The last 3 minutes of "Desire and the Comforter" from Electric Dreams says it all about John McLaughlin. He just tears apart his guitar with cascades of funk, blues, rock, jazz, and Far-Eastern scales. Every strike of a string has individual meaning. His guitar soars above the chord changes and captures the spirit of the music. He leaves space (texture) where it should be left. Like no other guitar player on earth, John McLaughlin knows when not to play. (This is in defiance of those who say he plays too many notes). And even though there are a million notes a minute on this tune, it is the spaces in between the notes that create the epiphany.

          McLaughlin recorded Electric Dreams with the One Truth Band which included Shankar on violin, Tony Smith on drums, Stu Goldberg on keyboards, Fernando Saunders on bass and Alyrio Lima handling various percussion chores. The OTB was a much more rhythmic unit than JM's previous bands and although its members may not have been "master" musicians that The Mahavishnu Orchestra was, they certainly knew how to "funk a groove". Electric Dreams is full of grooves and infectious tunes. Sure, we could live without a couple of numbers, ("Love and Understanding" - yech!), but Electric Dreams offers us a beautiful "Electric Dreams, Electric Sighs", featuring JM on Banjo Short RealAudio sample! The "Dark Prince" is a brooding, straight-ahead jazz fusion tribute to Miles which overshadows the titled "Miles Davis" which appears earlier on the album. McLaughlin uses a scalloped fret board electric guitar which allows him to add an entire new weapon to his arsenal of sound.

          Shankar's far-eastern affected violin seems ill-placed at times. Goldberg's synth now seems outdated in some places. David Sanborn makes a more than welcome guest on the haunting "Unknown Dissident".

          While the mix isn't always successful, on the whole, Electric Dreams offers some of the best composing and playing of McLaughlin's career and has been unfairly overlooked.



          Walter Kolosky
          smsi@attbi.com


          Walter Kolosky is a businessman and jazz fan who lives in South Natick, MA, USA


          "Guardian Angels" Short RealAudio sample