Love Devotion Surrender

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 Surrender more 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. The windows on the record’s 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 Surrender contains 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. You’ll 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 album’s 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 favour 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.