.
But it was telling, because it was the start of more changes to come.
My rating *****, Your rating ****
I agree with you. I'm changing my rating to a very solid ****. A 5 star
is "BOF" or "IMF". And while this is a strong album, it's just a hair below
the others. I listed this as No.2 on last years Top 5 poll. This is a
*must-have* CD, another classic. A peak moment in a career that has more to
come. Nuff Said.
All the Best
Rod
On March 31, 1998 Thorleif replied to my review:
From: Thorleif Hoff
Subject: Re: VEB - The Review
As promised...finally....
> The funny thing about this one is that I wrote it *the same day* as I
>wrote my "Apocalypse" review. I wrote this July 3rd. I was determined not
>to let a long time happen between reviews :-). I was going to update it,
>but I changed my mind. Here is the review just as I wrote it:
Ahum...let's see...that's nearly 9 months ago....yikes!
> Suprise! A review without a six month wait ;-).
Yes! 9 months!!!
OK, here's my take first:
I didn't get this until early fall '96. I had put off all the later MO
albums because I didn't think they'de be any good. All the reviews I had
seen were unfavourable, except the ones on PoF. So, desperate for more JM (I
had very recently received "Handful of Beauty" and "Natural Elements", which
proved that there was *definitely* more great JM to be had), I made the leap
for this one. And I really liked it! I can't remember now what my initial
reactions were. Perhaps you remember? I do remember that I didn't think that
highly of "Apocalypse" at first, but then my opinion changed very rapidly.
This album is more accesible, so I think I got the grip on it faster.
Eternity's Breath Part I: Great opener! I *love* JM's guitar tone on the
opening. Sweet, soaring. Those delicate notes at 0:22 to 0:25 show a great
touch. Terrific tone there. It's certainly an *opening* - it's like the band
wakes up. Then slowly building up, before the fantastic unison run at 1:00.
I wish I could play that! I'm gonna start working on it. JM's tone on the
main riff is nice too, but a little "grainy". Nice riff, with excellent
ensemble playing and a typically twisting JM melody strung across the chords.
Eternity's Breath Part II: This is one of my favourites. For some reason I
love electric pianos, and this is no exception. But the main attraction of
the track is JM's gorgeous guitar solo. His tone is wonderful too - vintage
Boogie! :-) It's a little more agressive than Carlos' Boogie tone. Partly
due to the pickups/guitar, I guess, but I think he uses more gain and
presence on the amp too, plus he uses the bridge pickup more, whereas Carlos
favours the neck.
The notes seem to jump out of JM's guitar. Love the melody at 2:59. And the
wild string part at 3:13. Then they go back into the opening, tieing it up
nicely. Great tandem opening of the album.
Lila's Dance: The piano doesn't really do anything for me, but it's brief.
The following 10/8 (or is it 20?) is great. JM again shows his mastery of
cyclic arpeggios. The melody at 0:45 is another rhythmically intricate JM
signature. The arranging on this album quickly tells you that he's continued
the "Apocalypse" line. The following bluesy part on phased guitar is only OK
as an interlude. You hear the chords from 'You Know You Know' in there, and
they would eventually show up on 'Lady L' too. The following solo is
burning, but never did that mcuh for me. Too much of a heavy metal
shredfest, really. But Narada's way cool! Nice riff with horns follows, but
the high point of the tune is when the chords are superimposed, in another
time signature! Love how it all resolves after four cycles.
Can't Stand Your Funk: Strange to think that this was actually released as a
single! What was on the B side? Anyway, this strikes me as filler, but it's
cool enough. I think JM has quite a bit of funk in him. Narada and Ralphe
steal the show.
Pastoral: I've always been weak for bird song. So naturally, I fall in love
with the opening on this track. And when JM starts playing that steel-string
acoustic, we get a glimpse of heaven. A shame that Jean-Luc and the others
couldn't stay away. I hope that JM would return to the steel string acoustic
sometime. It was lovely every time he played it in the seventies. Ponty's
gypsy-style improvisation is nice enough, but it doesn't do anything for me,
and only makes me wish that they'd made it a JM feature instead. Nice bird
song at the end, though. :-)
Faith: Ah, the return of the glorious 12-string acoustic! The opening of
this track, with Ralphe and Narada joining, is one of the high points of the
album. And it only gets better at 0:29 when they start the ascending
arpeggios. This track is very close in spirit to the original MO. Just think
of 'Hope' or 'Resolution', and you get it. Nice JM solo on eletric phased
12-string. The percussive stuff he starts at 1:23 reminds me of something
from "Extrapolation". The unison stuff burns, and gives way to....
Cosmic Strut!!! Juuhuu! I *love* this! In fact, now that I think of it, I
had heard parts of this at PoF, and that made me get the album. There's
something strange about JM's tone on his solo, but I love it anyway. This
track is so much fun!
If I Could See: I liked Gayle Moran's singing on 'Smile of the Beyond', but
this throws me. I could easily have lived without this track, but it's
essentially a bridge to the next one.
Be Happy: Burnin'! Cool bass and drum work. JM and Ponty rip on top of it,
but it doesn't really go anywhere. I get tired of it pretty soon, but it's
fun to hear them cut really loose. JM's tone is back in shape. The lick that
Ponty plays at 2:08 drives me up the wall!!
Earth Ship: This album's Sanctuary. A very nice track. I really like the
strings right at the beginning, and the melody is wonderful. I could have
done without the vocals, though. I love flute, too. JM's tone is beautiful
on this track. I adore the playing that starts at 1:51. He's crying his
heart out there in a very delicate, brief solo.
Pegasus: Oh no, a Ponty solo with delay...where's the skip button?
Seriously, it's not that bad, but not that good either. Ponty did a similar
solo thing when I saw him with Di Meola and Clarke.
Opus 1: Yeah, yeah, let's get it over with....for now comes.....
On the Way Home to Earth: YYYYYEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!! Rock on!!!
Jimi Hendrix!!! This is *the* killer track on the album. A real grande
finale. This is some of my favourite JM playing ever. I agree, this is a
ring modulator. No synthesizer here. Although, they may have added some
delay and stuff afterwards. You hear tones changing underneath his bends,
and the tone is coloured in a strange way. I've tried to cop this tone with
pitch shifters, but they don't nail it. I don't know what the difference
between that and a ring modulator is, though. He uses a RM with the HoT too,
I'm sure. It sounds strangely distorted, not just pitch-shifted. This solo
is a *lot* of fun to jam along with, even without a ring modulator. The last
section has gorgeous JM tone, but his playing doesn't quite click, IMO.
Anyway, he can't ruin a great track.
All in all, a very fine album, but not as good as "IMF", "BOF" or
"Apocalypse". It lacks the white-heat intensity of "IMF", the solidness of
"BOF", and the
emotionality and complexity of "Apocalypse". It reminds me the most of "BOF",
but it certainly isn't as kick-ass as that. Many of the tunes are great, but
aren't completely fulfilled. A solid ****. Not a must-have (MGB, IMF, BOF,
Apocalypse, HOB and NE are), but well worth getting.
>of Narada and Ralphe had clicked and they both play like raped apes
Haha! I've never seen a raped ape...obviously you have! :-)
>Eternity's Breath (Pt.l) - Even though I *can't* sing a lick, I always sing
>along with this tune. It's just sooo powerful. The way it builds from the
>opening organ chord to John playing the killer main riff, jeez. "Let Me
>Fulfill Thy Will!!!!" It's like a prayer, you know? And Narada makes me
>"moist" with his drumming.
Yup. Well said.
>Etemity's Breath (Pt.2) - This is a nice jam for the group. Narada is
>smokin', Ralphe is groovin', John is soloin', and all is right with the
>world. I love the variety of tones and degrees of distortion of John's
>guitar on this track (the whole CD, really). Cain't get enough. The segue
>back to the main riff is nice and just leaves ya wanting more.
Well, I agree again. Seems we think the same of his tone.
>Lila's Dance - The first secton with the recycled "Trilogy" licks for the
>strings doesn't do much for me, despite John's 12-string playing.
Hmmm, recycled Trilogy? I didn't hear that. Care to explain, please? :-)
This
>track doesn't really get into gear until John's solo. I think this one got
>a lot of votes as a "best solo"; it's vicious, but it doesn't leave me
>drooling like the "BOF" lead, you know?
Exactly. It's not a definitive solo. I couldn't think of another solo on
"BOF" (unless you play a live version and stretch it out), but that's easy
here.
>Can't Stand Your Funk - This piece comes across as filler. If you can think
>of a musical reason for it to exist other than to give the horns something
>to do, I'd like to hear it. This is too "stiff" to pass as real funk.
Agree again.
>Faith - 12-string heaven, I usually loop the opening and listen to it for
>about 3 minutes.
Good idea! :-)
I love the flanging on the drums. And I always wonder how
>John does that strumming pattern on the 12-string after the horn part. I've
>seen him do it and it looks like a combination of strumming with hammer-ons
>and pull-offs (no string muting with the palm) of certain notes. It's the
>damnedest thing to see when he does it.
I think he does that on his solo track on the trio video from Germany.
>If I Could See - I love the way this comes in; the dramatic shift in mood
>takes you down hard and then it builds back up. Ralphe's bassline under the
>vocal sends a chill through me.
That's true.
>Be Happy - another good jam piece, and another Narada and Ralphe showcase.
>Narada's poundin' the shit out off those bass drums and pushing the other's
>to play their asses off. I like John's solo on this track better than the
>one on "Lila's Dance". It seems a little bit more on the edge, a bit more
>looser and freer.
I agree. It's not just shredding up and down.
>Pegasus - Ponty supposedly quit the band because he claims he wrote this
>piece and John "stole it" from him (and the royalties). John must have
>really been desperate to claim this one. (I wrote this *before* David
>Graham's post confirming it)
Well, *I* quit the band because John stole "Morning Calls". I had even
booked some bagpipe players, when mister "I-Know-It-All-John" came with his
silly little guitar synth. He ruined that track, I tell ya! It was a
sure-fire hit, but listen to it now...
>On The Way Home To Earth - a ring-modulator with distortion in the hands of
>some people produces nothing but noise. In John's hands you get a sound
>that brings you to your knees. The duet between John and Narada in the
>first section is classic, a true "duke-it-out" jam.
Yeah! Rock on! Jimi Hendrix!
> After I bought this one, the tour was announced, and it was a co-bill
>with Jeff Beck, who was touring to support his "Blow By Blow" album. When
>they came to Detroit, they played two shows in the same night, so I didn't
>see them play together; which they did in other cities.
That's a shame. I wonder what "Blow By Blow" would have sounde like live. I
don't like it that much, but perhaps they would have kicked some more live?
>But the show held a
>lot of suprises. I had it in my head that this group would be doing "live
>versions of the album".
Haha! We all know JM was a little mentally unstable at this time, but no
need for him to explain here.
>And a guy named Stu Goldberg on keyboards (Where's Gayle?). And they were
>playing funked-up versions of the album tunes,
Or was that "fucked-up"?
even the string section was
>getting funky!?!?
Heehee! :-) Funk version of On the Way Home to Earth! Would love to hear
that!
Allrighty! Which one's next? I guess "Shakti" was recorded first, but "Inner
Worlds" makes more sense. That shouldn't take too long. Remember "This Is
Spinal Tap" and the two-word review of their third album, "Shark Sandwich":
"Shit Sandwich"?
Mahavishnu Orchestra: Inner Worlds
Crap worlds
Take care, man! :-)
All the best,
Thorleif
From gondella@stargate.net Thu May 8 10:16:21 2003
Date: Wed, 7 May 2003 16:09:30 -0400
From: W. Gondella
Reply-To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
Subject: Re: [OW] Late JMMP #25: Visions of the Emerald Beyond
Interesting about how the band came out with all the changes but my own personal feeling
is that these reviews miss the point. They treat the songs as individual entities.
"Liked this one--- usually skip over that one." With Mahavishnu Orchestra, more so than
any other group I know, the album IS the composition. If you don't see the whole thing as
one big piece, you are missing out somewhere. Would you throw out chapters 19, 23 and 27
is a book? If you did, you wouldn't know the whole story. VEB or any of the other albums
are to me like a book with a story to tell, not a bunch of seperate little entities to be
taken on their own.
My take an' I'm stickin' to it,
WayneG
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rod Sibley"
To:
Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2003 1:52 AM
Subject: [OW] Late JMMP #25: Visions of the Emerald Beyond
> "VEB" covers a lot of musical territory, but it all seems to come
> together to make a unified musical statement. It's consistently strong and
> also very powerful; I think in part due to the fact that the rhythm section
> of Narada and Ralphe had clicked and they both play like raped apes
> throughout the entire CD. And the string quartet and horns are incorporated
> into the music as band music, not just "parts". The entire group plays as a
> complete unit. The songs are strong, and the production and engineering is
> first rate thanks to Ken Scott. I had read that this was originally going
> to be a double LP, the second album was going to feature a group of Indian
> musicians that John had been playing wth "on the side". But the record
> company didn't like that idea and released the single LP (one guess as to
> what the name of this other group was). I don't have any interesting
> personal stories about this one; I bought it, I played it, I loved it. So
> on to the tunes:
>
> 'Eternity's Breath (Pt.1)' - Even though I *can't* sing a lick, I always
> sing along with this tune. It's just sooo powerful. The way it builds from
> the opening organ chord to John playing the killer main riff, jeez! "Let Me
> Fulfill Thy Will!!!!" It's like a prayer, you know? And Narada makes me
> "moist" with his drumming.
>
> 'Eternity's Breath (Pt.2)' - This is a nice jam for the group. Narada is
> smokin', Ralphe is groovin', John is soloin', and all is right with the
> world. I love the variety of tones and degrees of distortion of John's
> guitar on this track (the whole CD, really). Cain't get enough. The segue
> back to the main riff is nice and just leaves ya wanting more.
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From rasibley@concentric.net Thu May 8 10:16:27 2003
Date: Thu, 8 May 2003 01:05:43 -0400
From: Rod Sibley
Reply-To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
To: one-word@cs.cardiff.ac.uk
Subject: Re: [OW] Late JMMP #25: Visions of the Emerald Beyond
Hello to All,
WayneG wrote:
>...my own personal feeling is that these reviews miss the point. They treat
>the >songs as individual entities. "Liked this one--- usually skip over that
>one." >With Mahavishnu Orchestra, more so than any other group I know, the
>album IS the >composition. If you don't see the whole thing as one big piece,
>you are missing >out somewhere. Would you throw out chapters 19, 23 and 27 is
>a book? If you did, >you wouldn't know the whole story.
I agree with what you've said in theory WayneG, but not in practice. I
agree that the album makes up a "whole" entity. But liking or disliking
certain parts due to one's own taste is an option that does not have to
diminish one's enjoyment or understanding of the whole.
To use your analogy: I wouldn't "throw out" the chapters of a book. But
I can say that chapter 19 adds more to the plot better than chapter 23. Or
that chapter 27 "flowed" better than chapter 19. Being critical of certain
chapters wouldn't have to mean that the entire book was bad.
>VEB or any of the other albums are to me like a book with a story to tell, not
>a >bunch of seperate little entities to be taken on their own.
I think of them as a collection of poems, with each individual title
having it's own subject and able to stand (or fall) on its own.
>My take an' I'm stickin' to it, WayneG
Talk to ya later ;-).
atb,
r
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