Mahavishnu Orchestra – Birds Of Fire (1973)

This is another album taken from a box set of 'original album classics', bought about ten years ago on a whim, and consisting of the Mahavishnu Orchestra's first five albums. This is the second of these albums, released in 1973.

Mahavishnu Orchestra was, of course, the band led by son of Doncaster, John McLaughlin, who had cut his teeth in the 1960s in the influential Graham Bond Quartet, as well as playing with Georgie Fame and Brian Augur, then after moving to USA, with Miles Davis on In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew, before teaming up with Jan Hammer on keyboards, and drummer Billy Cobham to lead his own group.

This is a nice piece of jazz fusion, with McLaughlin's guitar doing most of the heavy lifting, ably supported by Jerry Goodman's violin, handling most of the melodies. The opening, Birds Of Fire, is fast and exciting, with Miles Beyond being a little slower and more grungy, although the pizzicato violin solo feels a little incongruous. It's back to the faster guitar and violin work for Celestial terrestrial Commuters, although Jan Hammer's moog gets its solo outing here, on a jazz-rock, take your turn to solo piece. Thousand Island Park is a classical guitar noodle, while the first half ends with the short but grandiose Hope, a joyous repeated theme.

One Word, the longest piece here, seems designed to showcase Cobham's drumming, which dominates the opening before Hammer's spacy keys float in. Then Rick Laird solos on bass, which takes some time to get interesting, before Hammer and McLaughlin duel for several minutes. It's fine, but goes on longer than it needs to, confirmed by an unnecessary drum solo - is there any other sort?

Sanctuary and Open Country Joy are listenable without being remarkable, with final track Resolution feeling exactly that, a brooding piece which brings us to a conclusion.

I enjoyed listening to this, but I'd be exaggerating if I said I thought it was a great album. It's technically accomplished, and easy to get into, but at times it flows over as virtuosity seems to overwhelm content. Nevertheless, well worth a listen,

Link to full album

3* - a solid slice of 1970s jazz fusion with some fine playing by top musicians