Track Listing

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

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3562 in Music
• Released on: 2000-08-08
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered

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

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

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

Customer Reviews

Even MORE Brilliant!
Ground breaking. A must have addition to any Jazz library. A "desert island disk" for sure.

Musical Coffee: A Review by the Ignorant, for the Ignorant.
I begin by clarifying my lack of credentials;
-I have no musical training whatsoever; I couldn't tell a whole note from a treble clef (that's pretty bad)!
-I did grow up in a house with musicians. That's why I even know this album exists.
-I learned to appreciate many forms of music even if I don't completely understand them.
-I learned how to "fake" playing the drums; I could play along but not tell you what time signature I was using.
-I know very little about the structure of music outside of chorus and verse; extremely basic stuff (and even then I'm shaky).

With all this in mind you can feel safe in the knowledge that this review will certainly not be over your head (It might be laughably beneath you). That said, lets get to the point;

I absolutely love "Birds of Fire". My teenage brothers would listen to this repeatedly when I was around 10. Being an ignorant kid, I grew tired of the noise. I liked some of it but certainly did not appreciate what it was. Now I can't keep myself from listening; it is highly addictive. I'll explain what I like about "Bird of Fire" in categorized vignettes.

-MUSICAL COFFEE
Since I bought this CD, every morning I start my car and then start "Celestial, Terrestrial Commuters". Suddenly, my senses are heightened, my adrenaline kicks in, my brain starts racing (instead of running on auto-pilot) and I feel more alive. After about 4 straight days of listening to nothing else, I decided to try something different. I felt the lights in my brain turn out; back in goes "Birds of Fire".

-FREEING MINDS ONE CHILD AT A TIME
A couple of times my nine year old daughter was with me in the car while listening to "BOF". Now she can't wait to ride with Dad so she can hear "CTC"; she thinks it's really cool. Of course, I pointed out some of the things that were happening in the music (since she had no experience with rock/jazz fusion before). I told her to listen for the violin, guitar, and keyboards. She thought the use of violin in this kind of music was pretty unique (she's a smart girl). She really likes Jan Hammer's "quacking" synthesizer and the way the guitar and violin battled each other. I explained to her that the musicians composed and played this kind of music because they enjoyed inventing new styles of music; not because others might enjoy hearing it. This was a new concept for her. She is currently a "Hanna Montana" fan. I also told her that not too many people are willing to risk being different; although being different can often lead to great things. She really appreciated the fact "MO" were "fresh". In fact; she had no idea these songs were 35 years old.

-HAVING EVER ATTEMPTED TO PLAY ANY ISTRUMENT IS HELPFUL
I think my daughter enjoys this because she is learning piano. She understands how difficult it is to be great at an instrument and therefore appreciates this music. I, having dabbled on the drums and grown up with musicians, have gained some appreciation for the hidden complexity of what virtuosos accomplish. Of course, this is not a requirement but it seems to help.

-JAM SESSION OF THE GODS
Having musicians in my family, I had the pleasure of experiencing backyard jam sessions. I never saw musicians have so much fun; it beats working (i.e. writing and performing professionally). This album feels like a jam session from heaven. These guys were not as concerned with tight production values as they were the emotional impact of the music. Being part jazz, improvisation and jamming are part of "MO's" music. What makes this album so approachable for me is this loosey-goosey attitude that prevails despite the virtuosity of the performers and the unconventional structure of the songs. Sometimes you think they have no clue where they are going, yet you get there and you enjoyed the trip. Unlike the prog-rock and fusion that followed, which is usually very tight and concerned with perfection, this music is very flawed and human and therefore very welcoming to the willing listener, especially a musical moron like me.

-I HEAR INFLUENCE
I never thought I would write this in a review but here goes; THIS CD ROCKS!!! So, those of you who weren't sure if you would like this kind of music, I think that phrase clarified my point. When I listen to "BOF" I hear bits and pieces of music that occurred after it. John McLaughlin found his inspiration in Jazz, Classical, Funk, Rock, Country, and Indian... ...well, basically everything. Given this wildly diverse "fusion" of musical genres, it's difficult not to hear something strangely familiar upon first listen. However, after hearing this album you will be certain you've heard some of this stuff in newer music. I'm nearly certain that the Pop-rock band "Journey" was heavily influenced by "MO" in their earlier incarnations. I think there is a good chance you'll find a similarly influenced band in your catalogue. That's this layman's take anyway.

-MY RECOMMENDATION
If you are like me (a musical moron) and not easily intimidated by the "avant-garde" this might be right up your alley. I consider myself blessed with ignorance in regards to this collection. It appears some hoity-toity musicians find serious fault with "Birds of Fire" (many don't). If you appreciate extremely lively, proficient yet human musicianship with piles of emotion, this might be for you. I can't get enough, warts and all. If you consider yourself musically adventurous, I would also suggest you take a shot. If you require vocals in your music; stay away. Another review here suggest that starting with this CD instead of the earlier "The Inner Mounting Flame" might help you enjoy "Birds of Fire" even more because they are both very similar (the lack of change would be disappointing). On this point I totally agree. If forced to make a choice, this is the more approachable collection of "songs" and the more satisfying journey to undertake for the ignorant (like me) and educated alike.

Nearly as impressive as their debut (4.5 stars)
Birds of Fire, the second of three albums to feature the original Mahavishnu Orchestra, was released in 1973. Their previous release, The Inner Mounting Flame, pushed the boundaries of the jazz-fusion genre and Birds of Fire would be even more eclectic, adding elements of funk and country to its palette. There are also other subtle differences in the album than that of its predecessor. First off, John McLaughlin's guitar is more in the forefront here than he was on their debut. The changes in mood are more spread throughout the album, rather than during one particular track. However, where the album makes up for that is in the amazing interplay between the musicians, particularly the featured soloists, Jan Hammer, Jerry Goodman, and McLaughlin himself.

The opening title track is based around Goodman's classical violin line as McLaughlin solos nearly the entire song. "Miles Beyond" is very funky, more in line with Miles Davis' mid-70's work, and features some tasty electric piano from Hammer. "Celestial Terrestrial Commuters" is closer to the origin of fusion (combining rock with jazz) and features excellent interplay between Goodman and McLaughlin. "Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love" is basically a short space intro into the tranquil "Thousand Island Park." Like "A Lotus on Irish Streams" from their debut, there's a lot going on between Hammer's piano runs and McLaughlin's flamenco guitar. "Hope" is a short dramatic classical piece that doesn't vary from its theme. However, "One Word" is a tour de force. Drummer Billy Cobham plays like a monster throughout the track and Rick Laird lays down a cool bass solo. Then the track reaches another level as the interplay between Hammer, McLaughlin, and Goodman around the 4:00 mark is awesome. "Sanctuary" is very dark and haunting while "Open Country Joy" starts out just like the title says before going to a complete stop and then reemerging as a jam featuring more great interplay much like in "One Word." The final track, "Resolution" is a slow burning track that builds in emotion before hitting its dramatic end. All told, while slightly less cohesive than their debut, Birds of Fire is another impressive release from the original Mahavishnu Orchestra.