My Goal’s Beyond, 1970
“This was the first time I had devoted an album to the acoustic guitar, which is my first love,” says McLaughlin. “Side one was one of the first world-music experiments, as the two pieces revolved around a drone, and included great players such as Dave Liebman, Airto Moreira, and tabla player Badal Roy. Side two was dedicated to the guitar exclusively, either solo or multitracked.”

The Inner Mounting Flame, 1971
“This one represents the crystallization of the musical concepts that originated several years previously, but really began to clarify themselves while playing in Lifetime. The first Mahavishnu Orchestra was one of the greatest bands ever!”

Visions of the Emerald Beyond, 1974
“Version two of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. With this recording, I was able to develop new concepts—which I wouldn’t have been able to do with the previous lineup. It also introduced my affection for the ring modulator, which is still the same today.”

A Handful of Beauty, 1976
“The Shakti group crystallizing its concepts to a much greater degree than on the live recording we did previously.”

Electric Guitarist, 1978
“A ‘return’ to jazz-fusion with some of the most outstanding players of the day. There are pieces that employ more traditional jazz forms, but it is my personal belief that evolution in music necessitates updating older forms. Kind of two steps forward one step backwards—which applies to both my guitar playing and my compositions.”

The Mediterranean, 1990
“Recorded in 1988, this concerto for guitar and orchestra represents a major compositional and acoustic guitar work for me. There are certain blemishes, but I have to include it anyway.”

Live at the Royal Festival Hall, 1990
“This has to be one of my finest trios with acoustic guitar. I was also using the Photon guitar synth, which was a really good device at this period, and it worked great with acoustic guitar.”

Tokyo Live, 1993
“Back to the electric guitar again, with the outstanding Dennis Chambers and Joey DeFrancesco. And back into the jazz traditions, bringing them really up to date. This, and Live in Paris by the Heart of Things—which was an extension of this group—are both ‘must haves.’”

Time Remembered, 1993
“This is such a personal recording for me. My love of Bill Evans and his music have been with me since 1960, and it took me this amount of time to work out how to thank him for his inspiration. It was a real labor of love
figuring out how to make the five acoustic guitars and one bass reflect the beauty of Bill’s piano. An homage to both Bill and the acoustic guitar.”

The Guitar Trio, 1996
“Although this was a reunion album for the trio with Paco De Lucia and Al Di Meola, musically
speaking—particularly for guitar players—this record is my choice for the group.”

Saturday Night in Bombay, 2001
“A great night, and some wonderful music from all the players in this lineup of Remember Shakti—especially slide guitarist Debashish Battacharya.”

Thieves & Poets, 2003
“Here, my work with a symphony orchestra is much more developed and than on The Mediterranean, and the album also bears witness to my constant love and affection for standards. Four of my favorites are worked out in the Time Remembered format. I really like this recording.”

Industrial Zen, 2006
“Showing influences from the ‘new wave’ of the underground, this is my best jazz-fusion effort to date. Lately, I’ve found inspiration in some of the unknown groups who have been directly influenced by drum & bass and jungle, and Industrial Zen has brought me into contact with ideas in my imagination I would otherwise never have thought about.”