McLaughlin is my over all fav guitar player. I have all his music up to the end of thhe 20st century.
The last great recording was easily 1990's , "Live At The Albert Hall" with Kai Eckardt on bass and the great Trilok Gurtu on percussion! What a fabulous trio! This album is so exciting and fiery, while also being smooth and deep in earnest compositions. Trilok sounds like the wildest drummer playing with his hands and using live mice in his percussion work. My favorite track on the album is "Florianpolis"...wow, what an incredible performance by all three! Trilok sounds like Neil Pert of RUSH at times, as he blisters into heavy contact!
I do not care for John's work in the 1990's and present for the most part. That Royal show was an exception, not even the studio album with the same material cut by the same guys can compare to that live performance!
But Mclaughlin's 1970's work is quite a different story. With the exception of one or two projects, I do not believe that you could find any bad or lacking material in John's entire 1970's recordings! I listen to "Devotion" all the time. Such a raw album with NO PRODUCTION VALUE and it is off the cliff in a good way! thumbsup