| Birds of Fire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 26, 1973[1] | |||
| Recorded | August 1972 | |||
| Studio | CBS Studios, New York Trident Studios, London | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 39:53 | |||
| Label | Columbia/CBS | |||
| Producer | Mahavishnu Orchestra | |||
| Mahavishnu Orchestra chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [2] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | A−[3] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | [5] |
| Sputnikmusic | 5/5[4] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings |  [6] |
Birds of Fire is the second studio album by jazz fusion band the Mahavishnu Orchestra. It was released in 1973 by Columbia Records and is the last studio album released by the original line-up before it dissolved.
As with the group's previous album, The Inner Mounting Flame, Birds of Fire consists solely of compositions by John McLaughlin. These include the track "Miles Beyond (Miles Davis)", which McLaughlin dedicated to his friend and former bandleader.
The back cover of the album features the poem "Revelation" by Sri Chinmoy.
In addition to the standard two-channel stereo album there was also a four-channel quadraphonic version released in 1973 on LP and 8-track tape. The quad LP was encoded in the SQ matrix format.
The first CD issue was in 1986. A remastered version of the album was released on CD in 2000 by Sony Music Entertainment. It features a new set of liner notesbyJazzTimes critic Bill Milkowski, as well as photographs of the band. In 2015 the album was re-issued on Super Audio CD by Audio Fidelity containing both the stereo and quad mixes. The same content was re-issued on SACD in Japan in 2021 by Sony Music.
The track "Celestial Terrestrial Commuters" appears on the six-CD box set Jazz: The Smithsonian Anthology, released by Smithsonian Folkways in 2011, covering the history of jazz.[7]
Reviewing the album for All About Jazz in 2002, Walter Kolosky wrote of the title track:
"Birds of Fire," which opens up the album, is a fusion classic. John McLaughlin scares the hell out of his guitar with his melodic convulsions. If you ever want to frighten a musical neophyte, turn your stereo up really loud and play the cover tune – it's guaranteed to send him or her fleeing.[8]
All tracks composed by John McLaughlin.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Birds of Fire" | 5:50 |
| 2. | "Miles Beyond" (dedicated to Miles Davis) | 4:47 |
| 3. | "Celestial Terrestrial Commuters" | 2:54 |
| 4. | "Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love" | 0:24 |
| 5. | "Thousand Island Park" | 3:23 |
| 6. | "Hope" | 1:59 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 7. | "One Word" | 9:57 |
| 8. | "Sanctuary" | 5:05 |
| 9. | "Open Country Joy" | 3:56 |
| 10. | "Resolution" | 2:09 |
| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[9] | 38 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[10] | 5 |
| Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)[11] | 16 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[12] | 29 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[13] | 18 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[14] | 20 |
| USBillboard 200[15] | 15 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[16] | Gold | 500,000^ |
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^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
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| Studio albums |
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| Live albums |
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| Compilation albums |
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| with the Mahavishnu Orchestra |
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| Related articles |
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