Search - Mahavishnu Orchestra, John Mclalughlin :: Inner Worlds

McLaughlin's Most Embarrasing Moments

Dave Deubler | Pennsylvania | 01/14/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Anybody remember CCR's "Pendulum"? Tired of hearing his sidemen complain that they wanted to do "their thing" Fogarty went ahead and let them do it, thus creating the album referred to as "Fogarty's Revenge". It sounds like something similar must have happened here, because as brilliant an artist as McLaughlin is, this recording is little short of embarrassing. Any other explanation begs the question "Did anyone imagine that `Planetary Citizen' would be a hit?" Believe it: Mac was just playing the good sideman, sitting back and letting Armstrong dig his own grave. Narada Michael Walden's contributions at least had their moments; "The Way of the Pilgrim" is pretty good, and his vocals on "Gita" and "In My Life" (not the Lennon-McCartney standard) aren't bad. The less said about "River of My Heart" the better.



And if you're letting your sidemen commit artistic suicide, there's little point in wasting your own best work to try and pick them up. So McLaughlin uses "his time" on this album to play around with some kind of "pitch-to-voltage converter" device that he perhaps didn't have complete control over yet. The results are certainly far-out enough (check out Inner Worlds Pts. 1 & 2) but not especially melodic. Okay, so "All in the Family" is pretty good, as is "Lotus Feet", but these compositions still aren't nearly up to Mahavishnu standards for this period.



Maybe the biggest failure of this outing is that it doesn't have a coherent band sound. Mac is all over the place, perhaps searching for new directions, perhaps just not caring, and while Walden tries to stay in character, Armstrong's funk is heavy-handed and completely out in left field. When the early Mahavishnu got funky, they did it in 7/4 or something crazy like that (and still managed to get you groovin'). Is it really possible that Johnny Mac was so disgusted with his sidemen that he intentionally let them put out a sub-standard album? Decide for yourself. But let's point out that after this release, McLaughlin renounced his Mahavishnu-ship and started a career as a solo artist."

You guys are missing the point

Greg Maffei | San Francisco, CA USA | 05/31/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"And you show you don't understand John's intensions at all. The "real" mahavishnu orchestra was formed after the first 3 albums. This one showcases some beautiful melodies and is far more listenable than the first 3. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to hear beautiful music, because that's what it is. Ok, Planetary Citizen is a little hokey, but Gita steals the show. If you only care about guitar pyrotechnics, this disc isn't for you."

Not The "Inner Mounting Flame", But Still Worthy (IMO)

Kenneth E. Macalister Jr. | Langhorne, Pennsylvania | 05/30/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"As a devoted fan of John McLaughlin's music from the beginning of his career to the present I still cannot understand the contempt this album continually receives. Sure, I too would also much rather hear the earlier efforts of The Mahavishnu Orchestra, but this album has it's moments & it has grown on me over the years, just as "Apocalypse" & "Visions Of The Emerald Beyond" have. The only song which still makes me cringe is "Planetary Citizen". The rest to me is still a hell of alot better than alot of what is deemed jazz-rock or fusion today. I also keep in mind where John McLaughlin was at in his career when this album was made. Shakti was already touring & recording & McLaughlin's focus was firmly on Shakti & off The Mahavishnu Orchestra. I believe the only reason this album was made was to fulfill The Mahavishnu Orchestra's contractual agreement with Columbia records. That being said, there is still alot of great music here for an album John McLaughlin's head & heart were really not into. "All In The Family", "Lotus Feet", & "The Way Of The Pilgrim" are great instrumentals & I actually enjoy Narada Michael Walden's vocals on "In My Life", "Gita", & "River Of My Heart". The effects at the beginning of "Miles Out" remind me of what Pete Cosey did with Miles Davis on "Pangaea" & "Agharta". The title song reminds me of the stuff Chick Corea was doing on late '70s albums like "The Leprechaun". As always John McLaughlin's guitar playing is phenomenal & while Stu Goldberg & Ralphe Armstrong are no Jan Hammer & Rick Laird, Narada Michael Walden's drumming is much more than adequate considering he had to fill the vacated shoes of the best jazz drummer of the '70s (Billy Cobham). The thing that really keeps drawing me back to this album is the variety of music on this album. One thing this album is not is boring! One more thing listeners should keep in mind when listening to this album is this was not really a Mahavishnu Orchestra album. This is a John McLaughlin solo album with The Mahavishnu Orchestra's name on the cover. The Mahavishnu Orchestra was history BEFORE "Inner Worlds" was recorded. There was no tour to support this album because the band ceased to exist in form after "Visions Of The Emerald Beyond" & it's supporting tour. This again was a "recording contract fulfillment" album only. The detractors of "Inner Worlds" are missing out on some good music because they can't get past the change in musical direction & because they compare "Inner Worlds" to all the material that came before it. I once felt the same way, but came to accept & enjoy this album for what it is. Really, if you liten to each Mahavishnu Orchestra album from the '70s in order from "The Inner Mounting Flame" through "Inner Worlds" you will realize NONE of them sound alike & the band's direction changed somewhat with each release. THIS is the mark of dedicated musicians who challenge their listeners to grow with them. This is a great album (minus "Planetary Citizen") & should be appreciated as such. I respect John McLaughlin for constantly changing directions & challenging his audience. The music world needs more musicians like him. "Inner Worlds" is no "Inner Mounting Flame", but a great album in its own right. If you truly enjoy John McLaughlin's dedication to his craft as I do you will enjoy "Inner Worlds" as well."