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

[TheBoneRanger1968]

Finally! A great song on the tube that has no dislikes. Bravo!

[aquarianrealm]

lol its hard to come by...

[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]

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

[triplettam]

Absolutely gorgeous. A landmark album.

[aquarianrealm]

Agreed.

[saino24]

Mos def

[bluesborn]

I first heard this album in Europe in late '72 during a time when I had chosen to pickle my brain in Swiss LSD.The combination of acid and orchestra sent me on a musical voyage into realms that Lovecraft or Ashton Smith probably would have recognized but for me-a life changing event. 40 years ago now-truly hard to believe.

[loveisthelaw20042004]

this group kicks the shit out of the whole bullshit jamband scene!

[Sam5LC]

why is it that when I see live footage of this group I think .. "the people in that audience were smarter than people today" ... or am I alone here?

[gmorton731]

ALL HAIL THE 24" CHINA @ 4:45!!!!

[JNickS33]

Damn Mos and Epstein?! I didn't even know. This is beast. 

[SuperCartiel]

The key is e min on a minor.