Mahavishnu Orchestra - You Know You Know (1971)

Review All Music Guide: This is the album that made John McLaughlin a semi-household name, a furious, high-energy, yet rigorously conceived meeting of virtuosos that, for all intents and purposes, defined the fusion of jazz and rock a year after Miles Davis' Bitches Brew breakthrough. It also inadvertently led to the derogatory connotation of the word fusion, for it paved the way for an army of imitators, many of whose excesses and commercial panderings devalued the entire movement. Though much was made of the influence of jazz-influenced improvisation in the Mahavishnu band, it is the rock element that predominates, stemming directly from the electronic innovations of Jimi Hendrix. The improvisations, particularly McLaughlin's post-Hendrix machine-gun assaults on double-necked electric guitar and Jerry Goodman's flights on electric violin, owe more to the freakouts that had been circulating in progressive rock circles than to jazz, based as they often are on ostinatos on one chord. These still sound genuinely thrilling today on CD, as McLaughlin and Goodman battle Jan Hammer's keyboards, Rick Laird's bass, and especially Billy Cobham's hard-charging drums, whose jazz-trained technique pushed the envelope for all rock drummers. What doesn't date so well are the composed medium- and high-velocity unison passages that are played in such tight lockstep that they can't breathe. There is also time out for quieter, reflective numbers that are drenched in studied spirituality ("A Lotus on Irish Streams") or irony ("You Know You Know"); McLaughlin was to do better in that department with less-driven colleagues elsewhere in his career. Aimed with absolute precision at young rock fans, this record was wildly popular in its day, and it may have been the cause of more blown-out home amplifiers than any other record this side of Deep Purple.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Mahavishnu
• Orchestra
• You
• Know
• Jazz
• Style
• Fusion
• Jazz-Rock
• Instrument

[nocountryforedtom]

This may be the greatest song every recorded. I'm sure there will be dispute. I am curious to see everyone that disagrees. If you have a rebuttal please in all sincerity let me know... I am forever a student of music.

[aquarianrealm]

@nocountryforedtom It's definitely one of my favorite songs of all time!

[allisee7154]

Ahh Man... this track touches the soul.. I mean melodically perfect on the musical scale of life... know if my physical Ramel was here, he would love this shit too... thanks for posting probably one of the most rawest song ever experienced...

[aquarianrealm]

@allisee7154 Yep...it moves the soul to a place beyond... I will turn off all the lights, spark of the fire place and let it roll...man that is heaven... Just pure heaven...

[triplettam]

Absolutely gorgeous. A landmark album. 

[aquarianrealm]

@triplettam Agreed.

[saino24]

Mos def

[DaDa2Phlux]

I can leave now....

[Flatmango]

Gonna try and learn the guitar part and the keyboard's solo in 2 weeks. Does anyone know what key it's in or which modes he's using to get me started?

[SwhatleyD725]

I even like the remix of this song with lyrics in the movie "Biker Boys"...onpening song.

[SwhatleyD725]

This was the soundtrack of my teenage years...I still love it !!!

[loverution]

@aquarianrealm David Sylvian sampled for "I Surrender".

[minimalizam006]

@LeonChart yeah, very sad, ain't it?

[LeonChart]

28,269,(?) views... you-tube must have missed three more zeroes (at least)...

Please, fix the error quickly...

[nclempark1]

Super fun to jam to

[ImaniHekima]

Most music made today doesn't evoke this kind of mood. What a shame.