|
|
Post by Tobias on May 5, 2023 14:04:40 GMT
I have now listened 4 times to this album and I must admit it is brilliant!
I find it impossible to not foot tap, like crazy, especially in the fantastic "Let us go into the house of the lords".
Thanks for making me discover this great music! I haven't really been into any of these artists before...
Not sure if it matters, but last year I "forced" myself to listen 10 times to A love Supreme (John Coltrane), which I now love.
It was initially really hard for me to appreciate that album and that style of Jazz.
|
|
|
|
Post by Barrington on May 5, 2023 14:11:21 GMT
Wow this is awful , very clever playing no doubt but jeez one of the hardest listens I've been subjected to .
Sorry Paul it's a one .
|
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on May 5, 2023 14:50:49 GMT
And opinions remain split  |
|
|
|
Post by Slinger on May 5, 2023 14:54:14 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Tim on May 5, 2023 16:17:38 GMT
I'll say no more, but I do, honestly love that it's split opinion so widely. That means it's " interesting" which is what I strive for in most of my choices.  I'd call that a win Slinger  |
|
|
|
Post by ajski2fly on May 5, 2023 16:45:09 GMT
2x 1/ 5 and 2x 5/5 excluding mine. I chose well.  I try not to " defend" my choices, but as a couple of people have remarked, or intimated, it's not an " easy" album, and if you give it more of a chance it will, eventually pay dividends I think. That, however, is NOT to say you need to force yourself to play it over and over again. You have to want to discover its mysteries. I'll say no more, but I do, honestly love that it's split opinion so widely. That means it's " interesting" which is what I strive for in most of my choices. I think its the fact that John McLaughlin can often be a challenging listen, even the Mahavishnu Orchestra albums have moments and tracks where several listens can be needed to get through the complexity, and yet some of it can be very stripped down and appear simplistic but often is not. As Mike pointed out the merging of styles and genres can be quite a shock. as what you hear is not what you would normally expect. On a similar vain some people just hate or don't get King Crimson's music, much for the same reason as it strays away from the norm and often uses completely unfamiliar constructs and rhythms. At then end of the day if you don't like a piece of music or style it doesn't really matter there is plenty of other music to listen to. |
|
|
|
Post by topalwaysdown on May 11, 2023 9:07:56 GMT
Found a copy and gave it a whirl, didn’t take it off early but nor did it involve me as Santana normally does, wife on the other hand, Nooo, she much prefers that “other Santana” will try it again, so in the meantime, undecided. 1.5/5.
|
|
|
|
Post by petea on May 11, 2023 11:18:16 GMT
Well, I tried. They certainly aren't in the less is more school of musicianship are they? For a while I sort of decided that it was Okay as background, but about 3/4 of the way through the album the incessant noodling and lack of structure pissed me off so much I have up. Sorry, like Martin, it getting a 1 from me.
|
|
|
|
Post by Slinger on May 11, 2023 14:01:17 GMT
At first glance, it looks very much like the respondents are mostly split between people who have loved the album for a long time, and people hearing it for the first time who are not able to get into it. Either it's an album that grows on one, and rewards repeated listens if one is receptive to that, or it was "of an age," and that age has passed. Maybe it's a bit of both?
|
|
|
|
Post by MikeMusic on May 11, 2023 14:22:57 GMT
First time I listened to it - Probably not. Painful
Kept coming back for more in case I had missed a trick
Latest upgrades to my system nail it as essential
|
|
|
|
Post by petea on May 11, 2023 14:57:30 GMT
It certainly is a bit of its age. It's is not that I do not like complex, challenging or even atonal music, but this was too much of a musical 'doodle' for me. While I like Abraxas a lot, I am much less keen on other albums by Santana (just Okay) and have never been engaged particularly by Mahavishnu Orchestra and so I can't describe myself as a fan of either of the key musicians. And I can imagine that part of the appeal of this album is hearing them playing together if one is a fan of one or both.
|
|
|
|
Post by MikeMusic on May 11, 2023 16:19:29 GMT
Big Santana and Mahavishnu fan here
John Mc has made some excellent albums solo plus a few that are too diddly for me
|
|
|
|
Post by John on May 11, 2023 17:17:04 GMT
I like early Santana and later John McLaughlin But this captures neither when I like them
|
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on May 11, 2023 18:49:10 GMT
Nailed it for me, petea , I love Abraxas but couldn't stand this or Mahavishnu. I too love complex music, e.g. Shpongle and Ozric, but this is just extended din. |
|
|
|
Post by ChrisB on May 11, 2023 19:06:29 GMT
I've had a vinyl copy for a long time and haven't played it in a while.
I used to quite like it, but less so now, I think. There's no doubting the skill on display but widdly jazz influenced guitaring never really was my thing.
I still like the second track 'Naima' quite a bit.
3/5 from me.
|
|
