Electric Dreams (John McLaughlin album) explained

Electric Dreams
Type:	studio album
Artist:	John McLaughlin
Cover:	cover_-_electric_dreams.jpg
Released:	1979
Recorded:	November–December 1978
Studio:	Sound Mixer Studios, New York City
Genre:	Jazz fusion
Length:	38:40
Label:	Columbia
Producer:	John McLaughlin
Prev Title:	Electric Guitarist
Prev Year:	1978
Next Title:	Belo Horizonte
Next Year:	1981

Electric Dreams is the fifth solo album by English jazz guitarist John McLaughlin and his "One Truth Band" (featuring violinist L. Shankar, keyboardist Stu Goldberg, bassist Fernando Saunders, percussionist Alyrio Lima and drummer Tony “Thunder” Smith) released in 1979. Between his third and fourth solo albums he spent several years leading the Mahavishnu Orchestra (which featured Goldberg), and Shakti (which featured Shankar).

While performing with Miles Davis, Davis had titled a song on the album Bitches Brew “John McLaughlin”. McLaughlin returns the favour here, naming a song "Miles Davis".

Critical reception

All About Jazz wrote that "Electric Dreams offers some of the best composing and playing of McLaughlin's career and has been unfairly overlooked."^[1]

Track listing

All songs by John McLaughlin unless otherwise noted.

1. "Guardian Angels" – 0:51
2. "Miles Davis" – 4:54
3. "Electric Dreams, Electric Sighs" – 6:57
4. "Desire and the Comforter" – 7:34
5. "Love and Understanding" – 6:36
6. "Singing Earth" (Stu Goldberg) – 0:37
7. "The Dark Prince" – 5:15
8. "The Unknown Dissident" – 6:16

Personnel

• John McLaughlin – Electric Guitar, 6 + 12 + 13 String Acoustic Guitars and Banjo
• L. Shankar – Acoustic and Electric Violin
• Stu Goldberg – Electric Piano, Moog Synthesizer with Steiner Parker Modifications, Prophet Synthesizer, Hammond Organ
• Fernando Saunders – Fender Bass, Acoustic Bass, Vocals on "Love and Understanding"
• Tony Thunder Smith – Drums, Vocals
• Alyrio Lima – Percussion, Amplified Chinese Cymbals
• David Sanborn – Alto Saxophone on "The Unknown Dissident"

Notes and References

1. Web site: John McLaughlin w/ The One Truth Band: Electric Dreams . Walter . Kolosky . allaboutjazz.com . 17 November 2002 . 27 October 2013.
2. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6.