The Mahavishnu Orchestra - Visions of the Emerald Beyond (1975)This album should sound very good to the ears of those who understand and appreciate the jazz fusion genre. John McLaughlin is stellar as usual, and the band behind him is full of energy. This album finds the band in it's second incarnation; the combination of Narada Michael Walden on drums and Ralph Armstrong on bass makes for a kickin' rhythm section, and the addition of violinist Jean-Luc Ponty trading solos with McLaughlin results in some awesome fusion. Walden, who is also featured in Jeff Beck's album Wired, really has some chops; however, he cannot fully match the ability of the band's previous drummer and founding band-member Billy Cobham. Overall, the album is a thrill with many ups and downs, but only 1 track of the 13 breaks the 5-minute mark, which at times makes for a little lack of focus. A few songs have some vocals, which sometimes fit well, and sometimes feel out of place. I've never really been a fan of much vocals incorporated into fusion music, but when it works out I can't complain. Highlights include the "Lila's Dance," "On the Way Home to Earth," and the "Eternity's Breath" suite. I had previously heard a cover of the latter song from the "Jeff Beck - Live at Ronnie Scott's" DVD, which is also fantastic.
This is awesome
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