McLaughlin certainly did more than just move his fingers fast over the fretboard. What Zappa said was actually a frequent criticism of Return to Forever guitarist Al DiMeola, and that criticism had some merit. But McLoughlin was an incredibly inventive guitarist as well as composer.

Every album they made is in the top ten

YaYa's is so great and so underrated

I love John, but Zappa was right. Vai surprised him.

Fantastic selection

Frank's guitar playing is a mess. Facts.

Four years later, evh. That surprised him.

Egocentric and Mediocre "musician"

He doesn't exist in front of John McLaughlin .... Zapa should clean his mouse before talk about John,

Zappa never surprised me..... he was a snob also....big idea about himself....i was into Tarrega, Joe Pass, Django Reinhardt, Villa Lobos, Albeniz, Schubert, Randy Rhoads, Uli Jon Roth, Blackmore....back in the 80s. And that idea that he was intellectual...i dont get it. At that time i was studying Philisophy and i was coping with Sopenhauer Kirkegaard Kamuis and Heraclitus....so....why bother? On the other hand John Mc laughlin was a big inspiration to me.... the birds of fire album ....He is a spiritual being....

nice recommendations!!!

OCCULT ROCK - (0:00) DOOM METAL - (2:49) STONER METAL - (7:46) SLUDGE METAL - (11:00)

Best by far

oh please, John McLaughlin was one of the great guitar players, Zappa was the one moving fingers around.

Scales? Watch Passion Grace and Fire! Scales, Zappa had an Ego that's for sure.

I dont see Zappa's statement as a slight on McLaughlin- didnt he contract mahavishnu to accompany the mothers on tour at one point? He also states later that John reflecting his religion in his music is fine- Zappa apparently at one point called Al Dimeola out of the blue, and asked him to come jam onstage ( later point ) - He was an "in the moment" bandleader, into his own composing, and loved introducing surprise elements live...pretty sure he didnt mind McLaughlin

Well... there is an interview with the drummers of FZ on Drum Channel where they talk about how sharing the stage with Mahavishnu Orchestra did hit Frank quite hard. I mean if Ruth Underwood says so... There was rivalry, Zappa and McLaughlin were looking for very similar qualities in musicians, and Ponty did join Mahavishnu as Duke did Cobham later on. Zappa had reasons to be silent about the silliness of reducing McLaughlins musicality to speed here. The latter had already done Bitches Brew with Miles after all kind of work including Straight Ahead, Blues and Free Jazz at this moment. In fact there are many statements of Zappa's former musicians about Mahavishnu's influence on FZ. But it went both ways, as Hot Rats was the initial inspiration for McLaughlin to team up with a violinist... and he'd already tried to get Ponty for that.

McLaughlin is so over rated . Horrible tone and phrasing . His best stuff is with Miles .. when Miles Davis babysitted him. Miles taught him about creating space in music ,which McLaughlin to this day has problem with . Allan Holdsworth is so much more of a superior player

to be fair, John is more than a shredder

In terms of compositional depth, John is an original and a master. Playing fast was just one texture among many.

Check out T.U.L.I.P. too

They are awesome live

So blessed to have met Alice Coltrane and her son Ravi in Soho London we went out for dinner in china town with them and Reggie workman and Rashid Ali ..this was 1989 after the gig that my wife and I were involved with I will never forget that evening love supreme is a treasure in the world of music.. Patrick Francis

Check out Pillar and Decypher Down.

Did Zappa reduce McLaughlin's skill to simply playing fast?

Zappa was hesitant to directly say anything overtly negative about McLaughlin. Frank knew John was a phenomenal guitarist, and I’m more than confident that Frank knew that John was more than just a guy who could play fast.

Zappa was an arrogant ass. McLaughlin is the best of us in all ways. Zappa wasnt anywhere near the same league as McLaughlin. What a douche!

Albert Lee also plays ultra fast. And no matter how much you practise, 99.99 x 100 will never make it like him.

Frank was an arrogant narcissist who never had anything good to say about anyone but himself.

Buena pero donde quedaron el Ace of spades , Iron fist , Bomber , Overkill 🤘♠️🤘

Ace of spades?

Dont eat yellow snow

the songs that zappa had composed , has not feeling, sound more like mechanical phrases, even his playing.

When Frank attempts to play fast, it is, with respect, not that flash, so his commentary on John McLaughlin is a sad reflection on the late Frank's overwhelming self-belief.

Zappa is a clown

McLaughlin is a master!

McLaughlin is ten times the guitarist that Zappa ever was.

Joe Pass just blows me away every time.

Frank always surprises and continues too, but here with a blunt instrument. I feel he was a little intimidated by a meteoric musician who is still reaching into the beyond.

Awesome song

These interviewers just heard speed and manual dexterity. Mclaughlin was not some highly advanced plumber. His rhythm playing and gorgeous chordal work were more fascinating to me. interesting interesting

an other sphere ✌️🍀🌞♥️

blah blah blah said the sloppy blues player

i always have the same in mind. its just like the first sunrise on earth after a long time of darkness when the world was built over aeons. same thing on a specific zappa orchestral piece.

dropping truth bombs about JM. Some of his compositions are worth listening to. His solos are mostly empty.

Stupid question from idiotic rock music admirer

Zappa was jealous. Mile Davis never invited zappa.

Yes Zappa was a clever articulate man But look how idiotic he was in leaving his legacy to his buffoon of a wife She sub divided the Zappa legacy in unequal amounts ….. thus creating infighting with 4 siblings unnecessarily that has basically been a character study for why artists are now selling their music as opposed to leaving it to family Do In that regard Zappa was not too clever

I guess John M never surprised the god known as Miles Davis …… or a string of other Jazz gods he played with Who did Zappa ever play with by comparison ? He had his own band of followers Zappa is diminished by throwing shade on John M….. there was no need to say this ……you don’t get to play with the likes of Miles Davis and other legends by just being a virtuoso…… The list of legends John M played with is an arms length The list of legends Zappa played with you could put in a thimble THAT ALONE SPEAKS VOLUMES

Zappa could not touch McLaughlin