Rick Laird, Mahavishnu Orch. Bassist Dead at 80

[Quad Linda]

RIP

Birds of Fire is one of my 10 fave Quads, and certainly one of my most played. I owned it on LP in advance of the Quad release. The original 2ch LP textured cover is exquisite!

https://www.uncut.co.uk/news/rick-l...member-of-the-mahavishnu-orchestra-dies-at-80
There is also a second Between Nothingness & Eternity disc included in the 2011 "Complete Columbia Collection" 5 CD Box. It is NOT INCLUDED in the 2007 5 CD box "Original Albums Collection."

http://jazz-rock-fusion-guitar.blogspot.com/2015/09/mahavishnu-orchestra-2011-complete.html

 

[4-earredwonder]

R.I.P. Rick

1940 ~ 2021

 

[Hamilton59]

Sad news....

Birds of Fire was my introduction to the Mahavishnu Orchestra... and it blew my mind. I Loved it! I even bought a used quad copy of Birds of Fire I found without having any system to play it on.... just in case I got the chance some day. Luckily, Audio Fidelity released the SACD so I finally heard it!
Between Nothingness & Eternity was my second most played album of theirs but I didn't know about the second disc in the 2011 box set until your note and link above... cool, and ordered!

 

[Doug G.]

Very sad how little time it takes for time to pass. RIP.

Doug

 

[timbre4]

The calm in the middle of the virtuosic storm; sad to lose him.

QL - thanks for the tip on the collection with BN&E 2nd disc but also that Inner Mounting Flame has a 15 bonus track as well.

 

[Quad Linda]

Hoping for an SACD of Inner Mounting Flame. MoFi recently released it on vinyl.

 

[timbre4]

Hoping for an SACD of Inner Mounting Flame. MoFi recently released it on vinyl.

That 5 CD collection is going to be tough; saved an eBay search and Discogs only an entry from Netherlands at a fair price. Added to Wish list there.

 

[TheNightfly]

The often forgotten Bassist from one of the greatest bands. R.I.P. Rick.

 

[humprof]

The calm in the middle of the virtuosic storm...

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/20/arts/music/rick-laird-dead.html

The group ranged from simmering interplay over odd time signatures to thrashing, high-altitude improvisation. It was all dependent on Mr. Laird’s steady hand, and on his knack for balancing power with restraint.​

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“Someone had to say one” — that is, make clear where each measure began — “and that was me,” Mr. Laird said in a 1999 interview with Bass Player magazine.​

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On the day of Mr. Laird’s death, Mr. Cobham posted a tribute on Facebook calling him “the most dependable person in that band.” Mr. Laird, he said, “played what was necessary to keep the rest of us from going off our musical rails.”​