The Fusion Bible

So let's go back in time when I was 12 years old and you asked me about the band The Mahavishnu Orchestra. Two things I would say to you were this: 1. "Orchestra eek" and 2. "How do you pronounce that first word again?" Do you remember when you were 12 thinking that you would never listen to dads music or moms because it was old fashion or just because why on earth would you ever listen to what dad or mom listens to. Here is even better one, would you ever listen to a band that had Orchestra in the title of the band name? Well, like kids at 12 I was not that adventurous.

My 16th birthday comes along and someone in my family knows I am starting to listen to music, good stuff too, like The Who, Traffic, The Band and others. He hands me this LP. "Take good care of it and don't wear out the groves or you won't hear what the guitar player is doing." Those two questions that I remember when I was 12 came back to haunt me. Why?, What?, Huh? I thought.

Then I ran to the turntable with that someone in the family watching me put on this record on the turntable. I look back, he smiles and closes his eyes. I go back to the turntable watching the record spin, then bang!!! Guitar, Organ, awesome drums, violin, then a quick moment of silence and then building, slowly and quietly with all the instruments then the violin takes hold and works around the building. More building then the guitar and violin work around the whole thing like a hurricane, but with more power, The violin and organ are playing the same phase while the who band is in chaos. It's taking shape and quickly too. The drums are wicked, and totally rockin' I turn around and he is in another world. I am trying to grasp it all, but my 16 mind cannot think or fathom how this is happening. There are too many notes in my head. I am thinking that this whole thing is going to explode or there will be smoke coming from the speakers. If there is I am in serious trouble. The song is a mind altering event for just under 7 minutes.

It is utterly amazing that this is never come across my ears from the age of 12 to 16. Maybe my uncle had wait for the right time. I get a blank cassette out and put it in the cassette player with the record player. He comes up to me and says. "side one is for Inner Mounting Flame LP and side two is for this one." He hands me Birds of Fire. "What ever you do, don't break the tape." as he winks at me. I put the two albums on cassette.

Looking back my uncle thought it was the right time, since I was listening to King Crimson and Yes and Emerson, Lake and Palmer and Caravan and these high powered bands. I think just maybe I might be reaching for something here at this age of 16 years.

John McLaughlin was a great guitar player. I was a young kid who just experienced another Jimi Hendrix. I was so impressed by what he had to say on the guitar it floored me to hear this awesomeness.

What I like about this album is the way each song has a purpose and that purpose to put any notions on what this group as musicians playing together can do. It may sound crazy but that is how Inner Mounting Flame works. You look at the instruments and think you will here some kind of folk thing like Fairport Convention. Fairport is amazing and I am sure John took a few cues from that and expanded on it.



What is very interesting about this album is the musicians. Each musicians comes from a different background and that helps as a whole. John McLaughlin is from England, being part of Miles Davis helped his chops immensely and that whole era of Jimi Hendrix did it as well. Jan Hammer is next, he is an amazing player from the Czech Republic, more than likely was influenced by classical. Next is Rick Laird, a pretty good bass player he and John knew each other for quite some time so they knew how to play together. Another member is Billy Cobham, the drummer who comes from Panama. He again worked with Miles Davis and John also, but his influence of his relatives playing percussion gave him ideas. Lastly and the American Jerry Goodman. The most renowned violinist of Fusion/Rock and Roll. He recorded an album with Jan Hammer that is pretty damn good. His background of being trained classical helped out a lot.

Inner Mounting Flame is more then likely the most influential of all the fusion albums. The group works very well together. The Dance of Maya is still my favorite piece on the album along with the first song Meeting of the Spirits. If your looking for an album that can keep paces with Rock albums of that era then you have it here. I am sure it made a few people nervous. Enjoy a true classic.