Love Devotion Surrender

Santana, John McLaughlin | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000002505
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #200,553 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stupendous, perhaps grandios, still original after 26 years, April 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Love Devotion Surrender (Audio CD)

Nothing I have ever heard compares to the over the top exuberant madness of this performance of the traditional Christian hymn 'Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord.' The beautiful core of the song is reprised by Carlos in the audio blurb available here. The same blurb establishes, after a long introductory section,the nifty bass line as well as the beautiful voice of Armando Peraza's bongos which are the true root of the performance.

McLaughlin paints wonderful figures behind the Santana front and then he takes over with an ax attack which is awsome, and indescribable. Into the mix are two, possibly 3 drummers, it is difficult to tell but the liner notes mention Jan Hammer, Billy Cobham and Mike Shrieve and Larry Young's organ flittering around between the rhythm and the music.

The result can best be described as an assault on the senses. After 26 years I still find it exciting, uplifting and beautiful.

Two other songs in the same vein and a quiet guitar duets by the boys are fine also. The duet, Namia and the first song on the album, A Love Supreme are of course by John Coltrane. It is probably fair to say he is the inspiration behind these performances.

My love of this record is undoubtably highly ideosyncratic and I doubt 1 in 100 will get it at all. While the record is classified as fusion it is something else perhaps, something unique, and as I said, unmatched ever since it was made 26 years ago.

I have always wonderd what John McLaughlin thinks of this work now. If anyone has a clue drop me a line.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nirvana, May 22, 2002

By 

Jinkyu - See all my reviews

This review is from: Love Devotion Surrender (Audio CD)

Members of Carlos Santana's Band and John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Group express spiritual themes through their jazz-rock talents in Love, Devotion and Surrender, with great success. This effort reflected Carlos' having come under the influence of Sri Chinmoy, John's spiritual guru. "Naima" and "Meditation" are lighter, pretty acoustic tracks that contrast with the intensity of the other three. Both guitarists jam vigorously around the four-syllable chant of John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" and the eight-syllable chants in "The Life Divine." In "Let Us Go Into The House of the Lord," they deliver blistering gospel soloing, but just as much a highlight is the fast-paced conga drumming of Armando Peraza, certainly mesmerizing, and isn't the "hypnotic" characterization usually reserved for nonpercussion instruments? The organ of Mahavishnu Group member Larry Young glows very nicely as a component of the spiritual texture, but he also solos well on the aforementioned track. Love, Devotion and Surrender is in line with what you expect from Santana's earlier-period music: great potent guitar work by Carlos, pretty music, and superb musicianship from all involved.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A blessed union of souls, August 31, 2000

By 

Marcel Morejon (Miami, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Love Devotion Surrender (Audio CD)

The first time I heard this CD I was blown away, my teacher at the time, Daryll Dobson(another great guitar player,)played it for me and I had to have it. Carlos Santana had begun a journey that was both spiritual and musical. For those who are really familiar with Carlo's music you first heard hints at a new musical direction with the tune called, Incident at Neshabur, (from Abraxas, not on this album like many people state.) The following albums; Santana 3, Live with Buddy Miles, and Caravanserai showed more and more the direction Carlos was to take. With each of these albums you can clearly hear his playing improve and expand, which no doubt came from playing constantly with the young firey Neal Schon,(note their playing on Live with Buddy Miles and Caravanserai) and of course Carlos had begun listening intensly to Coltrane and Mahavishnu. By the time Santana joined up with Mahavishnu for this album in 73,Carlos was ready to take the next step.

Listening to this record you hear both Mclaughlin and Santana reaching and pushing, at times almost crying out, I.E. their playing on The Love Devine, (listen to the way Mclaughlin caps of his solo.) Although Mclaughlin was a much more technically advanced player, Carlo's beautiful tone and creative combination of bends and holds make him just as great. Although L.D.S. is not the most "listener freindly" album it does contain two beautiful ballads in Naima and Meditation. After this album Santana toured with Mahavishnu for many years and recorded again on the Santana album Welcome,(the tune is called Flame Sky and it too is amazing.) The following albums through the seventees although never recieved as much attention and were even somtimes critized, contained what I beleive to be Carlo's best and most complex playing,(for the other reviewer who commented that Zappa quipped about Carlo's earlier solos, believe me Zappa could only dream of playing as good as Carlos, especially after his Mahavishnu days.) As for Mclaughlin, his future Mahavishnu albums were great, it's too bad they didn't put out some more with the original line up.

Love Devotion Surrender was a beautiful union of amazing players all at their peak. Carlos and Mclaughlin complemented each other beautifully, Mclaughlin had more technique and power, and Santana had more passion and soul, together their playing was unique and has left this music fan longing for more.