McLaughlin - Arjen's Bag/Follow Your Heart

[Canard]

This is one of my all time favourite John McLaughlin tunes.

When I was a kid, the 11/8 time drove me absolutely nuts - I knew it was 11/8 because the album notes said it was. I could get the chords but I had so much trouble fitting things into the time signature and keeping it there, and when/if I did, it was so very awkward, sounding like I was mechanically counting, which I was.

From McLaughlin's Extrapolation album, Arjen's Bag -- here, McLaughlin is probably using his Gibson Hummingbird with a DeArmond sound hole pickup.




McLaughlin renamed the tune as, Follow Your Heart for the My Goal's Beyond album - played on an Ovation in the studio:




Live in Munich in 1972, probably also on an Ovation:

 

[Canard]

In the studion With Joe Farrel




A warped Bill Frisell cover of the tune.

 

[walrus]

Huge John McLaughlin fan here! I saw him on his final tour with Jimmy Herring, wow!

Strangely he said he was retiring from performing because he felt age was affecting the quality of his playing. Yet, he rocks on "Liberation Time", an album released this past summer. Amazing guitar work for a guy who thinks he's not good enough to tour any more.



walrus

 

[Canard]

Huge John McLaughlin fan here! I saw him on his final tour with Jimmy Herring, wow!

Major slapback echo on the fanboy thing.

A friend in Seattle had spare ticket for the McLaughlin/Herring tour show there. He invited me to visit and see the show. Unfortunately, the travel requited did not fit my schedule or budget at that time.

I saw him once only, a quartet thing, playing post-Shakti Indo-Jazz-Rock Fusion - don't remember clearly but I think Trilock Gurtu or someone like him was doing percussion duties. It wasn't a particularly inspiring show in any way, except of course for McLaughlin's impressive technique. He seemed tired and slightly bored that night. It seemed like an off night for the band, as well. Things running on autopilot, impressive autopilot, but still autopilot.

I would have loved to have seen him in the early days in the UK, with Miles, with the early Mahavishu Orchestra (when the honeymoon was still on), and with Shakti.