Guitars, Gurus and Beer

The Life Divine- Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin MP3


A Love Supreme- Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin MP3

5/29/11

beeradvocate.com- B-

Samuel Adams Pale Ale- Bought by a friend to my house. 12 oz. bottle into Belgian beer glass. Poured with a pillowy 2 finger head which receded quickly. Some lacing left on the glass. Light orange in color with pretty active carbonation. The mouthfeel is on the lighter side of medium. A pretty malty ale. Biscuity? I think so a bit of hops in there to. Nice aroma not overly strong but a pleasant sweet smell. I wasn't planning on doing a blog today but this was in the fridge so I thought why not. I had been listening and ripping some records and it afforded me the opportunity to do a post. I don't drink to much Sam Adams but this is a nice pale ale. Very easy drinking, in fact to easy. Not a super complex beer but I don't think it really needs to be. A refreshing light ale for a late spring day.

On the turntable is Love Devotion Surrender- Carlos Santana and Mahavishnu John McLauglin- Recorded for Columbia Records in 1973. After reading an article about Billy Cobham in the recent issue of Waxpoetics I searched my stacks for some related LP's. This is the first one I came across and its another $2 winner. I long for the days when major label recording artists could pose on the back sleeve with their guru's...well not really. But this is LP is a testament not only visually but musically as to how far the music industry has regressed. In 1973, according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Devotion_Surrender, was certified gold on the Billboard charts. Today an album like this couldn't even have been record for a major label nonetheless certified gold. Its an unfortunate truth. That is not to say that the music in between these grooves is an influence on what is happening today. On the bus ride home from Philadelphia (the Willie Nelson show was superb!) I was listening The Life Divine and was reminded of the Brooklyn based band Oneida whose surging rhythms would not sound out of place next to this LP.



A devotional prayer included in Sri Chimnony's album liner notes and the 1973 address for Sri Chimony's Lighthouse located not to far from where I live.

This collaboration was inspired Santana and McLaughlin's spiritual adviser at the time Sri Chinmoy. This record is a spiritual musical journey in the 1970's sense of the term. The group included members of Santana's band and the Mahavishnu Orchestra including Michael Shrieve, Billy Cobham, Doug Rauch, Armando Peraza, Jan Hammer, Don Alias, organist Larry Young. This album has been described as tribute to both Sri Chimony and John Coltrane and to that end I have included a MP3 of A Love Supreme and The Life Divine which I described above. I particularly enjoy The Life Divine which really emphasizes the intensity of, who I presume to be, Billy Cobham on drums (Don Alias and Jan Hammer are also listed in the liner notes for their drumming contributions but I am guessing this is Cobham).