Devotion is the second album by the English jazz fusion guitarist John McLaughlin, released in 1970. It was recorded while McLaughlin was a member of Tony Williams Lifetime (prior to forming Mahavishnu Orchestra). McLaughlin was joined by his Lifetime bandmate, organist Larry Young, bass guitarist Billy Rich and former Electric Flag and Jimi Hendrix drummer Buddy Miles. McLaughlin was unhappy with the finished album. On his website, he wrote, “In 1969, I signed a contract in America for two records. First is 'Devotion' that is destroyed by producer Alan Douglas who mixes the recording in my absence.”[2]
| Devotion | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 1970[1] | |||
| Recorded | February 1970 | |||
| Studio | Record Plant Studios, New York City | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 35:28 | |||
| Label | Douglas | |||
| Producer | Alan Douglas and Stefan Bright | |||
| John McLaughlin chronology | ||||
| ||||
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | A[4] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide |  [5] |
| The Village Voice | A−[6] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [7] |
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".[8] AllMusic awarded the album four and a half stars, and Sean Westergaard concluded, "Devotion is a complete anomaly in his catalog, as well as one of his finest achievements."[3]
Track listing
editAll songs written by John McLaughlin.
- Side one
- "Devotion" – 11:25
- "Dragon Song" – 4:13
- Side two
- "Marbles" – 4:05
- "Siren" – 5:55
- "Don't Let the Dragon Eat Your Mother" – 5:18
- "Purpose of When" – 4:45
Personnel
editCharts
edit| Chart (1970) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[9] | 62 |
References
edit- ^ Billboard review July 25, 1970
- ^ http://www.johnmclaughlin.com/ text on the period of 1968 - 70.
- ^ a b Westergaard, Sean. "Devotion - John McLaughlin | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: M". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 7 March 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 135. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (19 November 1970). "Consumer Guide (14)". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
- ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 976. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
- ^ Palmer, Bob (17 September 1970). "Album Reviews: John McLaughlin - Devotion". Rolling Stone. No. 66. Archived from the original on 7 August 2008. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 3271". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October June 15, 2024.
