Santana | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Arriving at the twilight of the 1960s, Santana were psychedelic pioneers who ushered Latin rock into the mainstream with their first three albums: Santana, Abraxas, and Santana III. Thanks to their appearance at Woodstock, their eponymous album was a smash hit right out of the gate, with its single "Evil Ways" making it into the Billboard Top Ten in 1969 -- they remained at the top of the charts until 1973, when leader and namesake guitarist Carlos Santana began exploring esoteric, spiritual, jazz fusion on his own. Carlos may have wandered away from the band who shared his name, but he always returned to the group, sustaining them through years both productive and fallow. Through it all, Santana maintained a loyal classic rock following but their popularity exploded in 1999 thanks to Supernatural, a splashy comeback masterminded by Clive Davis and featuring the Rob Thomas duet "Smooth." Like "Black Magic Woman," "Evil Ways," and "Oye Coma Va," before it "Smooth" became a pop hit -- it reached number one, their first ever -- and became an enduring classic, allowing Santana to flourish into the 21st century. Carlos Santana formed the Santana Blues Band with guitarist keyboardist/singer Gregg Rolie in 1966. During the groups early days, the lineup was volatile, with the membership settling down to Carlos, Rolie, bassist David Brown, drummer Bob "Doc" Livingston, and percussionist Marcus Malone in 1967, around which time the group lost the "Blues Band" from their name. Promoter Bill Graham discovered the band and booked Santana to play his Fillmore West on June 16, 1968. The band soon landed a deal with Columbia Records, which enlisted producer David Rubinson to capture the band playing the Fillmore West in December; these tapes were shelved until Columbia/Legacy issued them in 1997 as Live at the Fillmore 1968. Prior to recording their first album in early 1969, Santana swapped Livingston and Malone for Michael Shrieve and Mike Carabello, adding percussionist Jose Chepito Areas as well. This incarnation recorded the groups eponymous debut, then set out on tour, where they had a career-making appearance at the Woodstock festival in August 1969. That was the same month Santana appeared in the record stores, and it was a swift success, climbing its way to number four on Billboards album charts during the course of its two-year run on the charts. The album was assisted by Santanas show-stealing performance in 1970s Woodstock documentary and the single "Evil Ways," which peaked at number nine on Billboards Hot 100 in 1970. In September of that year, Santana released Abraxas, which bested its predecessor: it peaked at number one, stayed on the charts for a year-and-a-half, and generated two major hits with "Black Magic Woman," which reached number four on Billboard, and "Oye Como Va," which peaked at 13. The ranks of Santana expanded on 1971s Santana -- commonly called Santana III -- with guitarist Neil Schon joining the fold and percussionist Coke Escovedo replacing an ailing Areas. Santana III became the third successive smash for the band, peaking at number one and generating a big hit with "Everybodys Everything," which reached number 12 on Billboards Hot 100. Santana III marked the end of the classic lineup of the band. Upon the conclusion of its supporting tour, the band broke up, with Carlos retaining the rights to the band name. He soon assembled a different version of the band featuring Rolie, Schon, and Areas, debuting this lineup on Caravanserai, a 1972 album that found the guitarist pushing forward into jazz. Although the album peaked at eight on Billboard and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Instrumental Performance with Vocal Coloring, it ceased the bands commercial momentum, which did nothing to deter the guitarists appetite for musical exploration. Soon, he started dividing his time between his band and solo projects. First came Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles: Live!, an LP that captured performances from their joint tour of December 1971-April 1972. Next, he teamed with guitarist John McLaughlin and his fusion band the Mahavishnu Orchestra to record 1973s Love Devotion Surrender. This album was informed by Santanas increased interest in spirituality. McLaughlin introduced him to his guru Sri Chinmoy, and Carlos soon became a disciple, adopting the name Devadip -- meaning "the lamp, light and eye of God" -- in the process. Along these lines, Carlos teamed with Alice Coltrane in 1974 for Illuminations, a jazz-fusion duet album. That same year, the Santana band released the triple-live album Lotus, recorded in Japan; over the years, its reputation grew, and it would eventually be reissued by Columbia/Legacy in a "complete edition" in 2017. While he was expanding his musical and spiritual horizons, Carlos continued to keep his namesake band active; from this point forward, the membership was fluid, with musicians drifting in and out of the group on a regular basis. In 1973, a new lineup released Welcome, but its chart appearance illustrated how Caravanserai alienated some of the groups fans: it peaked at 25 on Billboard. Borboletta, released a year later, performed slightly better, reaching 20, but it was clear the band was in jeopardy of losing their audience, so Carlos decided to make 1976s Amigos as a commercially minded project. Reuniting with producer David Rubinson, the man whod helmed the bands initial hits, Santana sounded slick and direct on Amigos, and their gambit paid off: the album peaked at 10 on the Billboard charts. Rubinson and Santana swiftly delivered a sequel in the form of Festival, which performed respectably upon its January 1977 release. By the end of the year, the band issued Moonflower, which scattered studio cuts among live tracks; it peaked at ten, partially on the strength of a cover of the Zombies "Shes Not There," which peaked at 27 -- their best showing on the Hot 100 since 1971. Another oldies cover -- "Stormy" by the Classics IV -- was featured on 1978s Inner Secrets, an album which just scraped the Top 30. Carlos released his first official solo album Oneness: Silver Dreams Golden Reality in March of 1979; the jazz-influenced album was billed to Devadip. Later that year, the Santana band returned with Marathon, a more commercial-oriented effort produced by Keith Olsen, which featured the single "You Know That I Love You." Shortly afterward, Carlos released the solo album The Swing of Delight, a collaboration with Rubinson that was billed to Devadip Carlos Santana. The band bounced back in 1981 with Zebop!, which peaked at number nine thanks to the hit single "Winning." "Hold On," the lead single from 1982s Shango, went to 15 on the Hot 100, taking its parent album to 22. A solo album, this time billed to "Carlos Santana" and called Havana Moon appeared in 1983, peaking at 31. Following this prolific decade and a half, Carlos started to slow the bands studio output in the 80s. Santana didnt return with a new album until 1985, when Beyond Appearances arrived in February of that year; its single "Say it Again" topped out at 45, five rungs higher than 50 that was the albums peak showing. Santana celebrated their 20th anniversary with a concert in 1986, but 1987s Freedom didnt make much of an impact on the charts, peaking at 95. Carlos went solo in 1987 with Blues for Salvador, an album that snagged him his first Grammy Award for its title track (Best Rock Instrumental Performance). A lavish box-set retrospective called Viva Santana! appeared in 1988 -- it would be certified Gold -- and the Santana band returned in 1990 with Spirits Dancing in the Flesh, which turned out to be their last album for their longtime home of Columbia Records. Santana signed with Polydor for 1992s Milagro but the album failed to generate much attention, peaking at 1992. A year later, the group released Sacred Fire: Live in South America, which peaked at 181 on Billboards Top 200. In 1994, Carlos teamed with his brother Jorge and his nephew Carlos Hernandez for the Santana Brothers album; it scraped the Top 200, reaching 191. While Carlos worked with his brother, Rolie, Areas, and Carabello formed a separate group called Abraxas Pool, releasing the Abraxas Pool album in 1994. During the rest of the 90s, Santana drifted ever closer to the oldies circuit, but their fortunes were revived when their old supporter Clive Davis signed the group to Arista in 1998. Davis designed a star-studded comeback for Santana that took the form of Supernatural, a 1999 album that exceeded any possible expectations. Thanks to the single "Smooth," a song featuring Matchbox Twenty singer Rob Thomas (who also co-wrote the tune), Supernatural became an international blockbuster, topping the charts throughout the world, earning a coveted Diamond certification in the U.S. and winning eight Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year and Album of the Year. Supernatural produced another number one single in the form of "Maria Maria," which featured Wyclef Jean and G&B; Product, but it was "Smooth" that kept Supernatural on the top of the charts for 12 weeks. Santana delivered Shaman, their Supernatural sequel, in 2002. Thanks to the hit single "The Game of Love" -- a song co-written by Gregg Alexander of the New Radicals and sung by Michelle Branch; it peaked at five and won the Grammy for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals -- the album was another cross-demographic hit, peaking at number one on Billboard and earning double platinum certification by the RIAA. Arriving in 2005, All That I Am debuted at two on Billboard, but effectively brought Santanas revival as hitmakers to an end; its lead single, "Im Feeling You" -- which one again featured Michelle Branch on vocals -- topped out at 55. Even though there were no hit singles forthcoming, Santana remained a fixture in pop and rock culture. In 2010, they released Guitar Heaven, a collection of classic rock covers featuring guest vocalists; debuting at five on Billboard, it turned out to be their last album for Arista. Shape Shifter, the bands 2012 album, was their first not to feature guests since Milagro. Released on their Sony-distributed imprint Starfaith, the largely instrumental album peaked at 16 upon its release. Santana returned to duets for 2014s Corazon, an album the spotlighted Latin music and featured appearances by Pitbull, Gloria Estefan, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, and Juanes. Carlos reunited most of the Santana III lineup featuring Rolie, Schon, Shrieve, and Carabello for Santana IV, an album released in April 2016. The next year, they released Power of Peace, a collaborative album with the Isley Brothers. It was Santanas last album for Sony. Santana signed with Concord in 2018. The first release in the contract was the Narada Michael Walden-produced EP In Search of the Mona Lisa, which appeared in January 2019. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 39 Title: Abraxas Released: 1970-11 Tracks: 9 Duration: 37:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Singing Winds, Crying Beasts (04:51) 2 Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen (05:19) 3 Oye como va (04:17) 4 Incident at Neshabur (05:00) 5 Se acabó (02:51) 6 Mother’s Daughter (04:28) 7 Samba pa ti (04:41) 8 Hope You’re Feeling Better (04:17) 9 El Nicoya (01:30) |
| Abraxas : Allmusic album Review : The San Francisco Bay Area rock scene of the late 60s was one that encouraged radical experimentation and discouraged the type of mindless conformity thats often plagued corporate rock. When one considers just how different Santana, Jefferson Airplane, Moby Grape, and the Grateful Dead sounded, it becomes obvious just how much it was encouraged. In the mid-90s, an album as eclectic as Abraxas would be considered a marketing execs worst nightmare. But at the dawn of the 1970s, this unorthodox mix of rock, jazz, salsa, and blues proved quite successful. Whether adding rock elements to salsa king Tito Puentes "Oye Como Va," embracing instrumental jazz-rock on "Incident at Neshabur" and "Samba Pa Ti," or tackling moody blues-rock on Fleetwood Macs "Black Magic Woman," the band keeps things unpredictable yet cohesive. Many of the Santana albums that came out in the 70s are worth acquiring, but for novices, Abraxas is an excellent place to start. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 39 Title: Santana Released: 1971-09 Tracks: 9 Duration: 41:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Batuka (03:34) 2 No One to Depend On (05:32) 3 Taboo (05:34) 4 Toussaint L’Overture (05:57) 5 Everybody’s Everything (03:32) 6 Guajira (05:45) 7 Jungle Strut (05:23) 8 Everything’s Coming Our Way (03:16) 9 Para los rumberos (02:46) |
| Santana : Allmusic album Review : Santana III is an album that undeservingly stands in the shadows behind the towering legend that is the bands second album, Abraxas. This was also the album that brought guitarist Neal Schon -- who was 17 years old -- into the original core lineup of Santana. Percussionist Thomas "Coke" Escovedo was brought in to replace (temporarily) José Chepitó Areas, who had suffered a brain aneurysm, yet who recovered quickly and rejoined the band. The rest were Carlos, organist Gregg Rolie, drummer Michael Schrieve, bassist David Brown, and conguero Michael Carabello. "Batuka" is the powerful first evidence of something being very different. The band was rawer, darker, and more powerful with twin leads and Schons harder, edgier rock & roll sound paired with Carlos blend of ecstatic high notes and soulful fills. It cooks -- funky, mean, and tough. "Batuka" immediately transforms itself into "No One to Depend On," by Escovedo, Carabello, and Rolie. The middle section is highlighted by frantic handclaps, call-and-response lines between Schon and Rolie, and Carlos joining the fray until the entire track explodes into a frenzied finale. And whats most remarkable is that the set just keeps on cooking, from the subtle slow burn of "Taboo" to the percussive jam workout that is "Toussaint lOverture," a live staple in the bands set list recorded here for the first time (and featuring some cooking Rolie organ work at its beginning). "Everybodys Everything" is here, as is "Guajira" and "Jungle Strut" -- tunes that are still part of Santanas live show. With acoustic guitars, gorgeous hand percussion, and Santanas fragile lead vocal, "Everythings Coming Our Way" is the only "feel good" track here, but its a fitting way to begin winding the album down with its Schon and Santana guitar breaks. The album ends with a completely transformed reading of Tito Puentes "Para los Rumberos," complete with horns and frantic, almost insanely fast hand drumming and cowbell playing. Its an album that has aged extremely well due to its spare production (by Carlos and the band) and its live sound. This is essential Santana, a record that deserves to be reconsidered in light of its lasting abundance and vision. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 39 Title: Caravanserai Released: 1972-10 Tracks: 10 Duration: 51:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Eternal Caravan of Reincarnation (04:31) 2 Waves Within (03:53) 3 Look Up (to See What’s Coming Down) (02:56) 4 Just in Time to See the Sun (02:12) 5 Song of the Wind (06:08) 6 All the Love of the Universe (07:38) 7 Future Primitive (04:13) 8 Stone Flower (06:12) 9 La fuente del ritmo (04:33) 10 Every Step of the Way (09:01) |
| Caravanserai : Allmusic album Review : Drawing on rock, salsa, and jazz, Santana recorded one imaginative, unpredictable gem after another during the 1970s. But Caravanserai is daring even by Santanas high standards. Carlos Santana was obviously very hip to jazz fusion -- something the innovative guitarist provides a generous dose of on the largely instrumental Caravanserai. Whether its approach is jazz-rock or simply rock, this album is consistently inspired and quite adventurous. Full of heartfelt, introspective guitar solos, it lacks the immediacy of Santana or Abraxas. Like the type of jazz that influenced it, this pearl (which marked the beginning of keyboardist/composer Tom Costers highly beneficial membership in the band) requires a number of listenings in order to be absorbed and fully appreciated. But make no mistake: this is one of Santanas finest accomplishments. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 39 Title: Welcome Released: 1973-11-09 Tracks: 10 Duration: 56:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Going Home (04:11) 2 Love, Devotion & Surrender (03:38) 3 Samba de Sausalito (03:11) 4 When I Look Into Your Eyes (05:52) 5 Yours Is the Light (05:47) 6 Mother Africa (05:55) 7 Light of Life (03:52) 8 Flame–Sky (11:33) 9 Welcome (06:35) 10 Mantra (06:11) |
| Welcome : Allmusic album Review : The mark that the recording of Caravanserai and Love Devotion Surrender had left on Carlos Santana was monumental. The issue of Welcome, the bands fifth album and its first with the new lineup, was a very ambitious affair and was regarded by traditional fans of Santana with even more strangeness than its two predecessors. However, issued as it was at the end of 1973, after Miles had won a Grammy for Bitches Brew and after Weather Report, Return to Forever, and Seventh House had begun to win audiences from the restless pool of rock fans, Santana began to attract the attention of critics as well as jazz fans seeking something outside of the soul-jazz and free jazz realms for sustenance. The vibe that carried over from the previously mentioned two albums plus the addition of vocalist Leon Thomas to the fold added a bluesy, tougher edge to the sound showcased on Caravanserai. The bands hard root was comprised of Carlos, drummer Michael Shrieve, bassist Doug Rauch, and keyboard king Tom Coster. Add to this the percussion section of Armando Peraza and Chepito Areas as well as a second keyboard by Richard Kermode, and space was the place. The John Coltrane influence that inspired the Santana/John McLaughlin pairing on Love Devotion Surrender echoes here on "Going Home," the albums opening track, arranged by Coltranes widow, pianist and harpist Alice. The deeper jazz fusion/Latin funk edge is articulated on the track "Samba de Sausalito," and to a much more accessible degree on "Love, Devotion & Surrender," which features Thomas growling through the choruses and also features Wendy Haas, a keyboardist on Love Devotion Surrender who is enlisted here as a second vocalist. In fact, her pairing with Thomas on Shrieves "When I Look Into Your Eyes" is nothing less than beatific. McLaughlin makes a return appearance here on the stunningly beautiful guitar spiritual "Flame Sky." Brazilian song diva Flora Purim is featured on "Yours Is the Light," a gorgeous Afro-Brazilian workout that embraces Cuba son, samba, and soul-jazz. Welcome also marked the first appearance of French soprano saxophonist Jules Broussard on a Santana date. He would later collaborate with Carlos and Alice Coltrane on Illuminations. Ultimately, Welcome is a jazz record with rock elements, not a rock record that flirted with jazz and Latin musical forms. It is understandable why Santana punters would continue to be disenchanted, however. Welcome was merely ahead of its time as a musical journey and is one of the more enduring recordings the band ever made. This is a record that pushes the envelope even today and is one of the most inspired recordings in the voluminous Santana oeuvre. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 39 Title: Greatest Hits Released: 1974-07 Tracks: 10 Duration: 34:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Evil Ways (03:02) 2 Jingo (02:52) 3 Hope You’re Feeling Better (04:13) 4 Samba pa ti (04:41) 5 Persuasion (02:36) 6 Black Magic Woman (03:16) 7 Oye como va (04:17) 8 Everything’s Coming Our Way (03:16) 9 Se acabó (02:51) 10 Everybody’s Everything (03:32) |
| Greatest Hits : Allmusic album Review : This ten-song sampler presents the best of Santana, 1969-71, the period of its greatest popularity. The hits include "Black Magic Woman," "Evil Ways," "Everybodys Everything," and "Oye Como Va." But note that this is a bare minimum of prime Santana. Not only does the sampler choose from only Santanas first three albums, but it leaves out such seminal numbers as "Nobody to Depend On" and "Soul Sacrifice." Those looking for a more extensive overview should consider Viva Santana! | ||
 | Album: 6 of 39 Title: Borboletta Released: 1974-10 Tracks: 12 Duration: 49:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Spring Manifestations (01:05) 2 Canto de los flores (03:38) 3 Life Is Anew (04:22) 4 Give and Take (05:44) 5 One With the Sun (04:22) 6 Aspirations (05:10) 7 Practice What You Preach (04:31) 8 Mirage (04:42) 9 Here and Now (03:01) 10 Flor de canela (02:09) 11 Promise of a Fisherman (08:17) 12 Borboletta (02:48) |
| Borboletta : Allmusic album Review : Borboletta was the first new Santana band studio album in 11 months and the groups sixth overall. Once again, individual credits were listed for each song. The main problem was that the band seemed to be coasting; Carlos turned in the usual complement of high-pitched lead guitar work, and the percussionists pounded away, but the Santana sound had long since taken over from any individual composition, and the records were starting to sound alike. That, in turn, started to make them inessential; Borboletta spent less time on the charts than any previous Santana album. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 39 Title: Festivál Released: 1976 Tracks: 11 Duration: 45:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Carnaval (02:15) 2 Let the Children Play (03:29) 3 Jugando (02:12) 4 Give Me Love (04:30) 5 Verão Vermelho (05:01) 6 Let the Music Set You Free (03:41) 7 Revelations (04:36) 8 Reach Up (05:25) 9 The River (04:53) 10 Try a Little Harder (05:03) 11 María Caracóles (04:32) |
| Festivál : Allmusic album Review : Santanas follow-up to its comeback album, Amigos, was another David Rubinson-produced effort that moved back toward more of a Latin rock feel, although it retained an essentially pop focus -- "The River" was the first real vocal ballad on a Santana album. If any doubt still existed that the group was no longer a band of equals but a platform for its lead guitarist, the current lineup dispelled that; Carlos Santana was now the only original member of the band left. Although the album went gold, the lack of a hit single hurt the albums commercial standing; its number 27 peak was the lowest yet for a Santana band album. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 39 Title: Amigos Released: 1976-03-26 Tracks: 7 Duration: 41:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Dance Sister Dance (Baila mi hermana) (08:15) 2 Take Me With You (05:26) 3 Let Me (04:50) 4 Gitano (06:13) 5 Tell Me Are You Tired (05:42) 6 Europa (Earth’s Cry Heaven’s Smile) (05:03) 7 Let It Shine (05:42) |
| Amigos : Allmusic album Review : By the release of Amigos, the Santana bands seventh album, only Carlos Santana and David Brown remained from the band that conquered Woodstock, and only Carlos had been in the band continuously since. Meanwhile, the group had made some effort to arrest its commercial slide, hiring an outside producer, David Rubinson, and taking a tighter, more up-tempo, and more vocal approach to its music. The overt jazz influences were replaced by strains of R&B;/funk and Mexican folk music. The result was an album more dynamic than any since Santana III in 1971. "Let It Shine" (number 77), an R&B-tinged; tune, became the groups first chart single in four years, and the album returned Santana to Top Ten status. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 39 Title: Inner Secrets Released: 1978-10-01 Tracks: 9 Duration: 44:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Dealer / Spanish Rose (05:51) 2 Move On (04:26) 3 One Chain (Don’t Make No Prison) (07:13) 4 Stormy (04:47) 5 Well All Right (04:11) 6 Open Invitation (04:47) 7 Life Is a Lady / Holiday (03:48) 8 The Facts of Love (05:32) 9 Wham! (03:25) |
| Inner Secrets : Allmusic album Review : Since he had joined Santana in 1972, keyboard player Tom Coster had been Carlos Santanas right-hand man, playing, co-writing, co-producing, and generally taking the place of founding member Greg Rolie. But Coster left the band in the spring of 1978, to be replaced by keyboardist/guitarist Chris Solberg and keyboardist Chris Rhyme. Despite the change, the band soldiered on, and with Inner Secrets, they scored three chart singles: the disco-ish "One Chain (Dont Make No Prison)" (#59), "Stormy" (#32), and a cover of Buddy Hollys "Well All Right" (#69), done in the Blind Faith arrangement. (There seems to be a Steve Winwood fixation here. The album also featured a cover of Traffics "Dealer.") The singles kept the album on the charts longer than any Santana LP since 1971, but it was still a minor disappointment after Moonflower, and in retrospect seems like one of the bands more compromised efforts. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 39 Title: Marathon Released: 1979-09-01 Tracks: 11 Duration: 40:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Marathon (01:27) 2 Lightning in the Sky (03:52) 3 Aqua Marine (05:32) 4 You Know That I Love You (04:26) 5 All I Ever Wanted (04:03) 6 Stand Up (04:02) 7 Runnin (01:38) 8 Summer Lady (04:23) 9 Love (03:22) 10 Stay (Beside Me) (03:50) 11 Hard Times (03:57) |
| Marathon : Allmusic album Review : Marathon marked the addition of keyboard player Alan Pasqua and singer Greg Walkers replacement by singer/guitarist Alex Ligertwood in the Santana lineup. Otherwise, the album was notable for consisting entirely of band-written material, although those songs were in the established R&B;/rock style evolved on albums like Amigos, Festival, and Inner Secrets. The formula seemed to be wearing thin by now, however, as, even with a Top 40 hit in "You Know That I Love You" (number 35), Marathon became the first Santana album to fall below the 500,000-sales mark necessary for gold record certification. (It has since made the mark.) | ||
 | Album: 11 of 39 Title: Zebop! Released: 1981-04 Tracks: 12 Duration: 47:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Changes (04:28) 2 É Papa Ré (04:32) 3 Primera Invasion (02:09) 4 Searchin’ (03:55) 5 Over and Over (04:49) 6 Winning (03:29) 7 Tales of Kilimanjaro (03:26) 8 The Sensitive Kind (03:33) 9 American Gypsy (03:39) 10 I Love You Much Too Much (04:44) 11 Brightest Star (04:50) 12 Hannibal (03:42) |
 | Album: 12 of 39 Title: Shangó Released: 1982-08 Tracks: 11 Duration: 44:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 The Nile (04:57) 2 Hold On (04:26) 3 Night Hunting Time (04:43) 4 Nowhere to Run (04:01) 5 Nueva York (05:01) 6 Oxun (Oshun) (04:14) 7 Body Surfing (04:24) 8 What Does It Take (to Win Your Love) (03:24) 9 Let Me Inside (03:32) 10 Warrior (04:21) 11 Shangó (01:44) |
 | Album: 13 of 39 Title: Starsound Collection Released: 1983 Tracks: 11 Duration: 50:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 No One to Depend On (05:25) 2 Samba pa ti (04:46) 3 Stormy (04:45) 4 Aqua Marine (05:36) 5 Europa (Earth’s Cry Heaven’s Smile) (05:03) 6 Well All Right (04:09) 7 Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen (05:17) 8 Oye como va (04:17) 9 Evil Ways (03:56) 10 Jingo (04:18) 11 Samba de Sausalito (03:08) |
 | Album: 14 of 39 Title: Beyond Appearances Released: 1985 Tracks: 11 Duration: 44:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Breaking Out (04:31) 2 Written in Sand (03:48) 3 Brotherhood (02:24) 4 Spirit (05:04) 5 Right Now (06:03) 6 Who Loves You (04:08) 7 I’m the One Who Loves You (03:18) 8 Say It Again (03:30) 9 Two Points of View (04:56) 10 How Long (04:01) 11 Touchdown Raiders (03:07) |
| Beyond Appearances : Allmusic album Review : Seven months in the making, and appearing two-and-a-half years after Santanas last album, Beyond Appearances was produced by Val (Bette Davis Eyes) Garay in a hot 1980s style, replete with prominent synthesizers and drum machines. In the interim, the band had undergone changes, with Alphonso Johnson replacing David Margen on bass, Chester D. Thompson and David Sancious replacing Richard Baker on keyboards, Chester Cortez Thompson replacing Graham Lear on drums, and singer Greg Walker rejoining. Garay co-wrote "Say It Again" (#46), Santanas final Hot 100 entry until "Smooth" in 1999 (a remake of Curtis Mayfields "Im The One Who Loves You" hit #102), but this latest pop interpretation of the Santana sound did not endear it to fans, and, at a peak of Number 50, Beyond Appearances was the lowest charting Santana album yet. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 39 Title: Black Magic Woman: Best of Santana Released: 1986 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:11:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Black Magic Woman (03:32) 2 Europa (Earth’s Cry Heaven’s Smile) (03:33) 3 Aqua Marine (03:51) 4 No One to Depend On (05:25) 5 Samba pa ti (04:21) 6 Stormy (04:26) 7 The Facts of Love (05:00) 8 Singing Winds, Crying Beasts (03:45) 9 Before We Go (03:43) 10 Tales of Kilimanjaro (03:01) 11 Havana Moon (03:57) 12 Hold On (04:20) 13 Oye como va (03:02) 14 Jingo (04:09) 15 Evil Ways (03:40) 16 I Love You Much Too Much (04:20) 17 Waiting (03:45) 18 Bella (03:21) |
 | Album: 16 of 39 Title: Freedom Released: 1987-02 Tracks: 10 Duration: 47:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Veracruz (04:29) 2 She Can’t Let Go (04:49) 3 Once It’s Gotcha (05:46) 4 Love Is You (04:02) 5 Songs of Freedom (04:24) 6 Deeper, Dig Deeper (04:21) 7 Praise (04:41) 8 Mandela (05:33) 9 Before We Go (03:46) 10 Victim of Circumstance (05:22) |
| Freedom : Allmusic album Review : Freedom marked several reunions in the Santana band, which was now a nonet. In addition to Carlos, the band consisted of percussionists Armando Pereza, Orestes Vilato, and Raul Rekow; returning drummer Graham Lear; bassist Alphonso Johnson; returning keyboardist Tom Coster, keyboardist Chester Thompson, and, on lead vocals, Buddy Miles, who had made a duet album with Santana 15 years before. Credited as an "additional musician" was keyboard player Greg Rolie, an original member. The music also marked a return from the hyper-pop sound of Val Garay on Beyond Appearances to a more traditional Santana Latin rock style. Thus, Freedom was a literal return to form, but, unfortunately, not to the quality of early Santana albums. And the groups commercial decline continued, with the LP getting to only Number 95. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 39 Title: As Years Go By Released: 1988 Tracks: 5 Duration: 41:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Jingo (09:58) 2 El Corazón Manda (11:52) 3 La Puesta del Sol (10:25) 4 Persuasion (05:18) 5 As the Years Go By (03:51) |
 | Album: 18 of 39 Title: Viva Santana! Released: 1988-08 Tracks: 30 Duration: 2:23:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Everybody’s Everything (03:32) 2 Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen (05:19) 3 Guajira (05:38) 4 Jungle Strut (05:30) 5 Jin‐go‐lo‐ba (04:15) 6 Ballin’ (06:26) 7 Bambara (01:27) 8 Ángel negro (04:13) 9 Incident at Neshabur (05:31) 10 Just Let the Music Speak (04:39) 11 Super Boogie / Hong Kong Blues (12:26) 12 Song of the Wind (05:02) 13 Abi Cama (01:49) 14 Vilato (00:44) 15 Paris Finale (03:37) 1 Brotherhood (04:21) 2 Open Invitation (06:21) 3 Aqua Marine (06:47) 4 Dance Sister Dance (Baila mi hermana) (06:38) 5 Europa (Earth’s Cry, Heaven’s Smile) (07:11) 6 Peraza I (02:41) 7 She’s Not There (04:21) 8 Bambele (02:50) 9 Evil Ways (03:56) 10 Daughter of the Night (04:50) 11 Peraza II (01:25) 12 Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen (live Montreal) (06:24) 13 Oye como va (04:17) 14 Persuasion (02:45) 15 Soul Sacrifice (08:49) |
 | Album: 19 of 39 Title: Samba pa ti Released: 1988-09-08 Tracks: 13 Duration: 51:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Europa (Earth’s Cry Heaven’s Smile) (05:03) 2 Flor D’Luna (04:49) 3 I Love You Much Too Much (04:44) 4 Guru’s Song (03:04) 5 Illuminations (04:17) 6 Transformation Day (03:48) 7 Samba pa ti (04:41) 8 Aqua Marine (05:32) 9 Tales of Kilimanjaro (03:26) 10 Life Is a Lady (02:01) 11 Holiday (01:46) 12 Revelations (04:36) 13 Lightnin’ (03:51) |
 | Album: 20 of 39 Title: Persuasion Released: 1989 Tracks: 5 Duration: 41:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Jingo (09:59) 2 El corazon manda (11:57) 3 La puesta del sol (10:27) 4 Persuasion (05:18) 5 As the Years Go By (03:55) |
 | Album: 21 of 39 Title: Spirits Dancing in the Flesh Released: 1990-06 Tracks: 10 Duration: 48:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Let There Be Light / Spirits Dancing in the Flesh (07:23) 2 Gypsy Woman (04:23) 3 It’s a Jungle Out There (04:33) 4 Soweto (Africa Libre) (05:07) 5 Choose (04:14) 6 Peace on Earth / Mother Earth / Third Stone From the Sun (Medley) (04:23) 7 Full Moon (04:33) 8 Who’s That Lady (04:14) 9 Jin‐go‐lo‐ba (04:52) 10 Goodness and Mercy (04:32) |
| Spirits Dancing in the Flesh : Allmusic album Review : Following a 1989 20th anniversary reunion tour to promote Viva Santana!, Carlos Santana reorganized the band as a sextet consisting of himself, singer/guitarist Alex Ligertwood, singer/keyboardist Chester Thompson, bass player Benny Rietveld, drummer Walfredo Reyes and percussionist Armando Peraza. This unit, with such guest stars as Vernon Reid (of Living Colour), Wayne Shorter, and Bobby Womack, recorded Spirits Dancing In The Flesh, Santanas 15th and final studio album for Columbia Records. It was an unusually eclectic collection, featuring songs by Curtis Mayfield ("Gypsy Woman"), The Isley Brothers ("Whos That Lady"), and Olatunji ("Jin-Go-Lo-Ba"), as well as interpolations of John Coltranes "Peace On Earth" and Jimi Hendrixs "Third Stone From The Sun" into Santanas "Mother Earth." (The Olatunji song is the original version of the tune adapted as "Jingo" that became Santanas first hit in 1969.) For all those influences, it was more of a straightforward, guitar-heavy rock album than usual. Coming more than three years after Santanas last new album, Freedom, it sold to the bands core audience only, reaching #85. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 39 Title: Hits of Santana Released: 1990-10-22 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:07:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 No One to Depend On (05:25) 2 Samba pa ti (04:41) 3 Stormy (04:41) 4 Aqua Marine (05:26) 5 Europa (04:59) 6 Evil Ways (03:56) 7 American Gypsy (03:41) 8 Shango (01:40) 9 Well All Right (04:09) 10 Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen (05:19) 11 Oye como va (04:17) 12 I Love You Much Too Much (04:18) 13 Jingo (04:09) 14 Samba de Sausalito (03:08) 15 Hold On (04:26) 16 Winning (03:28) |
 | Album: 23 of 39 Title: Milagro Released: 1992-05-05 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:11:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Milagro (07:36) 2 Somewhere in Heaven (09:59) 3 Saja / Right On (08:51) 4 Your Touch (06:35) 5 Life Is for Living (04:41) 6 Red Prophet (05:37) 7 Agua que va caer (04:24) 8 Make Somebody Happy (04:14) 9 Free All the People (South Africa) (06:06) 10 Gypsy / Grajonca (07:10) 11 We Don’t Have to Wait (04:36) 12 A Dios (01:21) |
| Milagro : Allmusic album Review : Santana signed to Polydor in 1991 after 22 years with Columbia Records. On this label debut album, the band has been altered by official addition of frequent sideman Raul Rekow and Karl Perazzols, replacement of longtime percussionist Armando Peraza. But this septet is still led by Carlos Santana and keyboardist Chester Thompson, with Alex Ligertwood singing. The record has a somewhat elegiac tone, beginning with a stage introduction by the late promoter Bill Graham, who was Santanas mentor and unofficial manager, being dedicated to Graham and Miles Davis, who also had died since the last album, and featuring an excerpt from a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., solos taken from Davis and John Coltrane, and music written by Bob Marley, Coltrane, and Gil Evans. Despite the presence of all these heroic ghosts, however, Milagro is only an average Santana release, familiar-sounding but undistinguished, and it failed to arrest the bands commercial slide, becoming the first new Santana studio album not to crack the Top 100. | ||
 | Album: 24 of 39 Title: Jingo Released: 1997-03-25 Tracks: 7 Duration: 55:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Caught in the Middle (07:42) 2 Let’s Get Ourselves Together (02:03) 3 As the Years Go By (07:14) 4 Jin‐go‐lo‐ba (Jingo) (14:31) 5 Persuasion (08:36) 6 Jam in E (08:30) 7 Evil Ways (07:19) |
 | Album: 25 of 39 Title: Santana Jam Released: 1999 Tracks: 7 Duration: 1:07:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 El corazon manda (11:53) 2 As the Years Go By (03:55) 3 La puesta del sol (10:27) 4 With a Little Help From My Friends (04:07) 5 Fried Neckbones and Home Fries (10:37) 6 Santana Jam (14:41) 7 Latin Tropical (11:24) |
 | Album: 26 of 39 Title: Acapulco Sunrise Released: 1999-03-29 Tracks: 7 Duration: 42:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Jam in E (08:30) 2 Travelin’ Blues (04:51) 3 Jammin’ Home (08:22) 4 Jam in G Minor (07:58) 5 Coconut Grove (02:26) 6 Hot Tamales (08:07) 7 Acapulco Sunrise (02:33) |
 | Album: 27 of 39 Title: Supernatural Released: 1999-06-15 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:14:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 (Da Le) Yaleo (05:54) 2 Love of My Life (05:48) 3 Put Your Lights On (04:45) 4 Africa Bamba (04:43) 5 Smooth (04:56) 6 Do You Like the Way (05:55) 7 Maria Maria (04:22) 8 Migra (05:29) 9 Corazón espinado (04:36) 10 Wishing It Was (04:53) 11 El farol (04:51) 12 Primavera (06:19) 13 The Calling / Day of Celebration (12:28) |
| Supernatural : Allmusic album Review : Santana was still a respected rock veteran in 1999, but it had been years since he had a hit, even if he continued to fare well on the concert circuits. Clive Davis, the man who had signed Santana to Columbia in 1968, offered him the opportunity to set up shop at his label, Arista. In the tradition of comebacks and label debuts by veteran artists in the 90s, Supernatural, Santanas first effort for Arista, is designed as a star-studded event. At first listen, there doesnt seem to be a track that doesnt have a guest star, which brings up the primary problem with the album -- despite several interesting or excellent moments, it never develops a consistent voice that holds the album together. The fault doesnt lay with the guest stars or even with Santana, who continues to turn in fine performances. Theres just a general directionless feeling to the record, enhanced by several songs that seem like excuses for jams, which, truth be told, isnt all that foreign on latter-day Santana records. Then again, the grooves often play better than the ploys for radio play, but thats not always the case, since Lauryn Hills "Do You Like the Way" and the Dust Brothers-produced, Eagle-Eye Cherry-sung "Wishing It Was" are as captivating as the Eric Clapton duet, "The Calling." But that just confirms that Supernatural just doesnt have much of a direction, flipping between traditional Santana numbers and polished contemporary collaborations, with both extremes being equally likely to hit or miss. That doesnt quite constitute a triumph, but the peak moments of Supernatural are some of Santanas best music of the 90s, which does make it a successful comeback. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 39 Title: Inner Secrets / Amigos Released: 2001 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:25:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Dealer / Spanish Rose (05:51) 2 Move On (04:26) 3 One Chain (Don’t Make No Prison) (07:13) 4 Stormy (04:47) 5 Well All Right (04:11) 6 Open Invitation (04:47) 7 Life Is a Lady / Holiday (03:48) 8 The Facts of Love (05:32) 9 Wham! (03:25) 1 Dance Sister Dance (Baila mi hermana) (08:15) 2 Take Me With You (05:26) 3 Let Me (04:50) 4 Gitano (06:13) 5 Tell Me Are You Tired (05:42) 6 Europa (Earth’s Cry Heaven’s Smile) (05:03) 7 Let It Shine (05:42) |
 | Album: 29 of 39 Title: Roots of a Living Legend Released: 2002 Tracks: 19 Duration: 2:22:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Acapulco Sunrise (02:30) 2 Coconut Grave (02:22) 3 La Puesta del Sol (10:18) 4 Latin Tropical (11:19) 5 Santana Jam (14:38) 6 Soul Sacrifice (04:53) 7 Persuasion (05:16) 8 Let’s Get Ourselves Together (06:34) 9 Travellin’ Blues (04:50) 10 Jam in E (08:28) 1 Hot Tamales (08:01) 2 As the Years Go Passing By (03:53) 3 Jingo (09:51) 4 El Corazon Manda (11:53) 5 Fried Neckbones (And Some Home Fried) (10:36) 6 Every Day I Have the Blues (07:07) 7 Jam in G Minor (07:55) 8 With a Little Help From My Friends (04:04) 9 Jammin’ Home (08:18) |
 | Album: 30 of 39 Title: Shaman Released: 2002-10-22 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:15:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Adouma (04:15) 2 Nothing at All (04:28) 3 The Game of Love (04:14) 4 You Are My Kind (04:19) 5 Amoré (Sexo) (03:51) 6 Foo Foo (06:28) 7 Victory Is Won (05:20) 8 Since Supernatural (04:32) 9 America (04:35) 10 Sideways (04:41) 11 Why Don’t You & I (04:34) 12 Feels Like Fire (04:39) 13 Aye Aye Aye (04:45) 14 Hoy es adiós (04:37) 15 One of These Days (05:51) 16 Novus (04:12) |
| Shaman : Allmusic album Review : Nobody could have predicted the success of the star-studded Supernatural in 1999, but it revitalized the career of Santana, plus Clive Davis, who cooked up the whole idea of the comeback in the first place. Given its blockbuster status, a sequel that followed the same blueprint was inevitable, which is exactly what 2002s Shaman is. If anything, theres even less Carlos Santana here, proving that he and Davis are among those that believe that Supernatural was a success because of Rob Thomas and "Smooth," not the typically tasteful, excellent guitar playing. And, no surprise, Thomas has a strong presence here even if he doesnt sing. He writes two songs, flexing his muscles as a neo-soul songwriter (not badly, either, on cuts sung by Musiq and Seal), and providing the template for all the guests here: they want to launch a new stage of their career, finding a wider audience. Outside of Seal (who has a comeback of his own to launch) and Placido Domingo (who does these things because he can), everybody here has hearts to win and something to prove, and they do a mixed job of it. P.O.D. falls on its face with the embarrassing "America," but Chad Kroeger far outshines anything hes done with a surprisingly subtle and soulful "Why Dont You & I," easily better than anything by Nickelback. But this points out the problem on the record -- each song is tailored to the strengths of the lead singer, not the strengths of Santana, whos left with piddly, forgettable instrumental interludes and playing endless lines beneath the vocal melodies. Who can blame him? Its the only chance he really gets to play on this album. On the whole, it holds together no better or no worse than Supernatural -- its the same record, essentially. True, there wasnt anything as awful as "America" or the foolish aural press release "Since Supernatural," but there was nothing as joyous and wonderful as the Michelle Branch-sung "The Game of Love." Written by the team behind the New Radicals modern pop classic "You Get What You Give," its every bit as soaring melodic and irresistible; it may not be Santana -- it sounds even less like Santana than "Smooth" -- but its perfect pop, the best pop single of 2002, for reasons that have nothing to do with Santana. | ||
 | Album: 31 of 39 Title: All That I Am Released: 2005-10-28 Tracks: 13 Duration: 54:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Hermes (04:08) 2 El fuego (04:17) 3 I’m Feeling You (04:30) 4 My Man (04:37) 5 Just Feel Better (04:12) 6 I Am Somebody (04:02) 7 Con Santana (03:18) 8 Twisted (05:11) 9 The Trinity (03:35) 10 Cry Baby Cry (03:52) 11 Brown Skin Girl (04:44) 12 I Don’t Wanna Lose Your Love (04:00) 13 Da tu amor (04:05) |
| All That I Am : Allmusic album Review : The third time around is not a charm for Carlos Santana, who delivers his third straight star-studded, middle-of-the-road pop album in a row with 2005s All That I Am. Like 2002s Shaman, this follows the blueprint that producer/record mogul Clive Davis laid down on 1999s Supernatural, which means that apart from a cut or two, Santana functions as a supporting musician to a parade of guest stars singing pop songs on his own album. On Supernatural this worked not just because it was a relatively fresh concept that revitalized Santana, but because the guest stars were well chosen and the material was sharp, commercial, and memorable. Shaman was more uneven but it did have one great single in "The Game of Love," a song penned by professional songwriters and sung by Michelle Branch -- it didnt sound much like Santana, but it did make for excellent listening on adult contemporary radio. Here, Santana and Davis try to make lightning strike again, having Branch sing the "Game of Love" sound-alike "Im Feeling You," which she also had a hand in writing. Its not bad, but it sounds like a third-generation photocopy, which is the problem with All That I Am in general: all the ideas and sounds are familiar, but not executed nearly as well as they were the first two times around. The stars dont shine as bright -- the biggest names here are Mary J. Blige, Big Boi, Aerosmiths Steven Tyler, and the ubiquitous and obsequious will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas, all artists who never seem to turn down a chance to provide a cameo -- and the production is clean and safe, while the songs are professional, predictable, and pedestrian. Since none of the songs are bad and since the guest spots are neither embarrassing nor flashy, All That I Am never offends, but it never entertains, either: it simply exists. Sure, Santana has some nice playing scattered throughout the album -- his signature, rich, super-saturated tone is certainly the most commanding, memorable thing here -- but he never sounds engaged with the songs, he sounds simply like hes running wild over bright, sunny changes. Even with these nice moments, All That I Am, like Supernatural and Shaman before it, is a deliberate pop album, which means Santana is in the background on his own record -- but the crucial difference with this album is that, unlike its two predecessors, its not a good pop album, its a bland, friendly affair that disappears into the ether the moment its finishing playing. | ||
 | Album: 32 of 39 Title: Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time Released: 2010-09-17 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:00:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Whole Lotta Love (03:51) 2 Can’t You Hear Me Knocking (05:39) 3 Sunshine of Your Love (04:43) 4 While My Guitar Gently Weeps (06:03) 5 Photograph (04:04) 6 Back in Black (04:21) 7 Riders on the Storm (05:24) 8 Smoke on the Water (05:07) 9 Dance the Night Away (03:23) 10 Bang a Gong (03:41) 11 Little Wing (04:52) 12 I Ain’t Superstitious (03:57) 13 Under the Bridge (05:09) |
| Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time : Allmusic album Review : It is not necessarily a terrible idea for an album, having Santana interpret classic rock standards. Carlos Santana is one of the great rock guitarists and he has a jazzy interpretative bent, cutting duet albums with no less of a heavy hitter as John McLaughlin back in the ‘70s. It goes without saying that those were different times and that the Santana of 2010 is not the Santana of 1972, although he’s remarkably close to the Santana of 1999, the one who gave himself over to Clive Davis for a shot at chart success. Davis once again follows his patented formula of teaming Santana with guest singers, having his team of producers polish everything so it will glisten on as many cross-platforms as possible. This worked remarkably well on 1999’s Supernatural, thanks to the freshness of the concept and the presence of powerhouse pop tunes like “Smooth” and “Maria Maria,” but Guitar Heaven isn’t Supernatural, no matter how much the producers try to replicate its success, right down to bringing in all the superstars of 2000 -- Rob Thomas, Chris Cornell, Scott Weiland, Jacoby Shaddix, Gavin Rossdale, Pat Monahan, Chester Bennington -- to act as frontmen, along with Chris Daughtry who feels like he should be part of this class. They’re balanced by a handful of non-rockers (India.Arie, Nas), a blues guitarist in the form of Jonny Lang, and, for old fans, Joe Cocker singing Hendrix, but it doesn’t matter who is singing because every track is produced as a pop tune, not a rock song. The vocals are pushed to the front and little room is left for extended solos, so Santana winds up tossing off frilly fills while the vocalist is singing and each cut winds up as a cheery bright wall of sound constructed from constrictive computer loops. There are no reinterpretations -- not even the Nas-fronted “Back in Black” changes the song much -- just restatements of riffs and replicated effects, each familiar element offering a reminder that Santana, Davis, and company chose to take the easy road by settling for gauche pop instead of guitar rock, winding up with a truly terrible album. | ||
 | Album: 33 of 39 Title: Shape Shifter Released: 2012-05-11 Tracks: 13 Duration: 57:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Shape Shifter (06:15) 2 Dom (03:51) 3 Nomad (04:48) 4 Metatron (02:38) 5 Angelica Faith (05:02) 6 Never the Same Again (05:01) 7 In the Light of a New Day (05:06) 8 Spark of the Divine (01:02) 9 Macumba in Budapest (04:01) 10 Mr. Szabo (06:19) 11 Eres la luz (04:50) 12 Canela (05:22) 13 Ah, Sweet Dancer (03:08) |
| Shape Shifter : Allmusic album Review : While 1999s best-selling Supernatural brought Carlos Santana many new listeners, Shaman followed the same formula -- pairing his guitar with pop vocalists -- with diminishing returns. Santana tries to undo the damage on Shape Shifter, the debut from his Starfaith label. All but one of these 13 cuts is an instrumental. Producing and co-producing every track, he tries reinvention toward what he has always believed himself to be: an innovative and exploratory guitarist. While theres no denying his signature tone and style are intact , many of these tunes are merely simple vamps with sometimes fiery guitar improvisation in a variety of stylistic contexts. Standouts include the opening title track, a tight-- if repetitive--jam. It contains powerful soloing and riffing. Chester Thompsons B-3 groove pushes the song from inside; his solo is as imaginative as Santanas. "Nomad," a melodic rock number with an authentically emotive guitar solo, showcases his still breathtaking pyrotechnics. The brief, lyrical "Metatron," as beautiful as it is, owes more than a little of its melody to Bob Dylans "Is Your Love in Vain." "Angelica Faith" teases longtime fans by employing the first three notes of "Samba Pa Ti" before moving in another balladic direction. "Never the Same Again" is a blissed-out, midtempo groover where Santanas playing (on nylon-string and electric guitars) cops melodic ideas from Marvin Gayes "Whats Goin On," and restructures moments from his own "Song of the Wind." With its hip-hop, snare and hi-hat shuffle, its a contender for a contemporary jazz single. "Macumba in Budapest" is a Latin jam with excellent percussion from Raul Rekow and Karl Perazzo. The Latin tinge follows on "Eres La Luna," with fine vocals by Andy Vargas and Tony Lindsay. "Ah Sweet Dancer," a piano and guitar duet, closes the set; its one of a pair featuring son Salvador Santana on keyboards. Shape Shifter is far from perfect. Its lack of more compelling compositional ideas and ham-fisted production problems are balanced by the fact that Santana is not coasting on his rep; hes trying to play the hell out of the guitar again. While ambition and reality are different things, any step away from the music of last decade would be an improvement -- and Shape Shifter delivers that. | ||
 | Album: 34 of 39 Title: Corazón: Live From México – Live It to Believe It Released: 2014 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:19:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Our Prayer (04:42) 2 Jingo (07:03) 3 Iron Lion Zion (05:40) 4 La flaca (05:43) 5 Amor correspondido (04:17) 6 Margarita (05:30) 7 Indy (04:41) 8 Maria Maria (06:49) 9 Una noche en Nápoles (05:15) 10 Besos de lejos (06:08) 11 Kyoto, November 5, 1976, Part 1 (02:27) 12 Corazón Espinado (04:59) 13 Cindy Blackman Santana Drum Solo (02:07) 14 Soul Sacrifice (05:44) 15 Saideira (04:46) 16 Cielito Lindo/Descarga Divine Explosion (03:18) |
 | Album: 35 of 39 Title: Corazón Released: 2014-05-02 Tracks: 14 Duration: 53:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Saideira (03:55) 2 La flaca (04:10) 3 Mal bicho (03:37) 4 Amor correspondido (04:10) 5 Una noche en Nápoles (04:29) 6 Beijo de longe (04:16) 7 Margarita (04:01) 8 Indy (03:26) 9 Oye 2014 (03:22) 10 Yo soy la luz (04:06) 11 I See Your Face (01:18) 12 Iron Lion Zion (04:30) 13 Saideira (03:55) 14 Feel It Coming Back (04:09) |
| Corazón : Allmusic album Review : Corazón is Carlos Santanas first album for a major label since 2002s Shaman. It marks his reunion with executive producer Clive Davis, who masterminded 1999s multi-platinum Supernatural. Billed by RCA as his "first Latin album," Corazón is the studio counterpart to the guitarists HBO Latino concert special that featured his band performing with a host of Latin music superstars in his native Mexico. The singing was (as it is here) mostly in Spanish. For the most part, Santana actually sounds hungry again. His studio band is filled with killers, including drummer Dennis Chambers, timbalero Karl Perazza, and conguero Raul Rekow. Opener "Saideira" features his trademark tone in a passionate, stinging, gritty exchange with vocalist Samuel Rosa, from the Brazilian rock and reggae band Skank. Jittering, insistent horns and layers of percussion push both men to escalate the battle. Juanes lends his soulful croon to first single "La Flaca." Its got an anthemic hook with layers of backing vocals framing Santanas tight and tasty solos. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs back the guitarist on "Mal Bicho," an aggressive, careening cumbia. "Oye 2014" is a Latin hip-hop reprise of "Oye Como Va" with the now ubiquitous Pitbull. Though interesting, it falls flat. Bob Marleys "Iron Lion Zion" features Ziggy Marley and Colombian rappers ChocQuibTown in a fusion that works, melding cumbia, reggae, and hip-hop. In "Una Noche en Napoles" -- a cover of Pink Martinis "Una Notte a Napoli" -- Mexican-American singer Lila Downs, Spanish cantaora Niña Pastori, and Argentine folksinger Soledad meet Santanas nylon-string guitar in a steamy buleria that weaves their voices yet retains their distinctive individual styles. Gloria Estefan appears on the lilting pop son "Besos de Lejos" and gives Santana a chance to showcase his rumba chops. Romeo Santos turns in a non-bachata performance on "Margarita." His bilingual lyrics and lilting high tenor are wed to airy soulful Caribbean R&B. Santana ties it to the earth with taut phrasing through a biting solo. Miguels "Indy" is babymaker pop-soul with a spiritual lyric. The composer sings and plays guitar accompanied only by Santana and Perazza. The jazzy salsa of "Yo Soy la Luz" was composed by Santana and features not only wife Cindy Blackman on drums, but also saxophonist Wayne Shorter playing sweltering fills and a gorgeous solo. While its true that this is another attempt to repackage Santana for a new audience, to dismiss Corazón for that reason would discount the creativity and innovation currently at work in the diverse world of Latin popular music. In addition, Santana himself shows renewed vitality as a musician. While some cuts are forgettable, the guitarists engagement with Latin pop is quite satisfying. | ||
 | Album: 36 of 39 Title: Playlist: The Very Best of Santana Released: 2015-04-14 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:04:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen (05:19) 2 Oye como va (04:17) 3 Jingo (04:22) 4 Evil Ways (03:56) 5 Everything’s Coming Our Way (03:16) 6 No One to Depend On (05:32) 7 Europa (Earth’s Cry Heaven’s Smile) (05:03) 8 Everybody’s Everything (03:32) 9 Smooth (04:55) 10 Maria Maria (04:22) 11 The Game of Love (main / radio mix) (04:15) 12 Yo soy la luz (04:06) 13 Samba pa ti (04:41) 14 Soul Sacrifice (06:37) |
 | Album: 37 of 39 Title: Santana IV Released: 2016-04-15 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:15:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Yambu (03:26) 2 Shake It (04:44) 3 Anywhere You Want to Go (05:04) 4 Fillmore East (07:44) 5 Love Makes the World Go Round (04:20) 6 Freedom in Your Mind (05:29) 7 Choo Choo (04:09) 8 All Aboard (02:03) 9 Sueños (05:15) 10 Caminando (04:20) 11 Blues Magic (04:25) 12 Echizo (03:53) 13 Leave Me Alone (04:01) 14 You and I (04:20) 15 Come as You Are (04:51) 16 Forgiveness (07:22) |
| Santana IV : Allmusic album Review : Two years in the making, Santana IV marks the reunion of nearly all members of the 1971-1972 band, arguably its greatest lineup. Carlos Santana, conguero Michael Carabello, organist/lead vocalist Gregg Rolie, drummer Michael Shrieve, and guitarist Neal Schon cut the landmark Santana III in 1971. It was a short-lived group as Schon and Rolie would depart in early 1973 to form Journey. Filling out the lineup are Carlos longtime bassist Benny Rietveld and second percussionist Karl Perazza. Unlike the reunions of most classic rockers, this one proves its musical mettle, even when the album gives in to excess. The interplay between the guitarists is fiery, while Rolie and Shrieve have never been less than inspiring. The former is a far better (more expressive) vocalist than he was in his youth. This output runs the stylistic gamut without compromising Santanas core sound. Opener "Yambu" is a cooking meld of cumbia, funk, and hard rock. The screaming blues-rock of "Shake It" is the first -- but not only -- place where Peter Greens Fleetwood Mac is referenced, albeit with percolating Afro-Cuban grooves and salsa chants. In "Blues Magic," they reference Mac again in a slow, brooding two-chord blues vamp. It would have made a perfect B-side for "Black Magic Woman." First single "Anywhere You Want to Go" recalls the strutting, swelling toughness of III and Abraxas. "Fillmore East" commences with a silvery nocturnal feel, then evolves into a seven-minute instrumental jam that lets the front line players stretch out. Schon, always a rock technician, makes Carlos work harder than he has in years. "Love Makes the World Go Round" and "Freedom Is in Your Mind" are changes of pace with Ronald Isley on vocals. The former is an R&B-inspired rock jam with cooking percussive layers; the latter a scorching meld of raucous funk and jazz-rock with Yoruban polyrhythms. The instrumental ballad "Sueños" revisits the feel of "Samba Pa Ti," while "Echizo" touches on the transcendent tropical, melodic jazz fusion of "Song of the Wind" as both guitarists soar. The album should have ended with "Come as You Are," a celebratory, tropically inspired rocker, but closes instead with "Forgiveness," a beautiful but long, slow blues that should have been sequenced earlier in the mix. At over 75 minutes, Santana IV would have benefitted greatly from judicious editing. There is filler here: the classic rock-styled blues raveup in "Choo Choo," the horn-drenched boogie of "Caiminando," the tired, Shaman-esque "Leave Me Alone," all feel like they are ideas rather than finished songs. Flaws aside, IV is quite enjoyable -- especially split over a couple of listens. There remains a real musical connection and shared joy between these players. They may not sound young, radical, or reckless, but they do come off as if they never stopped playing and discovering together. | ||
 | Album: 38 of 39 Title: Power of Peace Released: 2017-07-28 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:06:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Are You Ready (03:26) 2 Total Destruction to Your Mind (04:23) 3 Higher Ground (05:13) 4 God Bless the Child (07:09) 5 I Remember (05:34) 6 Body Talk (05:22) 7 Gypsy Woman (07:03) 8 I Just Want to Make Love to You (04:04) 9 Love, Peace, Happiness (03:12) 10 What the World Needs Now Is Love Sweet Love (05:29) 11 Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) (04:02) 12 Let the Rain Fall on Me (06:27) 13 Let There Be Peace on Earth (04:37) |
| Power of Peace : Allmusic album Review : Supergroup pairings rarely work. Either there are too many egos involved or the magic promised on paper doesn’t materialize because there are too many cooks in the kitchen, or record label and managerial bluster get in the way of actual spontaneity. Thats not the case with Power of Peace, delivered by the Santana and Isley families in a Las Vegas studio without prior rehearsal. The material on this 13-song set is comprised mostly of iconic soul, funk, blues, and R&B covers. Carlos Santana and Ron Isley are joined by drummer Cindy Blackman Santana and Ernie Isley, the Santana road band, and a backing chorus of Kandy and Tracy Isley as well as Kimberley Johnson and Eddie Levert. "Are You Ready," the first of two Chambers Brothers tunes, opens the set with a Karl Perazzo conga workout followed by a funky bassline and Ernie on manic wah-wah guitar. Cindys breaks and Carlos leads push Ron to overdriven rock intensity with the backing chorus supports. Its a hard groover that introduces a rocking soul rave-up on Swamp Doggs "Total Destruction to Your Mind." The pairing of Ron and Carlos here is fantastic. If it doesn’t get you on your feet, youre already dead. Things get more intense on Stevie Wonders "Higher Ground" with Ernie evoking Jimi Hendrixs spirit in his fills and solo, while Cindys drumming and Perazzos whomping congas push it into the red. Eddie Kendricks burner "Body Talk" gets the same treatment. There are some ballads here, too. Ron delivers a beautiful adaptation of Billie Holidays "God Bless the Child" with Cindy on backing vocals. Santanas melodic presentation is matched by Ernies tough blues phrasing. The lone original, "I Remember," is a gorgeous, bittersweet samba written and sung by Cindy; its the only tune here that retains its restraint throughout (though Carlos is tempted to shred near the end). On Curtis Mayfields "Gypsy Woman," Ron offers his sweetest falsetto amid a humid, atmospheric, Latin soul backdrop. Blues, hard rock, and funk collide in Willie Dixons "I Just Want to Make Love to You," with Ernie shining in a burning solo. Only the Bacharach-David standard "What the Worlds Needs Now" and Leon Thomas post-bop "Let the Rain Fall on Me" falter due to overly reverent presentations. That said, the gospelized Latin soul in Marvin Gayes "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" is a monster. The set closes with a complete reinvention of "Let There Be Peace on Earth," offering a stellar portrait of what the Santana band does well (especially with an ace guitarist like Ernie aboard). Ron, whose voice is undiminished by time, soars above the band and chorus to end it all on a spiritual tip. Power of Peace is loose, but everybody brought their chops to the party. This is what happens when great musicians gather simply to see what happens and enjoy one anothers company. | ||
 | Album: 39 of 39 Title: Africa Speaks Released: 2019-06-07 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:15:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Africa Speaks (04:48) 2 Batanga (05:43) 3 Oye este mi canto (05:58) 4 Yo me lo merzco (06:12) 5 Blue Skies (09:08) 6 Paraísos quemados (05:59) 7 Breaking Down the Door (04:30) 8 Los invisibles (05:54) 9 Luna hechiceca (04:47) 10 Bambele (05:51) 11 Candombe cumbele (05:36) 12 Mientras tanto (05:57) 13 Dios bendiga tu interior (05:19) |