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Downer's criticism isn't mine. I generally like what I've heard from McLaughlin though I'm no afficianado. Just saying his (downer's) criticism of 70's fusion is similar to the criticism of the 80's shred movement.

I know.

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A Blanket in my Muesli. A Blanket in my what??

He's a CEO for Chrissakes!

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The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true Art and Science. - Albert Einstein

Now I know you know, you know?

I like John McLaughlin. I don't like the BOF album. I like McLaughlin with Miles Davis and Tony Williams Lifetime. For Mahavishnu Orchestra, I prefer Visions Of The Emerald Beyond. It's not all calisthenics.

I like Inner Mounting Flame but I only need one album by that line up because it's all the same: Shredding over some mathematical type riff.

I dislike Jan Hammer's cheesy synth sound.

I even like the MO album Inner Worlds more than BOF. I like melody.

Playing fast gets old fast if that's all you do. I don't like Buckethead, for example.

As far as McLaughlin saying that Zappa is not good enough to play long solos.....Well, Zappa has more melodic ideas going on in his solos than I've ever heard McLaughlin come up with. For the most part, McLaughlin plays scales really fast. And he's a dour motherfucker. No sense of humor about himself or his music. Not that I need to pick sides. And maybe I'm misunderstanding.


It's not what I'm seeing, it's what I'm hearing.

Disco Boy posted FZ's quote near the beginning of the thread. Here is the relevant part again:

"A person woud be a moron not to appreciate McLaughlin's technique. The guy has certainly found out how to operate a guitar as if it were a machine gun. But I'm not always enthusiastic about the lines I hear or the ways in which they're used. I don't think you can fault him, though, for the amount of time and effort it must have taken to play an instrument that fast. I think anybody who can play that fast is just wonderful. And I'm sure 90% of teenage America would agree, since the whole trend in the business has been 'faster is better.'"

I would call that a backhanded compliment.

I would say FZ was not a person that gave out straight "aw gee that's great" kind of compliments anyway.

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You gotta give the people something good to read, on a Sunday

But he was usually nice about Jeff Beck as he was in the bit right before the not as kind comments about McLaughlin.

I bet if JM edited all the naff bits out of his solos (75%), like Frank did, we'd all like him a bit more
I think he was a better composer than soloist, I suppose it was the Miles influence
I still like to listen to Emerald Beyond every few months, probably because I love the JLP unison stuff
The earlier albums are good, but I can't stand the shitty, tinny production

I disagree that Frank's soloing didn't come good 'til the late 70's...
I love most of the solo's on Overnite..and what about Penguin in Bondage? I don't think that's even edited
The Helsinki Inca solo is still my favourite

You need to listen to more of JM's work, try Extrapolation, or maybe his work on Joe Farrell's Quartet album.

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Confusion will be my epitaph

Yeah, I remember one track from Extrapolation, it was on one of those guitar sampler vinyls (Polydor?)
My problem with JM is when he trys to make it bluesey and bend a string...it irks me
Sorta like Paul Kantler with jazz chops
He shoulda done like Fripp did and got lessons from Robin Trower

So yeah..JM is a great player, but a bit stilted and pointy sometimes
I did see him twice...with the Great Guitars and the Shakti band

IMHO JM is the most important guitarist since django reinhardt. my favorite anyway
he came out of blues jazz and south indian music whats not to like? jimi is still my greatest musical hero because well you just had to be there

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Stop Plate Techtonics!!
http://www.myspace.com/originalfacelift
http://www.balkanmusic.org/
http://thesurfonics.com/index.html

JM has his thoughts on influences at his web site and talks about Jimi H. He really liked the guy, also his latest album is good.

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Confusion will be my epitaph

Hendrix, with the able assistance of Eddie Kramer, revolutionized the electric guitar. The size of his hands allowed him to be such a gifted player. I would suggest he influenced nearly every player who followed him and most of his contemporaries have said publicly that he was a sharing person, but no one wanted to follow him on the stage.

JM is a brilliant guitarist and his influences are diverse. I think FZ respected innovators, whether or not he actually liked their styles of playing...

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If we're dumb . . .
Then God is dumb . . .
(An' maybe even a little bit ugly on the side)

Well, I just listened to a vinyl transfer my friend made of Inner Mounting Flame and it's great
So I take back what I said about those early albums...
I think the early issue CD's I had were so crap sounding that I dismissed ém

Same thing happened with XTC's "White Music"
I sold my CD ços it was so crap..but the vinyl I picked up sounds awesome!

Inner Mounting Flame is one of my favorites.

FYI John McLaughlin is playing in NYC this weekernd ( I just might go)as part of Chick Corea's 70th birthday party thing:

http://chickcorea.com/blue-note-nov-2011

"Five Peace Band
Three nights with guitar legend John McLaughlin & the Five Peace Band, also featuring Kenny Garrett, John Patitucci and Brian Blade. Having RTF and John McLaughlin on the bill in the same week is like seeing the Beatles & Stones of jazz/rock fusion. The band's CD titled Five Peace Band Live won the 2010 Best Jazz Instrumental Album Grammy award."

Nov 4 / 8pm:Nov 4 / 10:30pm
Nov 5 / 8pm
Nov 5 / 10:30pm
Nov 6 / 8pm
Nov 6 / 10:30pm