Mahavishnu Orchestra Reunion? - Progressive Rock Music Forum

Author

Message

Topic Search

Topic Options

mattmacneil View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: September 01 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 113

Topic: Mahavishnu Orchestra Reunion?
Posted: January 22 2007 at 16:55

What are the chances? Have they talked about it?

dwill123

Forum Senior Member

Joined: December 19 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 4455

Posted: January 22 2007 at 18:06

Slim and none. Rick Laird doesn't even play anymore. He gave it up to become a successful photographer at last check.

Hierophant View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: March 11 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 651

Posted: January 22 2007 at 20:37

I wish.

BePinkTheater View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: September 01 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 1381

Posted: January 22 2007 at 22:41

I would die.

I can strangle a canary in a tin can and it would be really original, but that wouldn't save it from sounding like utter sh*t.
-Stone Beard

verslibre

Forum Senior Member

Joined: July 01 2004
Location: CA
Status: Offline
Points: 14980

Posted: January 23 2007 at 03:27

Jan Hammer playing with the Mahavishnu Project is as close as we'll ever get.

eBay

pero

Forum Senior Member

Joined: July 11 2005
Location: Croatia
Status: Offline
Points: 1242

Posted: January 23 2007 at 04:25

Who knows? Maybe they would produce something like "Love beach" if they had a chance.
They left the ring undefeated.

Edited by pero - January 23 2007 at 06:50

Dick Heath View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Jazz-Rock Specialist

Joined: April 19 2004
Location: England
Status: Offline
Points: 12798

Posted: January 23 2007 at 05:44

I presume some of the deep wounds that developed in the original line-up of MO have been healed - apparently both Jan Hammer and John McLaughlin were seen together at a Mahavishnu Project gig about 2 years ago - but feel it is highly unlikely any form of reunion is on the cards. I do believe, compared with old rock or pop musicians, jazz musicians move on with little nostalgic looking back in performance. Perhaps the examples of Soft Machine Legacy or former members of SM guesting with the Polysofts, while playing tunes for the old repertoire but certainly playing in way that reflects where they are now, not 30 years ago.

Mahavishnu Project leader Greg Bendian is very active on the Fusenet jazz rock discussion group, and is currently taking about getting more deeply into Dave Stewart's music - whether as tribute band doing Canterbury or purely for pleasure, still needs to be determined.

Note: John McLaughlin has a new (?) album out according to Amazon, however, not the same Johnnie Mac - apparently this one is related to the Boyzone............................

The best eclectic music on the Web,8-11pm BST/GMT THURS.
CLICK ON: http://www.lborosu.org.uk/media/lcr/live.php
Host by PA's Dick Heath.

Vibrationbaby View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: February 13 2004
Status: Offline
Points: 6898

Posted: January 25 2007 at 14:41

I think I read in an article in Guitar Player magazine sometime in the 90`s where McLaughlin stated he was interested in doing it but Jan Hammer was not interested. McLaughlin also refered to Hammer`s Miami Vice theme song as " Miami Mice". I think we can sleep at night secure in the knowlege that the original MO is as dead as Elvis. I just bought the new album Industrial Zen. Awesome! Great synth programming by JM.

verslibre

Forum Senior Member

Joined: July 01 2004
Location: CA
Status: Offline
Points: 14980

Posted: January 31 2007 at 02:45

Vibrationbaby wrote:

McLaughlin also refered to Hammer`s Miami Vice theme song as " Miami Mice".

Hehe...I've also heard "Miami Rice"...something to do with Jan's multi-millionaire status.

eBay

The Owl

Prog Reviewer

Joined: February 19 2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 363

Posted: January 31 2007 at 17:31

pero wrote:

Who knows? Maybe they would produce something like "Love beach" if they had a chance.
They left the ring undefeated.

Well, JM DID produce something like "Love Beach", it was the 1984 "Mahavishnu" album which had Billy Cobham on it, despite the presence of some great musicians on it (especially Jonas Hellborg on bass), the album completely SUCKED. It was, at best fuzak-lite elevator music.

People are puzzled why I don't dig the Stones, well, I listened to the Stones, I tried, and I tried, and I tried, and--I Can't Get No Satisfaction!

www.myspace.com/theowlsmusic

Angelo

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

Joined: May 07 2006
Location: Italy
Status: Offline
Points: 13239

Posted: January 31 2007 at 17:33

Vibrationbaby wrote:

I just bought the new album Industrial Zen. Awesome! Great synth programming by JM.

Seconded!! Smile

ISKC Rock Radio
I stopped blogging and reviewing - so won't be handling requests. Promo's for ariplay can be sent to [email protected]

Arrrghus

Forum Senior Member

Joined: July 21 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 5296

Posted: January 31 2007 at 21:38

I'd rather they not reunite. It's sort of like when Morrison and Hendrix died: the original MO will stay the same young intense band forever in our minds. They'll never be a bunch of old farts on a stage trying to reach a fraction of their intensity.

*This is coming from a teenager who will never see that band live in their awesome power.

Actually, I would love a concert DVD of the first incarnation of the band.

dwill123

Forum Senior Member

Joined: December 19 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 4455

Posted: January 31 2007 at 21:55

Arrrghus wrote:

Actually, I would love a concert DVD of the first incarnation of the band.

This will have to do until a DVD comes out. You Tube videos of The original Mahavishnu Orchestra from 1972 performing at Syracuse University:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=oGNg9u-mwV4

http://youtube.com/watch?v=oURKGTQ7m0w

http://youtube.com/watch?v=acyVobdrBp4

verslibre

Forum Senior Member

Joined: July 01 2004
Location: CA
Status: Offline
Points: 14980

Posted: February 03 2007 at 03:05

Thanks for posting those!

eBay

S Lang

Forum Senior Member

Joined: August 01 2005
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 441

Posted: February 03 2007 at 04:52

A re-union may be exciting, but that "inner mounting flame" may have been irretrivably compromised over that many years.

McLaughlin remains the guitarist's guitarist - on a good day. That doesn't mean that his next involvement may prove that, going on some disatrous re-incarnations of the Mahavishnu/Shakti names previously.

dwill123

Forum Senior Member

Joined: December 19 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 4455

Posted: February 03 2007 at 08:59

S Lang wrote:

A re-union may be exciting, but that "inner mounting flame" may have been irretrivably compromised over that many years.

I agree, the thought of a renion of the original five would be something but they broke up 30 years ago and each musician has moved on in their musical life. Expecting a reunion to have the same fire and energy as in 1971 would be a bit much. Around 1984 John McLaughlin formed a version of the Mahavishnu Orchestra (different musicians) and went out on the road. Their sound was radicaly different than the orignal.

Here's avideo of one of their live songs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EulbFT1IAw

el böthy

Prog Reviewer