Friday Night In San Francisco - best digital version

tostadosunidos ...

Thanks for the heads up on Manuel Barrueco. I was unaware of him. I'm checking Ebay for the recording you suggested. I'm a classic guitar nut ... and love Spanish orchestral music as well. 

oregonpapa, he, Eliot Fisk and Sharon Isbin all hit the scene around the same time.  Manuel and Eliot are very different players, each with a lot to offer IMO.  Manuel is the prototype of the modern, perfect technician but very musical.  Again, that particular LP is pure gold.  A lot of jaws dropped when it came out.  And some big-name players found a new appreciation for those two composers.

John McLaughlin's soul and music are not easy to approach. He is not BBKing, John Williams, Segovia or Clapton. He is also technically at a totally different level than others, though at times Paco de Lucia was absolutely great too. Passion Grace&Fire is a better album by the trio, digital studio recording.
Friday Night concert was just one performance of a world tour and it was not the best. Nor was the selection for the album. The best concert of that tour I heard on youtube was in, I think, Freiburg Germany. The performance of the composition 'Spain' written by Chick Corea is a masterpiece even by their standards, especially John's guitar.
After that concert in Germany you could try Yngwie Malmsteen with New Japan Philarmonic playing neo-classical compositions. Very impressive, orchestra too.

Personally, I think that trio was too flashy and goofy, too much fooling around, in their live shows.  The studio stuff is another story.  Passion, Grace and Fire is great stuff.