Friday Night In San Francisco - best digital version

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.