Santana Caravanserai (1972)

From musicbox-online.com

Everyone seemed shocked and surprised when Carlos Santana unleashed the blockbuster Supernatural on the world. Without a doubt, it was overtly more pop-oriented than anything he had previously put together, yet it also wasn’t completely out-of-step with his career-long struggle for commercial viability. It’s been 34 years since Santana released his first album. In that time, he’s dabbled in everything from Latin rock to jazz-fusion, from soul to blues, from psychedelia to R&B. Plenty of pop polish has pulsated through his songs as well. Like an alchemist, he’s always experimenting, always mixing sounds and styles to suit his particular need. Sometimes it’s worked, other times it hasn’t, but such is the nature of his unique vision. In the early 1970s, Santana was focused primarily on interpreting the burgeoning jazz-fusion scene, and three of his albums from this period (Caravanserai, Love Devotion Surrender, and Welcome) as well as a concert recording from 1977 (Moonflower) have recently been remastered and reissued. Here is a look at each:

Abraxus, and to a lesser extent, Santana, and Santana III receive nearly all of the attention, but Carlos Santana’s oft-forgotten fourth studio recording Caravanserai is an equally strong outing that finds the guitarist stepping out in a new direction. Steeped in jazz- fusion, the album rolls along at a comfortable pace, so much so that this, perhaps, explains why it’s been so difficult for many to fully grasp.

It’s not that Caravanserai is really that different from Santana’s previous efforts. All he really does is expand upon the instrumental segments of his first three albums, but this time, he parlays them into a cohesive suite of songs that is, at times, as breathtakingly beautiful as Miles Davis’ In a Silent Way and, at other times, as frenetic as Davis’ Bitches Brew. Right from the start, he charts out Caravanserai’s sonic space, beginning with the serene sound of crickets to which is added the guttural groan of saxophone and a percussive groove straight from John Coltrane’s Africa/Brass.

Indeed, that is the foundation upon which Santana builds this monumental effort, which bursts at the seams with thoughts and ideas while careening effortlessly through a blend of Latin rock, blues, and soul. He masterfully reinvents Antonio Carlos Jobim’s Stone Flower, dives into the heady funk-rock swirl of Look Up (To See What’s Coming Down), and delivers Song of the Wind with supreme tenderness. Through it all, the magisterial tone of Santana’s guitar freely darts and glides above the clattering rhythms sculpted by a sextet of percussionists. Indisputably original when it was released in 1972, Caravanserai has held up remarkably well over the years and continues to rank among the most vital outings of Santana’s career. There are no bonus tracks on the updated release, but then again, there’s no reason to mess with perfection.

Santana Blessings and Miracles (2021)

From bluesrockreview.com

I have to say that it isn’t every day that you have the opportunity of reviewing a full album of new songs released by a living legend, an iconic 1969 Woodstock’s Festival remnant, like Carlos Santana. That fact by itself can be compared to a miracle or blessing, as well as his new album’s title Blessings and Miracles, out on October 15th. Santana has a mystic aura around himself, allowing him not only to persevere and last for five decades or more, but continue to promote his music through partnerships, special guests, and more.

Those who follow Santana on social media are acquainted with his positivism and divine gratitude that permeates his messages. In fact, it mixes up other dimensions like spirituality and human interaction, as a way to materialize his beliefs and philosophy into a tangible and sensitive thing, the music. And, one more time, Santana comes with plenty of guests (or soul mates, I think he would say) to help him to pass through his musical messages.

Blessings and Miracles has 15 tracks, including “Ghost Of The Future”, an interlude that serves as a welcoming and farewell jam, first preparing the listener for the main content and finally trying to keep the songs as an everlasting continuum. “Santana Celebration” summarizes Santana’s soul, his Latin blood inlaid meshed with rock. The track features traditional elements of Santana’s music like Hammond, bongo and conga drums, as well as his unmistakable distorted guitar solos. “Rumbalero”, featuring Santana’s son Salvador Santana and Asdru Sierra, keeps the previous vibe but adding modern elements like a synthesizer.

As proof of Santana’s “mystical reunion power”, he joins forces with country music star Chris Stapleton to record “Joy”. It’s a blues reggae that Santana garnishes with his signed minor melodic scales. Being a strong candidate to follow the multi-award-winning hit “Smooth”, Rob Thomas, Zac Barnett & American Authors join Santana to deliver “Move”. It keeps the same successful formula, an inviting dance song with a vibrant chorus and magnificent guitar solos that perfectly fits between the vocals.

Rekindling an old friendship with the versatile Steve Winwood on vocals, Santana decided to make his own version of the Procol Harum’s classic “A Whiter Shade of Pale”. The result? It’s difficult to translate it into words, but definitely, they polish an old jewel restoring its shine. The track “Break” is indeed a prayer. I think Santana tried to demonstrate all his devotion and religiosity picking Ally Brooke to soulfully sing such sacred lyrics. “She’s Fire”, featuring Diane Warren and the rapper G-Eazy, is plainly a hip-hop song that Santana adds his Latin spice, turning it into a calm ballad.

Among all the eclecticism of the songs so far, we can say that Blessings and Miracles has a hard rock session. The first song in this session is “Peace Power”, featured by the Living Colour’s talent Corey Glover. With guitars and drums still more aggressive “America for Sale” is an arraignment anthem that counts with the heavy metal aces Kirk Hammett (Metallica) on guitars and Mark Osegueda (Death Angels) on vocals. “Mother Yes”, better classified as classic rock can also be part of this session. The mood turns quite tender on “Breathing Underwater,” which features Santana’s daughter Stella Santana as vocalist and songwriter. Another guest in this song is the eclectic Avi Snow, complementing the vocals.

With a romantic air, “Song for Cindy”, Santana exhales all his emotions through his guitar playing, honoring his current spouse, the jazz drummer and percussionist Cindy Blackman. Jazz is one genre also represented in the album by the song “Angel Choir/All Together”. This song brings as special guests the former Mahavishnu Orchestra member Gayle Moran Corea, as well as the recently deceased piano jazz legend Chick Corea.

Santana’s career is so extensive and productive that it wouldn’t make sense trying to pinpoint a single album or a single song to represent his music. And Blessings and Miracles comes in that way. Santana pushes the borders of music in general, mixing genres and delivering messages that are important to him.

Santana Lotus (1974)

From New Musical Express Max Bell 20 Dec 1975

Over one hundred Santana fans coughed up the full twenty pounds for this triple live album when it first appeared on import.

Some no doubt were expecting new material. Hardly too much to ask either as there’s been no studio album since Borboletta, while the McLaughlin into Coltrane episode, a rather euphemistically entitled Greatest Hits collection, and the return to Abraxas for concert material seem to indicate that Carlos has dried up for the time being.

Lotus is now available at the new reduced price of ten pounds ‘cos they only have to ship it from Holland as opposed to Tokyo and what a jolly piece of incontinence it is to be sure.

Recorded and designed in Japan the whole visual concept reeks of a tasteless Godhead and joss stick mentality with one of those baffling sleeves that unfolds for ever and turns into something utterly useless, like a paper aeroplane featuring the woman from the Asian greengrocers grinning out of the cockpit.

Musically, the albums do present the best ever Santana band, the one situated midway between Caravanserai and the world tour of’73.

Keyboards men Tom Coster and Richard Kermode had replaced Gregg Rolie (which was a good thing since what they lost in guts they gained in sheer ability) while much the same could be said for new bassist Doug Rauch; only the loss of second guitarist Need Schon harmed the overall sound, because not only was Schon a perfect foil for Santana, he was frequently a more interesting musician.

It looked as if this nucleus would produce something special and lasting, and they did with Caravanserai.

Unfortunately at no time does this set equal the exhilaration, of the comparable Wembley shows either in terms of performance or atmosphere.

The audience sound enthusiastic but polite, and that sums up the music.

You’d have to be a real devotee to sit through some of the thirty odd cuts and find anything appreciably more exciting in them than their studio counterparts.

Old faves like ‘Black Magic Woman’, ‘Se A Cabo’ and ‘Savor’ are a hindrance to progression maybe but they tower into significance alongside the two minutes of silent meditation on side one or Mike Shrieve’s tedious drum solo ‘Kyoto’.

An overall impression of blandness isn’t helped by the strange machinations of a Sony sound crew led by Hideto Isoda.

The quality is superb but Coster and Kermode sound frequently remote allowing the Latin percussion far too much prominence.

Side three makes coherent sense beginning with Antonio Carlos Jobim’s ‘Stone Flower’ and, crossing through nicely connected music, ‘Waiting’. Chick Corea’s sumptuous Spanish jazz composition ‘Castillos De Arena’ and a version of ‘Samba De Sausalito’ that lets Coster show off his electric piano skills to the full.

Most of the previously unrecorded material is pretty duff, ‘Batukada’, ‘Mantra’ and ‘Xibaba’ are the worst kind of insipid techno muzak that Santana stick to when at a loss for anything better.

There are flashes of former brilliance in the monumental build-up to ‘Every Step Of The Way’ where Shrieve, Jose Areas and Roach latch onto a crushing rhythm and Santana drives his power chords over the beat.

Even the inevitable ‘Samba Pa Ti’ recovers after Carlos has milked the solos rotten and develops into an enterprising soul-swing improvisation.

The encores are predictably ‘Toussaint L’Overture’ and ‘Incident At Neshabur’, but they’re both masterful and definitive renditions with the right mixture of flash and flair that all Santana outfits since have lacked.

Unless you feel that you can’t live without Lotus, or that if you buy it you need never buy another Santana album, I’d settle for the next genuinely current recording and laugh seasonably at those who just blew the first deposit on the new water bed.

Santana – Santana IV (2016)

From sputnikmusic.com

Review Summary: After 45 years, most of the original members reunited to create a proper follow-up to III…

Any true Santana fan must be aware of the fact that after Caravanserai was released all the way back in 1972, his career went downhill. Every decade or so, a better album would surface, however, nothing ever came close to the highly influential, career defining self-titled debut, Abraxas & III. Those had such an energy, combining blues guitar-enhanced Afro-Latin grooves, powerful percussion, along with all those trademark solos, you couldn’t possibly ask for more. Sadly, tension arose within the band and ultimately disbanded, leaving the frontman alone to constantly change contributors over the years. After a commercial and creative struggle in the ‘80s and early to mid ‘90s, Carlos made a spectacular return when Supernatural became his biggest mainstream success. Its Latin pop/R&B jukebox nature, featuring a revolving cast of then famous vocalists, put him back on the map. Even so, it offered few notable songs and paled in comparison to his initial work (not to mention most of those new fans were completely unaware of previous stuff). Unfortunately, it was milked for almost a decade through its weaker successors. Later, in 2012, Shape Shifter took a step in the right direction, delivering some cool instrumental jams, but was followed by what seemed to be the final nail in the coffin, Corazon. In essence it was a Spanish equivalent to Supernatural, though not only lacked substance, but also managed to horribly butcher one of the man’s finest tunes, ‘Oye Como Va’, by letting Pitbull rap on it.

Thankfully and miraculously, a few years ago Neal Schon approached Santana to record some music together again. The latter decided to reunite the original musicians for a proper follow-up to their last album in the trilogy, called IV. They tapped Gregg Rolie, Michael Carabello, Michael Shrieve, together with current members Benny Rietveld (bass) & percussionist Karl Perraza, started jamming and finally this new LP saw the light of day. The outcome? Well, this is by far the best set of songs we have heard since 1972. Of course, the main reason is the chemistry between members, which gladly is still intact. They have put a lot of soul in this, so it actually turned out honest. ‘Yambu’ kicks in similar fashion to ‘Batuka’ or ‘Waiting’, boasting a catchy cumbia rhythm complete with keyboard leads, percussion, as well as the eternal guitar licks. Segueing into ‘Shake It’, the first proper taste off IV, this is a typical call to dance. The fun jam offers everyone a moment in the spotlight, whereas the infectious chorus echoes classic moments before Neal & Carlos tear the house down. There are several improvisational tunes here and we can be thankful for each of them, since they’re a breath of fresh air after decades of forgettable music. ‘Fillmore East’ is a moody instrumental where the two showcase their skills on a steady background, while the romantic ‘Sueños’ offers some Spanish influences over airy keys & percussion. Despite being less frantic, the band manages to transpose you in the early days. Moreover, this is a proof that Latin music is timeless.

Once again, Gregg Rolie helped pen a handful of gorgeous cuts such as ‘Anywhere You Want To Go’, ‘Blues Magic’ or ‘Leave Me Alone’. The former’s atmosphere bears a resemblance to the quintessential ‘Black Magic Woman’, sharing an impressive organ solo backed by a top notch rhythm section. The heart broken, ‘Blues Magic’ is a lovely slow number akin to ‘Taboo’ off III, followed by the smooth ‘Leave Me Alone’ doing Supernatural the right way. It’s clear that record left a mark as pop influences interfere more than on the initial records. Still, that song is enticing and what’s important to mention is Rolie’s warm croon remains just as essential as always.

In the end, I am sure nobody expected IV to be on the same level as the first three records, let alone surpass it. Nevertheless, it offers a collection of solid tunes that were unlikely to ever be conceived. The excitement behind them is noticeable, yet overall they could have been trimmed for the standard release. There are 16 tracks at a total of almost 76 minutes. At this length, there would have been enough material for Santana V too. To be honest, with all the joy included, it’s exhausting to sit through the entire record without any breaks. If a handful of tracks had been left for a deluxe edition, the results would have been a lot more effective. Regardless, everyone who’s into the band’s music should be happy the main members are back together (this might be a one-off, who knows) and dropping such a good album after 45 years.

Gregg Rolie Looks Back on His Days With Santana, Journey, and Ringo Starr

From rollingstone.com November 2019

The voice behind “Black Magic Woman,” “Evil Ways,” and the first three Journey albums breaks down his five-decade saga in rock

You might not know the name Gregg Rolie, but you definitely know his music. Not only did he sing “Black Magic Woman,” “Evil Ways,” “Oye Como Va,” and all the other early Santana classics as the group’s original lead vocalist, but he went on to form Journey with Santana guitarist Neal Schon. He was their keyboardist and lead singer on the first three albums before Steve Perry took over as frontman in 1978. He then stuck around for the next two years, playing keyboards on massive hits like “Lights,” “Wheel in the Sky,” and “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’.”

Rolie has made it into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice for his pivotal roles in the history of Journey and Santana, and for the past six years he’s toured with Ringo Starr in his All Starr Band. He’s also just released the new solo disc Sonic Ranch, and he called into Rolling Stone to talk about his long career, the real reason he parted ways with Santana and Journey, and what’s coming next.

Let’s start at the beginning. How did you first meet Carlos Santana?
Carlos and I met in a tomato patch. He played at the Fillmore on a Tuesday night, when Bill Graham just let locals on. And a friend of mine, Tom Frasier, saw him and said, “I’m going to go find this guy.” He came to my house and told me that, and I was like, “All right, cool.” He found him working at a hamburger stand called Tick Tock, on Columbia Street in San Francisco, and said, “Do you want to come jam with this guy?”

He came and we played, and of course we were smoking marijuana and stuff. When the cops came, I said, “We have to get out of here.” And all I saw was his ass and his elbows. He was way ahead of us. I was like, “Great idea.” I ran into a tomato patch and waited until the cops left. And that’s how it started with me. I think it was 1968.

How long after that did the band form?
1968 and a half. It just happened. We had this high school buddy Danny Haro and Gus Rodriguez on drums and bass, and [Michael] Carabello was there. Then it grew. We just kept getting new people in. The music that everyone knows has Mike Shrieve on it and Chepito and David Brown and all the rest of us. That’s it.

How many times in your life do you think you’ve been asked about playing Woodstock? Do you think it’s in the thousands by now?
[Laughs] I can talk about it. It’s the same old story. The fact of the matter is, it started my career. It started all of us. If you were there at that concert, you had a career. After that, it’s what you do with it. Musically, we connected with a generation of people that need to be connected to. That’s kind of it. And it’s gone on from there.

Did you know when you were playing just how hard Carlos was tripping on mescaline?
No. I had no idea. As a matter of fact, all I could think was, “Man, he’s having a really hard time tuning up.” That was my thought. I didn’t find out about that for years later. Then I went, “Oh! OK! Now I get it!”

You were totally straight?
Other than a beer or two, yeah.

I think it was really the movie that created the legend of the group that will never die.
It won’t. It’s totally amazing. When you look back upon what everyone was going through, each individual, but especially Carlos. . . . He is sitting there holding onto his guitar because he was on mescaline. He was like, “God, let me get through this. I’ll never do this again.” Well, he lied. And I’m just playing as hard as I could. Carlos said, “We were floating like kites and Gregg was on the ground holding onto the strings.” All I could tell him was, “Yeah, but I caught up to you.” Pretty soon we were all floating everywhere.

After Woodstock, Santana had a bunch of big radio hits and you sang lead on all of them. Does it irritate you that a lot of people think that Carlos sang them or, at the very least, they don’t even know your name?
Not “irritate,” but it confused me. “You’ve got to be kidding me? Have you watched any of the things we’ve done? Have you ever been to a concert?” It’s always the same thing. But look, we picked “Santana” because it was a cool name. It prints well. It emphasized, at the time, what was going on. It was like “The Paul Butterfield Blues Band” or “Allman Brothers.” All of the names were blues-based. And he was kind of the front and center. So we picked it and that’s it. Everyone said he was the leader of the band and he was the guy.

In retrospect, it’s not how that happened. The band was really a band. That’s why it worked so well. Let’s put it this way: Without the 10 percent this guy put in and the 20 percent this guy put in — Carlos and I did 40/40 or whatever — without the rest of it, it wouldn’t have been the music that it is.

After the third album, he wanted to go in a different direction musically. Did you have a different opinion about that?
I had a totally different opinion about it. If you’re the Beatles and you want to go to putting horns on your music or doing Rubber Soul or whatever, you can, because you’re the Beatles. . . . But we’re Santana, and to change the complete direction of the music and lose the people you already have, going from the music of Santana III to jazz, basically — I thought it was a mistake and I was right.

But you couldn’t stop it.
No. The other point is that personally we were all upside down. Carlos puts it well these days when he says, “We didn’t treat each other too good.” That’s exactly it. It was too much too soon. We had the world by the balls and didn’t realize it. That’s what happened. But talk about having a moment in time? I was so proud of what was created with this. So proud.

Tell me about the day you left. What was your breaking point, where you knew you were done?
I don’t like talking about it much, but Carlos made a demand that so-and-so leave the band. But we all did this together. He made demands and, not to say that he was totally wrong, but it was the way he did it. I couldn’t live with it. That’s not what I signed up for. We ended up pretty bad. But the music we created was done by all that fervor. Without it, it probably wouldn’t have happened. I’ve always said, “Hey, you want a good Latin rock band? You better have a Norwegian in it!” [Laughs]

What did you do right after leaving the band?
I left music completely. I was just like, “I’m done. I want to do something else completely.” So I started a restaurant with my father up in Seattle. Not that it was a bad idea to be in business with my father, but jumping into the restaurant business from the music business is like going from the pan to the fryer. Forget it. It’s horrible. In a nutshell, you need a thousand percent of capacity to make it work because nobody is going to come every night. It was kind of a disaster. At the same time, I learned a ton of stuff. I was really proud to do it with my dad, but it was a bad endeavor. Hey, you win, you lose. That’s how it goes.

How did Journey start?
That started right after that. I got a call from Neal [Schon] and Herbie [Herbert]. And Herbie was the mainstay of why that thing worked. They called me up and said, “What are you doing?” I said, “Nothing.” They said they were going to start something called the Golden Gate Rhythm Section. It was basically a band that would play for artists that came to town. That’s what they told me, but within two weeks we were writing songs. It was nonsense. They lied [laughs].

Journey toured a lot in those early years and didn’t sell a ton of records. It must have been difficult.
Very much so. At the time, when you’re young and you get that gypsy blood and you travel, everything is forgotten. We had a goal. There was a real goal to this of success. We didn’t feel it so much. We did go out for four months at a time, two weeks off, four months at a time, two weeks off. It was just constant and pretty grueling.

How did you hear about them hiring a second singer?
I thought that was tremendous because I would no longer have to play four instruments at the same time, harmonica, and sing leads and sing backgrounds. I liked the whole image of what it could become. When [Steve] Perry first came into the fold, Neal and I were like, “I don’t know. This guy is sort of crooning it.” We wanted to rock. But when you look at the end product, we were wrong. At least as far as being successful, he was the guy.

We started writing songs for a singer instead of writing songs for all the solo work and the expertise of playing. By the way, if Journey had come out 10 years ago, we’d be playing the jam circuit. It would be a total different thing because it was energized and cool and different with all the rhythms and soloing and stuff. Then we got into playing it for vocals and it was cool.

A song like “Lights” was a very different kind of thing for you at that point. Did you mind doing softer ballads like that?
No. You know what? Let me put it this way. Music is music, and for me, it doesn’t matter. I could go back to Frank Sinatra and go, “Man, that is awesome.” What we did with Journey was the same thing. There was a jam thing with it, but then it got more congruent and more about the vocals and harmonies. I’d never done that. I found it very appealing.

As a matter of fact, to the day, I use those ideas with my own music. It’s maybe not as strong or as many harmonies and triples and all that stuff, but it’s the same attitude. I learned a lot about writing music from Journey and its . . . journey [laughs].

So the band takes off. You have huge hits with “Wheel in the Sky” and “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’,” and then you leave. What happened?
I left because I didn’t like my life anymore. I’ve said this a million times and I know there’s people that say, “That’s not the reason.” But I left because I was unhappy with what I was doing in my own life. I loved the management. I loved the music. I loved what we built. I just wasn’t happy, so I had to blow the horn on it and just stop it.

Everyone thinks it was because Perry came in and started singing all the leads. My God! Again, I was spread so thin with all these keyboards parts and singing leads, he was a welcome sight to me. And he could sing like a bird! It wasn’t too hard to figure out. I was never against it. I still wanted to sing, but that kind of fell by the wayside [laughs]. That’s another story. That’s kind of it, man. I loved the fact we were going to write something different.

I think those misconceptions come because Departure came out in 1980 and you didn’t sing much.
It’s totally wrong! The whole thing is wrong! It doesn’t matter how many times I say this. Maybe you’ll get it right. That’ll be really phenomenal. No matter how many times I tell people very simply: “Here is the deal. I was unhappy. I drank too much. Blah, blah, blah. I didn’t feel like it was for me anymore. And most of all, I wanted to start a family.” And by the way, my family was my best work. It truly is. My son and daughter, my wife, it’s extraordinary. I did the right thing, but it just doesn’t play well with the guys on Facebook [laughs].

How did you feel when you left and they just got bigger and bigger and had all those hits? Did you ever have a tiny moment of regret?
No. I felt very proud that I helped to build something that went to that extreme. I’ve always felt that way. Yeah, without me doing this, that might never have happened. But it’s not about me. It’s about all of it. It’s a misconception in this business of, “Who does what?” We all did something. I gotta tell you, without manager Herbie Herbert, that shit would not have happened.

You were on a few Santana albums in the 1980s. It seems like you guys became friends again.
We’ve been on-and-off friends. That’s the best I can say. I love playing music with him, but then some things he does, I go, “No, I disagree.” Then we grow apart.

Tell me about the band you formed in 1997, Abraxas Pool, which was basically Santana minus Santana.
We did that at my house in a little tiny cabin with the smallest amount of equipment. We were all crowded in one room like you did when you were a kid. And in two weeks we had written that music.

I’m sure without Carlos it was hard to get much attention.
Yeah. That’s always the case because the name is Santana. And so it’s hard to realize there were other players in the band that made that music happen. Carlos did not do that by himself. And I’d equally say that I didn’t either. It was everybody.

How was the Hall of Fame experience when you got in with Santana?
I got the call that I was going to get added to that and went, “That’s very cool, but I’m building a hot rod. Just send me whatever.” I was building a ’32 Ford and got a call from my drummer, Ron Wikso, and he said, “You might want to think this over. A lot of people get Grammy Awards and this and that, but the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? It’s here to stay.” So I went and I loved it. I had a ball doing it.

You played with Peter Green that night.
Yes! Michael Shrieve turned me onto Peter Green way before that. He turned me onto “Black Magic Woman.” I was like, “That is so cool. I can really sing this.” It became a Number Five hit or something. To this day, I sing it the same way, expect with more balls. I’m just older now.

How has the experience of being in Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band been?
Without the Beatles, I probably would have been an architect. In high school and college at the time, playing in a band became really cool. It was always in my background to do it. So I connected with these guys to play this. Most of all, I always wanted to play the music I wanted to play, not to copy from someone else. That’s because I can’t. I’m horrible at it. “Where does your finger go? Forget this! I don’t know what chord that is, but it sounds better.”

Getting with Ringo, that’s the first time someone said to me, “We’re doing these songs.” I’m going, “Holy crap. You sure you called the right guy? I don’t do this. I don’t do this!” Seven years later, apparently I do!

What were the first few rehearsals like when you found yourself playing all these Beatles classics with a Beatle?
I practiced so hard. I told Mark Rivera, the music director, “Send me the stuff right away. If you don’t send it right away, I’m going to be embarrassed. I don’t know what to do with this. You want me to play organ or piano? There’s no piano on this or organ on that. I don’t know what I’m doing!” So they did and I went into the first rehearsal and my first audition and Ringo showed up and I’m like, “Holy fuck! I’m playing with Ringo Starr! Are you kidding me?”

And for two years I’m going, “Holy fuck! I’m playing with Ringo Starr!” Then one day on a plane we’re all sitting there all relaxed. He’s such a cool man, a beautiful man. I was sitting next to him and we were talking about stuff. I said a couple of things and he said, “You’re finally loosening up!”

What’s funny is that All Starr Bands used to last one summer and then it would be different people the next time out. But he’s kept you around year after year after year.
Me and Luke [Steve Lukather]. I can’t say enough about Luke by the way. Beyond his talent, he’s a real good human being. The reason he plays so well is because he’s got that in him. He’s a great human being. And Ringo was just like, “This is really jelling. Why would I change this? This is really working.” Between me and Luke, we can pretty much play anything. I didn’t know that at the time.

You can play Toto songs or Men at Work or Todd Rundgren, or whatever.
Yeah. It’s not exactly what was played on the records. It’s like, “OK, here’s the changes. But where does this fit?” Same thing with Ringo’s stuff. His attorney, who has been with him for 40 or 50 years, said, “You just filled up the room with that thing. It sounds fantastic.” I’m like, “I know. If you sit in the background, it’ll fill the whole room up. If you sit in front, it’s an organ band and it’s not so good.”

It’s got to be a nice experience since you’re on private planes, staying in nice hotels, and the whole thing isn’t just resting on your shoulders.
That’s the whole point. He ran the band the way I run my own, except it’s on steroids. It’s the best travel, the best food, the best everything. Everybody is treated well. There’s no rules beyond take care of your gig. And you get paid. It’s like a boys’ club that travels all over the world to play for people. And they come. It’s the best damn thing I’ve ever done because there’s no in-betweens. The way he runs it, there’s nothing to argue about.

How was the experience of making the Santana reunion record, Santana IV, in 2013?
Incredible. The thing I was most reminded of by Michael Shrieve was, “Gregg, it doesn’t matter what you do. It’s all correct.” Being with those guys and playing with them was like old times. We really wanted to make it work for all of us and it did. I think the recordings are incredible. It’s what I would have done if I was directing things, I would have done Santana IV after [1971’s] Santana III. And the point is, Carlos was the one to call it that. He said, “I want to call it Santana IV because that is when the band ended.” I said, “I’m in.”

You guys played Las Vegas and just a few other shows. Why wasn’t there a tour?
I don’t know. Management or Carlos pulled the plug on the whole thing. We did three great shows with Journey. Neal played with us. It was something to see. It went over great. We did three dates: New York, Allentown [Pennsylvania], and Mohegan Sun [in Connecticut]. Big coliseums. And then the whole thing, the plug got pulled. I would have wanted to do 30 dates and paid back the people that wanted to see this.

You have no idea why it ended?
Nope. Not to this day.

Did you ask Carlos?
Nope. [Laughs] I may know, but I’m not going to be the guy to say so. Know what I mean?

Not really, but that’s OK. Earlier this year, you played a few shows with Neal Schon and former Journey drummer Deen Castronovo under the name Journey Through Time. How was that experience?
Also amazing. I had a great time. First of all, I got to play with Deen and Marco [Mendoza] along with Neal. I really connected to them. They are incredible players. We had so much material. I had to cut it back. What Neal wanted to do I was like, “This is impossible. Nobody is going to be able to do this. It’s too much info.” I had to go back and learn the stuff. But I loved playing it and the reaction from the crowd was like, “Wow, this is the Journey I remember.”

Some of those Journey songs, I imagine you hadn’t played in about 40 years.
Yeah. I had to go back. There’s a song called “Daydream,” and I asked the keyboard player, “What’s the song ‘Daydream’? Where did it come from?” He goes, “It’s from Evolution.” I went back and listened to it and went, “Oh, I co-wrote it.” [Laughs] I didn’t remember I wrote it.

How was it to play songs like “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” that you were never on?
I had no problem because Deen was singing the stuff and it sounded the way it’s supposed to sound. We made it a little more earthy because there was no . . . It was just real. Everyone played real. I had no problem with that stuff. As a matter of fact, when Jonathan Cain joined the band, he came with some songs I couldn’t write in a million days — and he did. And the band became successful because of it. My point is that I helped build that and I know I did. If I had been there, he wouldn’t have had a gig.

You did just a few Journey Through Time shows and Neal tweeted that more were coming later in the year, but you haven’t played since. What happened?
Basically, he got back with Journey and they’ve been out this year, so the whole thing kind of fell apart. We had a few dates that we played together, but he went on to his next thing. And that’s what happened. And that’s OK.

Do you think in the future it might resume?
I don’t know. Right now, I owe Neal a debt of gratitude because I have Deen and Marco in my own band, called New Blood. We’ve already recorded three songs that are totally different from all this stuff. If you heard it you’d go, “Holy crap, this is different.” It’s based upon what Neal started. As I said, I owe him a debt of gratitude. These guys are phenomenal musicians. The kicker here is that my son plays slide guitar on [my new solo album] Sonic Ranch. And he’s all over the DVD and the videos. It’s not all about this nostalgic stuff. I feel like Jack Nicholson. “You ain’t seen nothing yet.” That’s really how I feel.

Tell me about Sonic Ranch. I know it was years in the works.
I started it about 18 years ago. I started it and then I got busy. I got with Ringo, Santana IV . . . all this stuff took all my time and I couldn’t finish what I started. And all those things took precedent. I’m sure everyone would understand that.

Tell me about “What About Love.” It was inspired by Ringo?
The message is inspired by Ringo. I started playing it with Ringo’s band during our soundchecks. It wasn’t completely done and I found the bass line I wanted to have and it became thing. Mainly, it’s about his message of peace and love. I hiked it up a bit. I was like, “Are you people listening? Is anyone hearing this?”

What drew you back to re-record the old Journey song “Look Into the Future?”
It’s very simple. I’ve always loved the song, and back then I didn’t really have that much of a vision about what it said. Actually, it says tons. But I loved it lyrically and the whole thing. I decided, “Let’s go do this. I love this tune.”

It was great that you brought on Michael Shrieve to play drums.
He plays on the song “Only You.” It’s a song I wrote about my wife. She said, “You have never written a song about me” and I said, “Baby, all the songs are about you.” In her own way she went, “Bullshit.” And I said, “I’m going to write a song about you.” And that’s the one. Shrieve was the perfect guy to play drums on it because he’s a very lyrical drummer. He plays for the song. By the way, so does Deen Castronovo. I’m blown away by it. He plays simple and always in the right places. It’s very hard to find. Shrieve is the same way. It’s about the song. That’s why he was chosen. Plus he’s a great friend. I’ve known him forever.

Tell me about your new band.
It’s called New Blood. We’ve already done three songs. I’ve got four that I’ve written. I hope to write some more with these guys. It really does come down to the guys in the band. It’s not about me. If I get some accolades, that’s terrific, but I can’t do it without them. I’ve got players that really play, that are really extraordinary. That’s what we are doing. My son is involved, and also Yayo Sanchez, a 26-year-old guy. He’s the Kiss guy that got 200,000 likes from playing with Dave Grohl. And he’s a friend of my son.

Is the band going to tour next year?
Once we get everything together. I’ve been asked if I’m going to tour Sonic Ranch. No. I’m going to tour all of it. I’m going to break all the rules. I’m going to break every rule there is and make a couple of new ones. I’m going to go out there and do the new stuff with Sonic Ranch, Santana, Santana IV, and Journey because I have all the people that can do it.

How was the Journey Hall of Fame experience for you?
It was cool. It was the same old thing with those guys. You get up there and do this, take the award. It was cool to get the award. It was really cool to sit next to Neal and go up there and just hang out and do this. We hadn’t been together in years other than Neal and I. It was a cool experience. It was good.

You finally played with Arnel.
What I’m going after now is a way cooler experience, I can tell you.

Did you talk to Steve Perry that night?
No. Nobody talked to him! He does everything behind closed doors and I don’t get it. I don’t understand it and I don’t care. I wouldn’t do it that way. Here I am talking to you. And aren’t I pretty simple to talk to? It’s me. All that nonsense that he goes through, sneaking in the back door. . . . Come on, man! Are you going to do this your whole life? Are you kidding? [Laughs]

I spent time with him about a year ago, when he put his album out. He seemed pretty normal and open to me.
I’ll tell you what: He always appears to be that. My point is that after knowing this guy for years, he only appears to be that. What I’m telling you, you can print any day you want, any time you want. Everything is absolute gospel. Sure I fucked up here, they fucked up here, and blah, blah, blah. Steve is very protective of who he is and his vocal prowess. It’s fucking nonsense. Sooner or later, everyone is going to go, “He’s kind of a dick, huh?” I know I’m right. That is what is going to happen. The real people will show up, and the ones that aren’t, they will show up too. I’ve been living my life like that.

Santana: Soul Man Live Academy of Music (1973)

From Crawdaddy!, February 1973

Carlos Santana laid his gleamingly new Gibson double electric white lead carefully on the stage of The Academy of Music and the M.C. reverently requested a silence. Someone lit a stick of incense and Carlos leaned a prayer in a direction which after careful calculation I have deduced to have been something other than East.

A series of disjointed riffs followed which finally burst into a tune which may or may not have been ‘Song Of The Wind’ from Caravanserai, Santana’s latest expedition. Since the band does not rely heavily on vocals (especially since the departure of Gregg Rolie) it is sometimes difficult to tell exactly what the group is playing. A general hint of recognition is usually followed by an attempt to remember which album it is on, followed by the even more difficult task of actually naming that tune. Since the band declined to do ‘Evil Ways’, ‘Black Magic Woman’ or ‘Everybody’s Everything’, the usual result was a vague album placement.

With much of the new material it wasn’t so difficult. The new Santana band celebrates a very John McLaughlin-like attitude, a celebration that once again indicates that McLaughlin is rapidly becoming the foremost electrical influence since Hendrix. The time is just right, the opening of the inner self has been successfully commercialized to just below the point where it will become another national fad. It may or may not happen, but music that speaks of inner mysticism seems to be very popular these days; McLaughlin never says a word, but the music cries out just as forcefully.

Carlos Santana doesn’t say much either. He just stands there peddling those familiar riffs. There are those who agree that Carlos is repetitious, but there are also those who could listen to that repetition eternally. The man is already a classic guitarist and he has yet to hit 25. Does anyone ever complain because B.B. King plays many familiarities? Good guitarists have their trademarks; Carlos Santana may not be as imaginative or as technically gifted as John McLaughlin, but he is damned good at what he does and he stands at the center of some of the best music to come out of rock.

Actually Carlos is quite wise in becoming a McLaughlin disciple. The album they recorded together while Carlos was in New York should indicate that Carlos’ admiration extends beyond facade; there are things each can learn from the other. They have always exhibited a healthy respect for each other’s music, Carlos in his sometimes abortive search for space and McLaughlin in his sudden lapses into rhythm. The meeting should prove to be one of the most exciting encounters of recent years. In addition, McLaughlin is a direct link to the source of much of what is really happening: Miles Davis-Herbie Hancock-Joe Zawinul and their various interludes. The cross fertilization of both genres, while it could lead to a certain destruction of “purity,” could result in some highly interesting music, no matter how dubious the claims this music attempts to stake.

Some of the earliest results are apparent on the new Santana album. After much careful listening it is possible to discern that, as a guitarist, Carlos is not really into anything new, a fact often true of artists who have reached a certain level of self-recognition. In spite of all the grandly stated chordal introductions, Carlos is still Carlos. What has happened is that he has surrounded himself with musicians whose perceptions indicate a direction he would like to follow. There are new things happening around Carlos.

Whether these changes have occurred because of a desire for a new framework or because of a deterioration of the old, it doesn’t matter; the new Santana band is better than any previous incarnation and seems totally capable of going where Carlos Santana wants it to.

The earliest indications that there was shifting sand came last year when the new Santana group introduced a second lead guitarist, a new bassman and two new conga players. A second lead was acceptable, a new bass player unthinkable, and where oh where was Mike Carabello of the floating halo afro?! Where was that badass Afro-Spanish rhythm man who used to rocket audiences out of their seats? But Santana soon had the aisles filled with bodies as is usually their fashion. Then the Last Days album came from the Fillmore, and there was Santana giving ‘In A Silent Way’ a treatment that indicated an inability to break away from the tight format. Maybe Santana found the answer in the album he did with Buddy Miles, the fact that other musicians could be the answer to a new direction.

The greatest loss could be that of organist Gregg Rolie. It may not yet be a permanent move, because he does play on Caravanserai. His three replacements are not that much better and certainly not good enough to compensate for the semblance of vocal strength he gave to the group. It is possible that he may yet return since one of his replacements is also a member of Malo, the other Latin band from San Francisco with a guitarist surnamed Santana. If he is permanently out this would represent an extremely crucial moment for the group. This position is glaringly obvious whenever Carlos attempts to sing lead, a task for which he is painfully ill-equipped. Rolie’s return, even if it were in the role of a second organist, would give the group everything it needs.

The percussion continues to hold tight. James Mingo Lewis welds down the rhythm, ably assisted by his excitable partner Armando Pereza. Chepito Areas is beginning to show the strain of decadent living, but his timbales sparkle just as well as ever. Mike Shrieve is immovable behind his drums.

The most noticeable change is in the bass playing. No matter how much you may have liked Dave Brown, Doug Rauch is a superior replacement. He can play anything, and his subtlety lends more dimension to the music.

The new Santana is not quite at a pinnacle, but it’s awfully close.

Santana Amigos (1976)

From progarchives.com

Review by Sean Trane

This album’s artwork might be a bit misleading, with its Hindu/Buddhist imagery, because there are no Indian music or much eastern influence, musically. I did say “musically” because the album contains spiritually some very positive music, Santana being about good times and overall hapiness right from their hippy roots in the 60’s San Fran. Let’s just say that I am not sure Carlos would see eye to eye with Present’s Roger Trigaux, but one never knows. So aside this rather kitsch artwork, this album is one typical album from the group, providing at least two extensively-aired on radio tracks, namely Dance Sister Dance and Europa.

Right from the opening track, you know you are in for another typical 70’s ride, hovering between Latino rock, fusion and semi-space jazz-rock with good vibrations that the Beach Boys could not even imagine possible. Yes, this music might just seem a little lightweight if you don’t listen to it carefully. No this music is anything but positive (except lyrically and spiritually). Just listening to Take Me With You or DSD can only forget your partner’s little cheats for a while (she’s probably out with Carlos anyway ;- ). But as with any Santana album, there are some slightly weaker material (Let Me, Tell Me You’re Tired) , but Santana’s filler tracks would be highlights on many other artistes discographies. Yet, some real gems appear with the full-fusion of latino jazz-funk gitano, mixing Flamenco with a Salsa-Bossa jazz. Great stuff, especially knowing that I generally do not appreciate Carribean music, but only santana manages it. Hats Off To Carlos. Of course the “hits” (over 5 minutes for a hit is a little magical, but Carlos was a bit of that was he not?) such as Europa (still getting much airplay 30 years later) can only give you a sense of fulfillingness and Santana’s guitar solos are still as majestic as ever.

Not that the album is particularly good in retrospect with his full career, Carlos being just content on having the group in cruise control in that succesful path he had managed to stear his machine. Yet giving any less than 3.5 stars to any of his mid to late-70’s albums just seems to be out of question. But again, owe it to Carlos’s positive psychology to account for such good ratings while I am not particularly fond of Latino- Caribbean influences.

Review by ZowieZiggy

The last studio album showed a kind of return to the Latin-rock influences (with some funky mix though). With “Amigos” the origins will be explored again (although there is a more commercial aproach here than before). Unfortunately, the funky mood will also remain.

From the very first notes of “Dance, Sister Dance” it seems that we are going back to the early seventies and that’s very fine with me (but the opener for “Festival” was also of that type and a bit misleading as far as the rest of the album was concerned) : good Latin rythmn full of percussions and good (but short) guitar breaks. Great bass work from David Brown. Percussions are great of course with “Chepito” and Armando (although Mike is gone), Carlos as usual, good backing vocals, and celestial keyboards from Tom Coster. An incredible rythmn throughout this song. A highlight.

“Take Me With You” reminds me of “Incident At Neshabur” from Abraxas. The keys here are gorgeous and the rythm is of the best Santana vein. The tempo is the same : crazy in its first half and quiter towards the finish. So far, this album is a very good surprise.

“Let Me” is jazzy/funk song of which I am not quite found.

“Gitano” as its title suggests (gypsy) has a flamenco flavour. Rythm is great but Spanish lyrics are rather weak : “Vengo de tierra lejana, Con mi guitarra en la mano” (I’m coming from far away, with a guitar in my hand) “Tengo notas de cariño, Para todos mis hermanos” (I have some tender notes, for all my brothers) Although lyrics were never the strong side of Santana, we are not reaching heaven here …Since I guess that a lot of fans donot really care about the “message” of Santana lyrics, this won’t hurt too much I guess.

“Tell Me, Are You Tired,” is a soul / funky tune which won’t be remembered for long. That’s for sure. It is the second very weak number here.

We have another appointment with the highest emotion with the following number. I guess everybody knows “Europa”. It’s the fifth declination of “Samba Pa’ Ti”. Superb guitar work of course : slow intro and then a fantastic and rageous guitar to finish : this is the same struture / mood than one can find in the mother song. It is of course a very commercial track, but I like it very much (even thirty years later). I can only say that, to my ears, they can produce one (or two) of this type on every single album : I will never complain.

“Let It Shine” starts like “Shaft” from Issac Hayes. Unfortunately, the song turns into a kind of dreadful gospel / funky tune.

The best goes along with the worst on this album. Three stars.

Santana Caravanserai (1972)

From fusion101radio.com

Perhaps it’s far too easy for the younger generation to underestimate the enormous influence that Santana had on the direction of progressive music in the early 70s and that’s a shame. Maybe their well-deserved inclusion on this site will go a long way towards rectifying that situation.

After establishing themselves as bonafied “Top 40” chart-toppers with their first three studio albums the group was expected to continue that trend with more of the same radio-friendly ditties.Instead, they shocked the listening public with an album that introduced the masses to the new and blossoming world of jazz rock fusion that was jetting across the planet just under the radar of popular acceptance.

“Caravanserai” was a real trip for the average Joe and not all of their fans were exactly thrilled trying to dance to odd time signatures but for many it opened a door to music that they didn’t know existed from bands like Return to Forever, Weather Report and The Mahavishnu Orchestra.

Now, don’t get me wrong. This album really doesn’t sound like any of those groups exactly. It went platinum because it’s still got that infectious, exciting Santana sound and groove that is undeniably addicting. But this one takes the listener on a fantastic journey I dare say is quite unlike any taken elsewhere. It stands alone in their vast catalogue of excellent musical offerings and I consider it their apex.

Along with Carlos’ stunning, emotionally inspired guitar playing, Michael Shrieve’s incredible drumming and the tandem of James Mingo Lewis & Jose Chepito Areas’ exemplary percussion are without peer in the timeframe this was released in. Even the gruff-voiced Greg Rolie (whom I always thought of as a weak link) surpasses all expectations and performs far beyond his perceived abilities. I’ll forego my usual song by song review and tell all of you that read this to simply experience the project as a whole.

There’s not a low point to be found and the highs are numerous and unforgettable. They created a work of art that is accessible and understandable to even the most casual progressive mind while weaving a tapestry of tones and rhythms that is indescribable. It simply must be heard to believe.

I encourage all who love great progressive music to experience it. You will not be disappointed. A very solid 5 stars.

Santana – Sacred Fire Live in Mexico (DVD) (1993)

From progarchives.com

Review by Ivan_Melgar_M

I must have seen Santana on stage at least 8 times plus a huge number of videos, concert films and bootlegs but never had the chance to appreciate him playing with such enthusiasm as in “Sacred Fire” filmed in his native Mexico.

Seems like the call of the blood is very strong in him and Carlos gives all he has for his people, this identification is so strong his musicians from different coutries seem inspired by this spirit and also offer us an spectacular performance with no weak spots..

If we need to talk about the musicians, it’s necessary to highlight the presence of Chester Thompson who is simply amazing with the keyboards. Sounds as a Cuban pianist when playing “Oye Como Va” by the “maestro” Tito Puente or the traditional “Guajira” with arrangements by José Chepito Areas (Legendary musician and former Santana percussionist), but he is also able to sound as a San Francisco Psychedelic keyboardist during the late 60’s in tracks as “Black Magic Woman” or “Soul Sacrifice”, there’s no difference for him, always adequate changing of style when required as a human chameleon.

Jorge Santana (Carlos youngest sibling) has a very similar guitar style to his famous brother but of course not as skilled (well hardly anybody is as skilled), despite this fact he’s always accurate, he even offers a couple of very convincing solos.

Traditionally the strength of Santana (Apart from the guitar) has rested in the rich and eclectic rhythm section and mainly in the percussion…..”Sacred Fire” is not the exception, Wilfredo Reyes on drums, the spectacular Raul Rekow in the congas and Karl Perazo playing the timbales make a perfect team with Myron Dove who adds the required power with his bass.

The vocals are also outstanding with the already member of Santana family Alex Ligertwood supported by the force of Vorriece Cooper.

I believe it’s unnecessary to talk about the individual tracks because all are well known including material from all his career, the sound is very good and the picture also but the most emotional sections are when Carlos Santana appears surrounded by beautiful Colonial landscapes from Mexico, specially in the nostalgic “Europe”.

But the review wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the public, who surrenders to their famous compatriot and some señoritas almost in a mystic trance showing a bit of their attributes to the cameras.

I don’t care if it’s 100% Prog or not, neither if some people believe I’m being subjective or consider me a fanboy, I honestly believe beyond any reasonable doubt than this release is 5 stars material, if you don’t own a Santana DVD, forget “Supernatural Live” and go for “Sacred Fire”, no possible regret.

Review by Gatot

During the days of laser disc (LD) era, I purchased this concert film and found it very entertaining. I always played it loud to get clear and best sound.

One thing that really makes this live album excellent is the fact that all players in the band contribute their performance energetically – not only play their instruments but also their stage acts.From the opening track “Angels All Around Us (introducción)” which features Carlos Santana’s guitar solo, it’s very obvious that it’s gonna be a great show.

It’s basically showcasing Carlos Santana himself without any band members. But the next track “Spirits Dancing In The Flesh” all the band members appear together and they perform excellently with their respective instrument. My favourite is the congas player Raul Rekow. Not that he plays his congas skillfully but more importantly he does it with charm and energy. He is so enthusiastic with his work. He rocks!

Under “Batuka” I can see an excellent blend of drum, guitar, congas and keyboard. Not only that, all musicians do excellent stage acts that really rock the audience. My astonishment with this live video is when “No One To Depend On” is performed beautifully. The song has been with me during my childhood and I cannot believe that I see them playing this favourite tune “live”. Oh, what a great performance! Not only that, each individual track is performed really well by the band. Again, I cannot believe it’s true that I can see them play another favourite of mine “Guajira” followed by “Open Invitation”.

Overall, this is truly an excellent show and it’s very enjoyable whether or not you like progressive music. It’s more on latin rock – and who in the world does not like latin music?

Santana Freedom (1987)

From progarchives.com

Review by Sean Trane

After the tremendously un-aptly titled Beyond Appearances, could Santana repeat its blunders? A wisearse might just actually say that they really tried hard but ultimately failed. And if it was not for three tracks, you could almost say that they came close to matching the poor predecessor.

Musically, most of the album sounds a lot like BA and its Jackson or Hall & Oates’s funk with those awful drum samplings, [&*!#]ty KB, and semi-danceable almost disco-aimed tracks. The major difference with Santana and the other groups (similar to those I mentioned above) is that Santana’s ethics made him and the boys still create a lot of place for great instrumental breaks (but nothing outside the usual completely worn-out path they got us so used to). Yes Santana was definitely aiming for radio airplay and dishing out a rather non-convincing cross of AOER and 80’s Motown funk. Not much positive can be said for the first side of the vinyl

And the second side is only saved by the delightful Mandela (reminiscent of Johnny Clegg) and the good closer Victim Of Circumstances, taking you (almost) back to the good days of mid- 70’s. I can draw a parallel with the 80’s Genesis saying that BA would be Invisible Touch and this one (Freedom) would be the “Shapes” album where you can still see periods of greatness. But certainly nothing warranting a spin or the acquisition.

Review by ZowieZiggy

 I’m afraid that I can use carbon paper to write my Santana reviews for this part of their catalogue. Since “Inner Secrets” in 1978, the work produced has been very, very weak. I only could find some good work with “Zebop” but the remaining part of their work of that era didn’t really bring me to the heights of delectation.

It is such a pity to hear one of my beloved band producing so many poor albums that I can only have a sad feeling about them. But, at the end of the day, I just want to give my opinion (as objective as I can be).

There has been change of styles of course during such a long time : from the most frenetic latin-rock of the early days to a more latin-jazz-oriented music we have ended … nowhere.

A part of the answer resides in the fact that some important members have left the band throughout the Santana life. I mentioned in my “Welcome” review that Rollie’s departure would have a major impact on Santana’s future. Not the near future since the band has released several good to very good albums (including “Welcome”) but rather the long run.

On the first four albums, Carlos did co-sign eighteen numbers out of thirty-seven, while Gregg was good for sixteen collaborations, Mike for nine and “Chepito for eleven (most of the songs were co-written). So, even if Carlos was the mainstream, it was pretty much a combined band effort which lead to those fantastic albums. Then little by little the inspiration will be weaker and will lead to another poor album.

The only good track (but do not expect a “chef- d’oeuvre”) is “Love Is You” so my rating for this album is unfortunately one star, again (disculpa Carlos, sorry Carlos).

Review by gatot

In terms of the band’s entire music career, this is not the album which received appreciation from the fans as well as music industry. But still, you can find excellent guitar melody unique to Santana which creates Latin rock nuance. Looking at the opening track “Veracruz” you might not expect that this song is played by Santana; because the music is very close to standard R&B music. The next track “She Can’t Let Go” is also another pop venture which, unfortunately, does not attract me to digest at all. But you might find the third track “Once It’s Gotcha'” which has better soul and composition. It sounds like normal R&B music but as the song moves along, there are textures that make this song beautiful especially through the insertion of guitar melody.

“Songs of Freedom” is another exploration of Santana into jazz-rock fusion kind of music especially this is characterized by the way bass guitar is played (similar to those of Stanley Clarke’s). “Deeper, Dig Deeper” tries to dig out what Santana’s sound like in the past through long guitar solo unique to Santana. “Victim of Circumstance” concludes the track with a music that combines old Santana sound (through guitar work) and disco music. The guitar solo is still nice to capture, but the music is not quite interesting to enjoy.

Overall, It’s really difficult to maintain band’s performance over time. This “Freedom” album tells us that the music of Santana is no longer like what it was great during late 60s or early seventies. I leave it up to you whether or not to buy this album, especially if you are die-hard fan of Santana. If you love the way Santana plays his guitar, some tracks featured here would satisfy you. But most of the songs featured here do not represent what Santana has done

Review by Tarcisio Moura

According to some reviews I got from the internet, Santana´s 1987 Freedom would be a “return to their earlier original sound”. Maybe they were influenced by the fact that the famous drummer and singer Buddy Miles is back on the fold, and bluesman Junior Wells plays harmonica on a couple of tracks, plus the fact that old chum Gregg Rolie appears somewhere too.

The cover of the album and its title also lead to that feeling. But upon listening to this record I get the same impression I got from the previous fiasco that was Beyond Appearances (1985): a producer´s take on trying to “modernize” the Santana music. So then again there they are: the same synthesizers and sequencers that were so ubiquitous at the time. For the second time it seems that Carlos Santana gave the “hip” producer the control of what would be recorded and how, at least most of it. The results are not as bad as the previous record, thanks to a better repertoire and the fact that there is only one singer this time. And yet, this is hardly the Santana sound we expect to hear.

Yes, you´ll find excellent trademark guitar lines and lots of latin percussion, but several songs are way too commercial, sanitized and bland to make this a really worthy effort. Love Is You for example shows the unmistakable style of a Carlos Santana solo, a real joy to hear, although the song itself is nothing special. The situation gets better on the second half of the CD, with Mandela and Deeper, Dig Deeper being the best tracks. But then we also have Before We Go, a tracks that is a pastiche of a ballad from Eric Clapton´s album August. If you know Clapton´s ballads of the period you get it.

So in the end I found Freedom not a bad album, it has its moments (if you don´t mind those typical synth sounds of the time), but far from anything he has done in the 70´s or even at the beginning of the 80´s. It would be a long way back to the top.