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MusikMagik
MusikMagik
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McLaughlin Mondays # 12

Posted about 1 year ago
Back to early seventies for this track from the original Mahavishnu Orchestra, taken from what was supposedly their best selling album of the three (make that four if you include the only relatively recent "Trident Sessions"). The band had released the incredible "Inner Mounting Flame" a year before and had been touring like crazy since, so there was a huge and growing fan base waiting eagerly for more.This short track starts with the classic Mahavishnu sound - McLaughlin and violoinist Jerry Goodman in unison over the top of Laird, Cobham and Hammer playing in a typically quirky time signature. Then Hammer takes over with a particularly nasty sounding Moog patch. Slightly ragged at times, and for me, not quite as impressive as the first album, "Birds Of Fire" is nevertheless a great little collection of fusion from McLaughlin & crew.Enjoy.
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Comments (9)

  1. xhable
    xhable says What a gooie messy pile of Delicious sounds.. they explode in release in my ear :p
    Permalink posted 01/14/2008
  2. Bartleby
    Bartleby says This was my first follow-up with John after making his acquaintance on "Bitches Brew." The Moog never sounded better. Thanks MM for this ferocious stellar ferry.
    Permalink posted 01/14/2008
  3. MusikMagik
    MusikMagik says Xhable: you are most welcome. I'm pleased to have a "young whippersnapper" getting acquainted with the venerable Mr McLaughlin :-) Bartleby: Yes I recall this was a favorite of yours. Happy Monday.
    Permalink posted 01/14/2008
  4. rbrownout
    rbrownout says I like Birds of Fire a bunch, yes, and this is a great track - THANKS. But re: the Moog, I think Jan Hammer's work with just an electric piano and a ring modulator is that much more impressive. I believe that he upgraded to the synth between the first and second albums. I remember distinctly seeing him play with the ring mod's joy stick at the gig I saw after Inner Mounting Flame was released and I note that the photos on that record are all the insides of an electric piano (Rhodes?).
    Permalink posted 01/15/2008
  5. MusikMagik
    MusikMagik says Hey rb, Thanks for visiting. The track "Vital Transformation" from "Inner Mounting Flame" has a great example of the ring mod effect on the Rhodes if I recall correctly, on the fadeout. I'll try to upload it later. What a cool sound that was! I don't know how he did it but I suspect the Rhodes was somehow patched thru the Minimoog's ring mod circuit. I think Hammer uses ring mod on this live recording of "Noonward Race" also.... http://mog.com/MusikMagik/blog_post/125431 What venue did you see them play?
    Permalink posted 01/15/2008
  6. rbrownout
    rbrownout says I remember distinctly that he DID NOT have a Minimoog on stage. The ring mod was a standalone unit with joy stick. I saw them at Delaware Technical & Community College in Newark, Delaware sometime pretty soon after the first record was released, but this is not listed on the website intended to chronicle their gigs: http://www.abstractlogix.com/newsite/mahavishnu-gigs.htm I also saw them in '73 (probably WITH the synth) at The Spectrum in Philadelphia, on a bill with Zappa and the Mothers of Invention; and I think I saw yet another gig, but I can't place it on the gig list either... -rick
    Permalink posted 01/15/2008
  7. MusikMagik
    MusikMagik says You are absolutely right. I did some trawling and came up with this amazing footage from a 1972 gig in Syracuse. Hammer is clearly seen using a joystick device as you described, hooked into a lid-less Rhodes. Hope it brings back some sweet memories :-)
    Permalink posted 01/15/2008
  8. rbrownout
    rbrownout says YES!! there you go. wow, so cool to see and hear this. Hammer is great here, one hand on the keys, one on the joystick. He gets some great sounds and is really grooving with Cobham. Don't get me wrong, I have NOTHING against synths (far from it!!) but I am very impressed with what he does here with much simpler equipment. Thanks again, very very much for this...
    Permalink posted 01/15/2008
  9. MusikMagik
    MusikMagik says totally agree, it's a signature component of the original Mahavishnu sound..and I wouldn't have found the video if you hadn't pressed the point, so thank you!
    Permalink posted 01/15/2008

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