Carlos Santana, Mahavishnu John Mclaughlin
Love devotion surrender

THE REVIEW

In the personal vinyl collection, you can find significant albums that deserve a special mention. At the time of their release, they inexplicably did not gain the adequate recognition from the public and critics of that era, according to new standards of judgment. Well, a record like "Love devotion surrender" belongs to such a category and has its own unique story.

At that time, seeing two co-authors like Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin (nicknamed Mahavishnu due to his devotion to Eastern religious rites) was unusual. While the latter was a jazz-oriented virtuoso guitarist who grew under the tutelage of a genius like Miles Davis, the former was known as the founder of the Santana band and a prominent figure in a Latin rock sound. The idea of the two crossing their respective guitars might have seemed risky at the time because McLaughlin could have been suspected of trying to become more commercial, while Carlos Santana, after an album rich in jazz nuances like "Caravanserai," appeared to be embarking on increasingly complex musical paths. What would come out of the recording studio?

Well, supporting the success of the venture is the presence of a spiritual guru like Sri Chinmoy. Although I have not seen great results from the crossover between musicians (mostly rock) and Indian gurus (see the incredible case of Maharishi Yogi and the Beatles, as well as Pete Townshend's infatuation with the teachings of Meher Baba), in the case of Sri Chinmoy, interesting influences are found on the musical outcome of the collaboration between Santana and McLaughlin. Specifically, the former, after the great success achieved at the Woodstock festival in 1969, also had the opportunity to realize that, in the rock stardom entourage, there was too much room for the ephemeral in its various forms, especially there were too many heavy substances circulating. So then, to cleanse himself, what was better than seeking comfort in the spiritual sphere of certain Eastern philosophies? Sri Chinmoy, like any other Indian guru, could be useful. And indeed, as the best prelude to listening to "Love devotion surrender," it is worth reading the guru's philosophical considerations inside the album cover (he is also present in some photos, with a slightly playful air). In particular, where he hopes that the individual yields to the Infinite ("surrender" indeed) and dissolves into it like a single drop in the vast sea.

This fusion enriches us and allows us to better appreciate the music composed by Santana and McLaughlin, who certainly draw inspiration from the key points of Chinmoy's thought, but also turn to a certain mysticism that a giant of modern jazz like John Coltrane once drew from. In fact, the first two tracks ("A love supreme" and "Naima") are by the latter and introduce us to an atmosphere of intense spirituality, of great meditative concentration (it has a great hypnotic effect to hear the phrase "A love supreme" echoing, a sort of enveloping mantra). Even the version of a traditional spiritual track like "Let us go into the house of the Lord" is intoxicating, with the right emphasis given to the crossing of two virtuoso guitarists like Santana and McLaughlin, who continuously arpeggiate. And closing are two compositions by McLaughlin, such as "The life divine" and "Meditation," which bring us back to atmospheres that encourage meditation for all of us. Contributing to the good quality outcome of the long-playing are both the percussive rhythm section (which includes among others one of the best jazz drummers like Billy Cobham) and the contribution of a skilled keyboardist like Larry Young, who creates a powerful and magical sound texture capable of easing the blend between the intoxicating guitar arpeggios of the two protagonists Santana and McLaughlin.

In short, a record of refined fusion between jazz and rock, as was recorded in those years following the model of the precursor "Bitches brew" by Miles Davis (released in 1969). In my opinion, "Love devotion surrender" might have somewhat puzzled both the fans of the original Latin rock expressed by Carlos Santana's band and certain pretentious purists of "comme il faut" jazz who considered revisiting some of Coltrane's compositions in an electric key a sacrilege. This is why the LP reviewed here was not adequately appreciated at the time. Fortunately, time can also be a gentleman, and if one is seeking an interesting work of fusion between related musical languages like jazz and rock, here it is necessary to listen and savor a true sonic delight.