Featured · 1973

The Life Divine

Carlos Santana & Mahavishnu John McLaughlin · 1973 · solo by John McLaughlin, Carlos Santana
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The Life Divine

Carlos Santana & Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, 1973. Solo by John McLaughlin, Carlos Santana.

From Love Devotion Surrender; two very different lead styles trading over a Coltrane-inspired chant.

The Life Divine, from Love Devotion Surrender, brings together two very different guitarists. John McLaughlin's lines are fast and angular, full of rapid runs, while Carlos Santana's tone is warm and sustaining, with long, singing notes. The track is built over a chant inspired by John Coltrane, and the guitarists trade phrases, each pushing the other in a new direction. It captures a spirit of spiritual searching as much as virtuosity. Listen for the contrast between McLaughlin's rapid bursts and Santana's slower, melodic phrases, and how they meet in moments of shared intensity.

The Life Divine by Carlos Santana & Mahavishnu John McLaughlin is featured in our Fusion (#24) list. The solo is played by John McLaughlin, Carlos Santana and the song was released in 1973.

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    Who played the guitar solo on The Life Divine?

    John McLaughlin, Carlos Santana played the solo on Carlos Santana & Mahavishnu John McLaughlin's The Life Divine (1973).