The Lost Trident Sessions is a studio album by jazz fusion group the Mahavishnu Orchestra, released on 21 September 1999 through Sony Music Entertainment. It was originally recorded in June 1973 at Trident Studios but was not released until 26 years later. According to the album's detailed liner notes, in November 1998 Columbia Records producer Bob Belden stumbled upon two quarter-inch tapes in Columbia's Los Angeles vault whilst gathering material for a remastered reissue of the Mahavishnu Orchestra's 1973 album Birds of Fire. The tapes were otherwise unlabelled besides the recording location, but upon further inspection, they were revealed to be the two-track mixes for what would have been the Mahavishnu Orchestra's third studio album at the time.[2]
| The Lost Trident Sessions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 21 September 1999 | |||
| Recorded | 25–29 June 1973 | |||
| Studio | Trident Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Jazz fusion | |||
| Length | 39:44 | |||
| Label | Columbia/SME | |||
| Producer | Mahavishnu Orchestra, Bob Belden | |||
| Mahavishnu Orchestra chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| All About Jazz | Favourable[1] |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Sputnikmusic |  [3] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [4] |
Guitarist John McLaughlin told gig - The Music Magazine in 1977:
McLaughlin feels that the Orchestra was never recorded at their peak. "There is a studio album that never got released which is really good", he explains. It would have been their third studio album, following Inner Mounting Flame and Birds of Fire. "But at the time the record was being made, emotion in the band was running so high that people could no longer see clearly. Everyone felt nervous about it". Why? "I don't know why". And McLaughlin did not pursue it either: "When the people in the band told me how they felt, I respected it. I didn't ask them to explain why they felt it. That was enough. So we put a live album out (Between Nothingness and Eternity) which was good, but it wasn't on the same level. But one day I'd like the album to come out. It's a great album".[5]
With the exception of "John's Song #2", all compositions on this album were performed on other albums. The Mahavishnu Orchestra's 1973 live album, Between Nothingness and Eternity,[6] consisted entirely of songs from the Trident sessions: "Dream", "Trilogy" and "Sister Andrea." Violinist Jerry Goodman and keyboardist Jan Hammer performed "I Wonder" and "Steppings Tones" on their 1974 album Like Children.[7]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dream" | John McLaughlin | 11:10 |
| 2. | "Trilogy"
| McLaughlin | 9:33 |
| 3. | "Sister Andrea" | Jan Hammer | 6:47 |
| 4. | "I Wonder" | Jerry Goodman | 3:10 |
| 5. | "Steppings Tones" | Rick Laird | 3:11 |
| 6. | "John's Song #2" | McLaughlin | 5:53 |
| Total length: | 39:44 | ||
Personnel
edit- John McLaughlin – guitar, production
- Jan Hammer – electric piano, synthesizer, production
- Billy Cobham – drums, production
- Jerry Goodman – electric violin, viola, violow (custom viola with cello strings), production
- Rick Laird – bass, production
- Technical
- Ken Scott – engineering
- Mark Wilder – mastering
- Bob Belden – production
Charts
edit| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)[8] | 4 |
References
edit- ^ Astarita, Glenn (1999-10-01). "Mahavishnu Orchestra: The Lost Trident Sessions". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2014-09-02.
- ^ a b Unterberger, Richie. "The Lost Trident Sessions - Mahavishnu Orchestra". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2012-10-29.
- ^ Fisher, Tyler (2006-07-26). "Mahavishnu Orchestra - The Lost Trident Sessions (album review )". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 2014-01-01.
- ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 922. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
- ^ Weitzman, Steve (April 1977). "Shoot-Out at the Jazz Rock Coral". gig-The Music Magazine. The Gig Enterprises, Inc., Vol.3 No.8, p.35
- ^ Eder, Bruce. "Between Nothingness & Eternity - Mahavishnu Orchestra". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2012-10-29.
- ^ Nastos, Michael G. "Like Children - Jerry & Goodman Jan Hammer". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2012-10-29.
- ^ "Mahavishnu Orchestra John McLaughlin Chart History (Top Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October June 15, 2024.
External links
edit- In Review: Mahavishnu Orchestra "The Lost Trident Sessions" at Guitar Nine Records