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John McLaughlin: Devotion

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: Douglas Records
Released: 1970.09.15
Time:
 35:28
Category: Jazz Rock
Producer(s): Alan Douglas & Stefan Bright
Rating:
Media type: CD
Web address: www.johnmclaughlin.com
Appears with: Mahavishnu Orchestra, Al Di Meola, Paco de Lucia, Jan Garbarek
Purchase date: 2012
Price in €: 1,00





 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Devotion (J.McLaughlin) - 11:25
[2] Dragon Song (J.McLaughlin) - 4:13
[3] Marbles (J.McLaughlin) - 4:05
[4] Siren (J.McLaughlin) - 5:55
[5] Don't Let the Dragon Eat Your Mother (J.McLaughlin) - 5:18
[6] Purpose of When (J.McLaughlin) - 4:45

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


John Mclaughlin - Electric Guitar
Buddy Miles - Drums, Percussion
Larry Young - Organ, Electric Piano
Billy Rich - Bass Guitar

Alan Douglas - Producer
Stefan Bright - Producer
Tony Bongiovi - Engineer, Remixing
Ira Cohen - Photography
Michael Margetts - Photography
William Hogeland - Liner Notes

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


Recorded at the Record Plant Studios, New York City, February 1970.



Originally released in 1970 but re-released regularly since, Devotion is a hard driving, spaced-out, distorted hard-jazz-rock album featuring organist Larry Young, drummer Buddy Miles, and the little known bassist Billy Rich. This album was recorded close to the period when McLaughlin had been jamming with Jimi Hendrix, Young, Miles and Dave Holland. Terrible bootlegs exist of some of their jams, but bad sound quality and McLaughlin's guitar on the fritz make the bootlegs a ripoff.

Devotion was also sort of a ripoff. To this day, McLaughlin is angry about the way former Hendrix producer Alan Douglas mixed this record. Apparently, Douglas spliced bits of music together here and there that were not supposed to be connected. Despite this obvious problem, and the fact Douglas paid McLaughlin only $2,000 to record both Devotion and My Goal’s Beyond , this album is chock full of wonderfully ominous riffs and sounds. Devotion is an overlooked landmark album.

“Marbles" opens up the album and is truly an early fusion masterpiece. (Some CD reissues of Devotion have changed the order of the tunes...don't ask why). The catchy hook is infectious. Years later, McLaughlin would employ the same riff often while with Shakti. You should also check out Santana’s cover version on his hard to find album with Buddy Miles, Live.

McLaughlin focuses more on tension and dynamics than on speed, and Larry Young plays mysterious and otherworldly chords. Miles keeps a constant thud-thud-thud churning throughout and Billy Rich effectively doubles McLaughlin’s themes. No slow ballads. No pretty melodies. This is just pure unadulterated jazz-grunge. Those familiar with the Mahavishnu Orchestra will enjoy picking out the passages that would later become signature tunes. Devotion is awfully messy at times, but you won’t mind cleaning up afterwards.

Walter Kolosky - November 17, 2002
© 2014 All About Jazz



This album is from a pivotal moment in McLaughlin's history. This was just after he left Miles' group, but before Mahavishnu Orchestra started, and the music captures this moment perfectly. McLaughlin's technique had not progressed to "Mahavishnu" perfection yet, but the music has the in-your-face rock drive of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. This recording date grew out of sessions Alan Douglas put together, featuring McLaughlin and Larry Young jamming with Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Miles (Billy Rich was the bass player). McLaughlin sounded timid next to Hendrix (none of the material with Hendrix has been officially released), but really comes to life on Devotion. This is arguably one of the finest acid rock albums of all time. McLaughlin is on fire, using fuzzboxes and phasers, over Larry Young's swirling Hammond B-3, with Billy Rich and Buddy Miles as the rock-solid rhythm section. If you think that McLaughlin's solo at the end of "Right Off" (from A Tribute to Jack Johnson) is one of the high points of his career, then this is the album for you. Soon after this album was recorded, McLaughlin holed up, practiced like crazy, and re-emerged as "Mahavishnu" John McLaughlin, with both a new sound and a new band. Documenting the period just before that transition, Devotion is a complete anomaly in his catalog, as well as one of his finest achievements.

Sean Westergaard - All Music Guide



Devotion is the second album by the English jazz fusion guitarist John McLaughlin, released in 1970. It was recorded shortly after McLaughlin left the Miles Davis band and prior to forming The Mahavishnu Orchestra. McLaughlin was unhappy with the resulting album. On his website he writes: “In 1969, I sign a contract in America for 2 records. First is 'Devotion' that is destroyed by producer Alan Douglas who mixes the recording in my absence.” In a contemporary review, Rolling Stone magazine called the album "very fine" and said that McLaughlin "has managed to make an album as Heavy as the most fanatical Led Zeppelin devotee could wish, while maintaining a high musical level". Allmusic awards the album four and a half stars and Sean Westergaard concludes "Devotion is a complete anomaly in his catalog, as well as one of his finest achievements."

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