Hi all. From what I have read about this guy it sounds like I might enjoy his music. Anyone have any recommendations for a good record to start with?

If it helps, I can tell you that I'm currently in a major Steely Dan, Mark Knopfler, Lindsey Buckingham and Booker T. & the MG's kick and I'm doing most of my listening on some Wharfedale bookshelf speakers.

--Matt

Kiss My Axe and Elegant Gypsy are both excellent, IMO.

Everything he did with Return To Forever and Land Of The Midnight Sun.

Hello Matt . . . I would start at his first album Land of the Midnight Sun. He was in the peak of his powers on this album. Jaco Pastorious or Randy Jackson or Stanley Clarke on bass, Steve Gadd, Lenny White or Alphonse Mouzon on drums and others.
Casino, Elegant Gypsy or Electric Rendezvous are also great albums.

Hello Matt . . . I would start at his first album Land of the Midnight Sun. He was in the peak of his powers on this album. Jaco Pastorious or Randy Jackson or Stanley Clarke on bass, Steve Gadd, Lenny White or Alphonse Mouzon on drums and others.
Casino, Elegant Gypsy or Electric Rendezvous are also great albums.

+1 Great stuff!
Regards,
Jim

The first time I ever heard a demonstration of a DBX expander on a good stereo system, they were playing selections from Elegant Gypsy.

His latest CD's with some argentinian musicians, with some tango slant are superb...

"Diabolic Inventions and Seduction for Solo Guitar, Volume I, Music of Astor Piazzolla"

http://cdbaby.name/a/l/aldimeola3.jpg

Elegant Gypsy



Excellent album & the one I was going to recommend.

The Best Of Al Di Meola (The Manhattan Years)
Splendido Hotel

The Best Of Al Di Meola (The Manhattan Years)

I just spun that the other night. Excellent stuff.:music:

I always liked Return To Forever - Romantic Warrior

Then there's: Friday Night In San Francisco - DiMeola, McLaughlin, DeLucia

The Al Di Meola Anthology Double CD is a good starting point.

http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1088198/a/Anthology.htm

For some reason I cant get into his early stuff alone, him and John McLaughlin...their 90's and beyond work is great!!

Then there's: Friday Night In San Francisco - DiMeola, McLaughlin, DeLucia

That is one heck of a record.:thmbsp:

I´ve got both the vinyl and CD versions and can never get enough of it.

My suggestions have been mentioned already:

Elegant Gypsy
Land Of The Midnight Sun

But you can't go wrong with Casino or Spendido Hotel or Electric Rendezvous.

And kudos to Walker for mentioning Friday Night In San Francisco. Good stuff.

Cheers

Another vote for Land of the Midnight Sun & Elegant Gypsy.:banana::yes: Awesome guitar work.

The Guitar Trio (1996) - Al, John & Paco - is also ridiculously good. Each of these guys burn, man, but in different ways. Interesting.

An Al Di Meola performance (not album) I will recommend is Al sitting in with the Frank Zappa Band at The Ritz, New York City on November 17, 1981 on the numbers "Clownz On Velvet" and "Ride Like The Wind" (yes, in typical FZ spoof fashion, this is the famous Christopher Cross vehicle). Di Meola friggin' rips on the "Clownz On Velvet" number. Maybe this was captured and is out there on Utube?

Land Of The Midnight Sun and Friday Night In San Francisco are my two favorites.

Elegant Gypsy was my intro to him and I loved it upon first listen. Obviously, a very popular choice, and rightly so.

I also like the Return to Forever recordings.

I'll be looking for the Friday Night....recommended in this thread.

If you like Friday Night in San Francisco, another really good acoustic album is "The Rites of Strings" featuring Al Di Meola, Jean Luc Ponty & Stanley Clarke. Anyone else listen to this?

Wow, what great help, everybody--thank you!

Now my problem is deciding which of the enticing options to start with. "Best of" compendiums are good way to get an introduction to an artist but historically I've found that I like the separate records (even if they aren't chock full of winners) because they are of "a time and place" and a particular style.

I'm going to pick something up this weekend and I'll let you know how it goes.

--Matt

Thanks for noting the Zappa connection, Mystic.

Interesting that you would mention that because I've been on a Zappa tear lately, too. I've got the complete "Zappa in New York - '81" on MP3 (31 songs). It's awesome and I completly forgot that Di Meola is on that.

--Matt

Electric Rendezvous
Elegant Gypsy

Land of the Midnight sun +1

Casino :thmbsp:

Enjoy,
Rich P

I've enjoyed his Casino LP for 3 decades.

...I've got the complete "Zappa in New York - '81" on MP3 (31 songs). It's awesome and I completly forgot that Di Meola is on that.



He sure is: Track 25 (Clownz...) and Track 26 (Ride Like...).

Return To Forever is one of the albums I have that will never be given away.
Will have to start looking for some of the wonderful suggestions of his work posted here.

Rome

Kiss My Axe is one of my favorites of his CDs. And you can't beat the cover photo!

And kudos to Walker for mentioning Friday Night In San Francisco. Good stuff.

Thanks man, my copy is the original vinyl...well preserved, and sounding fine!

Thanks for the reminder of some great music guys.

I have a Sony Japanese Import copy of Elegant Gypsy that haven't listened to on my current equipment. It dug it out today and listened to it. Made my day.

Just picked up a copy of "Return To Forever Returns" today from their 2008 reunion tour--original line-up Corea-DiMeola-Clarke-White. I will report back!

Just picked up a copy of "Return To Forever Returns" today from their 2008 reunion tour--original line-up Corea-DiMeola-Clarke-White. I will report back!

:lurk:

I just spun that the other night. Excellent stuff.:music:

Yeh , i really like this one as well .

I think my Favorite is "Kiss my axe" just some stellar writing & playing , some of Al's stuff i can not listen to .

Funny to see "Romantic Warrior" on here , i just got it on LP , soun it last night , biy i just do not like much of that , the keyboard sounds are right out of a nintendo game ... I do love the drumming & bass playing though , beyond that , not my cup of tea ....... but Al has a long career with a lot of different styles to offer .