McLaughlin Mondays # 20 – First Encounter, Final Monday
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Artist:
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Album:Inner Mounting Flame
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Track:
At the outset I said I’d make 20 posts covering John McLaughlin’s musical career to date, and we’ve finally arrived at the last of them. What to close out the series with? I think it is only appropriate to go back to the first track of the first Mahavishnu Orchestra album, and hence the first time that I ever laid ears on this remarkable guitarist.Up to that point I’d been raised on late 60s music, starting with the Beatles and moving on thru slightly more “prog rock” fare (Cream, Jimi, Zeppelin, Heep, etc.). As far as I was concerned, Jazz was stuff my Dad listened to and so it couldn’t be cool, right? Besides, I was into Les Pauls, Marshall amplifiers, Vox wah pedals, and jazz guitarists just played boring stuff on fat guitars with cello holes in them. Well I was about to find out that there was actually the beginning of a revolution going on. It was called jazz fusion, and a young Yorkshireman was about to change my whole perspective on music and guitar playing.I can still remember the sense of awe I experienced listening to that first side of the “Inner Mounting Flame” LP. My good friend Eddie Ledwith had tipped me off that there was this amazing guitarist I just had to hear, and thru his enthusiastic descriptions of unworldly fretboard speed and skill, I eventually became curious enough to go and buy the album. And it was jaw-droppingly amazing. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Yes the guitar playing was incredible, unlike anything I had ever heard before, but also the whole effect and impact of the music was incredible, and all the musicians were incredible, and I played it back to back maybe three or four times on that first listening.So I don’t think there’s a more fitting track to close with than “Meeting Of The Spirits”.With a new album on the way (“Floating Point”, set to release April 28th) McLaughlin, now into his sixties, continues to explore new musical territories and always plays with an incredible passion and fire. No doubt this won’t be the last McLaughlin post I ever make, but for now it’s time for me to switch to documenting another life-long passion, that being Weather Report. In the meantime, thanks to everyone who has listened in and commented along the way. I hope it’s been fun for people. I’ve certainly enjoyed doing it.MM
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