MCLAUGHLIN / DELUCIA / CORYELL - MEETING OF THE SPIRITS

As a slight change of formula, JML and PDL found time to fit in LC on their acoustic trio, and to many fans, this incarnation is from far more interesting and superior. On Valentyne's Day, the group gave a concert that was televised (this writer remembers seeing it around that time, but was in on simultaneous broadcast, it's not likely) and later commercialised on VCR cassettes. As opposed to the better-known ADM trio, the LC trio is a much quieter and less flashy affair with the tension gone; the three guitarists are obviously much more at ease with each other. Not wanting to pinpoint ADM as the culprit, but this writer always felt that he was usually and needlessly over-competitive and that his trios were always a 400 mph affair where all three guitarists were trying to overtake, outdo and outflash/shine the others. With LC is the fold, there is nothing of the sort (or at least not much of it) and the feeling is at ease, quiet, collaborative, trustful and all around much better, artistically-speaking. And it is rather easy to tell apart the guitarist, as DeLucia has his own style but is never trying to be outdone by the other two (as opposed to ADM constantly trying to be more Spanish than Paco) , JML's style is more fluid, and at times still lightning fast, but again he's not facing the ADM competition, so he's more at ease. As for Coryell's nearly electric sound with his round-bottomed guitar, his clearly recognizable style provides much of the colour lacking in the ADM trios. One of the highlights is the JML title track and PDL's Entres Dos Aquas is also another peak. If you must only own of those trios, make sure it is this one.