INDUSTRIAL ZEN

One of the best releases of this year (ie 2006), in many ways this harks back to a previous album, "The Promise", from some 10 years ago - indeed some of the same players are here including two great drummers, Dennis Chambers (used extensively) and Vinnie Colaiuta (just one track here). As is the style of the album: McLaughlin is in experimental mode, and here it works well (not always the case with JM!), although the title of the album - "Industrial Zen"!!??? - is banal. McLaughlin uses synth a lot here and to good effect - a blistering solo on "To Bop or Not To Bop", and again on "Dear Dalai Lama", in duet with Dennis Chambers in the way he used to duel with Cobham. Some interesting musicians - Shankar Mahadevan provides a great Eastern vocal line on the final track, "Mother Nature". It is one of McLaughlins' true fusion outings and all credit for him pushing the boundaries when he could easily sit back and relax. Solid 4 stars.

This hard bop disc it's an experiment in witch McLaughlin brings a lot of great musicians to help him expand his territory's and his guitar-synth repertoire. From the atmospheric point of view Industrial Zen is great and the great experience that the musicians have. The rhythmic section is the perfect nucleus for the solo parts. The album begin with For Jaco, with some interior dialogs. Hadrian Feraud is definitely a wonder of fusion jazz. At his only 22 years he play so correct above all and the final of the song is all his one. New Blues Old Bruise is my favorite song! Is parted in three sections: a calm fusion led by the solo guitar and by the percussion who is linear, but not stereotypical, then begin a more alert part, just to enter in to the atmospheric keyboard who brings the final. Wayne's Way and Just So Only More So mark the genre of the disc. We have a drum programming which give us the right direction to follow. To Bop or not to Be is 100% fusion. The last three songs evaluate the Zen part, the meditation. Senor C.S. become an usual concert song, but in a tender version. From the strict fusion part of view Industrial Zen is not great, by far. But I like the experiments and the modern side of McLaughlin who likes to be like this, to work with younger musicians. Maybe this thing remind him of Miles Davis and his youth.

There sure seems to be a bit of different views for this one. One, I must say that the style itself is, by nature, a bit self indulgent. But a master writer, guitarist as John McLaughlin is,demands more out of the listener, as does the listeners demands upon the creator's output.

So, what do we have here, in my humble opinion? I think a good solid piece of work. Modern, yet the moment it comes on, one knows that it's John McLaughlin. The musicianship is of course top-notch, and the production is of the modern styling.

I must admit, all of this genre's music, when not in the mood for the self indulgence, becomes a bit bland and purposeless. This offering borders on this at times, but overall, this is quality music, given to us by one of the early masters, who seems to continue creating music for both enjoyment, and employment.

In today's world, I am thankful for any output from the era of musician that John McLaughlin comes from.

A good release that sometimes rings a bit tried before - but with the majesty and quality that is expected of someone so incredibly talented.

Expanding on the neo-bop fusion that he began inventing on his Heart Of Things album back in `97, McLaughlin achieves a lucid future/past conviction on Industrial Zen with the aid of self-programmed expansive phantom-like synth backdrops. Spiritual inferences also lurk everywhere throughout the disc with homages flowing to everyone from the 14th Dali Lama to the late Jaco Pastorious which are alluded to by the conundrum in the album`s title. It is also very rhythm laden with double drummers on several tracks that include the impossible talents of Dennis Chambers on three of them along with McLaughlin`s Shakti sideman Zakir Hussein on tablas. Featuring different lineups on every track and recorded with different engineers at different locales from NYC to London to McLaughlin`s Monaco abode, the production on Industrial Zen is nothing short of pristine which guarantees that this McLaughlin album will certainly sound fresh for some time to come. Although not lacking in variety from an overall standpoint, McLaughlin`s synth programming tends to sound generic at times but works well in reinforcing and maintaining the future/past countenance and provides a camvas for the masterful talents of his guest musicians over which to add their individual colouring.

And he`s selected his partners in crime for this caper with just prudence. The redoubtable Gary Husband doubles on synths and drums on almost every track with blistering sax work from Bill Evans on the electro-jazz rave up " Just So Only More So " and the quick & tricky "For Jaco" that personifies the late bass player by concluding with a passage from "Continuum" . He gives way to the internationally acclaimed Ava Rivatti on the Wayne Shorter salutation "Wayne`s Way " where she provides some intricate soprano sax dueling with McLaughlin. Another guitarist, Eric Johnson , best known for his `91 grammy winning guitar instrumental, " The White Cliffs Of Dover ", appears with McLaughlin on " New Blues Old Bruise " and provides an interesting contrast to McLaughlin`s more fluid and synth-interfaced guitar with a perfect fuzz tone setting. My personal favourite on the album is " Senor CS " dedicated to long time friend Carlos Santana, that builds up into a formidable jam. There is some really impressive interaction between double drummers Mark Mondesir and Dennis Chambers along with bassist Hadrien Faraud here, but once the quartet starts to really smoke it cops out into a fade out. Aaaarg!!! Reminds me of the "English Jam" blowout on `96`s " The Promise " that lasts about a minute and ten seconds before it quits. More recently, he has also included it in his live sets with Chick Corea in the Peace Band. The Michael Brecker eulogy, " To Bop Or Not To Be ", has Dennis Chambers flailing like an octopus on the drum kit holding everything together here admirably with Billy Cobham inspirations in evidence along with Zakir Hussein on mad tablas.Certainly the most complete track on the album resurecting an old guitar hook from " Honky Tonk Haven " from McLaughlin`s `82 " Music Spoken Here " album and a fitting tribute to the great saxman.

Although his composing and soloing contains the indo-jazz casts which might not be new for long time devotees it is arguably some of his best since 97`s Heart Of Things album and contains welcome echoes and intentions of his seventies work with the firebreathing Mahavishnu Orchestra.

However....... the two tracks which contain voicings by Shankar Mahadevan, " Dear Dali Lama " and " Mother Nature " , baffle me somewhat. Nothing wrong with the wonderful vocals but they are just out of place within the context of the other 6 pieces. First off, unless I`m missing something here, one would expect a musical letter to the illuminati of the Buddist faith to contain meditative passages complemented by subtle, soothing environmental effects such as birds chirping and waterfalls. This is what I had expected. Instead McLaughlin presents a disjointed composition that begins with chanting that reminds me of the beginning of the 1973 horror film, The Exorcist, which morphs into a jam not unlike the one heard on his `78 " Electric Guitarist " album Phenomenom : Compulsion with Billy Cobham slashing away on the kit. Don`t get me wrong this section of the piece is spectacular, go ahead crank it to eleven. Hussein and Chambers are brilliant here. It just doesn`t complement Ada Rivatti`s solemn tenor sax work and other sections of this rather muddled piece which seem to be misplaced here. Along with new age ruminations that appear on the concluding track " Mother Nature ", which has some potential with an all too short fretless guitar passage that could have saved the day, McLaughlin could have saved both for another project . They are just too far off track and because they occur later in the track sequence leave the listener hanging, causing the album as a whole to lose some of it`s cohesiveness. I dunno, maybe I`m missing something really profound here.

Notwithstanding some copositional irregularity, McLaughlin is to be complemented here for the most part. He nods to the past stylistically while producing a very forward looking work. His guitar playing is graceful & fluent without any mindless shredding and all the guest musicians turn out absolutely stellar performances. With apologies to the Dali Lama, Mother Nature and vocalist Shankar Mahadevan, John could have pulled off a five star masterpiece here if it weren`t for those two earthly rave ups. Overlooking these two anamolies it is arguably his finest work since his compelling 1992 " Que Alegria " album with McLaughlin blasting into the future once again.

At this album McLaughlin goes modern. At least, he uses classic post-bop ( which isn't modern at all) and add in it plenty of drum programming and synthesized sound.He is a great musician, because he didn't destroy the music using so risky mix. But it's pity, that the album is only very average.

The huge team of participated musicians are very competent, so technically the music is of high quality. The problem is there is no ... spirit. No soul. Uninspired musicianship.

In some short fragments you can catch pretty moments. At least, even only vocal track has it's own beauty. But generally it is more technique demonstration , trying to be modern without serious idea, what it is.

As a result, all album is listenable, but you cant find even a few melodies or moments you remember after listening. Overloaded by synthetic rhythms, in moments the music is looking as sountrack for commercials. And at the same time all sound is full of energy. Not very successful experiment.

Pos-bop-fusion high in technique and low in... musicality.