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Abraxas
Santana
1970
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!Really good at recreational drugs, very good at guitar, pretty good at polyrhythmic rock, only okay at turning it into songs.
So Mexico didn’t pay for the wall but I had tacos for dinner and Santana is awesome It’s hard for me to assign 5 stars to an album I’m mostly hearing for the first time (except a couple songs).. but I really got into this one. His guitar sound and riffs are so nice - and the other instruments esp percussion really create a certain feeling. I’m sure I’ll listen again
You know I love Santana. This one feels a lot more jammier than their debut. We do get some ventures into Jazz Rock on Incident at Neshabur. I don’t think anything is like mindblowingly incredible, but Carlos is ON POINT and the songs kick ass. They fuck. Not in love with the intro, but all the other songs absolutely go hard.
I really loved this album. Santana is such an incredible guitarist, and the arrangements on this album are so complex and interesting. An all timer.
Este disco me gustó mucho, y como comenté en MDH, creo que una razón por la que me gusta es porque no es "tan Santana", en el sentido de que por lo general se asocia a Santana con requintos atascadísimos y eternos de guitarra (no que sea algo malo, por cierto). Este disco no es "sólo" de requintos de Santana. Es una mezcla exquisita de rock ácido con influencias latinas y africanas. Just sit, listen, and relax.
Santana. That name says it all in regards to guitar, and music in general. this was the first album, I had heard of Santana growing up, and it is still an amazing listen to this day
Latin rock / psych rock / jazz fusion Heavily latin-influenced album that constantly transitions to new musical ideas, similar to prog rock. 9/10
whoa - this album is incredible. I went through Santana's wikipedia and they legitimately have 60 former members
Santana is undoubtedly a great guitar player. This album has black magic woman and oye como va. Overall the album isn't that great but santana needs a mention on this list
Honestly didn't really enjoy this. It hasn't aged well and it is certainly note memorable or remarkable. In fact, as I am writing this my memories of having heard this album are fading....
Very good, I love Santana. Black Magic Woman and Oyler Como Va were obviously the best, but all the songs were amazing
Sublime guitar work. Really can hear how he shape it for the next gen and the next gen
Wow! I came into this dreading an album full of 9 minute songs of musical masturbatory guitar solos, but that couldn't have been further from the case. The songs were short and rocking. Guitar work was tasteful and impressive and I was blown away by the percussion section. It felt like a jazz album of rock with a Latin feel.
It’s quite good, mixing their Latin music with the musical stylings of free form jazz to create an exiting listen
overall thoughts: honestly? a near-perfect if not perfect album. i could play this from beginning to end and not run into a song that don't hit. i mean, what's not to like?? sick guitar playing, percussion, keyboard, everythiiing. had a wicked headache before putting this record on, and guess what, I'm chill af now. gotta love psychedelic latin rock. a classic, 5/5. fave tracks: black magic woman, samba pa ti, mother's daughter, oye como va, hope you're feeling better (they're all great tho)
Another amazing one! Loved Santana as a kid but don’t think I realized he was making this stuff back in 1970. Killer
Now this is the stuff I'm talking about. Smooth, sexy, and confident, but with an underlying rhythmic thrust that keeps driving forward. You have classics like Black Magic Woman and Oye Come Va on this and one of the most visually striking covers ever so...come on.
Santana could probably record his fart sounds played over guitar and drums and I would love it
Fucking kickass album. Favorite tracks are Black Magic Woman, Mother's Daughter, and Oye Como Va.
4.5/5 Quite a bit of variety, consistently exciting. Still coming around to Oye Como Va.
This is a staple album, definitely belongs on this list. Santana is an incredible guitarist and musicion, blending his culture with some amazing classic rock styles. Must listen.
Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen is a great track. Oye Como Va is also pretty sick. Incident at Neshabur is also also pretty sick. Really enjoy Mother's Daughter and Samba Pa Ti is also great - loving this album so far! Hope You're Feeling Better is sick. Honestly, what a great album! Every song is at least good and nearly all are great. First time listening through a full Santana album and I don't regret it.
Wow… what an album! Of course I was super familiar with “Black Magic Woman” and “Oye Cómo Va" and went in loving them. But hearing these in the context of the album was almost like hearing them for the first time with “Singing Winds, Crying Beasts” leading in and “Gypsy Queen” in between taking these songs to an entirely new level. I’ve really been missing out only hearing them as singles. Side A is rounded out by “Incident and Neshabur” - another fantastic song. It’s complex with time signature changes flowing along on a wave of incredible percussion - an utter joy to experience. I can only imagine how great this would be live. Side B doesn’t let up and I absolutely loved it at first listen. From the joyous instrumental “Se a Cabo” into the sultry opening of “Mother’s Daughter” there is a lot to love here. The vocal performance in the latter is fantastic. A great song that I’m surprised I haven’t heard before. “Samba Pa Ti” I have heard before somewhere, but not sure it was from Santana. Really beautiful song with some incredible guitar work. “Hope Your Feeling Better” leans more towards a funk/rock vibe supported by that incredible organ and guitar work that runs through the entire album. The album closes with and exciting finish on the percussive chant-heavy “El Nicoya.”
I am certainly familiar with Santana, but I have never listened to this (nor any Santana) album before. I was quite pleased with it all. Honestly, previous to listening to this album, I thought that I didn't like Santana in that way. The occasional song here and there was all I thought that I was interested in. I have changed my mind on that for sure...at least for this album. I will check some other Santana albums out now too.
Santana is its own thing, isn't it? Like a genre unto itself. Instantly recognizable but hard to describe. It's even more interesting to me as the songs are from a variety of songwriters (Fleetwood Mac! Tito Puente!) and yet sound so cohesive. How is it that no one else plays the guitar like that? Copyright? Trademark? I mean, 29 years later, with another big hit album, you knew it was Santana again. Having never heard this album besides the two big songs, I really loved the ride this took me on.
An incredible album even by today's standards. This is easily one of Santana's finest works that continues to offer me joy with each listen. Favorites: "Black Magic Woman", Oye Como Va", "Hope You're Feeling Better"
Brilliant fusion of jazz rock funk soul latin music. 1970 as well, i didn’t know how early this was. I could listen to this all day and not get bored or annoyed.
Not a single weak song on this whole album. I only knew the singles but I thought every track held up. Hard to believe this gem is over 50 years old, it feels just as fresh today. 5/5 stars
I got a black magic woman Got me so blind I can't see That she's a black magic woman She's tryin' to make a devil out of me
First intentional brush with the legend, and I think it was an incredible first brush.
Excellent fusion of genres. You have latin, jazz, blues-rock, and jam all under the hood on Abraxas. This album captures a lot of different ideas that were happening at the time in music and presents it masterfully to the world.
Thia album is beautiful, so much going on- so much rythemic and melodic texture, some of the songs even move like mini classical pieces with the way they proceed and resolve. The standout for me is Incident at Neshabur. Of course, Oye Como Va is a standout as well-along with the other hit Black Magic Women. All in all, amazing!
Love me some Santana! Amazing guitar and great mix of rock, Latin flair and jazziness...just so entertaining and fun musically! Listened to this during my childhood and it more than holds up!!
I know I've heard this before and remember thinking it was pretty cool. Some cruisy Latin nonsense is just what I need to ease me through this morning's mild hangover. 4/5.
I've listened to Black Magic Woman before, of course. "Accidentally", thanks to its reach, and on purpose a few times at least. It's a fine song if familiar. On Abraxas, its position in the tracklist does no favors. The harshest juxtapositions between rock and jazz are there, but they turn out to be evidence of the band dipping in and out of genre before weaving the rest of the tracks masterfully. There's a lot of range on the rest of the record, and as far as I can tell the keystone is the percussion, informing the electric instruments and blending in the jazzier elements. Fantastic playing and no drags.
Chill and vibrant, with many colors. Good background, didn't pay enough attention to songs with lyrics unfortunately.
The problem I always have with Santana is that the instrumentals always sound like they were designed to have a lyric, it's just been removed, or the track has remained unfinished. The vocal tracks are awesome though, and obviously the guitar is stunning throughout. This is a really good album to stick on while you're doing other things.
Cool, classic rock, with a little Latin flair - exactly what I expect from Santana. Black Magic Woman is iconic.
Mucho mejor de lo que me esperaba. Sí, es un disco que tiene canciones que quemaron hasta durante la cena en bodas y graduaciones, pero poniéndolo en su contexto original debió ser un disco que sorprendía la gente y le presentaba ritmos latinos y bailables a los rockeros y hippies. Me gustó aprender que 'Black Magic Woman' es un cover a Fleetwod Mac y me gustó en especial 'Incident at Neshabur' en la que ponen el énfasis en el piano y la guitarra haciendo una especie de duelo.
Tengo sentimientos encontrados con Santana. Por un lado es el disco que más canciones tiene que creo conoce el mundo, es una perfecta mezcla de rock-jazz fussion-salsa que te hace vibrar con cada instrumento. Por el otro lado no dejo de pensar en un maestraxo de música que tuve y era contemporáneo de Santana y decía que lo que tocaba Carlos era amanzapendejos por qué siempre hace los mismos shrederings solo que con diferente distorsion, repetitivos una y otra vez. Pero 3ste dicho en especial si me gusta
Love the atmospheric instrumental opening. Really got lost in it. Kinda prefer the more instrumental passages throughout the album.
heard alot of these tracks in passing (radio, random occurences) but man this guy knows how to make the guitar sing
This album showcases why Santana is considered one of the greatest guitarists ever. Giving mixes of jazz, rock, funk and of corse Latin dance rhythms. Most would be turned off by mixing of so many sounds in one album but for Santana it's a stage for how great his music really is. Transcending genres and remaining timeless.
Good Album! Knew a lot of the songs, just didn’t know they were all from the same album!
Aunque el inicio no me encanta, siento que el album va de 'menos' (Black Magic Woman) a (mucho) más (Mother's-Samba-Hope). Al inicio de las 3 vueltas no me sentía muy atraído pero constantemente retomó mi atención hacia el final, es momento de fiesta y alguien deme una cerveza!! El uso de otros sonidos lo hace agradable sin ser muy denso o ecléctico. Termina por ser muy disfrutable y variado, momentos lentos, de muchas percusiones o incluso pesados. Los riffs son una maravilla y la ejecución es perfecta. 3.5 que sube a 4. Songs: Mother's Daughter, Hope You're Feeling Better, Samba Pa Ti
Liked it a lot. Didn't know Black Magic Woman was covered in this album too. Really dug the soft instrumentals and the feel of the album as a whole. 8/10.
Music you can get lost in... A remarkable listen, with a good mix of straight-shooting hard rock and Latin jazz instrumental classics. Also nice that it’s short and sweet, and doesn’t prolong the fun. STANDOUTS: -Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen -Oye Como Va -Incident at Neshabur -Mother’s Daughter -Samba Pa Ti -Hope You’re Feeling Better
It's a classic, and even though I'm no big fan of Santana's later output, I recognize he was at his most creative here.
I really enjoyed this blend of Latin and rock music. And this was also pushed higher because I recently learned Santana is apart of ringos all star band which is pretty neat
I don’t quite think this should be a 4, but I went back and forth on going higher or lower and finally settled on giving it the four. There were plenty of cool songs on here and the others were solid jams, but not the most interesting. Solid album. Favorite track(s): “Black Magic Woman,” “Mother’s Daughter,” and “Hope You’re Feeling Better”
I wasn't expecting the majority of the album to be instrumental, but I enjoyed it a lot despite that. I could see myself putting this on in the background while I work.
Schwül, heiß, pulsierend. So viel zum - absolut korrekten - Klischee. Und ich finds geil und wäre gern dabei gewesen; glaube die Raves damals waren ziemlich wild! Gewinne aber (neu, erst beim jetzigen Durchhören aufgefallen) den Eindruck, dass so einige Leute aus Düsseldorf dieser Platte und bei Santanas Live-Performances sehr gut zugehört und das dann in ihre spezifische Form neuer deutscher Musik aka Krautrock mit einfließen lassen haben. Freut mich sehr!
some iconic songs for sure, but when I think of the actual album I just remember the part from A Serious Man where he doesn't want Columbia House to send him Santana Abraxas
The problem I always have with Santana is that the instrumentals always sound like they were designed to have a lyric, it's just been removed, or the track has remained unfinished. The vocal tracks are awesome though, and obviously the guitar is stunning throughout. This is a really good album to stick on while you're doing other things.
This album highlights Santana as a solo act (still with his band), but without a parading group of featured artists. His iconic guitar soars as several of his more memorable tracks emerge from this record, in a much more polished effort from his debut.
Guitar-centric Similar electric organ/synths to Bitches Brew Same album artist did Abraxas as Bitches Brew
It was good. Had some songs I'd heard outside of this album but it's a good distillation of his work
Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va, the main draws that gave this album worldwide acclaim, are good. Liking this Latin Rock. nice stuff.
It's Santana. This album features THE classic Santana guitar tone, music style, level of expression, and so on. Not my absolute favourite so gets 4/5 but probably should get 5/5
The album starts strong but looses a bit of steam about halfway through. I still enjoyed it overall, although not as much as other Santana albums.
Shockingly accessible for a guitar driven album. The melodies felt familiar. Very listenable and enjoyable.
Pretty great album, fusing rock, latin music, and jazz in a really coherent way. Closer to a 4.5
i hope spider dijon was on bongos for this album. i enjoyed this more than i was expecting.
Really interesting combination of 70s classic rock and more world music latin vibe. Great guitarwork and drumming throughout.
In my late teens and twenties, I listened to Santana with some frequency, and saw them in concert a couple times. I can't quite explain why, but in the decades since I just kind of lost interest in them, while other bands I listened to from both that era and genre in music and time in my life are still interesting to me. I suppose that's a reflection of how personal tastes and interests wax and wane and evolve over time. Long windup for me to say that this is the first time in a long, long time I've listened to Santana. I enjoyed quite a few tracks on this one. Some truly great musicianship and performances. Glad I had the opportunity to listen to this all the way through.
Genuinely a little surprised by how much I liked this album. For an album clearly recorded to be listened to whilst high, none of the songs stayed around too long and flowed nicely.
I was glad to see Santana on the list as I have always enjoyed his music, albeit more from a singles perspective. Abraxas is no exception with two great singles that I have loved for 40 years. The rest of the album is good from largely an instrumental perspective, and makes for great background music. This is where I wish a 10 point system was being used because I would give it a 9. As it is, it isn’t quite a 10.
Really good instrumental and melody in the album. Moved my body while listening to the album.
En este disco esta todo lo que conozco de Santana. Para mi lo mejor fue la base rítmica. Bajo y batería
Hieno levy ja vaikken usein niitä samoja vakkari-Santanoja jaksa kuunnella, niin tässä meni ympäri muutamaan kertaan ja mieluusti
I shouldn't assume my childhood tastes are the same as my adult tastes. I went into this with memories of childhood listens and the thought "Okay 3-stars, let's get this over with". I was so wrong. I'm toying with the idea of giving this a 5-star, but it isn't quite perfect.
An absolute classic. The rhythmic percussions and hypnotic guitar combine to make this album an escape from everything else around you.
Surprised that I didn't listen to this one sooner. I was introduced to Santana by the song Smooth which was probably not the best. This was a lot more fun than his 1999 release, Supernatural.
One of those never aging classic albums I can always go back and listen to (which I often do).
This album contains multiple classic Santana songs that I was unaware are on the same album. Of the lesser known songs, I enjoyed "Hope You're Feeling Better." The whole album is enjoyable. There's really not a single song I'd want to skip. It's also very classic Santana. A very worthwhile listen.
Didn't have the time that I'd like to focus and listen a few times but I enjoyed the time I had with this album today. Great guitar, organ, and percussion. I particularly liked Mother's Daughter.
Listening to Santana makes you want to dance all night long beachside with a margarita in one hand as Santana's band played on till early at dawn.
Hard to top songs like Oye Como Va and Black Magic Woman when you put them at the start of the album. That being said, Carlos Santana is one of the greats. Super solid record. Give it a listen
Not sure how much the cover art influenced my decision to pull this out the Electric Fetus record store’s used bin back in 1984, but I’m pretty sure it factored into the decision. Cool riffs from Carlos throughout - love the pop songs, and the rest is good too.
I have heard "Black Magic Woman" and "Oye Cómo Va" from this album, and a few other tracks from Santana many times before. This might be my first listen to a full album from the band. My favorite tracks may have been the instrumental tracks (from beginning to end), but I liked every track. An easy 4 stars.
Absolutely love Santana and was looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, it seems like this is pretty much his weakest record. The three opening songs in particular are rather weak (especially the massively overrated Oye Como Va). From Incident at Nashbur on the album was pure fire however, right up to the outro which was a bit of a stinker again. I'd really like to give this a 4.5. The amazing parts are absolutely amazing and tracks 4-8 are a straight 5. But tracks 1/3/9 are a 3 at best. Rounding this down because Santana really can (and did) do better than Abraxas.
Not as guitary as I was expecting. Very groovy, of course. Bit bothered that most of the songs with English lyrics are of the 'evil woman' school.
Estupendo álbum con ritmos caribeños y muy evocadores. Virtuoso de la guitarra. Canciones muy representativas
what a MONSTER rhythm section - hard driving, with a great swing in the grooves. the whole album sounds like sunshine - the happy side of the hippy dream
Oh that guitar playing. So damn good. I'm sure there are better guitar players from a technical perspective, but not many that can play with such feeling. Samba Pa Ti in particular is incredibly beautiful. Great album. 4 stars.
An old favorite of mine growing up. My opinion on it has cooled a bit, but it’s still lovely to go back and revisit!
Santana is the Michael Jackson of guitar players. You have to hear one of his albums in its entirety. You don’t have to like it, just listen. (7/10) FT: Oye Como Va, Black Magic Woman, Samba Pa Ti
A great Santana album. I really appreciate the use of vocals in the album. Without any, it would feel a little dry, but they use just enough to keep things interesting while still letting Carlos Santana's guitar work speak for itself. Some instantly recognizable songs on this album. Would definitely listen again!
Latin-flavoured, mostly instrumental rock with a 70s touch. Nice flow for background listening, though I have to be in the mood for this cuban-style kind of music. 3.5/5
It was bloomin great. Oye Como Va, Samba Pa Tiand Black Magic Woman are all absolutely brilliant and all on my summer BBQ playlist now. The rest is all solid, Latin grooves, some great keyboard (Rhodes I think?) Leading everything, with Santana's lovely smooth distortion zipping over it. Absolutely lovely.
Brilliant. 4/5 Standouts: Black Magic Woman, Oye como Va, Samba Pa Ti, Hope You're Feeling Better.
Carlos Santana is an unbelievable guitarist but I don’t need to tell you that. His riffs are incredible but personally I can’t give this a 5 only because listening to this straight through wasn’t my ideal jam. Still, a great album!
Goodness me, that's quite a lot of art on the cover. So many things to look at. Honestly, I can't look away. I hope this album sounds like it looks! A h, yes, I've always had quite a soft spot in my heart for Oye Como Va. Besides Black Magic Woman I was not previously familiar with the songs on this album. Incident at Neshabur was a particular highlight, but really I enjoyed it all.
Honestly so close to giving this a 5 star but it is hard to know when to save them for the super special things. It is 100% a 4.5 though, what let it down was just one slightly meandering song. Absolutely LOVED listening to this, did 2 rounds back-to-back and enjoyed it so much. The mix of slow and sexy, fun and up beat, relaxing and tranquil, mix of genres. SO great
Love Santana! This isn't my fave of their albums but Oye Como Va is SUCH an undeniable fucking banger!!! WHAT a tune.
Expected an ok album with just 2 famous hits. Instead heard an impressively cohesive album that innovates in an inviting way. From the sound of it, they're a bluesy jam band that incorporates Latino percussion (and guitar play and singing in the first few tracks) and jazz fusion in several others. The production is fantastic. It's psychedelic in its echoey sound and smooth transitions between tracks. As a fan of bands like Malo and Chicago, blending Latino and jazz without sounding rough around the edges is one way to keep me engaged. Unfortunately, they mostly abandon both genres in the second half, with "El Nicoya" teasing us. Still, all the tracks have something to offer. After out 2 big hits, "Incident at Neshabur" goes big on jazz, and "Se a Cabo" on instrumental hard Latino rock (with some jazz). "Mother's Daughter" is the bluesiest jam track, but a really good one at that. "Samba Pa Ti" is a softer jam track with Latino percussion, a pleasant listen. Finally, "Hope You're Feeling Better" is a psychedelic jam piece, also really decent.
I always had an aversion to Santana due to his collaboration with Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20) which never sat right with me. But due to exposure from my father-in-law my ears have been more open to it. Was pleasantly surprised with listening through on this album.
Argued with myself on this one, undeniably a great album but you have to be in the right mood/frame of mind to listen to it.
2 huge Santana hits that would make anyone dance (Black magic woman and Oye como va) on there, but there's just too many instrumental songs/parts of songs for me to give 4 stars.
First Santana record I listened too. Knew "Black Magic Women" and "Oye Como Va". "Samba Pa Ti" has a killer guitar sound and feel but beyond this this album did not move me too much.
Classic Latin Rock. It's nice to have in the background but beyond that doesn't do a ton, but it's definitely culturally significant, 3.5 down to 3.
Its okay. I really enjoyed Black Magic Woman and Incident at Neshabur, nice mostly instrumental album.
I appreciate the skillful and soulful guitar work, the songs themselves don't do much for me.
Though pretty dated and is clearly the showcase for black magic woman & oye como va, it is a solid and energetic, groove-infused album. Not a giant fan of the date electronic keyboards and percussion as the message, but still give props.
i like it but it don’t have anything special to make me wanna give it more than 3 stars
Instrumental, meant to be listened to as a whole. Really nice. Samba Pa Ti, Singing Winds, Crying Beasts and Incident at Neshabur were the best.
Me encuentro muy como al inicio cuando tocaron los Doors. Creo que Santana es un gran guitarrista, tiene técnica, inventiva y suficientes credenciales para callar a cualquiera. Su música es música que he escuchado muchísimas veces, es buena; esa mezcla de rock con ritmos latinos pero no solo ritmo latino realmente es más mezcla con jazz fusion latino. Creo todo un género y manera de arreglar canciones realmente a lo "chicano." Tiene todo ese crédito y más pero realmente, yo ya no lo aguanto. No puedo escuchar más sus versiones de Black Magic Woman u Oye Cómo Va. Este es un disco y una manera tan particular de tocar que ya para mi gusto tengo demasiado quemado y desgastado. Se que es bueno, me gustó en su momento pero ya no es para mí. Por cierto que siempre he pensado que Samba Pa Ti, que es la única canción de este disco que escribió él, es la menos aguantable (en este caso es una canción que nunca he tragado). Tiene puntos altos porque en el pasado me gustó y aprecio su importancia; simplemente creo es mejor que cortemos por lo sano Don Carlos.
Anders als erwartet, irgendwie mehr jazzige Einflüsse als Gitarrengewichse. Dennoch recht Café del Mar Sampler tauglich, durchwegs gefällig, teils hypnotisch/krautige Bass Läufe, im besten Fall haben sich auch mal Zeitgenossen von D.Banhart über Destroyer bis Woods bedient („Incident at Neshabur“). Ein Album, das nichts konkret will und in den besten Momenten alles sein kann. Cambozola-cremige 3.4
* Singing winds has a really chill sound, and the way they used the cymbal to sound like wind is super cool. * Black Magic Woman has a great sound to it with a nice bass-line, and subtle conga drums. But then at around 3:50 it takes off. Probably live this is a great part of the song, but listening by myself I'll be happier when it ends. * Oye Como Va is one of my all time favorite songs. I think it's on queue in my head to play at a moments notice. I could probably recognize it after 2 notes, including the one bass note and one keyboard chord. It's no wonder that genius.com translates "oye como va" to "listen, how it goes, my rhythm". * Incident at Neshabur (Neyshabur sp?) is complex, but on rhythm. Chaotic until about 3:00. And it's no wonder its on beat, because Carlos Santa did "lead guitar, vocals, and percussion" * Se a Cabo has a bunch of frilled solos noodling, probably fun in concert. The conga solo at 1:35 is pretty cool. I also like the big-band like un-mic-ed band singing "Se a Cabo" lines. But the guitar is what I didn't enjoy as much. * Mother's Daughter has great a great rythm and bass combo to start. But then takes off into the kind of chaotic noodling I'm not a super fan of. Then the lyrics cool it off and it becomes good again. * Samba Pa Ti, didn't even notice this song played and finished. * Hope You're Feeling Better is a good song, I like that there are lyrics to it. I would listen to it on the Radio without turning, but I wouldn't play it on purpose. * El Nicoya - I love the singing in the beginning of the song. Ooh and acoustic guitar, yes! Ok it's getting a bit repetitive now during the bongo solo. Aaand the track is over.
I think my opinion on this album is going to be very unpopular. First the positives. The keys solo on Oye Como Va is amazing. Incident at Neshabur is also really good but still not as good as most songs from some other fusion groups. Generally, I found the album kind of boring. Also, it didn't seem locked in all the time. People were off the beat on a lot of songs and I'm not sure if it was intentional but I didn't really like it. I'm also not a huge fan of Carlos Santana's tone or solos. It's not really that innovative or interesting. I really don't get the hype. Some of it sounds like it's trying to be jazz but it's not competent as a jazz album which bothers me. It's still okay but it's not great in my opinion. Favorite Songs: Oye Como Va, Incedent at Neshabur, Se A Cabo, Hope You're Feeling Better Least Favorite Songs: Singing Winds, Crying Beasts; Samba Pa Ti Strong 6/10
Some very cool riffs in this album, "smooth" music that is nice to listen to. Don't know if I'd return to it much past that, but still an enjoyable listen Saved: Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen
This is some pretty great music and I liked it for the most part but I felt it became somewhat tiring by the middle. Then it kind of gives you a break with Samba Pa Ti and finishes ok. It has some killer tracks but I don't think it flows that well as an album.
Pretty okay as far as people showing off how good they are at instruments music goes. Probably because it comes with a sense of musicianship, danceability and songcraft that most prog (I’ve discovered, for me) seems to lack.
It took a few tracks for me to get into it, but it's a decent slice of Latin rock. "Se a Cabo" and "Hope You're Feeling Better" were the highlights.
nice and refreshing album, cool vibes and good music. was missing some lyrics but overall enjoyed it
First songgg singing winds, crying beasts. Lowkey eerie start with the wind chimes and wind and threatening piano. Ooh now some geetar. Gotta expect that from santana. It’s starting to get more groovy I like it. Ooh yes get it bass. Some keyboard. Bling boing boing. Elevator sounding shi. A little bored. I like it but I’m a little bored. Really nice and groovy though I will say. Chill. Also side note I love the album cover like what is it? Idk but I absolutely love it. Psychedelic man. Next one, track two, is incident at neshabur. THIS defines elevator music. Definitely more interesting though now. Is Santana prog rock/psych? That’s the feel I’m getting. Ooh that guitar is fantasmic. So chill and nice. I would listen to this at a spa while getting a massage or something. BASS. Piano do be tinking. Oh shoot sorry it was on shuffle track to is actually black magic woman/gypsy queen and the other one is track 4. I’ve heard black magic woman before and I already love it so yeah it’s just amazing 10/10. Mmmm so good. Whoever’s singing is so smooth too (pun intended). Ok now 3 oye como va. I like the organ. Nice n groovy. I skipped four cuz I listened to it already but now it’s five, mother’s daughter. I like this one a lot the bass is so nice and the guitar is so awesome I love the tone of it. Ooh yes more singing. Yes please keep it coming. Geeeeetarrrrrr. Next is track six samba pa ti. This is my favorite one musically. It tickles the eardrums quite nicely. Yes I love this one. Track 7, hope your feeling better. Start that organ off with a bang wooooo. Alright this one is catchy some more singing I like it. Some claps now alright. I can’t get over this guitar tho it is actually so great. All improvisation and still awesome. Last song is track 7, el nicoya. What do all these titles mean? Idk. Some chanting and Congo drums. Interesting. Alright all done. I liked the album it was all improvising and chill psychedelic grooving which I liked. I will say though you have to really be in the mood for chill psychedelic stuff to listen to this album and if your not in the mood it’s lowkey boring. Really cool though Ill give it 6/10 stars.
A neat blend of psychedelic blues rock and latin jazz. The Tito Puente cover was nice, and I never realized "Black Magic Woman" wasn't originally a Santana song (it was originally a Fleetwood Mac song). Makes me envision The Allman Brothers getting lost in the desert and doing some peyote. Favorite tracks: "Incident at Neshabur", "Mother's Daughter"
Of course the famous tracks but the rest meanders like a muddy river. Notable for Latin+Rock but my favorites of his come much later.
If I hadn't heard Santana's other albums I would've said this was flawless, but given a side-by-side comparison of this and their debut, I would have to say this pales in comparison.
This album makes me think of work, specifically those people that excel in one particular aspect of their job and have no interest in working on their weaknesses, being well rounded, and becoming truly exceptional. In many cases they don’t really have weaknesses because they rise above in anything they put effort into. Their only weakness is the lack of drive to become more. They just want to work on what they enjoy and dig in as deep as they can. On one hand, there is something to be admired about someone knowing, and sticking to, what they like. On the other hand, the main takeaway for me is lost potential. Like what if Elton John had just said fuck it, I am a piano wizard and I don’t need lyrics. What if he never paired up with Bernie Taupin? I would probably not care much for Elton John’s music catalogue, and I don’t think we’d be calling him Sir. Santana’s lead guitar work is top notch. It’s beautiful. The Latin instrumental stuff (conga, timbales, etc.) is good, don’t get me wrong. However, there is just too much instrumental on its own. This is not all to say that instrumental albums can’t be interesting. They can be interesting, but they usually serve a specific mood, and the artist must commit to being an instrumentalist. Abraxas can’t decide if it’s a rock album or an instrumental album. That’s a problem. There are only 5 (of 9) songs with lyrics, and two of them repeat the same line or two the whole song. This leaves just 3 songs that are stimulating lyrically, which is the Achilles heal for this album. I am most pleased to have been introduced to Mother’s Daughter, which is the standout song for me on this album.
TIL that Carlos Santana was not the lead singer of Santana. "Mother's Daughter" was when it occurred to me - it was not the voice I was expecting. I only previously knew "Black Magic Woman" and "Oye Como Vas" from this album, and always assumed it was Santana singing. Speaking of that singing, when the album transitions from more Latin-influenced or traditional songs back to more typical classic rock, the singers powerful voice coming back has a bit of a jarring effect. While I enjoy bands with the ability to interweave multiple styles into a cohesive whole, I don't think it feels cohesive with "Abraxas." It feels like two completely different bands. Both decent-to-good, but neither really stand out.
Actually pretty groovy. I'm not mad on Santana - he makes a good sound, but after a while the tone gets kind of boring for me and it all starts to sound a bit samey. But I really enjoyed the Latin influences on this album, and it does a pretty good job of sounding sexy. Oye Como Va is always gonna be a classic
A totally smooth album filled with what Santana are known for, cool latin/jazz fusion rock. Best: Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen Worst: Samba Pa Ti
Would be a nice album to listen to on a lazy summer afternoon sinking a few cold boys.
Gypsy woman is fantastic enjoyed the harmonics guitar with vocals Oye como ve is another really good song I enjoyed hope your feeling better even though the lines were repetitive. The rest of the album was Santana being santana.
After only really experiencing post Smooth-era Santana, this was a breath of fresh air and made it rather obvious what founded the band's legacy. A lot more mellow and groove-heavy than the flashy guitar show-off that I've heard of him. Of course it's a little bit lengthy on the endless noodling side, but, still, a good show.
Första låten agerar ett långt intro till en jävla KLASSIKER i form av Black Magic Woman. Otroliga Guitar Hero 3- flashbacks. En helt fantastisk låt såklart. Resten av albumet följer egentligen samma stil. Ganska unikt album!
Very guitarry, very tropical, very Santana. This is palm beach, coctel, hawaiian shirt type of music. But it's also south-American rhythms, cuba and cigars. And Santana with his guitar in the middle of this craziness trying to make sense of it all. Sometimes, it does make sense. Some other times, it doesn't. "Oye como va" sounds out of place, and I wonder if I have come to actually dislike this song because it feels like an intruder in this bunch.
Nice melodies and jazz like solos. But I couldn't really get into the album. "Black Magic Women / Gypsy Queen" my favourite song on the album.
p218. 1970. 2022-01-14. 3 stars Early 70s samba jazz rock and ace guitar, vague Doors-ish echoes. Slightly bland. Cool background summer music :)
Tiene una buena mezcla de sonidos. Me gusta mucho que se perciba el rock, el jazz, el blues y la salsa. Se puede apreciar la influencia latinoamericana de Carlos Santana. Calificación: 3/5. Agradable de escuchar.
First time listening to Santana and I liked it very much! His name and the album cover had already lifted my expectations, and the music lived up to it! I did hope for more psychedelia, but the other elements I was not expectating made up for it.
Really great guitar playing, but that doesn't mean it's super standout album all the way through. Enjoyed it, but feels a 3.5. I didn't realize Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va were both covers. Way to make 'em popular, Santana!
I wreszcie jakas odmiana pomiedzy przeskakiwaniem uk i us, wiec latino rokowanie w wykonaniu bandy Santana, ktora swoja nazwe bierze od lidera formacji pana Carlosa Santany, tytul abraxas jest referencja do demiana hessego, krazek z 1970, nagrywany w hameryce, na zachodnim wybrzezu, co ma niewatpliwy wplyw na to jak brzmi ten album, bo ekipa santany, to miks latynosow i bardziej bialych hamerykanow, wiec plyta dwu jezykowa, chociaz i tak blizej jej do instrumentalnego albumu, bo trzy kawalki sa spiewane po angielsku przez klawiszowca Gregga Rolie, reszta jest instrumentalno latynoska, bo jakas liryka jest, ale sa to glownie rytmowe chorki, szesciosobowy sklad w ktorym jest podwojna perkusja i congi, jak na muzyke latino przystalo, bo gatunkowo najlatwiej nazwac to latino rokiem, ale rownie dobrze pasuje fuzujacy jazz na sambowych rytmach, albo mozna jak na discogu cala litanie Afro-Cuban, Fusion, Samba, Blues Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Chicano Rock, wiec bogaty miks, nawet jesli chodzi o zlistowane traki, to w 37 mintuach i 9 trakach jest wmieszanie orginalnego kontentu z coverami szlagierow jak oye como va, pana Tito, ktory juz sie przewinal przez liste, to wlasnie coverami stoi plyta, bo sa one najbardziej sluchanymi utworami wedlug spotifaja, poza Samba Pa Ti, ktory jest orginalnym santanowym kawalkiem, co do plejkowych pickow to zdecydowanie titowy cover i hope you are feeling better, ktory najblizej podchodzi pod psychodeliczne brzmienie, ktore jest zarzucane plycie, dodatkowo ostro porobione wokale, brzmiace prawie jak cos beatlesowego, czuje ze tej bandy o wiele lepiej sluchaloby sie na zywca, bo 37 minut plyty to zbyt malo jak na tak roznorodne granie
The second half of 'incident at neshabur' sounds like the soulful instrumental tracks that Van creates. They appeared in concert together once with Dylan and Bono. What a concert that would have been.
Pretty good! Nothing that blew me away or had me salivating with excitement, but wouldn’t turn it off if it came on. Not high praise but suitable for the music I think. Reckon you’d only manage one Santana album before you’d be sick of it though…
Pretty good (if overrated) moment in psyche-rock/jazz fusion. This wants to be a Latin-flavored intermediary between Axis (Bold As Love) and Bitches Brew. It doesn't really hit the highs of either Hendrix or Davis, but it does showcase some serious talent. It's like an unfocused but tighter studio album from a jam band - there's talent there, but not from anyone with a clear, concise vision.
I vibed with this - a relaxed but lively listen with enough variety to be interesting throughout. A good album to play whilst cooking I reckon. Once the album finished a few songs from Supernatural auto-queued and they had exactly the pizazz I think Abraxas was missing tho. A solid 7/10
A great mix of classic rock and latin sounds. No surprise why Santana became a legend. I enjoyed it but it wasn't something I'll really go back to.
Great album. Not much else to say here. It's in my rotation for a while now and I don't see me getting bored with it.
Quite good fun. A couple of his most well known tracks here but the others stand up well on their own. A jam album with some fantastic instrumentalism going on.
I have this on vinyl and have always enjoyed it. It’s not great, but just good. You have to be in the mood for Santana, and luckily I was. There are some of their classic hits, mixed in with some all around good tunes.
Jazzy Latin Rock. 3 big tracks on here...C Santana is undoubtedly a great guitarist . I find it a bit wearing after a whole album (you need to be in the mood for that percussion) but it is solid stuff. 3
The LP is at its best when it takes on the frantic but freewheeling energy found in 'Se a Cabo' and ;Hope You're Feeling Better,' but often eschews these joyrides for bogged-down noodling and annoyances like 'Oye Como va'
It's a very good instrumental album (or almost instrumental), but nothing very special to me.
Highlights: Black Magic Woman, Oye Como Va Latin-inspired jam-band aesthetics, I pretty much grew up with this album playing in the background, but I never much enjoyed it. Listening here, I still don't...I find jam bands in general to be meandering and pointless most of the time, with hints at accidental brilliance. I prefer finished music, please experiment on your own time. Having said that, I do find Oye Como Va to be a relaxing and enjoy able track, and Black Magic Woman is definitely classic. I just can't get into the rest of the album.
si je veux écouter de telles sonorités je me rends dans le bar lounge de mon hôtel, en aucun cas je ne lance le générateur des 1001 ALBUMS À ÉCOUTER AVANT DE MOURIR
Lots of musical masturbation here. I've never been able to completely define why I dislike Santana's music, and listening to this didn't help much. Carlos Santana seems like a genuinely decent fella. He's engaging and charismatic in interviews. Maybe it's the curse of being subjected to "Smooth", a truly awful musical moment. I love Black Magic Woman - the ORIGINAL version, written and performed by Fleetwood Mac. Santana's version is the most well known, and it's fine, it just pales in comparison. Oye Come VA is the preferred track here This album doesn't annoy me enough to rate it a 1, but a 2 feels like an act of goodwill. You're better off seeking the Fleetwood Mac version of Black Magic Woman and a deeper dive into Pete Green's guitar work.
I was watching the grand prix and eating Rolos, when the phone went. I pick it up and it's a wrong number and they hung up on me. So, I phoned them back and screamed "SANTANA!" down the phone at them. I have no idea what they did with that information.
Every time I am about to listen to some Santana, I expect to like it, but end up disappointed. I do like this kind of jazz-rock with strong latin influence, but I keep feeling that something is missing.
I've never understood the attraction of Santana. This album has one good song on it - and the original version by Fleetwood Mac is far better.
If every song was as good as Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va, then this would still probably only manage a 3.
As much as I appreciate and respect Santana, this album didn't do too much for me. The odd song worked but ultimately it dragged for a relatively short album.
I knew a couple off this one, ‘Black Magic Woman’ - which I did not know was a Fleetwood Mac song and ‘Oye Como Va’ which I did not know was Santana. I remember my mate playing me this when I was a child telling me what an amazing guitarist he was - problem is I dont like that guitar sound, particularly when accompanied by jazz meanderings, it reminds me of that stoned feeling when the buzz has worn off and you’re just stuck with it, bored of it and a bit sad. It just doesn’t work for me, there’s not much singing (not Carlos) but I don’t like that either, just not for me this.