Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 2120
Location: Chicago | Since I'm on a roll here, I can toss in a reminder of another Ovation classic: McLaughlin\'s GUARDIAN ANGEL ... a gem that is hard to polish. The definitive version, of course, is on “Friday Night in San Francisco” where it appears as a studio add-on to the live material; The tune was in John’s repertoire earlier, however. The Valentine’s Day Concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 1979 (the “Meeting of the Spirits” video) concludes with the original version of the Trio playing the piece at a brisk tempo. The results are mixed: Larry Coryell’s tone doesn’t blend and he reads the melody an awkward octave higher. There is a nicer version on “Electric Dreams” (1980) by MacLaughlin’s One Truth Band with a sweet “Southern Indian” take on the melody by L. Shankar. There is a beautiful duet version with Paco as well on the “Montreux Concerts” Box Set.
So what’s the challenge? For one, “Guradian Angel” is a synopsis of what has come to be known as the “McLaughlin Voicings.” All-in-all, the head runs through 23 of these in rapid succsession: three note chords (think “Dance of Maya”) and four-note chord grips that include an open string that forms a close interval. “You Know, You Know” from “Inner Mounting Flame” is a well-known example of this sound. Harmonically, the movement is rapid and slips into different environments smoothly but suddenly: Emin6 - D6 - A/C# - C - Bmin6 - C[#4] - Bmin - Amin - E/G# - F#11 - (F#7) - E/C# - A - Bmin - C[#4] - A/C# - D - Emin6 - F[#4] - C - Bmin6 - F#min6 - G.
The only way through this is strict alternate picking across all the string-skipping (with, of course, relentless, metronomic eighth-notes). The rhythm, while a straight-eighths 4/4 is stirred up by the fact that the various “grips” each contribute ever-changing number of notes: anywhere from three to seven. The first (bass) note of each grip gets a sharp accent, so the resulting sound, as in much of JM’s music, is distinctly polyrhythmic.
The melody, on the other hand, is lyrical and floats over the chordal grid like a light-hearted improvisation. Close study reveals that it is a very deliberate composition that is designed to counterbalance the rigidity of the accompaniment. This is the heart of why the piece is so beautiful. The melody, which lies comfortably in positions 4, 5 and 6, too, is deceptively simple. Perhaps the greatest challenge here is to coordinate the over-the-barline flow of the melody with the harmonic march underneath.
Finally, there is the “flamenco waltz” section with a fantastic rapid-fire arpeggiated line over a nice set of changes [Emin - D - C7 - F - Amin - G - C - B7]. Soloing on this pattern is kept interesting by the brisk changes and a “dip” in the middle into F Lydian territory. (The repetition of the melodic line here is a challenge with it’s flamenco-style syncopation which I just can’t get right.)
“Guardian Angel” is a study in contrasts: the marching chords v. lyrical melody, the unusual first section contrasted with the flamenco jam at in the second. A masterpiece! |
Guardian Angel
