1973 Meeting of Santana and John McLaughlin Yields Spiritual Transcendence:Love Devotion SurrenderIs Inspired by John Coltrane and a Quest for Enlightenment

Sourced from the Original Master Tapes: Tones, Textures, and Notes Float Amid a Large, Open Soundstage on Mobile Fidelity's Numbered-Edition 180g 33RPM LP

1/4" / 15 IPS analog master to DSD 64 to analog console to lathe

Two guitar giants. A band comprised of virtuosic instrumentalists. One shared goal. And one tremendous album. The only meeting of Santana and John McLaughlin on record,Love Devotion Surrendermore than lives up to the promise offered by its principal creators. Based in divine faith, religious toleration, meditative intent, and the forward-thinking philosophy that music can take us closer to the truth, it is a spiritual journey. These enlightening concepts are reflected in the inspired playing of Santana and McLaughlin, who repeatedly hit a higher plane on this 1973 set.

Sourced from the original analog master tapes and pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, Mobile Fidelitys numbered-edition 180g LP ofLove Devotion Surrenderbenefits from the reissue labels painstaking engineering efforts. The windows on the records give-and-take passages, sustained notes, and varied textures are thrown open with palpable transparency and detail. Laden with delicate acoustic touches and gentle piano touches, as well as powerful staccato bursts and fast-paced percussion,Love Devotion Surrendercontains a dynamic mix of tempos, tones, and contrasts crucial to its optimal enjoyment. This collectible edition brings those aspects to the fore with extraordinary realism.

In addition, the pinpoint imaging Santana primarily on the left, McLaughlin on the right invites you to picture the musicians in the act. Youll sense a newfound freedom and naturalism to the playback, as well as black backgrounds and an openness that allow the widespread array of textures, atmospherics, echoes, and neo-psychedelic shapes to float in the air. Call it jamming guided by a higher power or surreal art brought together by time, circumstance, and purpose; there really is no other album completely like it.

Having each become a follower of Indian guru Sri Chinmoy, who wrote the albums extensive liner-note essay and is seen in several jacket photos, Santana and McLaughlin began playing together in 1972. Both legends found themselves in the midst of personal and creative transition. Santana was moving away from rock-based songs in favor of exploratory jazz-rock. A contemporary of Miles Davis, McLaughlin had already achieved fame with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, then on the brink of collapse due to internal disagreements.

OnLove Devotion Surrender, the duo pools its interests in discovery and transcendence into gorgeous music steeped in improvisational lines, ecstatic chords, and sensitive organ accompaniment courtesy of the records best-kept secret, Larry Young. The former Blue Note recording artist had already connected with McLaughlin in the Tony Williams Lifeline, which began as a power trio and turned jazz on its head with its groundbreaking 1969 debut. Youngs ear for melody and fearless penchant for chasing down adventurous fusion leads not to mention keeping pace with the headliners, no small feat make him an ideal foil for the proto post-rock happening throughout.

Credited under his Muslim name, Khalid Yasin, Young isnt the only standout. Several Santana contemporaries bassist Doug Rauch, drummers Mike Shrieve and Billy Cobham, percussionists Mingo Lewis and Armando Peraza play alongside Mahavishnu Orchestra member Jan Hammer and Tony Williams Lifeline drummer Don Alias, who already had credits on Davis seminalBitches BrewandOn the Corner. Complemented by Santana and McLaughlin, the ensemble sounds and feels unstoppable.

In addition to the bands search for sacred soulfulness, the common denominator throughout is John Coltrane, who engaged in similar pursuits during the 1960s. Two of the five compositions A Love Supreme, Naima are interpretations of Coltrane standards while the lynchpin, a nearly 16-minute investigation into the traditional Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord, integrates free-form structure, jazz phrasing, gospel mysticism, cross-cut dynamics, and tonal shaping into one of the most uplifting pieces of music youll ever hear. The same can be said for the entirety ofLove Devotion Surrender. Bow down.

Tracklisting:

1. A Love Supreme
2. Naima
3. The Life Divine
4. Let Us Go into the House of the Lord
5. Meditation