Original Album Classics [Import]

Mahavishnu Orchestra | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 12, 2007)
• Number of Discs: 5
• Format: Import
• Label: Columbia/Legacy Europe
• ASIN: B000VWOV3O
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,868 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #4 in Music > Imports > Jazz

Editorial Reviews

2007 five CD set, a great installment in Sony/BMG's Original Album Classics series that brings together rare and out of print titles with some best sellers from the Sony/BMG Jazz catalog. Many of these albums have been unavailable on CD for some time and are sought after by collectors. Each set is presented in a high quality, rigid cardboard slipcase containing five 'vinyl replica' mini LP sleeves. This collection from the Jazz ensemble features the albums Inner Mounting Flame, Birds Of Fire, Between Nothingness & Eternity, Apocalypse and Visions Of The Emerald Beyond.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Low raters are missing the point..., August 12, 2009

By 

David Schulman "DS" (Falls Church, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Original Album Classics (Audio CD)

I beleive the folks who gave this a one star review are missing the point. Here are the five greatest Mahavishnu Orchastra CDs, with original recording quality available in digital format for less than $19, instead of $35. For those of us who are old enough to have all the original albums, this is an ideal way to get all of them in digital format for cheap. Yes, they don't come with the liner notes; but if you want those, they're all available for free online. Or, if you insist on having them in hand, you can spend the $7 per CD and get them.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Incredible Time For John McLaughlin, February 20, 2009

By 

Bicycle Day - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Original Album Classics (Audio CD)

This collection is part of a series of popular rock and jazz artists who have five albums packaged together at a (mostly) competitive price. These are no frills - not a "limited edition" collectable - and a fantastic way for new fans to become acquainted with an artist and for others to replace vinyl editions without breaking the bank.

Each CD comes in a mini-LP sleeve and - from what I can gather - is a replica of the original, so any errors in any notes are not corrected. I guess that's a bonus for those who enjoy reading agate type...and then complaining about mistakes.

The albums are the five recorded from 1971 to 1975, which includes the fusion classics The Inner Mounting Flame (1971) and Birds of Fire (1973), the live Between Nothingness and Eternity (1973), the orchestral Apocalypse (1974) and Visions of the Emerald Beyond (1975).


The 1970s was an incredible decade for John McLaughlin and this collection nearly has the entire output from the band from this time period (a buyer is only missing Inner Worlds [1976], and The Lost Trident Sessions from 1973, which wasn't issued until 1999).

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Introduction to Mahavishnu, March 10, 2010

By 

Moggio's "Helper" (Vancouver, BC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Original Album Classics (Audio CD)

I'm a "proghead" myself and hadn't gotten around to getting into Mahavishnu Orchestra yet. Blasphemy, I know. But then I saw this very affordable box set advertised on Amazon and thought that this just might be a good place to start. Before I bought this, I read reviews of this set from an ardent audiophile, on this very site. And he went to go on and on and on and on about how the packaging was substandard. I don't believe he even mentioned how great these discs sounded or how good the music was. Well, I'm here to tell everyone who's interested in checking out Mahavishnu, this IS a GREAT place to start. Not only do you get the exceptional drumming talents of Billy Cobham at play but you get to hear John Mclaughlin's command of the electric guitar and how, at times, he operates it like a machine gun! If I had to pick a favourite, their 1974 George Martin-produced album, "Apocalypse" which includes the LSO (London Symphony Orchestra), would be it. This is because of its somewhat quaint yet soothing characteristics. It's hard to describe Mahavishu's overall sound but if you dig long BUT melodic fusion jams, this box set probably has your name written all over it. And the fact that you get their first FIVE albums packaged together for less than $20, you just can't go wrong.