BETWEEN NOTHINGNESS & ETERNITY

Although this the third release by the Mahavishnu Orchestra is a live album, it contains entirely new material. The tracks had in fact previously been recorded in the studio, but those sessions would not see the light of day for over 20 years. This performance took place in Central park, New York in August 1973.

Right from the outset here, there is an air of over indulgence. The album consists of three lengthy tracks, of which two appear on side one, with the third occupying the whole of side 2. John McLaughlin claims the writing credits throughout, although this seems somewhat presumptuous given the nature of the music. The opening "Trilogy" (nothing to do with ELP though) is a 12 minute improvisational romp featuring the violin of Jerry Goodman, the lead guitar of John McLaughlin, and the keyboards of Jan Hammer. There is at times a duelling banjos feel to the long answer and response interludes, but the underlying themes are hard if not impossible to distinguish.

"Sister Andrea", the shortest piece at just over 8 minutes, is a slower boogie based interlude. Even here though, the sound is much harder than the studio albums have led us to expect. There is little if any of the transcendental meditation of the studio albums, for this gig the band turned up the volume and rocked. That said, the underlying influences are still firmly rooted in jazz/fusion/improvisation.

The 21+ minute "Dream" occupies the whole of side 2. The track builds from a soft dreamy start into another lengthy jam, led off by Jan Hammer. By the way, the use of the words "jam" and "improvised" here are intended to be descriptive of the style. There are regular indications along the way that the performance is actually very tight and rehearsed.

While I can appreciate the mighty talents of the highly accomplished musicians on show here, for me the music fails to retain my attention. The three suites are overlong, and lack any kind of distinguishing character. Ultimately, I can only recommend this to those who already know what to expect, or those seeking technically gifted but dry musicianship.

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