Neal Schon’s arrangement of O Come, O Come Emmanuel is from 2005′s Merry Axemas, Volume 2. *note: it was originally released in 1998 and re-released in 2005*
In general, this is one of my favorite Christmas tunes, and I think it’s at least partly because of the minor key (unusual for a Christmas tune) and haunting melody, which appropriately add a sense of desperation to the subject. This song is not a happy Christmas carol, but an intense prayer, and I think Neal’s arrangement captures exactly that. His Jeff Beck-style phrasing on the melody is a thing of beauty, so soulfully played with dynamics, bends & vibrato. The build-up to the end is also a stunning piece of work. I was listening to this yesterday in the car with my son and after it finished, he said, “Wow, that guitar playing was really good Dad.” Yes! This arrangement is pure perfection!
Neal is, of course, known for his career with Journey (he’s back with them these days), but he joined Santana for Santana III when he was 15 years old (having chosen that over Eric Clapton’s offer to join Derek & the Dominoes because Santana asked first). If you’re not familiar with his work with Santana, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Santana III is my favorite Santana album, partly due to his work on it.
I’m counting down the days to Christmas with some holiday favs by my favorite pickers. See all of ‘em so far. I’m always looking for more good guitar holiday music, so please use the comments to share your favorites.
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[...] O Come, O Come Emmanuel by Neal Schon [...]