is this the best guitar ever

I recently found a near mint LP of this in a thrift. A very fine performance indeed. I am envious of the folks that got to see them in person.

Great album, the follow up, recorded in the studio, "Passion, Grace and Fire", doesn't measure up but is more of the same. For some other nicely recorded modern guitar try Larry Coryell and Philip Catherine's "Twin House" on Electra. Most of it is live in the studio with some later sweetening during mixdown. The domestic LP is quite good. The German pressing better yet. Oh, btw, there is a CBS half-speed mastered version of "Friday Night....", don't waste your money, as with many of these, it actually sounds more wirey and less dimensional than the standard Columbia pressing.

I saw this group twice in the early/mid 80s. The first was an amazing display of guitar pyrotechnics that was strangely uninvolving. The second time John McLaughlin was replaced by Steve Morse of Dixie Dregs fame. He was clearly the technical equal of his compatriots but he communicated such joy in his playing that he made the others appear like cardboard cutouts (albeit ones that could play at the speed of light). That was one my first lessons on the distinction between mere technical mastery and complete musicianship.

Siliab
I was not moved by the SACD and gave it to a friend.

I love that recording and saw them live in the mid 90's in Santiago, Chile.