# Recommend some John McLaughlin **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 21, 2007, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-john-mclaughlin/393085 "2007-02-21T14:08:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-john-mclaughlin/393085/1 "2007-02-21T14:08:21Z")
I really like John McLaughlin, but he’s put out too many albums, so I don’t know where to go next with him. ☹ What I like: _Love Devotion Surrender_ (with Carlos Santana) is a desert-island album for me – Lifetime Top Ten Favorite. I recently got the CD of _Electric Guitarist_, slightly after that era, which I’d listened the hell out of on vinyl. It holds up well. I also like the “Remember Shakti” stuff from the turn of the century. The stuff with DiMeola and De Luca – not as much. It’s good, it just never grabbed me. Mahavishnu – I’ve heard it, of course, but never owned any of it – does it hold up? Is it worth revisiting? And which stuff from the '80s and '90s is good? (I saw him live sometime in the early '90s and liked the concert, but didn’t buy the current CD at that time – any guesses as to what that might have been? He had maybe a four- or five-piece band.) Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-john-mclaughlin/393085/2 "2007-02-21T14:35:54Z")
[Here](http://www.amazon.com/Time-Remembered-McLaughlin-Plays-Evans/dp/B0000046RT/sr=1-1/qid=1172068453/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-4072666-6550503?ie=UTF8&s=music) is the Amazon link to Time Remembered - where John plays songs by the great piano player Bill Evans. Good record. Also, if you don’t have Miles Davis’ CD - A Tribute to Jack Johnson - you are missing some great Bitches Brew-era agressive jazz and McL shines on it. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-john-mclaughlin/393085/3 "2007-02-21T14:41:24Z")
Excellent, **Word Man** , you’re definitely one of the people I was hoping to lure in here. I’ll check out both of those, thanks. Anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-john-mclaughlin/393085/4 "2007-02-21T14:58:18Z")
I like just about al the work he did with Shakti, especially the first album. ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Corey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Carl\_Corey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Corey)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-john-mclaughlin/393085/5 "2007-02-21T15:43:09Z")
I think his talk show is still on the air. . . that’s the best place to start. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-john-mclaughlin/393085/6 "2007-02-21T15:47:46Z")
“Next issue–some drug-crazed beatnik ‘musician’ is using my name. What should be done with him? Jack Germondo?” “Draft his hippie butt and send him to the front lines.” “Eleanor Clift?” “You really don’t have a clue, do you?” ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-john-mclaughlin/393085/7 "2007-02-21T18:31:15Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] Excellent, **Word Man** , you’re definitely one of the people I was hoping to lure in here. I’ll check out both of those, thanks. Anyone else? [/QUOTE] Happy to help. As a rule, I am not a big Mahavishnu, Return to Forever, Crusaders kinda guy - no particular reason; even though those players are absolute monsters, the music isn’t to my taste. These discs have something that really reaches me. A bit of a hijack, and not in line with your question, but if you are interested in good jazz guitar in general - there can be TONS of recommendations, but I would start with [Joe Pass - Virtuoso #3](http://www.amazon.com/Virtuoso-No-3-Joe-Pass/dp/B000000YWA/sr=1-1/qid=1172082572/ref=sr_1_1/102-4072666-6550503?ie=UTF8&s=music) (Amazon link). It doesn’t get much better - just Joe by himself, taking the groove to places very few can go…works on a Sunday morning mellow session as well as a deep, hard listen. He is the master. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-john-mclaughlin/393085/8 "2007-02-21T18:39:21Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] I like just about al the work he did with Shakti, especially the first album. [/QUOTE] In some ways, I think the Remember Shakti stuff is even better than the original. There’s a gorgeously packaged box set of all their stuff including a killer DVD. As for Mahavishnu, I recommend _Birds of Fire_ as their peak, though given that the OP is big on the jam-heavy Santana collaboration, maybe he’d like _Between Nothingness and Eternity_ better–the Orch _really_ stretches out there. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-john-mclaughlin/393085/9 "2007-02-22T02:00:14Z")
[QUOTE=Biffy the Elephant Shrew] As for Mahavishnu, I recommend _Birds of Fire_ as their peak, though given that the OP is big on the jam-heavy Santana collaboration, maybe he’d like _Between Nothingness and Eternity_ better–the Orch _really_ stretches out there. [/QUOTE] Agreed. I also enjoyed _The Inner Mounting Flame_. Billy Cobham’s drumming makes my head bleed (in a good way). ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-john-mclaughlin/393085/10 "2007-02-22T02:01:03Z")
I don’t know the original Shakti material. Of Remember Shakti [for which I’ve got 2 single-CD albums and a double-CD album, making the boxed set, I’m guessing, unnecessary], my favorite song is “Lotus Feet” – which is about a million miles from the screaming, wailing intensity of _Love Devotion Surrender_. twicks, who, BTW, is a she ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-john-mclaughlin/393085/11 "2007-02-22T03:09:33Z")
You might want to check out Bitch’s Brew by Miles Davis. [QUOTE=twickster] And which stuff from the '80s and '90s is good? (I saw him live sometime in the early '90s and liked the concert, but didn’t buy the current CD at that time – any guesses as to what that might have been? He had maybe a four- or five-piece band.) [/QUOTE] I saw his three piece band (w/Dennis Chambers and Joey DeFrancesco) in the '90’s. It wasn’t a show for the ages but it was a fine evening nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-john-mclaughlin/393085/12 "2007-02-22T04:10:35Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] twicks, who, BTW, is a she [/QUOTE] :smack: Sorry, should’ve known that! ---
**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-john-mclaughlin/393085/13 "2007-02-22T10:44:59Z")
“_In a Silent Way_” by Miles Davis has some great work from JM. ---
**Author:** ![DfrntBreign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-john-mclaughlin/393085/14 "2007-02-22T11:55:37Z")
My taste seems to be the opposite of everyone else’s here. While I don’t hate the “acoustic” John McLaughlin, I prefer the Orchestra. (I’ll admit I may be biased by Mahavishnu Orchestra (opening for Jeff Beck) being the first “rock concert” I ever attended.) My favorites are **Apocalypse** , **Visions of the Emerald Beyond** and **Devotion** (not Orchestra, but with Buddy Miles, Billy Rich and Larry Young). Anyone interested might want to check out **Visions of an Inner Mounting Apocalypse**. It’s the music of Mahavishnu Orchestra performed by guitarists Steve Lukather, Steve Morse, Jimmy Herring, Warren Haynes, Mike Stern, Jeff Richman, Frank Gambale, Greg Howe, John Abercrombie and David Fiuczynski. Backing band is Vinnie Colaiuta (drums), Kai Eckhardt (bass) and Mitchell Forman(synths) with Jerry Goodman (violin) on some cuts. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2007, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-john-mclaughlin/393085/15 "2007-03-24T12:18:51Z")
[QUOTE=WordMan] [Here](http://www.amazon.com/Time-Remembered-McLaughlin-Plays-Evans/dp/B0000046RT/sr=1-1/qid=1172068453/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-4072666-6550503?ie=UTF8&s=music) is the Amazon link to Time Remembered - where John plays songs by the great piano player Bill Evans. Good record. Also, if you don’t have Miles Davis’ CD - A Tribute to Jack Johnson - you are missing some great Bitches Brew-era agressive jazz and McL shines on it. [/QUOTE] Update: I got these two CDs – of the two, prefer the Miles Davis, though I’m still listening to both of them. Thanks for the recommendation! ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2007, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-john-mclaughlin/393085/16 "2007-03-24T15:55:09Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] Update: I got these two CDs – of the two, prefer the Miles Davis, though I’m still listening to both of them. Thanks for the recommendation! [/QUOTE] Cool! Your pref makes sense, given that the Evans tribute is a bit of departure for JM. Really glad you like them! If you choose to get the Joe Pass (do! very different from JM, but one of the best from a jazz guitarist’s jazz guitarist) let us know!