Electric Dreams (John McLaughlin album)

Electric Dreams
Studio album by
John McLaughlin
Released1979
RecordedNovember–December 1978
StudioSound Mixer Studios, New York City
GenreJazz fusion
Length38:40
LabelColumbia
ProducerJohn McLaughlin
John McLaughlin chronology
Electric Guitarist
(1978) 		Electric Dreams
(1979) 		Belo Horizonte
(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[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideB−[2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings[4]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide[3]

All About Jazz wrote that "Electric Dreams offers some of the best composing and playing of McLaughlin's career and has been unfairly overlooked."[5]

Track listing[edit]

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[edit]

  • 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"

Charts[edit]

Chart (1979) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[6] 75
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[7] 27
US Billboard 200[8] 147
US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)[9] 14

References[edit]

  1. ^ Ginell, Richard S. "Electric Dreams – John McLaughlin | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. pp. 135. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
  4. ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 977. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
  5. ^ Kolosky, Walter (17 November 2002). "John McLaughlin w/ The One Truth Band: Electric Dreams". allaboutjazz.com. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  6. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  7. ^ "Charts.nz – John McLaughlin with the One Truth Band – Electric Dreams". Hung Medien. Retrieved October June 15, 2024.
  8. ^ "John McLaughlin Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October June 15, 2024.
  9. ^ "John McLaughlin Chart History (Top Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October June 15, 2024.
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