1973 · Album
Love Devotion Surrender
Columbia Records · Released: 1973 · Certification: Gold (1973)
Devotion Made Audible
Two guitar masters and their bands came together in 1973 to honor Coltrane and something larger than themselves.
Love Devotion Surrender arrived in 1973 as an immediate commercial success, certified Gold in the year of release. This was no cult record that built reputation slowly—it connected with listeners right away. AllMusic rated it 4.5 stars, reflecting the critical respect it earned from the start. The album's success wasn't accidental. Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin had reached comparable heights in their respective domains, and pairing Santana's band with the Mahavishnu Orchestra created genuine star power. But the album's real pull was spiritual intention. Inspired by the teachings of Sri Chinmoy and framed as a tribute to John Coltrane, it gave the collaboration a purpose beyond technical display.
What you hear is two different guitar voices—Santana's blues-rooted, sustain-heavy tone and McLaughlin's geometric precision—working through the same material. The album includes two Coltrane compositions alongside McLaughlin originals and a traditional gospel song that Santana and McLaughlin arranged together. This mix matters because it shows how these players engaged with what came before while pushing their own sound forward. The backing bands were capable enough to support this vision without getting lost in it.
This is worth hearing because it captures a specific moment when fusion guitar could still feel devotional rather than purely virtuosic. Both artists were at the height of their powers, and neither was interested in proving anything except their commitment to the music itself. It's not Santana's peak or McLaughlin's best work individually, but as a meeting point, it holds up because the players meant what they were doing.
Who's playing
Doug Rauchbass guitar
John McLaughlinguitar, piano
Carlos Santanaguitar family
Larry Youngorgan
Don Aliasdrums
Billy Cobhamdrums
Jan Hammerdrums
Michael Shrievedrums
Armando Perazacongas
Where next?
More by John McLaughlin
All 33 albums →
The musicians on this record
Spectrum 1973
Billy Cobham
plays drums (drum set) here
plays drums (drum set) here
larry young's fuel 1975
Larry Young
plays organ here
plays organ here
Like Children 1974
Jan Hammer
plays drums (drum set) here
plays drums (drum set) here
