DEVOTION

A controversial early work released on Douglas Records that left McLaughlin bitterly disappointed, due to the poorly done mixing and finish. Contrary to his repeated requests and pleas, the producer, Alan Douglas (Rubinstein), has flatly refused any chance for a re-mix, so we ended up with some great plating that didn't quite come off as good as it may have with more attention from the producer. A real shame!

This is the same Douglas who wiggled his way to become "custodian" of the entire Hendrix library, releasing some brutally modified works while leaving enormous material gathering dust in the vaults. In recent years Hendrix's father, Al Hendrix, has finally won a protracted legal battle against Douglas ans successfully reclaimed Jimi's legacy.

With a proper mix and without the odd abrupt termination of a track, "Devotion" would be a fine album. Young McLaughlin plays jammy, sometimes furious notes balanced out by Larry Young's etheric organs. A careful observer will also detect elements that emerged barely a year later on the first album by the Mahavishnu Orchestra. But that was done by CBS and was done with due attention to the end product.

Douglas is dead now and it makes me wonder if one day we may hear this work in a form the artist intended to share with us? Still pretty good as it is, but I can't help but to focus on kinda re- mixing it in my head at every spin. A somewhat entertaining, amusing challenge, but it can be very annoying for having to do that, too.