The Inner Mounting Flame, the first album by the Mahavishnu Orchestra (The Mahavishnu Orchestra with John McLaughlin, to be precise) from 1971.
The Mahavishnu Orchestra was one of the most influential jazz fusion bands, founded in New York in 1971 by British guitarist John McLaughlin.
The name "Mahavishnu" was suggested to McLaughlin by his spiritual guru, Sri Chinmoy. Indian philosophy permeates the group's lyrics and song titles.
Their style is a fusion of psychedelic rock, jazz improvisation, and the complexity of Indian classical music, featuring complex rhythms in odd time signatures and extreme technical virtuosity, particularly in solo duels between guitar and violin or keyboards.
The complete biography is available in their dedicated page.
We can say without hesitation that The Inner Mounting Flame is a historic, sophisticated album, extremely ahead of its time, with incredible sounds, considering they were created without digitalization, with drumming beyond comprehension by the immense Billy Cobham, and of course with the creativity and technique of John McLaughlin, who, after his collaboration with Miles Davis, brought to life his idea of fusing musical genres that had until then been traveling in parallel.
An album that is the definitive manifesto of jazz fusion, one of the greatest debuts in the history of modern music. Much has been said about this great album, and one of the definitions I like best is that it's "an incendiary work" (easy... from the title) thanks to the fusion of the power of hard rock with the complexity of jazz improvisation, the exact moment when rock definitively entered jazz, transforming it.
The tracks are all memorable, starting with "Meeting of the Spirits," featuring dark arpeggios and a continuous duel between McLaughlin's guitar and Jerry Goodman's violin.
"Dawn" with its explosive piano intro,
"The Noonward Race," featuring speed and playing technique, along with Billy Cobham's over-the-top drumming, creates a frighteningly captivating intensity.
"A Lotus on Irish Streams," an entirely acoustic piece and the only serene track on the album, reflecting the band's more spiritual side.
"The Dance of Maya," a complex piece with odd time signatures and heavy riffs.
Amazing performances, featuring McLaughlin with his "machine gun" style that has influenced generations of guitarists. An essential album, the Mahavishnu Orchestra's first and best, in this writer's opinion.
Note: All links to the musicians' works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists" page.
Tracklist
1. Meeting Of The Spirits (6:52)
2. Dawn (5:10)
3. Noonward Race (6:28)
4. A Lotus On Irish Streams (5:39)
5. Vital Transformation (6:16)
6. The Dance Of Maya (7:17)
7. You Know, You Know (5:07)
8. Awakening (3:32)
Duration 46:34
LineUp
- John McLaughlin - acoustic (4) and electric guitar, producer
- Jan Hammer - piano (4), Fender Rhodes, organ
- Jerry Goodman - acoustic (4) and electric violins
- Rick Laird - bass (4 excluded)
- Billy Cobham - drums (4 excluded)
