ASAD #65 Mahavishnu Orchestra "Birds of Fire"
Live in California 1972
The early days of Mahavishnu are captured beautifully here with this bootleg from Berkley CA in November of 1972. It’s the full founding lineup of John McLaughlin, Jerry Goodman, Rick Laird, Jan Hammer, and Billy Cobham.
I’ve heard amazing stories of what it was like to tour back then, when adventurous instrumental music had a real place in the world of live performance. Billy Cobham flying with his entire drum set on the plane, and bass and guitar amps going in the hold from city to city and continent to continent.
A different world from what we experience today with promoters, tour managers, and artists trying to cut costs at every corner, with your instrument’s travel plans being perhaps the lowest item on the touring budget.
When I go on tour with my own music, and in some small way recreate some of what was happening conceptually here in this golden of instrumental music, I love to have these bootlegs as the soundtrack to my travels. It reminds why I do what I do, and is a source of never-ending inspiration and will power to keep goin.
Enjoy,
Janek
I had similar thoughts some time ago when I listened to a bootleg made from recordings for "Miles Smiles". Especially when you hear Miles and others discuss the creative process and really really pushing it creatively. It gave me a taste of a different world that seems to have ceased to exist. It's incredible to hear Miles say: "I can't play this Theo, it's to hard." and Theo responding calmy and warmly "Yes, you can.". Or Miles telling Tony to play faster and him responding "I can't play that fast" but then playing faster all the same... How many people took music so seriously back then is unreal compared to present times. At least that was my impression.