THE INNER MOUNTING FLAME

I saw a quote from a member of Yes - Steve Howe I think - who said the only time they came across a band that they felt in awe of musically, was the Mahavishnu Orchestra. If you really, really want to hear guys playing as virtuosos - and we're not just talking individual solos, but improvisation and exchange between the band members - this is a group you should listen to. There's a lot talked about real musicianship but these guys are up there with the very best. McLaughlin (Miles Davis, Tony Williams) was of course the leader, and he had two truly phenomenal soloists to work with - Jerry Goodman on violin, and Jan Hammer ("Miami Vice") on keyboards.The revelation though was Billy Cobham's sensational drumming. There is as you would expect a very substantial jazz influence here. The better tracks for my ears are the ones that are more structured - "Meeting of the Spirits", "The Dance of Maya" - the latter with a climax where keyboards & bass pick up the first coda and fight against McLaughlin & Goodmans wailing tones, with Cobham underpinning it all - it really makes the hairs stand on my neck each time I hear it. "Awakening" and "Noonward Race" are showcases for the musicians but a little chaotic for me. A suprise is "You Know You Know" which I assume was done in one take, as they have - deliberately, I imagine - left in a blooper from Goodman. "A Lotus on Irish Streams" is the acoustic number, a pleasant repsite from the fury of the rest of the tracks. "Vital Transformation" has Cobham racing against McLaughlins soloing. And how does Jan Hammer bend the notes on his (electric piano)? Great stuff.