Mahavishnu Orchestra With John McLaughlin - Birds of Fire
List Price:
Our Price: $10.99
You Save: $0.99 (8%)
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy Used: from $5.41 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more new music releases
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Music CD Cover
Artist: Mahavishnu Orchestra With John McLaughlinEdition: Music CD
Format: Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2000-08-08
Music Label: Sony
Soundtracks:
- Birds Of Fire
- Miles Beyond
- Celestial Terrestrial Commuters
- Sapphire Bullets Of Pure Love
- Thousand Island Park
- Hope
- One Word
- Sanctuary
- Open Country Joy
- Resolution
Free Music Notes for Birds of Fire
Free Music Review: Even MORE Brilliant!
Hit: 5 Stars
Ground breaking. A must have addition to any Jazz library. A "desert island disk" for sure.
Birds of Fire Poster
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
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
Jazz Music CDs
Music Genres
Top music charts in Essential John Mclaughlin - spiritual and adventurous virtuosity
Celebrating the Mahavishnu OrchestrRelease date: 2007-04-17; Music CD
Best price: $23.08
Price in other shops:
Mahavishnu Project - Return to the Emerald BeyondRelease date: 2007-01-16; Music CD
Best price: $16.10
Price in other shops:
Leni Stern - Finally the Rain Has ComeRelease date: 2002-06-18; Music CD
Best price: $2.50
Price in other shops:
Friday Night in San FranciscoRelease date: 1993-07-27; Music CD
Price in other shops:
John McLaughlin: Concerto for Guitar & Orchestra "The Mediterranean"Release date: 1990-02-09; Music CD
Best price: $5.57
Price in other shops:
V. Selvaganesh - SoukhaRelease date: 2006-05-15; Music CD
Best price: $16.84
Price in other shops:
Santana - WelcomeRelease date: 2003-08-06; Music CD
Best price: $7.33
Price in other shops:
John McLaughlin - The PromiseRelease date: 1996-02-06; Music CD
Best price: $11.89
Price in other shops:
Remember Shakti: The Way of BeautyRelease date: 2008-03-25; DVD
Best price: $11.07
Price in other shops:
John McLaughlin: The Gateway to RhythmRelease date: 2007-09-18; DVD
Best price: $19.85
Price in other shops:
Top Rated Albums
Miles Davis - Bitches BrewRelease date: 1999-06-08; Music CD
Best price: $12.99
Price in other shops:
Weather Report - Heavy WeatherRelease date: 1997-09-23; Music CD
Best price: $6.67
Price in other shops:
John McLaughlin - ExtrapolationRelease date: 1991-04-16; Music CD
Best price: $6.23
Price in other shops:
Billy Cobham - SpectrumRelease date: 1992-02-25; Music CD
Best price: $7.34
Price in other shops:
Mahavishnu Orchestra - The Lost Trident SessionsRelease date: 1999-09-21; Music CD
Best price: $6.67
Price in other shops:
Mahavishnu Orchestra - ApocalypseRelease date: 2008-02-01; Music CD
Best price: $4.04
Price in other shops:
Return to Forever - Romantic WarriorRelease date: 2000-02-08; Music CD
Best price: $7.99
Price in other shops:
Mahavishnu Orchestra - Visions of the Emerald BeyondRelease date: 1990-12-29; Music CD
Best price: $8.48
Price in other shops:
Mahavishnu Orchestra - Between Nothingness & EternityRelease date: 2008-02-01; Music CD
Best price: $4.49
Price in other shops:
John McLaughlin & Mahavishnu Orchestra - The Inner Mounting FlameRelease date: 1998-08-18; Music CD
Best price: $6.47
Price in other shops: