Me too, same state of mind. They played so loud they generated heat. Mclaughlin was playing guitar lines forward, in reverse and inside out. At least that's what it sounded like to me. The height of the psychedelic era.
Thanks for sharing. In 72 at 16yrs I saw the group in central park at the Shafer Beer Muaic Festival for $2. At that time everyone was used to the typical loud rock groups with the big entrances. When M.O. came on stage with a zen like quietness it caught everyone off guard. John sporting short hair and a double neck Gibson SG with a soft smile said nothing at all. He simply bowed and within a second the band took off at Mach One Speed with musicianship rarely seen. Everyone brought their AAA Game. The audience was eerily quiet , motionless and with their jaws dropped. Playing Inner Mounting Flame and other originals. Then all of a sudden the set came to a screeching halt .. M.O. quietly walk off stage and the audience was frozen almost like in a trance just standing there. With absolutely no applause at all we all left the concert quietly in disbelief of what we witnessed scratching our heads. I brought weed to smoke but never got to smoke it , actually I did not need it becsuse music blew my mind . M.O. changed the course of music from that day forward.✌🏼
There will always be those "out there" bands just like Primus in the 90's, etc etc. And King Crimson in the 60's Music is all subjective. These guys were superb musicians but there was no structure to the music in a standard format.
I also saw them at the Central Park Schaffer Music Festival. Believe it was in ‘73. We sat behind the stage ( show was sold out) and watched the show from the huge overhead mirror used to bounce off stage lighting. Regardless, I/we were mesmerized, stunned and trance fixed on their cohesion and mechanics. No showmanship, just pure Music Magic. It started rain in torrential and proverbial buckets. The audience never moved, never left. One of my Top Three Concerts I ever attended to this Day. How I thank God I was able to see such a Band.
I dont care what anybody says they are the best jazz rock fusion band ever.i still play this in my car coming home from work. after a long work week.Full blast.ok.go ahead John.
I disagree I love both bands but mahavishnu. Both had incredible lineups but only one had John Mclaughlin. Al Dimeola is a legend but he's not John. Mclaughlin.
@@frankleroux2733 Classical music theorist like to say pop music, rock and roll, scat, jazz, blues is derivitive 0f classical. Jazz improve is in a world of it's own.
Oh my God! I have never posted a comment but this is ALWAYS my go to music when I'm stressed out. Im 65 now and went to many concerts. THIS has always been my numbers one. John with Jeff Beck in El Paso
Oh Billy Cobham You are something special. I still play the Maha at least once a week. And the many albums and guest appearances from Cobham is quite an amazing discography as well. Blessings to all of you.
Cobham and Mclaughlin combine in one of the best drummer/ guitarist combinations I have ever seen. That first Mahavishna album is phenomenal. The energy and mastery level of their instruments take them to an extraordinary level.
One of the finest bands in the history of the world. Groundbreaking, innovative, transcendental, a monolith in jazz rock fusion. A precusor to almost every progressive rock band today. 40 some odd years later young musicians still listen and learn from their music. I feel priviledged to have experienced it while it was happening.
I agree fully. The technical expertise packed onto one stage is hard to match anywhere. I was born one year before this was filmed and am one of those "younger" musicians you speak of. At least I was.
@@craigmoreland9569 I think he was. Bitches Brew; 1969. John McLaughlin on board for that one, of course. Kicked the whole thing off, and away they all went, with their new marriage of jazz and rock... and this venture was certainly an adept extension of the genre!
I'm in my 20s, I've listened to tons of music but I'm still floored by this band. So ahead of their time. The influence can be heard throughout music to this day
Saw them at the Montreal Forum during this period. I had been wearing out my copies “Inner Mounting Flame” and “Birds of Fire,” but nothing could have prepared me for the impact of experiencing MO perform live. The intensity and the volume were literally overwhelming. It was like I could feel my DNA mutating on the spot. I was high and started to panic, but then thought, “fight this and it will damage you. Just let go and flow with it.” What followed was a period of bliss that it took me decades of meditation practice to even approach again. (My ears are still ringing, though.)
Yes... They follow me as part of the sound track of my Life, while travelling around the world during the 70's and 80's and were also part of my deepest No Mental psychedelic waves from Nothingness to Eternity. God and Luzbel bless them!
I saw Billy Cobham at the House of Blues in 93 in New Orleans Billy Cobham Stanley Clarke Larry Carlton and somebody else. Amazing the only time I ever saw him change my life
This is Mahavishnu at their best. Cobham playing amazing little fills when all is quiet and storming when it is needed. Sometimes there are solos over other solos , it seems arbitrary, but that is the way the music was written to be played and they get it exactly right. Jerry Goodman was so aggressive and spot on while Jan Hammer did more with that electric piano than many could imagine. And shining above all is John who is simply marvelous. Later versions of Mahavishnu were smoother, more refined perhaps, but lacked the awesome power of this lineup.A lifetime fan and always will be!
I 1st saw the original M.O. line up in a small club in Chicago called "the Quiet Night". It was anything but. J.McL still had long hair. The musicianship was amazing & so loud it tore my head off. Only later did I recognize the power, daring and delight of the music. To my ears, thru many live shows & recordings it has continued the this day.
pooginmouse, just so I don´t misunderstand. Are they playing it exactly note after note? Aren´t they improvising within a structured frame? But if it is note by note they really sounds like they are improvising also.
bought my first mahavishnu orchestra album in 1971 when i was 16. completely changed my taste in music. i was absolutely blown away. here we are 49 years later and this is still phenomenal music. thanks for posting! covid 19 lockdown, cuenca, ecuador. 5/29/20
I just love all these comments below, like many of them, I too was changed forever in 1971 or so, when I traveled to Cinci,OH with a ticket to see The Allman Bros., upon arrival at the hall we learned the band was sick from food poisoning the nite before and The Mahavishnu Orchestra would [lay in their place. What a gift that turned out to be, who is this guy with a double neck guitar, and who is this NFL sized drummer, an electric violin, synthesiser? I have followed JM ever since, what a gift to the world of music, and an inspiration to guitarists, he was Jeff Becks' favorite influence, and that says it all. One of my favorite concerts that I attended in Boston was JM and Carlos Santana playing Love Devotion and Surrender. Live reordings of concerts can more often than leave much to be desired, but not JM's From Nothing to Eternity, truly a gift that keeps on giving, loved it every year for 45 years or so now. I saw JM playing for a tribute concert for Jeff Beck that Eric Clapton produced, At 81 years old JM is more handsome as ever and seeing him play that beautiful Fender Dtrat was like a dream like wonder, I'm smiling again just thinking abou it. At 71 years old I still look forward to the sounds of WONDER. Thanks to Funkamedic for this delightful blast from the past. Stephen Bishop Sept.23,2023, form the Bluegrass State of KY.
The tone that Mclaughlin had at that time was and still is my absolute favorite. It was wild agressiv and so filled with expression. When I heard birds of fire for the first time it was an spiritual experience. Something new wild and sofisticated at the same time. Wonderful time to be young and interested in music.
I'm a huge fan, but I never really liked his tone. to me, it made his playing sound sloppy, when we all know that John has amazingly clean picking. Just my opinion. I still love Mahavishnu and Visions of The Emerald Beyond was one of my favorites.
Likewise for me, when I heard Birds of Fire for the first time, it was a religious experience. No exaggeration. My friend and I were progressing quickly as musicians and so were accepted by musicians at our high school who were seniors even though we were sophomores. One of them took us to another’s house one afternoon where a bong was pulled out and passed around. I got really stoned and then this guy puts on the album. When I heard those guitar solos, I was destroyed. Utterly devastated. My life was changed right then and there.
I followed JM and Mahavishnu around the Midwest in the early 70's. They were truly a spiritual experience and cutting edge on the fusion scene at the time. They were one of a kind. I don't really care for this competitive nature of who is the best guitarist, bassist, drummer . . . etc. Can't we just enjoy the great music these musicians have given us and not turn it into a stereotypical male pissing contest?
For me, I don't care about the whole competitive nature (i'm a very skilled musician btw).... but why SOME of us will jump in is when it's FALSEHOODS. EX: when fanboys will say "DREAM THEATER ARE GREAT!" and that's quantifiably and provably FALSE. They are plagiarists with nothing new to offer. So... in a situation like that, it unfortunately comes to debates about who's better than who. And there are too many fanboys out there, so I don't know that we can ever stop "judging".
I have seen this formation of Mahavishnu in Paris the same year, probably in june, in the Bataclan, it was an afternoon: my first experience of live music at 15 years old. Never the same again...
Saw them several times during their peak. Regarding Billy, one of the greatest ever. Always irritates me when people rave about John Bonham as the greatest ever. He couldn’t touch Cobham and wouldn’t have been able to pass an audition for this group, what’s more have handled driving these musicians through the wild numbers and signatures they raced through and several times the speed of Zep.
Non BUDDY RICH est indépassable dans les solos. puissance variation et vitesse d"exécution regarder les mains de ce drummer et surtout soyez curieux à travers ses interventions ( multiples enregistrements la liste est longue !!!!)
Perhaps the greatest assemblage of musical talent the world has ever seen.....when the camera shows the audience, there is no movement or talking - they are obviously mesmerized and in awe of what they are witnessing. Cobham is a beast - saw him in Fresno in a nightclub setting with perhaps 100 other people - sat 10 feet away - an unforgettable experience.
Audience was not mesmerized. Just overly cerebral white dudes who don't move much unless it's to get food. By the way I speak from first hand knowledge. I'm Tom Mesmer, and I was not there that night.
This is the Holy Grail of lost performances found! Saw them in Austin at Armadillo World Headquarters a few months after this was made. Did not know anything about the group, but in one performance they re-defined forever what my mind perceived as what music could be. For the last 40 years have been telling the story of the concert, and now I know it was not just my imagination, it was for real. Hope this performance will bring another generation into this extra ordinary state of mind.
Great concert hall. Armadillo Word Headquarters in Austin Texas Great memories. Saw several incredible concerts there. Remember The White House, etc? Ab récords on the Dragg? Saludos de México
A super human group. Saw them in a little club in the village called cafe au go go,Maybe it held 300 people maximum. Needless to say after seeing and hearing these incredible musicians I had to do a lot of practicing . I met John sometime in 1986, a really fine nice person. He can play anything and he has influenced the entire world with his innovative playing and compositions. BTW Cobham at this time was untouchable.
Years ago when the music for The Mahavishnu Orchestra was published, I showed an old school chorus teacher in our High School the book and asked her to play some of the music on the piano. She was an impeccable sight reader. Well, she ripped off a few tunes, which sounded beautiful, and then turned to me in one of the most perplexed looks I've ever seen on anyone, and she said, "How do they come up with these ideas. Where do they get these chords"? There it is.
zscheuch India!! Just like Coltrane and many others. Ravi Shankar. A friend went to India for a year back in the 70's and came back a monster violinist and guitarist. Taught another (former drummer) friend to play mandolin and he went to Switzerland to become the best studio mandolin player probably in the world. Best in the world teachers and musicians there.
It is not possible for people nowadays to grasp how original and innovative this music was when it was invented, 45 years ago. During the ensuing 40 years or so this kind of musical genre got diluted and transformed into a sad, repulsive caricature by many lesser bands and musicians. But thankfully we have the recordings, so we can always go back to the source. McLaughlin was one of the most unique, original guitarists who ever held a guitar pick. His heyday was in the late '60s-early '70s. Those were the years when he was at his prime as a guitar player and as a composer. I still hold, to this day, that his absolute best guitar playing was on his first solo album, Extrapolation (1969). Check it out--it will blow your mind!
My good friend who plays guitar turned me onto JM and all his early stuff back in the late 60's early 70's as he was putting it out. That music shows all of us how much possibility music holds!
I'M DOING MY PART to spice things up! I play outdoors nearly every day / night so ALL walks of life have to hear my avant-musics here in New England / NYC. To my shock, the General Public like my WEIRDEST sounds and moves! I did not expect so much unanimous positivity! THE TRONIC UKE th-cam.com/video/S_vxQOH051U/w-d-xo.html
Someone commented about missing jon-luc ponty. Nothing ponty ever did rivals Goodman's work on "You know you know". Individual brilliance. Goodman stays right with Mclaughlin, which is saying something, on every tune
I had the very great fortune and pleasure of experiencing this band with all their very accomplished muscians as the opening act in 1970 at the Nat'l Guard Armory standing on the floor directly in front of the band. Imagine my surpise as they were the opening act for Pink Floyd! Oh what bliss! I ran out and bought both of their then albums.
The late 60s and early 70s were an amazing, exploritary time. The sad thing is that music of this calibre is rarely heard today. The corporate music machine has reduced much of today's music to mediocrity and autotuned blandness.
Say what you want about todays corporate music formula but at least it's easier to make my decisions for me. Like I know I want to watch football if I hear Taylor Swift or need to fill my Dovato script if I hear Justin Bieber...
inspired genius..... tapping into the emerald beyond. Connection, connected and one with consciousness. days when musicians brought magical journeys to their audiences and the audiences encouraged them to dig deeper, and go ever further.... bless these geniuses for leaving their mark on history.
I saw The Mahavishnu in Manchester England in 1972 as part of their Birds Of Fire tour. They were awesome then. I was a music student in '73. I became a musician for many years, then into education. I met John and the 7th Dimension in Manchester at one of their many concerts. I spoke to him, and he was wonderful. I live in the same village as John was brought up in, in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. I play all Mahavishnu stuff as my daily fix.
Back in the early 70’s I heard Jerry Goodman and thought, “Wow! That’s so cool! He’s amazing! I want to learn how to play like that someday!” So I took violin lessons, practiced hard, and became the professional musician I am today. Fifty years later, I listen to Jerry Goodman and think, “Wow! That’s so cool! He’s amazing! I want to learn how to play like that someday!” When ya got it, ya got it. 🤷♂️
ohhh.... this level of emotional playing is nothing short of Catharsis. once it clicks, the musicians are one, serving the Music, really. Love the 'rawness' of everything... adds to the music and the emotion.
one of the absolute best performing bands of our time. This style of jazz- fusion started a host of other bands of this era. But mahavishnu was truly a unique band to me in its own category. All players are top players fueled by Billy Cobhams relentless thundering set playing. The shear power and brilliance of this music still leaves you spell bound almost 40 years later.Ground breaking music indeed!!
My boyhood guitar hero !! I still have an original b&w picture of John playing that double neck, what a sound what a player what a gentleman ! Later when my parents stayed the winter in Goa, India they ran into him at some one's house. Amazing guy, stil going strong today at 78 yrs.
First time I saw John was in 71 and then 73 at Carnegie hall.Your right,those shows changed my life.Thank you, it brought back memories of the beauty of the early 70's. Growing up in New York allowed us to visit venues like the Fillmore, Academy of music.and so many more.Thanks again,Peace.
I first witnessed MO in the fall of ‘71 at UPenn’s Irvine Auditorium. I was totally unprepared for the astounding display of creativity and virtuosity. The concert blew my mind. I immediately went out and bought Inner Mounting Flame. Extra bonus: my college friend and I saw the band at an Indian restaurant in Philly before the show.
Approximately, thirty years ago, I went to one of his live concerts, this one was held in the city of Toronto, Massyhall. At that time, I was very much into his music, but I'd never seen him live, and I must say that he and his band were absolutely amazing, and from then on, I went to every concert of his, within North America. The memories and his music will live in me forever... Peace, Much Love and Respect. John McLaughlin, Thank You !
And in this day of massive pedalboards & effects ya gotta love John's massive board ... Oh yea he didn't need one . The most intense band of musical genius i have ever heard & i did see them in 73 after Birds Of Fire came out. This level of musicianship still flies right over most heads & still you can't help but to pick your jaw off the floor when you hear it even if you do get it. Simply amazing then & now.
It's also helpful to have a gibson 12/6 double neck with PAFs, a original marshall plexi full stack, and a wah, also the pots have a immense role in tone Just because the technology has shifted doesn't mean the language has changed. Also this entire band is at the peak of ability and inspiration at the right time together.
@@evansellars8728 Did i not just pretty much sum that up. I've been playing guitar since i first started in 67. John often used a Les Paul to do the same things. It's not a requirement to always have a double neck to do what he did then but it sure didn't hurt. Plus he eventually switched to Rex Bouge guitars before this band parted ways. An amazing player then & now .
@@paullevine1813 you were implying that using technology to affect the sound of your guitar was bad or that skilled musicians dont have a use for it. just like other old people who say they hate modern technology but what they really hate is anything that didnt exist during their youth
@@warshipsatin8764 I never said that , i only said he didn't need to use a ton of pedals . I love effects & i play as well so i'm just tossing that in there & not cause i don't like what we never had back in the day. WTH does age have to with any of this anyway. If you want to hear how i play please feel free to give a listen & i did use some effects on this track. I sure didn't come here to argue with anyone & my comment was just a comment. th-cam.com/video/RHj04fFTrZI/w-d-xo.html I was curious as to your own playing but i see nothing on your channel so do you even play ? I understand if you don't but as a listener you have no real place to judge others . I personally love all the new pedals & effects we have now that i never had so i do think your over thinking this . Bottom line was my comment was a positive one & still John doesn't use a lot of toys as he doesn't really need them. Peace !!!
We were very lucky as music loving college kids in D.C. 1972 to attend a show with these masters. There has never been anything like it before or since to equal the breathtaking spiritual transcendence we all experienced. Thanks for posting this video. Pure music.
The most clean cut rock star ever. Looks like he is just off the yacht from the Newport to Bermuda race ready for cocktail hour. Fantastic era, we all miss it
Man, I love John Mclaughlin's guitar playing. His style is like no other, so staccato, unlike the legato stuff that every fusion player tries to play because of Holdworth's influence.
Yeah dude, I'm a jazz guitar player myself, and I just can't legato everything, to me you have to hit the notes and make them pop to get that swinging rhythm. I'm just a young guy trying to learn how to play jazz because its my favorite music. I started out playing rock and metal.
+MegaFigueroa007 Agreed! While I can appreciate the legato/sweep-pickers.....there's something about the pick-every-note players that impresses me. Saw John/Mahavishnu in NYC in the 80's. He was using the Synclavier....and I was just a few feet away the entire time. I spent the entire show grinning like a moron.....shaking my head. John and the band flooded the venue with chops-from-God. A great gig.
Nice to see footage of Mahavishnu when Billy Cobham occupied the drum throne. An inspiration to many young drummers of that era. And still playing. I just saw footage of his performance at the 2017 NAMM Show.
May have been my dilettante-ish and superficial explorations through their video catalog here, but this is far and away the most love, attention and time given to Rick Laird yet. Love it. ❤️ Much appreciated for all this extraordinary music and the documentation of it.
I just saw him this weekend in concert, here in Arizona. At the age of seventy-three, I hope I am 1/4 as awesome as he is!! Talk about a Mega-Legend!!!
Unfortunate that Rick Laird was unable to find work as a bass player after MO and ended up becoming a photographer. I suspect he was the main reason that MO never re-united. McLaighlin and Cobham have performed after MO disbanded. Hammer and Goodman together recorded 1 or 2 albums.
I saw them a few short months after this at the Paramount Theatre in Portland, Oregon. Taj Mahal and The Pointer Sisters were the opening acts. The air was thick with marijuana smoke. My friend, Buckwheat Bob, who had been living in the Oregon woods for a couple of years, grabbed my arm halfway through the show and shouted, "Is this really happening?" Thank God for this video that confirms it. A peak experience.
August 1972. I'd finished my freshman year at high school and was working at a summer job painting crosswalks and traffic lines on the county roads. I had a '67 Telecaster.....and I was listening to The Doors. Then, one day, my oldest brother (guitarist) played a record for me. It was 'The Dance Of Maya'. Days later, I noticed a few hairs on my chest. It was a new day.
Wow, this brought back so many great memories of seeing these guys live back in the day. They were from a different planet than the rest of the musical world. My favorite moment is 36 minutes in when McLaughlin and Cobham do a improvised duet jam. Please find me another drummer and guitar player in the world that could do what they were doing. Ridiculous and mind blowing. Always wanted to see a reunion but I guess this magic can never be recreated.
I wasn't born until '77 but my mom's favourite band was ZZ Top and she got to see the Mahavishnu Orchestra @ racetrack in Nashville with, of all possibilities, ZZ Top and a very young and hungry Lynyrd Skynyrd, I think she recalled it to have been around 1972 or '73 so that's exactly the window of time that MO would've been and did in fact share bills with some Southern rock acts. The 1970s must've truly been a magical time, the naivety and freshness of what was happening, before everyone was over it and then got over being over it. Sigh....
the greatest band to ever perform, nobody can touch this band, and they still can't!!! Im glad these musicians were able to grace us w/ their music! I am honored!
I'd pay to watch McLaughlin tune up at the start. You had me at hello! Lol Nice to watch him burn up the tubes on that Marshall as well . Listen to Extrapolation!
you are 100% correct my friend, being a blues guitarist 30 yrs + I can listen to this a lot longer & enjoy it instead of those jumping around the stage making ugly faces ,....I think you know who I'm talking about....these are truly innovative musicians .
Witness the birth of Fusion. I damn near wore out Birds of Fire when I discovered it in the 1970s, ut to see how they pulkl off such complex material *live* is a huge testament to to how great these musicians were.
+Christine Beatty - Probably had a good bit to do w/the "birth" of the genre but I in no way can think of or hear this as "fusion". This is much more spiritual and a man desperately baring his soul on his own personal quest to reach out to his God and to give praise to his "Creator". He may have later renounced the teachings he followed at this time but there was much more going on here than just pyrotechnics, complex material, and blistering chops all over the stage. It may not have been the case from every player in the band but there is something else going on with "the Mahavishnu"....something in the living spirit of music itself that few others have been able to tap into. Something well beyond what we can notate using math and western music theory. I've never heard this type of passion come from a "fusion" player and even though John expanded his horizons in later years and made amazing music, he himself never played this way again. The Inner Mounting Flame, Birds of Fire, and Visions of the Emerald Beyond are a genre unto themselves.
+gtcadhbmusic Wow you just enlightened me. Mclaughlin wasn't only playing music. He played it for the Gods. This is the philosophie of indish musicians. Music isn't made to entertain people - it's to praise and entertain the creator ...
dude you are reading way to much in to this. its just a label. now listen to the music-no message, no show, it is what it is. if you come away from it feeling good, then, its filled that void, again.
Love this band. Back in high school, the art teacher allowed us to bring in records--yup, vinyl--to play during class. My classmates brought in Three Dog Night and Cat Stevens records; I brought Birds of Fire by these guys. I sort of enjoyed being the 'weird kid'.
Had a similar sounding art class , buzz .... hanging with the flock was never my thing either still a weirdo to the present day !! and birds of fire my fave of half a dozen albums greetings to another fan from outback Queensland....cheers brother
@@simonelwell9148 Thank you for the reply; always good to know another weirdo! Hope you're still finding great stuff to listen to. I'm a recording engineer, so I am fortunate to hear lots of good and interesting music. Take care, sir.
Our biology teacher did the same. But she brought her own records, and her two favorites were Henry Mancini’s the Pink Panther theme, and Why Don’t We Do It In the Road by the Beatles. She used to walk around and play with the boys hair while we were taking tests! Those were the days!
I saw them three months before this concert, in Middletown CT. at Wesleyan College for $ 2.00....... I was never the same.........Spiritual and musical awakening for me. 👍👍👍😎🎼🎵🎶🎸🎻🎸🎹🥁🎶🎵🎼
This is the father of the fusian guitar. Some one said John was doing all that stuff Dimeola and the guys who came after, way back then. I think it all started when John was playing with Miles Davis. Miles went on to say John was the greatest jazz guitarist of all-times. Yah, well Johns' done more than anybody. He's played with the shankti family there in india, it was also his idea to start the guitar trio with Larry and Paco De Lucia. Later Al came in. John has done it all. Jeff Beck says John is the top guitarist around. Jeff Beck would know. Funny, you would think John was Dimeolas' big hero but it was Larry Coreyel, Well Larrys' a good one. John is just beyound everybody. No one's done more than John, incuding that concert he wrote for the mediterenian. With John on the classical guitar and, the london symphonic orquestra. Some acheivement!
Be careful reply commentors dont fall into the trap argument of who the father is or who is better etc. John is clearly miles above the masses. His early years put him on that path. That can never happen again because of the time places and legendary breakthroughs by those such Coltrane and Miles: it will never be like that again. Holdsworth- Di Meola- Jeff B, and a few other modern day players have all carved their fantastic niches but they all say that John McLaughlin is the One !
Not true. When Jeff beck heard Hendrix, he said he was wondering whether they were hiring at the post office. thank G()D they weren't because Jeff has taken his place among the immortals. Comparing any of them is a waste of time and energy. Whether we speak of Hendrix, Santana, Django, Mclaughlin, Holdsworth, Metheney, Dimeola, Shawn Lane and the list is way too long to include everyone who has reached the Olympian Heights of glory. They are all great and all have earned their place.On their best day, all of them are the greatest who have ever lived. If you ask most of the greats who is the best, they will point to someone other than themselves and its not humility, but the knowledge that music is a spectrum where there is no competition between the colors, that each adds qualities and characteristics to the continuum. Listen to the interviews of the greats, especially those who are as articulate and eloquent as Mclaughlin and you will find a mutual admiration that is truly inspirational.
Thanks FunkaMedic: When I saw the two-necked guitar, I knew I was out of my depth intellectually. My ears however, are in their element -- They're saying to me, "This is delicious, Mama. Don't you dare click away." For real though: I was introduced to Mahavishnu orchestra in the mid seventies through friends (horn players mostly) and my father (a percussionist). My Dad and my friends had acquainted me with a lot of music, but seldom the same artist at the same time. (How strange that I wish I were smoking a fatty right now. I've never been a fan of marijuana, but inexplicably, I wish I were smoking a fatty right now -- a short, sloppy, tar-burning-me-finger, little fatty.) Thanks again, Funkamedic!
Listening this today in 2023, it still sounds so fresh, inspiring, innovative and profound as it did in 1975. Timeless, genius outlasts style! Go Ahead John!
Saw this incarnation(in my mind the best) of the band in San Francisco at The Winterland , March 24, 1972. Totally blew us away!!! ELP followed, no contest, MO was by far the best band of the night.
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I saw them on this tour, was in the first row.
Tripping.
😊McLaughlin asked if I was ok.
😉
Me too, same state of mind. They played so loud they generated heat. Mclaughlin was playing guitar lines forward, in reverse and inside out. At least that's what it sounded like to me. The height of the psychedelic era.
🤥🤥
Thanks for sharing. In 72 at 16yrs I saw the group in central park at the Shafer Beer Muaic Festival for $2. At that time everyone was used to the typical loud rock groups with the big entrances. When M.O. came on stage with a zen like quietness it caught everyone off guard. John sporting short hair and a double neck Gibson SG with a soft smile said nothing at all. He simply bowed and within a second the band took off at Mach One Speed with musicianship rarely seen. Everyone brought their AAA Game. The audience was eerily quiet , motionless and with their jaws dropped. Playing Inner Mounting Flame and other originals. Then all of a sudden the set came to a screeching halt .. M.O. quietly walk off stage and the audience was frozen almost like in a trance just standing there. With absolutely no applause at all we all left the concert quietly in disbelief of what we witnessed scratching our heads. I brought weed to smoke but never got to smoke it , actually I did not need it becsuse music blew my mind . M.O. changed the course of music from that day forward.✌🏼
Thank you for your comment. Saw MO Royal Albert Hall London, 1974. The concert had a huge impact on me.
Michael G Eaglemeare WOW that is Awesome. 👑
There will always be those "out there" bands just like Primus in the 90's, etc etc. And King Crimson in the 60's
Music is all subjective.
These guys were superb musicians but there was no structure to the music in a standard format.
I also saw them at the Central Park Schaffer Music Festival. Believe it was in ‘73. We sat behind the stage ( show was sold out) and watched the show from the huge overhead mirror used to bounce off stage lighting. Regardless, I/we were mesmerized, stunned and trance fixed on their cohesion and mechanics. No showmanship, just pure Music Magic. It started rain in torrential and proverbial buckets. The audience never moved, never left. One of my Top Three Concerts I ever attended to this Day. How I thank God I was able to see such a Band.
@@dezerep Wow that is awesome , thanks for sharing your similar experience. Yes , mesmerizing is the word.
I dont care what anybody says they are the best jazz rock fusion band ever.i still play this in my car coming home from work. after a long work week.Full blast.ok.go ahead John.
Return to Forever is equally as good.
I disagree I love both bands but mahavishnu. Both had incredible lineups but only one had John Mclaughlin. Al Dimeola is a legend but he's not John. Mclaughlin.
Magma….Brand X.is in that same conversation.
Phenomenal Thank you!
Every Song Powerfull!
Love that John McLaughlin had short hair when everyone wore it long, and long hair when everyone wore it short.
This man opened my eyes to a whole new world of music. Thank you Mr. Mclaughlin, i am eternally grateful.
I'm just gonna be honest and say this is the best shit I've ever heard in my life.
No shit
Fuckin good shit I agree!
@@frankleroux2733 Classical music theorist like to say pop music, rock and roll, scat, jazz, blues is derivitive 0f classical. Jazz improve is in a world of it's own.
5 guys all at their apex here
I concur feeling is very mutual
Great band, my late father gave me the album 'Birds of Fire' when I was 16... changed my life & music preferences forever... ❤
Oh my God! I have never posted a comment but this is ALWAYS my go to music when I'm stressed out. Im 65 now and went to many concerts. THIS has always been my numbers one. John with Jeff Beck in El Paso
😅omg this is my first comment!!! Too😮
Same tour in Oklahoma city.... amazing.....
the heaviest & best fusion band ever...such incredible talent...never before & never again...astonishing
Weather Report was the best fusion band.
McLaughlin is a musical heir of the great Miles Davis, nice.
@@mamamia6925 Much different style ... Like apples & pineapples
Soft Machine
@@mamamia6925 after Mahavishnu
Oh Billy Cobham You are something special. I still play the Maha at least once a week. And the many albums and guest appearances from Cobham is quite an amazing discography as well. Blessings to all of you.
Cobham and Mclaughlin combine in one of the best drummer/ guitarist combinations I have ever seen. That first Mahavishna album is phenomenal. The energy and mastery level of their instruments take them to an extraordinary level.
How can you leave out Jan Hamer and Jerry Goodman? The whole band were from another planet!
That album is definitely 🔥 👌🏾.
Rick laird could also be talent deserving of wider recognition , much more than the glue that keeps it together , fantastic stuff , a
An amazing experience , my fone unlike these guys malfunctioned
And Billy Cobham's first album Stratus, classic, I still listen to it today...
These dudes just existed in a different reality than most concertgoers or casual music fans. They exist in a realm of pure creativity.
Kant's noumenal world perhaps.
**jack off motion**
01. Meeting Of The Spirits (01:55 to 16:28)
02. You Know You Know (16:29 to 25:31)
03. The Dance of Maya (26:55 to 41:17)
04. One Word (42:14 to 58:11)
05. Resolution (58:12 to 59:27)
06. Sanctuary (59:32 to 66:05)
07. Awakening (66:28 to 80:40)
+Raul Ruales You missed You Know You Know from 16:28
You know you know at the 16 min. mark
la crème de la crème 👉🕊🕊🕊🕊👉
Raul RULES!! thanks man :) kind regards and a warm hug :)
real mvp
One of the finest bands in the history of the world. Groundbreaking, innovative, transcendental, a monolith in jazz rock fusion. A precusor to almost every progressive rock band today. 40 some odd years later young musicians still listen and learn from their music. I feel priviledged to have experienced it while it was happening.
I agree fully. The technical expertise packed onto one stage is hard to match anywhere. I was born one year before this was filmed and am one of those "younger" musicians you speak of. At least I was.
I Believe Miles Davis was First.
Miles even named a song after him.
@@craigmoreland9569 I think he was. Bitches Brew; 1969. John McLaughlin on board for that one, of course. Kicked the whole thing off, and away they all went, with their new marriage of jazz and rock... and this venture was certainly an adept extension of the genre!
I'm in my 20s, I've listened to tons of music but I'm still floored by this band.
So ahead of their time. The influence can be heard throughout music to this day
I love that amp's lack of enthusiasm at 2:24
Beauty. I noticed that, too.
Ha! Took me a second.
You're killin' me, Smalls.
Tyler Leon dude I cried from laughing. kudos.
I looked and looked.... And looked.... I finally got it. Freakin' hilarious.
Saw them at the Montreal Forum during this period. I had been wearing out my copies “Inner Mounting Flame” and “Birds of Fire,” but nothing could have prepared me for the impact of experiencing MO perform live. The intensity and the volume were literally overwhelming. It was like I could feel my DNA mutating on the spot. I was high and started to panic, but then thought, “fight this and it will damage you. Just let go and flow with it.” What followed was a period of bliss that it took me decades of meditation practice to even approach again. (My ears are still ringing, though.)
I saw them 2 weeks before this one in Detroit and had the same experience, went with it and saw God.
Yes... They follow me as part of the sound track of my Life, while travelling around the world during the 70's and 80's and were also part of my deepest No Mental psychedelic waves from Nothingness to Eternity.
God and Luzbel bless them!
I saw Billy Cobham at the House of Blues in 93 in New Orleans Billy Cobham Stanley Clarke Larry Carlton and somebody else. Amazing the only time I ever saw him change my life
@@MatChew75 Cobham was magnificent
Fight this and it will damage you! J’adore!
This is Mahavishnu at their best. Cobham playing amazing little fills when all is quiet and storming when it is needed. Sometimes there are solos over other solos , it seems arbitrary, but that is the way the music was written to be played and they get it exactly right. Jerry Goodman was so aggressive and spot on while Jan Hammer did more with that electric piano than many could imagine. And shining above all is John who is simply marvelous. Later versions of Mahavishnu were smoother, more refined perhaps, but lacked the awesome power of this lineup.A lifetime fan and always will be!
+pooginmouse agreed
Good point ! More than i can say :)
I 1st saw the original M.O. line up in a small club in Chicago called "the Quiet Night". It was anything but. J.McL still had long hair. The musicianship was amazing & so loud it tore my head off. Only later did I recognize the power, daring and delight of the music. To my ears, thru many live shows & recordings it has continued the this day.
pooginmouse, just so I don´t misunderstand. Are they playing it exactly note after note? Aren´t they improvising within a structured frame?
But if it is note by note they really sounds like they are improvising also.
Big time improvisation with a structured framework!! Definitely kicked major butt!!
Mahavishnu plus Frank Zappa are two of my favorite innovative composers in the 20th century
They toured together back then!
@@nottavictim5 Saw Zappa open for them in Philly maybe 74
@@nottavictim5 and McLaughlin stole JLP from Zappa hahah
@@nottavictim5 DAZZLED by the combo! @ Cincinnati Fieldhouse
They opened for Zappa at the Spectrum in Phila. early 70s. Stunning show.
Amazing even 50 years later the soul of their music. Virtuosity on top of that.
you have had the privilege of seeing the best drummer in the world!!!
Hi Billy said in an interview that he spent most of the time counting! What a band!
No feel. Just the single-stroke rolls on the snare and hitting the China cymbal with no feel for melody or rhythm.
@@LoyalOpposition for all progressive rock bands...if they say they didn't know bc or jm then they are lying...and stupid lol
bought my first mahavishnu orchestra album in 1971 when i was 16. completely changed my taste in music. i was absolutely blown away. here we are 49 years later and this is still phenomenal music. thanks for posting! covid 19 lockdown, cuenca, ecuador. 5/29/20
I think I bought Inner Mounting Flame around the same time. Saw JMO in Ohio at that time. Timeless.
Me too! Inner Mounting Flame... I didn't understand what the hell I was listening too but I loved it...
It's amazing how much I sound like John Mclaughlin when I tune my B and E strings.
same here...I sound like John Mclaughlin even when I ring my doorbell...
univibe23 hahaha
univibe23 You probably are a Steve Vai fan or, if you prefer, an ignorant POS.
tone deaf ??
Lisp
I just love all these comments below, like many of them, I too was changed forever in 1971 or so, when I traveled to Cinci,OH with a ticket to see The Allman Bros., upon arrival at the hall we learned the band was sick from food poisoning the nite before and The Mahavishnu Orchestra would [lay in their place. What a gift that turned out to be, who is this guy with a double neck guitar, and who is this NFL sized drummer, an electric violin, synthesiser? I have followed JM ever since, what a gift to the world of music, and an inspiration to guitarists, he was Jeff Becks' favorite influence, and that says it all. One of my favorite concerts that I attended in Boston was JM and Carlos Santana playing Love Devotion and Surrender. Live reordings of concerts can more often than leave much to be desired, but not JM's From Nothing to Eternity, truly a gift that keeps on giving, loved it every year for 45 years or so now. I saw JM playing for a tribute concert for Jeff Beck that Eric Clapton produced, At 81 years old JM is more handsome as ever and seeing him play that beautiful Fender Dtrat was like a dream like wonder, I'm smiling again just thinking abou it. At 71 years old I still look forward to the sounds of WONDER. Thanks to Funkamedic for this delightful blast from the past. Stephen Bishop Sept.23,2023, form the Bluegrass State of KY.
These guys are the best....no words❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Just a great band. Billy Cobham was blessed with four arms.
The tone that Mclaughlin had at that time was and still is my absolute favorite.
It was wild agressiv and so filled with expression.
When I heard birds of fire for the first time it was an spiritual experience.
Something new wild and sofisticated at the same time.
Wonderful time to be young and interested in music.
Sorry for not breaking this down but holy shit. Just pivotal when I was 15. Just made me recognize their was magic in this world.
I had a similar experience and couldn’t have said it better
I'm a huge fan, but I never really liked his tone. to me, it made his playing sound sloppy, when we all know that John has amazingly clean picking. Just my opinion. I still love Mahavishnu and Visions of The Emerald Beyond was one of my favorites.
Yeah man...sofisticated
Likewise for me, when I heard Birds of Fire for the first time, it was a religious experience. No exaggeration.
My friend and I were progressing quickly as musicians and so were accepted by musicians at our high school who were seniors even though we were sophomores. One of them took us to another’s house one afternoon where a bong was pulled out and passed around. I got really stoned and then this guy puts on the album. When I heard those guitar solos, I was destroyed. Utterly devastated. My life was changed right then and there.
I followed JM and Mahavishnu around the Midwest in the early 70's. They were truly a spiritual experience and cutting edge on the fusion scene at the time. They were one of a kind. I don't really care for this competitive nature of who is the best guitarist, bassist, drummer . . . etc. Can't we just enjoy the great music these musicians have given us and not turn it into a stereotypical male pissing contest?
For me, I don't care about the whole competitive nature (i'm a very skilled musician btw).... but why SOME of us will jump in is when it's FALSEHOODS.
EX:
when fanboys will say "DREAM THEATER ARE GREAT!" and that's quantifiably and provably FALSE. They are plagiarists with nothing new to offer. So... in a situation like that, it unfortunately comes to debates about who's better than who.
And there are too many fanboys out there, so I don't know that we can ever stop "judging".
Neal Petersen That's the thing with Mahavishnu,it was all about the music.
Dream theater are nothing
+Neal Peterson - Amen!
Well said Neal.
I have seen this formation of Mahavishnu in Paris the same year, probably in june, in the Bataclan, it was an afternoon: my first experience of live music at 15 years old. Never the same again...
Laurent Contini wow. you experienced the musical elite on your first live exp. that's hard to beat haha
probably better than losing your virginity
Saw then at 22. Yes, transformational experience.
i had the same experience as you -- Bristol Colsten Hall, 1974. Front row. I was 17, barely. Life changing...
Mine too at Long Beach up opened for ELP needless to say a letdown when ELP came on
Billy was at a higher caliber than any drummer in history here in his prime. Maybe even Buddy Rich. Billy had stamina from another planet, here.
Yep. Rod Morgenstein and Marco Minnemann come close. But Billy...
Definitely agree with that👍🎛️🥁🥁🎛️
AGREE.Billy had great soul on top of supreme musicality
Saw them several times during their peak. Regarding Billy, one of the greatest ever. Always irritates me when people rave about John Bonham as the greatest ever. He couldn’t touch Cobham and wouldn’t have been able to pass an audition for this group, what’s more have handled driving these musicians through the wild numbers and signatures they raced through and several times the speed of Zep.
Non BUDDY RICH est indépassable dans les solos. puissance variation et vitesse d"exécution regarder les mains de ce drummer et surtout soyez curieux à travers ses interventions ( multiples enregistrements la liste est longue !!!!)
Perhaps the greatest assemblage of musical talent the world has ever seen.....when the camera shows the audience, there is no movement or talking - they are obviously mesmerized and in awe of what they are witnessing. Cobham is a beast - saw him in Fresno in a nightclub setting with perhaps 100 other people - sat 10 feet away - an unforgettable experience.
Audience was not mesmerized. Just overly cerebral white dudes who don't move much unless it's to get food.
By the way I speak from first hand knowledge. I'm Tom Mesmer, and I was not there that night.
This is the Holy Grail of lost performances found! Saw them in Austin at Armadillo World Headquarters a few months after this was made. Did not know anything about the group, but in one performance they re-defined forever what my mind perceived as what music could be. For the last 40 years have been telling the story of the concert, and now I know it was not just my imagination, it was for real. Hope this performance will bring another generation into this extra ordinary state of mind.
The Dixie Dregs, Steve Morse Band
@@rafaelcarmany463 Hard no.
Literally stuck in this
Great concert hall. Armadillo Word Headquarters in Austin Texas
Great memories. Saw several incredible concerts there.
Remember The White House, etc?
Ab récords on the Dragg?
Saludos de México
My first concert ever was MO opening for ELP, my youthful mind was forever blown wide open...............thanks!
+alan linnemeyer Oh, now *that* is my idea of a double bill!!!
that woulda been sweet!!!! you are very lucky!!!!
it was one of my first, too....at Winterland, San Francisco....soooo loud, easily the loudest show ever for me, more than the Who..
Half the Winterland crowd was so wiped out that they left during ELP's first number, Men among Boys!
Wow. I'm so jealous, never saw either and prob my 2 fave bands, arguably 2 greatest supergroups.
One of the greatest bands of all time. Most probably the best set of musicians in one band.
A super human group. Saw them in a little club in the village called cafe au go go,Maybe it held 300 people maximum. Needless to say after seeing and hearing these incredible musicians I had to do a lot of practicing . I met John sometime in 1986, a really fine nice person. He can play anything and he has influenced the entire world with his innovative playing and compositions. BTW Cobham at this time was untouchable.
Years ago when the music for The Mahavishnu Orchestra was published, I showed an old school chorus teacher in our High School the book and asked her to play some of the music on the piano. She was an impeccable sight reader. Well, she ripped off a few tunes, which sounded beautiful, and then turned to me in one of the most perplexed looks I've ever seen on anyone, and she said, "How do they come up with these ideas. Where do they get these chords"? There it is.
zscheuch India!! Just like Coltrane and many others. Ravi Shankar. A friend went to India for a year back in the 70's and came back a monster violinist and guitarist. Taught another (former drummer) friend to play mandolin and he went to Switzerland to become the best studio mandolin player probably in the world. Best in the world teachers and musicians there.
one of the most perplexed looks I've ... and WHAT????
Will we ever find out?
No.
zscheuch i
It is not possible for people nowadays to grasp how original and innovative this music was when it was invented, 45 years ago. During the ensuing 40 years or so this kind of musical genre got diluted and transformed into a sad, repulsive caricature by many lesser bands and musicians. But thankfully we have the recordings, so we can always go back to the source.
McLaughlin was one of the most unique, original guitarists who ever held a guitar pick. His heyday was in the late '60s-early '70s. Those were the years when he was at his prime as a guitar player and as a composer. I still hold, to this day, that his absolute best guitar playing was on his first solo album, Extrapolation (1969). Check it out--it will blow your mind!
My good friend who plays guitar turned me onto JM and all his early stuff back in the late 60's early 70's as he was putting it out. That music shows all of us how much possibility music holds!
we can't. Even sources change.
it blew our minds
I'M DOING MY PART to spice things up!
I play outdoors nearly every day / night so ALL walks of life have to hear my avant-musics here in New England / NYC.
To my shock, the General Public like my WEIRDEST sounds and moves! I did not expect so much unanimous positivity!
THE TRONIC UKE
th-cam.com/video/S_vxQOH051U/w-d-xo.html
Was?!?
Someone commented about missing jon-luc ponty. Nothing ponty ever did rivals Goodman's work on "You know you know". Individual brilliance. Goodman stays right with Mclaughlin, which is saying something, on every tune
Goodman was by far the superior musician. His classical tone and technique was a vital part of the sound. Ponty was a fiddler.
Sublime and unique music. This really deserves an official release
I had the very great fortune and pleasure of experiencing this band with all their very accomplished muscians as the opening act in 1970 at the Nat'l Guard Armory standing on the floor directly in front of the band. Imagine my surpise as they were the opening act for Pink Floyd! Oh what bliss! I ran out and bought both of their then albums.
The late 60s and early 70s were an amazing, exploritary time. The sad thing is that music of this calibre is rarely heard today. The corporate music machine has reduced much of today's music to mediocrity and autotuned blandness.
Say what you want about todays corporate music formula but at least
it's easier to make my decisions for me. Like I know I want to watch football if I hear
Taylor Swift or need to fill my Dovato script if I hear Justin Bieber...
@@GordiansKnotHere Fortunately, there is still great stuff to be discovered on sites like Bandcamp.
Look up black midi. Come back later.
Autotune...😢
inspired genius..... tapping into the emerald beyond. Connection, connected and one with consciousness. days when musicians brought magical journeys to their audiences and the audiences encouraged them to dig deeper, and go ever further.... bless these geniuses for leaving their mark on history.
The amazing jazz-fusion of the 1970s. Also, Weather Report and Return to forever. Vertuosi musicians, all of them.
Passport from Germany too !
I saw The Mahavishnu in Manchester England in 1972 as part of their Birds Of Fire tour. They were awesome then. I was a music student in '73. I became a musician for many years, then into education. I met John and the 7th Dimension in Manchester at one of their many concerts. I spoke to him, and he was wonderful. I live in the same village as John was brought up in, in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. I play all Mahavishnu stuff as my daily fix.
Back in the early 70’s I heard Jerry Goodman and thought, “Wow! That’s so cool! He’s amazing! I want to learn how to play like that someday!” So I took violin lessons, practiced hard, and became the professional musician I am today.
Fifty years later, I listen to Jerry Goodman and think, “Wow! That’s so cool! He’s amazing! I want to learn how to play like that someday!”
When ya got it, ya got it. 🤷♂️
How lucky people that attended this mighty live.
Such a great era.
a time when people really sat and listened and were in the moment
At a time when everyone was tripping their balls off!
John McLaughlin (guitarra)
Billy Cobham (bateria)
Rick Laird (baixo)
Jerry Goodman (violino)
Jan Hammer (teclado)
thanks
Thank you very much ;)
Forgot Jan Hammer, keyboards
Oops, sorry, I see that you mention Jan.
John McBubber - guitar
Billy Go Bam! - drums
Ricky Lard - bass
Jerry G and the Mandolins - violin
Yan Jammer - keys
Neal Schon - vocals
Still blows my head clean off. They were 200 Years ahead of their time . Unbelivable. Pure genius. Absolutely timeless.
ohhh.... this level of emotional playing is nothing short of Catharsis. once it clicks, the musicians are one, serving the Music, really. Love the 'rawness' of everything... adds to the music and the emotion.
I went to this 17 years old and a bee gees fan and wonder wtf, glad I did.
one of the absolute best performing bands of our time. This style of jazz- fusion started a host of other bands of this era. But mahavishnu was truly a unique band to me in its own category. All players are top players fueled by Billy Cobhams relentless thundering set playing. The shear power and brilliance of this music still leaves you spell bound almost 40 years later.Ground breaking music indeed!!
My boyhood guitar hero !! I still have an original b&w picture of John playing that double neck, what a sound what a player what a gentleman ! Later when my parents stayed the winter in Goa, India they ran into him at some one's house. Amazing guy, stil going strong today at 78 yrs.
First time I saw John was in 71 and then 73 at Carnegie hall.Your right,those shows changed my life.Thank you, it brought back memories of the beauty of the early 70's. Growing up in New York allowed us to visit venues like the Fillmore, Academy of music.and so many more.Thanks again,Peace.
I first witnessed MO in the fall of ‘71 at UPenn’s Irvine Auditorium. I was totally unprepared for the astounding display of creativity and virtuosity. The concert blew my mind. I immediately went out and bought Inner Mounting Flame. Extra bonus: my college friend and I saw the band at an Indian restaurant in Philly before the show.
Approximately, thirty years ago, I went to one of his live concerts, this one was held in the city of Toronto, Massyhall. At that time, I was very much into his music, but I'd never seen him live, and I must say that he and his band were absolutely amazing, and from then on, I went to every concert of his, within North America. The memories and his music will live in me forever... Peace, Much Love and Respect. John McLaughlin, Thank You !
The inner mounting flame is one of my favorite records of the 400 i own. It's such a masterpiece, almost nothing else like it.
And in this day of massive pedalboards & effects ya gotta love John's massive board ... Oh yea he didn't need one . The most intense band of musical genius i have ever heard & i did see them in 73 after Birds Of Fire came out. This level of musicianship still flies right over most heads & still you can't help but to pick your jaw off the floor when you hear it even if you do get it. Simply amazing then & now.
It's also helpful to have a gibson 12/6 double neck with PAFs, a original marshall plexi full stack, and a wah, also the pots have a immense role in tone Just because the technology has shifted doesn't mean the language has changed. Also this entire band is at the peak of ability and inspiration at the right time together.
@@evansellars8728 Did i not just pretty much sum that up. I've been playing guitar since i first started in 67. John often used a Les Paul to do the same things. It's not a requirement to always have a double neck to do what he did then but it sure didn't hurt. Plus he eventually switched to Rex Bouge guitars before this band parted ways. An amazing player then & now .
@@paullevine1813 you were implying that using technology to affect the sound of your guitar was bad or that skilled musicians dont have a use for it. just like other old people who say they hate modern technology but what they really hate is anything that didnt exist during their youth
@@warshipsatin8764 I never said that , i only said he didn't need to use a ton of pedals . I love effects & i play as well so i'm just tossing that in there & not cause i don't like what we never had back in the day. WTH does age have to with any of this anyway. If you want to hear how i play please feel free to give a listen & i did use some effects on this track. I sure didn't come here to argue with anyone & my comment was just a comment. th-cam.com/video/RHj04fFTrZI/w-d-xo.html I was curious as to your own playing but i see nothing on your channel so do you even play ? I understand if you don't but as a listener you have no real place to judge others . I personally love all the new pedals & effects we have now that i never had so i do think your over thinking this . Bottom line was my comment was a positive one & still John doesn't use a lot of toys as he doesn't really need them. Peace !!!
@@paullevine1813 nobody "needs" to use ANY pedals and yes i play but this isnt a competition, buddy
We were very lucky as music loving college kids in D.C. 1972 to attend a show with these masters. There has never been anything like it before or since to equal the breathtaking spiritual transcendence we all experienced. Thanks for posting this video. Pure music.
@David Ivoc mr. jones
Love this era of fusion. After learning rock drums this opened my eyes and scared the crap out of me.
That's awesome, LIVE SHOW 1972!!!
Great fan of Mahavisnhu
The most clean cut rock star ever. Looks like he is just off the yacht from the Newport to Bermuda race ready for cocktail hour. Fantastic era, we all miss it
Man, I love John Mclaughlin's guitar playing. His style is like no other, so staccato, unlike the legato stuff that every fusion player tries to play because of Holdworth's influence.
+MegaFigueroa007 I was specially thinking the same the other that, I prefer the "Old School" where you pick every single note, listen to Larry Coryell
Yeah dude, I'm a jazz guitar player myself, and I just can't legato everything, to me you have to hit the notes and make them pop to get that swinging rhythm. I'm just a young guy trying to learn how to play jazz because its my favorite music. I started out playing rock and metal.
+MegaFigueroa007 lets jam
+MegaFigueroa007 Agreed! While I can appreciate the legato/sweep-pickers.....there's something about the pick-every-note players that impresses me. Saw John/Mahavishnu in NYC in the 80's. He was using the Synclavier....and I was just a few feet away the entire time. I spent the entire show grinning like a moron.....shaking my head. John and the band flooded the venue with chops-from-God. A great gig.
+mjs28c Well stated! I couldn't agree more!
Billy's aesthetic sense is always so right on. And, it's wonderful to hear the bass like this.
Nice to see footage of Mahavishnu when Billy Cobham occupied the drum throne. An inspiration to many young drummers of that era. And still playing. I just saw footage of his performance at the 2017 NAMM Show.
May have been my dilettante-ish and superficial explorations through their video catalog here, but this is far and away the most love, attention and time given to Rick Laird yet. Love it. ❤️
Much appreciated for all this extraordinary music and the documentation of it.
Cobham man beast
+Tony Haas The entire band were 'beasts.'
I just saw him this weekend in concert, here in Arizona. At the age of seventy-three, I hope I am 1/4 as awesome as he is!! Talk about a Mega-Legend!!!
Cobham is a monster drummer. He will always be a favourite of me.
yes indeed
seeing his eyes those seconds was unique moment in time.
Ok I've heard everything now ... thanks for the post.
MO's riffs are like other bands solos. Just love it!
Rick Laird's playing is inspiring !
Unfortunate that Rick Laird was unable to find work as a bass player after MO and ended up becoming a photographer. I suspect he was the main reason that MO never re-united. McLaighlin and Cobham have performed after MO disbanded. Hammer and Goodman together recorded 1 or 2 albums.
The Mahavishnu Orchestra has a mystical genius in all its formations.
Stands the test of time... just as good as when I saw them live at Winterland in 72...amazing!!!
The Mahavishnu Orchestra and John McLaughlin are incredible.
I saw them a few short months after this at the Paramount Theatre in Portland, Oregon. Taj Mahal and The Pointer Sisters were the opening acts. The air was thick with marijuana smoke. My friend, Buckwheat Bob, who had been living in the Oregon woods for a couple of years, grabbed my arm halfway through the show and shouted, "Is this really happening?" Thank God for this video that confirms it. A peak experience.
August 1972. I'd finished my freshman year at high school and was working at a summer job painting crosswalks and traffic lines on the county roads. I had a '67 Telecaster.....and I was listening to The Doors. Then, one day, my oldest brother (guitarist) played a record for me. It was 'The Dance Of Maya'.
Days later, I noticed a few hairs on my chest. It was a new day.
The version of One Word on the Birds of Fire album is the best jazz/rock performance of all time, a gift from the Universe of unfathomable beauty
Wow, this brought back so many great memories of seeing these guys live back in the day. They were from a different planet than the rest of the musical world. My favorite moment is 36 minutes in when McLaughlin and Cobham do a improvised duet jam. Please find me another drummer and guitar player in the world that could do what they were doing. Ridiculous and mind blowing. Always wanted to see a reunion but I guess this magic can never be recreated.
My mother always used to say, "wear your longjohns and play a double guitar to be on the safe side!"
that`s exact what I tought! lol
John in his foolish guru phase. Always wearing white .
yo' Momma! ;)
@@johnrobinson1840 "Foolish Guru" I like it! ;)
JM sold Good Humor ice cream before the show, he didn't have time to change his clothes.
I wasn't born until '77 but my mom's favourite band was ZZ Top and she got to see the Mahavishnu Orchestra @ racetrack in Nashville with, of all possibilities, ZZ Top and a very young and hungry Lynyrd Skynyrd, I think she recalled it to have been around 1972 or '73 so that's exactly the window of time that MO would've been and did in fact share bills with some Southern rock acts. The 1970s must've truly been a magical time, the naivety and freshness of what was happening, before everyone was over it and then got over being over it. Sigh....
🥁🥁
Who can believe that this is footage from more than 50 years ago?
TIMELESS.
the greatest band to ever perform, nobody can touch this band, and they still can't!!! Im glad these musicians were able to grace us w/ their music! I am honored!
Many evenings on the hash oil or herb listening to their albums with the headphones on....spiritual bliss.
LOL
here here 👍
Or Acid
@@akarshrastogi3682 celestial terrestrial commuters is one of my favourite songs to listen to on acid full stop. bless
Jan Hammer absolute legend! One of the best jazz musicians ever!
i saw this lineup when they came to KY in '73 with Santana ... great show, they jammed together at the end ...I was floored.
WOW. You are one lucky strangher.
Thanks for the memories. Life changing band, You Know,You Know
Could be one the greatest live performances in recorded history
Happy belated 44th anniversary Vishnu! The best "One Word" performance EVER!
Wow. When that violin starts playing at about 13:00 minutes in.. Just an unbelievable show. Master musicians, every one of them.
I'd pay to watch McLaughlin tune up at the start. You had me at hello! Lol Nice to watch him burn up the tubes on that Marshall as well . Listen to Extrapolation!
you are 100% correct my friend, being a blues guitarist 30 yrs + I can listen to this a lot longer & enjoy it instead of those jumping around the stage making ugly faces ,....I think you know who I'm talking about....these are truly innovative musicians .
the piece - One Word ! what a precision, what technique ,what timing ! Extra !
Witness the birth of Fusion. I damn near wore out Birds of Fire when I discovered it in the 1970s, ut to see how they pulkl off such complex material *live* is a huge testament to to how great these musicians were.
+Christine Beatty --- and for the record, Jerry Goodman holds his own with Jean-Luc and Sugarcane Harris.
+Christine Beatty - Probably had a good bit to do w/the "birth" of the genre but I in no way can think of or hear this as "fusion". This is much more spiritual and a man desperately baring his soul on his own personal quest to reach out to his God and to give praise to his "Creator". He may have later renounced the teachings he followed at this time but there was much more going on here than just pyrotechnics, complex material, and blistering chops all over the stage. It may not have been the case from every player in the band but there is something else going on with "the Mahavishnu"....something in the living spirit of music itself that few others have been able to tap into. Something well beyond what we can notate using math and western music theory. I've never heard this type of passion come from a "fusion" player and even though John expanded his horizons in later years and made amazing music, he himself never played this way again. The Inner Mounting Flame, Birds of Fire, and Visions of the Emerald Beyond are a genre unto themselves.
+gtcadhbmusic Wow you just enlightened me. Mclaughlin wasn't only playing music. He played it for the Gods.
This is the philosophie of indish musicians. Music isn't made to entertain people - it's to praise and entertain the creator ...
kingas thin I was thinking the same thing.
dude you are reading way to much in to this. its just a label. now listen to the music-no message, no show, it is what it is. if you come away
from it feeling good, then, its filled that void, again.
Love this band. Back in high school, the art teacher allowed us to bring in records--yup, vinyl--to play during class. My classmates brought in Three Dog Night and Cat Stevens records; I brought Birds of Fire by these guys. I sort of enjoyed being the 'weird kid'.
Had a similar sounding art class , buzz .... hanging with the flock was never my thing either still a weirdo to the present day !!
and birds of fire my fave of half a dozen albums greetings to another fan from outback Queensland....cheers brother
@@simonelwell9148 Thank you for the reply; always good to know another weirdo! Hope you're still finding great stuff to listen to. I'm a recording engineer, so I am fortunate to hear lots of good and interesting music. Take care, sir.
Our biology teacher did the same. But she brought her own records, and her two favorites were Henry Mancini’s the Pink Panther theme, and Why Don’t We Do It In the Road by the Beatles. She used to walk around and play with the boys hair while we were taking tests! Those were the days!
Holly God! This is why I love TH-cam!!
I saw them three months before this concert, in Middletown CT. at Wesleyan College for $ 2.00....... I was never the same.........Spiritual and musical awakening for me.
👍👍👍😎🎼🎵🎶🎸🎻🎸🎹🥁🎶🎵🎼
Thanks to whoever put this on TH-cam. I love this music from the early daze. Just amazing.
Incredible music! Incredible drums! Unforgettable!
One of the greatest bands ever IMHO
This is the father of the fusian guitar. Some one said John was doing all that stuff Dimeola and the guys who came after, way back then. I think it all started when John was playing with Miles Davis. Miles went on to say John was the greatest jazz guitarist of all-times. Yah, well Johns' done more than anybody. He's played with the shankti family there in india, it was also his idea to start the guitar trio with Larry and Paco De Lucia. Later Al came in. John has done it all. Jeff Beck says John is the top guitarist around. Jeff Beck would know. Funny, you would think John was Dimeolas' big hero but it was Larry Coreyel, Well Larrys' a good one. John is just beyound everybody. No one's done more than John, incuding that concert he wrote for the mediterenian. With John on the classical guitar and, the london symphonic orquestra. Some acheivement!
Holdsworth!
the father of Fusion guitar might be Larry Coryell, dude... or even Gabor Szabo.
Be careful reply commentors dont fall into the trap argument of who the father is or who is better etc. John is clearly miles above the masses. His early years put him on that path. That can never happen again because of the time places and legendary breakthroughs by those such Coltrane and Miles: it will never be like that again. Holdsworth- Di Meola- Jeff B, and a few other modern day players have all carved their fantastic niches but they all say that John McLaughlin is the One !
I like to say, with apologies to J.K. Rowling, that John McLaughlin was the only guitarist Jeff Beck ever feared. :)
Not true. When Jeff beck heard Hendrix, he said he was wondering whether they were hiring at the post office. thank G()D they weren't because Jeff has taken his place among the immortals.
Comparing any of them is a waste of time and energy. Whether we speak of Hendrix, Santana, Django, Mclaughlin, Holdsworth, Metheney, Dimeola, Shawn Lane and the list is way too long to include everyone who has reached the Olympian Heights of glory. They are all great and all have earned their place.On their best day, all of them are the greatest who have ever lived.
If you ask most of the greats who is the best, they will point to someone other than themselves and its not humility, but the knowledge that music is a spectrum where there is no competition between the colors, that each adds qualities and characteristics to the continuum.
Listen to the interviews of the greats, especially those who are as articulate and eloquent as Mclaughlin and you will find a mutual admiration that is truly inspirational.
Thanks FunkaMedic: When I saw the two-necked guitar, I knew I was out of my depth intellectually. My ears however, are in their element -- They're saying to me, "This is delicious, Mama. Don't you dare click away." For real though: I was introduced to Mahavishnu orchestra in the mid seventies through friends (horn players mostly) and my father (a percussionist). My Dad and my friends had acquainted me with a lot of music, but seldom the same artist at the same time. (How strange that I wish I were smoking a fatty right now. I've never been a fan of marijuana, but inexplicably, I wish I were smoking a fatty right now -- a short, sloppy, tar-burning-me-finger, little fatty.) Thanks again, Funkamedic!
Listening this today in 2023, it still sounds so fresh, inspiring, innovative and profound as it did in 1975. Timeless, genius outlasts style! Go Ahead John!
Saw this incarnation(in my mind the best) of the band in San Francisco at The Winterland , March 24, 1972. Totally blew us away!!! ELP followed, no contest, MO was by far the best band of the night.