Don't know too much about this record. I 've heard a mix, good and bad. What does PE say??
Don't know too much about this record. I 've heard a mix, good and bad. What does PE say??
I could be wrong, but it gets a little 'disco' and has female vocalists. The latter Mahavishnu stuff is touch and go to me.
Not their best, but any record with McLaughlin is worth it. Plus you get to hear a pre-Jeff Beck Narada Michael Walden and a pre-Jean Luc Ponty Ralphe Armstrong.
Yes, the rhythm section is phenomenal, but the material isn't. There's maybe 3-4 good tracks, so get all the other albums first, and look for a cheap used copy of Inner Worlds.
I could be wrong but I think the 'female' vocalists are Narada Walden and Stu Goldberg.
Patchy but the good tracks have some great moments
Yes, definitely no female vocals but it's bassist Ralphe Armstrong who sings the lead on his own Planetary Citizen and Walden who does the other leads (In My Life is pretty weak, like a ballad from an early NMW solo album).Originally Posted by Dave (in MA)
The instrumentals are superb though, particularly the two openers All In The Family & Miles Out.
I'd avoid this one, despite Walden & Armstrong... and indeed, it's Narada singing
Stop at Emerald Beyond... the worse tracks there are a couple clunkers) from that already one hint at Inner World... and could replace almost any tracks on IW
If you found all their previous album, you may want to avoid looking into this one IMHO
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
The title track is one of my favorite Mahavishnu moments
For what it's worth the allmusic.com reviewer gives Emerald Beyond 3 stars and Inner Worlds 4½. I think it would be a pity to dismiss Inner Worlds on the basis of its more insipid moments, which are few and far between.
It doesn't really stand up against the "classic" albums, however I am very fond of it as it was the first Mahavishnu album I heard back in the 70's. It has a great vibe and I even like the songs! John McLaughlin was using some sort of pitch shifting guitar which produced some really out there sounds. After this he went completely acoustic. I wish the powers that be would re-release these later period albums.
Keywords bolded here ... = zero... allmusic is not a worthy site anymore (not that it ever was in my book)
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
Steady on, the reviewer of both albums is Richard S Ginell, a man who is universally respec... oh. http://elfman.cinemusic.net/forum/read.php?7,22943
^^^
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
There are some cringe-worthy moments, it's true, but some pretty awesome stuff here, as well. Emerald is my fave of any of the Mahavishnu Orchestra releases. Then come the first two, then Apocalypse...then Lost Trident, then Inner Worlds. But I think they're all worth having.
"And this is the chorus.....or perhaps it's a bridge...."
I am a great fan of McLaughlin and Mahavishnu, so I have listened to this record many times with an open and positive mind, to see if there is anything to like about it. But it is very hard...
McLaughlin was very eager to express his religiosity through his music at this time. (He probably still is, but in a less obvious way.) But on this album it is over the top. Hearing Narada sing "Thank you, Lord, thank you Lord", with his falsetto voice is very hard to swallow. I feel like I want to puke on them.
It is a mystery why McLaughlin let this slip through. My guess is that he did it to fulfill his contractual obligations. Plus, he was probably more interested in playing with and writing material for Shakti - his most daring and radical shift of musical direction ever. So he accepted the material that Narada and Armstrong came up with to get it done. But it is a shame that this group ended with a stinker. I have heard some live tapes, where they play standard Mahavishnu material. And that really smokes! Very high level of energy! I hope that someone finds and releases a live album from this line-up.
I'm a big fan of MO but can't find much to like about this album. Based on some of the posts here I think another spin might reveal something I've missed in the past.
Last edited by mozo-pg; 07-21-2016 at 07:03 PM.
The instrumentals are pretty darn good; the vocal tracks? Meh.
McLaughlin attempts to elevate the proceedings with a half hearted acoustic 12 string solo (wish he had done a few more of these) but the song is so lame it's as if he didn't want to be there. But Walden is an incredible drummer! I could listen to him all day. The Mahavishnu 1974/1984 DVD is a good medium to watch him do his thing.
Mahavishnu Orchestra is one of the great progressive bands of all time. This album was terrible in my opinion, and they did the right thing by ending the band at that time.
Everything before was leading up to something potentially better. Apocalypse and Vision of the Emerald Beyond are great albums that actually started to realize the Orchestra part of the vision. Makes sense whether one likes that compared to Birds of Fire etc.
This was a reach to new places that just didn't work. Not as a whole. Sure some great drumming, and guitar licks, but this album doesn't work.
Johnny Mac knew it was over, and moved on to Shakti which as great.
Great bands make great albums until they don't.
Zep's "In through the Out Door" was just that. Time to get out.
Last edited by Tributary Records; 07-21-2016 at 07:46 PM.
Recording the album at the infamous Honky Chateau wasn't a happy experience technically, plus McLaughlin was recently aware that his wife was having an affair while he was confined to France to make the album and then tour in Europe, so I guess his vision wasn't as focused as it had been on previous albums. I still say there's brilliance in there.
It is a mix of good and bad. The good: John is in fine form on “All in the Family” and “Miles Out,” Stu Goldberg is a much better improviser than Gayle Moran, and Narada Michael Walden contributes a nifty instrumental in “The Way of the Pilgrim” and the title track is an electronic jazz freakout on a par with some of Herbie Hancock’s early 70s stuff. The bad: Walden attempts to kick-start his pop-singing career via this album. All of his vocal tracks are drivel, especially “In My Life,” which is just about the worst thing ever. Ralphe Armstrong’s funk tune, “Planetary Citizen,” sounds half-finished.
I don’t hear any disco, and Walden is not female.
Confirmed Bachelors: the dramedy hit of 1883...
This isn't as good as the other MO albums, but I still like it...even the vocal tunes. I do think it suffers from lacking either a violinist or sax player to better play off of McLaughlin.
McLaughlin was already playing in Shakti when this came out, and it's quite apparent that was where his enthusiasm was by 1976.
I like it, certainly more than the Mahavishnu album.
Then again Gail Moran's vocals on Emerald Beyond are also catastrophic, IMHO
Mmmhh!!!... the 84 part certainly gave me a good idea to never investigate the Mahavishnu album of that year... Hellborg is fine (though not a major fan), but McL's fiery playing is totally destroyed by that stupid Synclavier gizmo!!
And does JL Ponty ever look bored in the 74 Montreux show...
I guess an arty-prog album artwork (ala BoF or Visions) might've made it better accepted by the prog-community
Well that 1984 album (or is it maybe 83?) is certainly an 80's jazz album, with every flaw that entails (shitty effects, sonics and production)
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
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