This second box in
Sony's German
Original Album Classics series focuses on five titles from
John McLaughlin's solo years immediately following the breakup of
the Mahavishnu Orchestra (there is an
OAC volume for that great band as well). Essentially, this box packages together import pressings of five individual titles (minus bonus tracks, but each with its original artwork). In this case they are
Shakti,
A Handful of Beauty ,
Natural Elements (both of the latter also with
Shakti),
Electric Guitarist, and
Electric Dreams. Fans who already possess the U.S. versions of some or all of these albums need not bother with this -- though they do have marginally better sound. It can also be argued that
Electric Dreams is a superfluous dog of an album. The three acoustic
Shakti albums are indispensable, and
Electric Guitarist is also a highly satisfying recording. Retail on these sets runs anywhere from 36 to 45 dollars, making them a decent buy for less than an import price. ~ Thom Jurek