AAJ Book Review: Bathed in Lightning: John McLaughlin, the 60s and the Emerald Beyond

[jkelman]

My review of Colin Harper's outstanding Bathed in Lightning: John McLaughlin, the 60s and the Emerald Beyond.

Few guitarists in the history of jazz have leapt onto the scene the way John McLaughlin did when the relatively new British expat made two very different appearances on albums by seminal American artists in 1969: first, with drummer Tony Williams' then-new group, Lifetime on the dense, intense and intentionally supersonically loud Emergency! (Polydor); and then on another groundbreaking but easier on the ears yet equally innovative recording, In a Silent Way (Columbia), the album that changed everything for Miles Davis—a longtime Williams employer, though the drummer had left the trumpeter's group by the time the album was released in July, 1969. On Davis' album, McLaughlin played (as instructed by the trumpeter), "like you don't know how to play guitar," the result being a sparer, cleaner and more spacious approach that may have been somewhat naïve for the guitarist, but was still light years ahead of most guitarists on the planet. On Williams' record, on the other hand, McLaughlin was overdriven into the red, his raucous, unfettered lightning speed phrasing something that seemed to be coming from not just a different planet, but a different universe.

But while McLaughlin's rapid rise to fame—an ascendance that was cemented even further when he formed the legendary Mahavishnu Orchestra in 1971, releasing an album that truly shook the world, The Inner Mounting Flame (Columbia)—seemed to come out of nowhere, the truth (as it usually is), is that McLaughlin did not emerge from a vacuum. Instead, the guitarist spent time in the 1960s as a session player on the increasingly vibrant London scene, rubbing shoulders with everyone from pre-Led Zeppelin Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones to Rolling Stones touring pianist-to-be Nicky Hopkins and already Stones rhythm section Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts, on records by everyone from Paul Anka and Dionne Warwick to Donovan, Petula Clarke, Herman's Hermits and Engelbert Humperdinck. He also struggled as an aspiring guitarist in the bands of lesser-knowns like singers Herbie Goins and Duffy Powers, as well as making more jazz-centric appearances on albums like pianist Gordon Beck's Experiments with Pops (Major/Minor, 1968) and on Canadian expat trumpeter Kenny Wheeler's impressive leader debut, Windmill Tilter (Fontana, 1969).

All of this and more is covered in Colin Harper's superb Bathed in Lightning: John McLaughlin, the 60s and the Emerald Beyond, a lengthy but meticulously researched book that accomplishes a number of objectives. First, Harper documents McLaughlin's humblest of humble beginnings as a guitarist who, from a very early stage, was already demonstrating the massive talent that would ultimately lead to his becoming known as not just one of the most accomplished guitarists in England, but in the entire world. Harper also provides detailed insight into the London scene of the '60s, told through the prism of McLaughlin's career to be sure, but not by any means focusing exclusively on it.

Continue reading here...

[No Pride]

I see that there's a Kindle edition... autobuy! Thanks for the heads up!

[jkelman]

I see that there's a Kindle edition... autobuy! Thanks for the heads up!

And, as per the review, it comes with 100,000 words of bonus material (which folks who bought the hard media edition can buy, at a reduced rate, so they don't have to spend twice on the same material)..,.

Well worth it, too,, I'd say....

[unclemeat]

I have read the book version (I have yet to get to the bonus material, which, inter alia, covers the MO2 period in greater detail). This is a remarkable piece of work, commensurate with the sheer excellence of its subject, and an essential complement to Kolosky's book. There is a dedicated website, with still more bonus material : http://www.bathedinlightning.com/
Btw, McLaughlin enthusiasts are encouraged to check this out : http://robertcornford.co.uk/?page_id=448

[Reid]

Just bought a copy. It's very interesting so far.

[walt]

Fripp has told a tale about how Tony Levin almost joined Mahavishnu Orchestra.Apparently,Levin's mother in law was staying with Levin and his wife.While Tony was on the road, he received a call from his mother in law to pass on a phone message she took.She conveyed the message, as follows..'Murray Vishnu called, he wants you to join his orchestra'.

[The Wall]

Yes, I have it. JM is God IMHO... and the cover is divine

[wideopenears]

Reading it now, and enjoying it much...

[Reid]

The prologue alone is one of the most gripping things I've ever read! The Michael Walden meets Mahavishnu John story is spellbinding.

[mozo-pg]

Thanks for the review! Autobuy.

[No Pride]

Finished it yesterday. A lot of it was very interesting, but honestly, I thought it was too long and I found myself skimming through some stuff until it got to where McLaughlin moved to NYC. It was also a little too much hyperbolic hero-worship for me. JM is certainly one of "the greats," but this author seemed to feel he was the be-all-end-all of all time. And what about everything he's done since Shakti? Nothing about anything he's done in the last couple of decades. Wonder how "Johnny Mac" feels about that!

[Reid]

McLaughlin's entire career is not the focus of the book. JM wasn't involved at all in the book's content. According to an interview with the author at the Bathed In Lightning site, he was consulted a couple of times but declined, as he is very busy doing his thing. I'm only up to the fourth chapter, so we'll see how it goes from here.

[FrippWire]

Having owned Trethewey's The Emerald Beyond, Kolosky's Follow Your Heart and Power, Passion & Beauty: The Story of the Legendary Mahavishnu Orchestra, I figured I didn't need Bathed In Lightning because nothing new could be learned. Based on the reviewer's comments as well as some PE members, I may have to reconsider my purchasing position.

[jkelman]

For the first part of the book, rather than be about McLaughlin, it is about contextualizing him, explaining all the myriad events that led to him becoming who he would ultimately become. No other book has managed this so successfully...or so eloquently. As for hero-worshipping? Much of the London portion of the book contains material where McLaughlin is only incidental or tangential at best. I don't see hero worship here at all.

Also, since so much has been written about McLaughlin's entire career, No Pride, Harper quite intentionally chose to conclude at the end of MO Mark II. It in no way diminishes what came after; Harper simply felt plenty had been written (was even careful to avoid, where possible, repeating Kolosky) and the exploration of McLaughlin's involvement with Chinmoy was his focus for discussing MO, so when McLaughlin chose to disassociate himself from Chinmoy, it was a a logical place to end the book.

Books are written for different purposes, and McLaughlin's life was only part of this one. Evoking the time in which an artist as talented as McLaughlin could emerge as an international figure (something that would not be possible today) was as much Harper's objective as adding any autobiographical material to the existing works about McLaughlin's life.

And if anyone hero worships (and I am not being critical, I am simply stating a fact), it is Kolosky, whose book Power, Passion and Beauty: The Story of the Legendary Mahavishnu Orchestra is subtitled: The Best Band That Ever Was.

Doesn't get much more hero-worshipping than that, though I respect Walter for being absolutely up-front and putting it all out on the table (or, rather, the cover) so you knew exactly what you were getting before you even opened the book. Kolosky's book is also so fact-rich that it made zero sense for Harper to repeat it, thus he took a different tack, and I think he succeeded admirably.

[No Pride]

Haven't read any of the other books on McLaughlin; maybe I should. The fact that "the London portion of the book contains material where McLaughlin is only incidental or tangential at best" is why I found myself skimming. The London jazz and studio scene was interesting to me, but not so interesting that I needed so much detail about some players who I've never heard of and will probably never have an opportunity to hear.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed a good portion of the book and I'm glad that I read it. Personally, I'd have edited it a bit, but that's just me; maybe the stuff that I got slightly bored with was fascinating to others.

It's sad that JM loved the Tony Williams Lifetime and first MO so much, but was powerless to keep either alive. Bands can indeed be like marriages and the devastation of losing one or the other that you thought was IT can hardly be expressed with words. Maybe that's why I wanted the book to go further on in his career, just to hear that he found that kind of rapture with other bands/projects. But I guess this was the wrong book for that.

[jkelman]

Haven't read any of the other books on McLaughlin; maybe I should. The fact that "the London portion of the book contains material where McLaughlin is only incidental or tangential at best" is why I found myself skimming. The London jazz and studio scene was interesting to me, but not so interesting that I needed so much detail about some players who I've never heard of and will probably never have an opportunity to hear.

See, and for me, that was the best part of the book. I really felt like I was there, and man, did I ever want to be. At the time, a tad young and made my first trip to England in 1969, but was only 13 so didn't really know what was what or what I should be looking for. So Colin really took me there and made me feel it, filtered through the overall prism of McLaughlin's upward trajectory.

If that doesn't interest you, I can understand why you'd find it dull. But man, for me, that was da bomb!!

Walter's book - the Mahavishnu book - is, as I said, very information rich, so if you are looking for facts, facts and lots of facts, then it's well worth reading. But it is coloured, rather heavily, by Walter's admitted sycophantic behaviour when it comes to anything McLaughlin. I know Walter, and love the guy, but he puts John on a real pedestal and that just doesn't work for me. I was at a pre-tour meet-and-greet in Raleigh, just before the 2007 4th Dimension tour where I went on the road with the band in Canada for three dates, and even though Walter had interviewed John for easily 100+ hours, he still treated him with just too much deference. Not that John didn't deserve (and, from me, get) respect, but my opinion is if you want to really get the good stuff, you want the conversations to be relaxed and informal, and you can't do that if you're too much in awe. So, even when I interview someone who is a hero of mine, when I actually do it I tell myself NOT to be in awe...he's just a regular guy who happens to be an outrageously good musician. It usually works

Walter's second book, Follow Your Heart, was less satisfying, mainly because I felt the underlying concept was flawed: a discussion of every track McLaughlin ever recorded of his own? While Walter did bring in outside opinions and look for ways to avoid having to address the same thing many times (now many ways can you say "funky"?) it was a very tough concept - and, to be fair, I'd have to say that given the inherent problem of the concept, he did a decent job.

But the first book, on the MO, that's the one you want to read...even with the caveats, I'd still recommend it.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed a good portion of the book and I'm glad that I read it. Personally, I'd have edited it a bit, but that's just me; maybe the stuff that I got slightly bored with was fascinating to others.

I loved it but get where you're coming from. For me, I loved the idea that, when he published the e-book, he didn't embed the excised footage into the main book, but left it as separate appendices so (a) it didn't make the already long main book even longer for guys like you (!); and (b) it allowed him to sell the extra footage separately, so that those who bought the hard media edition didn't feel ripped off by having to rebuy the main book a second time. A great idea, and I wish more people would adopt the philosophy when doing something similar. I know if I get to a book project (and one is in the offing, nothing more to say for now), I will follow Colin's model...ditto his website, where it's possible to send in errata and have him maybe correct at least the ebook edition at some point...but at least making it possible to provide them. The McLaughlin freaks had all kinds of nitty gritty criticisms, and all I can say is this: when writing a book about such a long period of time, covering so much ground, it is virtually impossible to publish a book that is absolutely error free, especially when you're relying on the statements of many who are now in their 60s, 70s...80s, even, and whose memories are less than perfect, so you have to try and figure out what is reality. That Colin made it easy to report errors is a plus, afaic, as some authors get pissy, I know, when folks point out problems...of course, it often depends on how they're reported, and a little advice folks: when reporting an error to a writer, the old "you catch more flies with sugar" adage truly applies. Folks who report errors in a friendly, non-confrontational way are almost always received with thanks by writers - at least those with sufficient humility to acknowledge they can make a mistake (and that is most of them)- but approach them by treating them as if they're idiots, which they most certainly are not, and you'll have a harder go at it. I have dealt with folks who offer up corrections in the nicest fashion, and I am always appreciative as I want my writing, of course, to be as perfect as it can be. But approaching me with "WTF is wrong with you? Didn't you do your homework?!?!?" just ain't gonna do it... Anyway, sorry for the ramble, but you got me going

It's sad that JM loved the Tony Williams Lifetime and first MO so much, but was powerless to keep either alive. Bands can indeed be like marriages and the devastation of losing one or the other that you thought was IT can hardly be expressed with words. Maybe that's why I wanted the book to go further on in his career, just to hear that he found that kind of rapture with other bands/projects. But I guess this was the wrong book for that.

Yeah. Actually, I think that Shakti is a project that could easily stand its own book, even though it would not be a tremendously long one. I think the music that group has made, over the course of decades, stands as important as MO, but because it's acoustic and leans east rather than west, it's generally less approachable. But you want to talk about a guy who is the absolute shit when it comes to not just his instrument, but music in general, try Zakir Hussain. And put him together with McLaughlin - who, I learned during that tour, is one of those guys who fires more than the 10% of brain cells us mere mortals fire....at one soundcheck, he was shifting, effortlessly and mid-sentence, between English, French and German as he had a German sound guy and French bassist - and you just want to stand back and listen to them talk (as I got to do at the New Universe Music Festival after Zakir showed up as a surprise guest and performed a duo with John during "Mother Tongues" that was truly jaw-dropping). It was truly frightening. But then, thinking back to sitting in the bowels of Massey Hall, eating pasta and, with John in sweatpants and a dirty undershirt, talking about dogs? Man, that was one of the most memorable moments of my life as a writer to date. It was so down to earth and real....but then move upstairs, put a guitar in his hand, and at the sound checks he could show you just how broad his knowledge was. Plus it ain't just music. Literature? Film? Culture of just about any kind? It's not hard, perhaps, to understand why Walter puts him up on that pedestal...

Anyway, Zakir + John is a frightening combination, and as good as they guys in MO are/were, I don't think any of them matched up with John the way Zakir did/does. I saw Zakir with Charles Lloyd last year in the Sangam trio, and it was the same thing. The guy just understands music on such a deep, deep level, and yet can talk about it in terms anyone can understand....a rare gift, indeed.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble, but you got me thinking....not necessarily a good idea
Cheers!
John

[wideopenears]

Zakir Hussain is without doubt one of the two or three greatest living musicians, period, on Earth at this time, IMO. ( Hermeto Pascoal is another.) I got to meet him, years ago, and spend some time......a friend was a student of his, and his father's--and man, my head was blown apart. Also an exceptionally nice guy.

[No Pride]

Anyway, sorry for the ramble, but you got me thinking....not necessarily a good idea

Don't be sorry; it was a great post! And the suggestion that I somehow inspired it makes me feel good about myself.

[jkelman]

Zakir Hussain is without doubt one of the two or three greatest living musicians, period, on Earth at this time, IMO. ( Hermeto Pascoal is another.) I got to meet him, years ago, and spend some time......a friend was a student of his, and his father's--and man, my head was blown apart. Also an exceptionally nice guy.

Nice to also hear you mention Hermeto...another far more unsung hero....

[wideopenears]

Seeing Hermeto was one of the highlights of my life, thus far. Every musician should see him and his band. Some people are turned off by the "strangeness"--bizarre instruments, those videos of him "playing a river" or a lake, or a pig, haha!!, etc., but....the guy just LIVES music.

[No Pride]

Seeing Hermeto was one of the highlights of my life, thus far.

Saw him and his band live once too and it was pretty great! Yeah, he lives music, but he fits other stuff in there. After all, "Mundo Verde Esperanca" has 13 tunes on it, each one named after one of his grandkids. And they don't all have the same grandma.

So who's lost twin is he, Frank Zappa or Santa Claus?

[jkelman]

Seeing Hermeto was one of the highlights of my life, thus far. Every musician should see him and his band. Some people are turned off by the "strangeness"--bizarre instruments, those videos of him "playing a river" or a lake, or a pig, haha!!, etc., but....the guy just LIVES music.

Damn, you've seen Hermeto????

You lucky, lucky, bastard!!!

[jkelman]

Saw him and his band live once too and it was pretty great! Yeah, he lives music, but he fits other stuff in there. After all, "Mundo Verde Esperanca" has 13 tunes on it, each one named after one of his grandkids. And they don't all have the same grandma.

So who's lost twin is he, Frank Zappa or Santa Claus?

Same goes for you!!!

[Hal...]

I just found out about this book a couple weeks ago and ordered it pronto. I'm just over 100 pages in (chapter 5) and I'm of the opinion that it is fucking phenomenal! The only book about John that I've read previously was Go Ahead John, which I found both entertaining (first third or so) and boring (the rest). What really left me wanting, however, is John's early career prior to his association with Williams & Miles and that was nowhere to be found in Go Ahead John. Also, from what I've seen so far, I'm beginning to question the accuracy of some of Paul Stump's assertions.

As for any other books about him I have zero interest because (a) I'm over MO and (b) I have nearly all of his albums and I don't really know what needs to be said because the music speaks for him. I don't need to read how earth shattering the MO was or read an analysis of every album he recorded. So, what else is there? Unless you're talking about the dirt of bandmates' interactions; e.g. did John drive Jan and Jerry out of the band? was John not inclusive enough? was John on an ego trip? was Jan and/or Jerry jealous of John's superstar status? Who gives a shit? I don't. Am I missing something? In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if I give up on the book when the MO hits it big.

Jkelman hit the nail right on the head in his above post when he said, "I really felt like I was there, and man, did I ever want to be."

Me too!


Disclaimer: I was a McLaughlin fanboy for over 25 years before giving up the ghost. FWIW

[unclemeat]

Another book about John McLaughlin by the same author, Echoes from then, is now available :
http://marketsquaremusic.com/product...ghlin-1959-75/