Abraxas

Un álbum perfecto para pensar en movidas esotéricas mientras te fumas un canuto bajo las estrellas. Cómo si estuvieras viajando a otra galaxia de dobles elefantes telepatas de guerra. Bonito álbum para relajarse y escucharlo de fondo mientras estudias, muy relajante, muy fuera de mi estilo pero para nada decepcionante.

Not really my thing. Save for a few moments at the very beginning and end, I felt this was very one note. That being said, it’s not BAD music by any means, just a bit monotonous.

Hits are amazing and classic. Others are solid.

Enjoyed the groove but felt a sense of sameness from song to song.

Mostly indistinguishable guitar, this was fine

its ok

Kinda boring but still good, a lot of instrumental and almost no lyrics. It has rock, a little jazz and some latin rhythms. Fav song is „Mother‘s daughter“

Good but I probably won’t come back to it much has some banging guitar parts though.

If you were in college in 1970 this would have been everywhere. great musicianship, great feel. But just a "sure its good" from me, would never drop cash to own it

Very very groovy. But not much else.

Lighter rock that's a bit groovie. Maybe some spanish influence and of course some classic Santana songs. Nice background music. Not a lot of vocals.

7/10- easy listen, wouldn’t listen to many of these songs on their own but still enjoyed. Favorite was black magic woman/gypsy queen

There’s some cool sounds here but after a while comes across fairly conservative. I like the mix of rock and latin, they sometimes sound ferocious together! Nice warm jams all around. Would have been great to hear this at a dorm party in the 70s, on acid.

Santana seems like one of the classic rock bands that were kind of big back in the day but have faded out of the public consciousness. It’s not bad music but it generally doesn’t stand out, and other than Black Magic Woman it isn’t particularly memorable

Favourite tracks: Black Magic Woman, Incident at Neshabur and Samba PaTi. Overall a very extravagant, vibrant and colourful album. Sounds costal and beachy. Not quite my taste but it's ok. A great classic. Rating: 6/10

wait so type o negative took lyrics from there???

Okok I like the mood of this album for sure. I’ve never dove deep into Santana myself but I had already heard black magic woman from this album. On some of these tracks (Se a Cabo and Incident at Neshabur) I see a little bit of jazz influence. But still staying true to the rock genre.

Cool instrumentering men inte min grej

It was cool, if had vibes like Hendrix and other 60-70s bands but just wasnt as good

Classic

More fun than I expected, but maybe a bit too proggy for me?

My first album in this project and unfortunately I don't have a whole lot to say about it. I'd only been familiar with Santana from his later pop career (mostly the overplayed "Smooth") and didn't know him as a prog rock guitarist. His guitar playing is instantly recognizable and impressive. I'm really unfamiliar with prog rock so I have a hard time picking out details about this album. Oddly enough, my favorite track was probably the atmospheric opener "Singing Winds, Crying Beasts" and it led me to think I was going to enjoy the album a lot more than I did. This may be because it's an instrumental track and I enjoyed the instrumentation more than the bland vocals from Gregg Rolie (sorry, I'm not a Journey fan either). I think this album might grow on me over time. This is probably an album best enjoyed when put on a turntable in the background with a glass of wine (or something much stronger) rather than focused listening through headphones. It's great at contributing to a hazy and psychedelic mood even when the individuals songs don't particularly impress.

Niet echt mijn ding, maar zou het ook niet uitzetten

I never really listened to Santana, and overall it was pretty good.

Overall this was an enjoyable listen, with interesting textures and fun rhythms, but still not a huge amount to hook me into another listen.

This was a solid listen, but nothing that really blew me away. Black Magic Woman is obviously a classic and still sounds great, and Samba Pa Ti was surprisingly good for an instrumental. Carlos Santana’s guitar tone is smooth and instantly recognizable. The rest of the album kind of settles into a groove that’s nice but doesn’t really go anywhere for me. It’s enjoyable while it’s on, just not something I felt pulled back to once it ended.

Sexy riffs over nothing substantial yet this album still grooves. The Incident at Neshabur being a welcome exception. 3.5/5

Maybe I’m an ipad kid with brain rot but I was struggling to get through the first song. Great instrumentals but after a while it started to lose the appeal. The transition into black magic woman/gypsy queen was phenomenal though. Ofc I knew that one already, 10/10 song. Also already knew Oye Como Va, another certified classic. Overall amazing instrumental performances (obviously) but I have to admit I don’t think I’ll be coming back to this one.

Groooovy

Guitar sex

haven’t listened before had no idea that santana has been around that long fav: oye como va, samba pa ti

pretty chill

I lovedd the guitar. it sounded so good. Very smooth instrumentals. I’d definitely have these songs playing as background music while i’m doing stuff.

I enjoyed this album listen and I thought it was a solid Latin American rock album! I have fond memories of playing ‘Black Magic Woman’ on Guitar Hero so that was a fun throwback. Overall, I had a good time listening to this album and would give it another listen in the future!

Interesting, quite varied as well which is nice, at times it reminded me alternatively of David Bowie, Bob Dylan or Jimmy Hendrix, whilst still retaining the rock sound. None of the tracks stood out to me as outright favourites but they were overall enjoyable. 61/100

I don't think I realized how psychedelic Santana was

I really enjoyed this one! 7.5/10

An easy listen, good playing, no standout poor tracks. I didn't completely connect with it, but I don't regret listening and i may revisit. 3 Stars.

As someone who's not a big fan of "jamming," this does not really appeal to me. I don't find it objectionable; it's fine for background music. But it doesn't get me excited either.

That was pretty good, but not anything I could listen to with any regularity. If I want long guitar drive instrumental pieces, I'm going.to gravitate toward something a tad noisier. But, still, I enjoyed it. Oye Como Va has a special place for me, as our high school drumline adapted the drum break to a marching setup, and it was actually really fun to play and march to. So, there's that. But, random anecdotes aside, this a solid 3.

This was much more fun than I expected. I’m pretty sure I listened to this album 30 years ago and didn’t like it, so my expectations were low. Also, maybe I’ve been softened up by Bjork

Disclosure: I ran out of time to listen to this and only got about halfway through. But I'm pretty confident in the rating. Doesn't have my favorite Santana songs on it (She's Not There, Evil Ways, Smooth, a few others) but I like it pretty well. Occurs to me that Carlos S. is an unusual sort of guitar virtuoso in that he fits himself into what sounds like a giant band with all kinds of other instruments. I really like the big jams, like the song that flows out of the end of Black Magic Woman. Something I learned only recently: Greg Rolie, the lead vocalist on this album (and on all of Santana's first few albums) co-founded the band with Carlos, and after leaving Santana went on to co-found Journey with Neil Schon. I found this out because I was looking up who was that really good vocalist on some of Journey's earlier tracks, e.g. Anytime, before they decided to entirely give over to Steve Perry's awful whine.

3/5 - So it turns out that while I'm really averse to the Santana songs that have been played a bazillion times on classic rock radio, I don't mind the ones I'm not familiar with. No surprise to say that the guitar work throughout is top notch. I really liked the instrumental track, Samba Pa Ti.

interesting...

Santana was truly skilled. This album was heavily instrument focused. Great to put on in the background.

Excellent.

De Albumname und das Cove rhänd bi mir Erinnerige geweckt, ich kenn das, aber weiss nöd vo wo und wieso. nach 0.75 mal durelose isch mir es Liecht ufgange. ich glaub 2015ish in Amsterdam, i eim vo de CoffeeShops, de heisst per Zuefall au na grad Abraxas, hani eise vo dene 'psycadelic guitar riffs' track s erstmal ghört (isch au es Musikgenre woni dazumals nöd würki kennt ha) und lässig gfunde und s Musiksuech app Nummero uno ufdah (also Shazam) und mir heds das einte Abraxas Lied ahzeigt. has geil gfunde & vlt na 3 mal glosst aber denn bis zum letste Fritig i mim ghirni verstaubt, und denn die Erinnerige zruggcho. Vlt au biz e spezialität vum Albumclub, mir denkt a Sache zrugg wo irgendwie verstaubt sind. S Album isch gut bis recht guet, das heisst 3 oder 4 chröte? i do not know. Am fritig bini uf 4 gsi, hüt morge heds mi aber biz nervös dunkt

My dad loved this. I think it’s ok. Carlos Santana is a masterful guitar player. 3.5 stars

I was too harsh on it the first time I listened but still just don’t low this type of rock that much

Great guitar. Interesting collection of instruments. Funky tunes. I liked it

Pleasant and fun. ★★★

Different, don’t think I’ve listened to a full album like this. Very enjoyable

Pretty fun background music

Very mood dependant, between a 3 and a 4

Every song I know from Santana is basically on this album, except “Smooth”. (Man, Rob Thomas looks like such dork white boy in that video). This kind of guitar-jam, electric organ sound is not really my speed, but it’s a classic of its kind.

Okay

Great musicianship but got bored…

Good. Probably worth another listen

Great guitars, cool atmosphere. Incident at Neshabur is transcendental. I might have to smoke a blunt and give this another go. 6/10

First track was a real snooze. Black Magic Woman is the hit here I guess, but it’s pretty noodley. Oye Como Va has a good groove but gets repetitive quick. Incident at Neshabur is actually cool, is this a jazz album? Mother’s Daughter is sort of typical 70s fare. Samba Pa Ti has such potential but the guitar and organ tone is grating. This is fine with a few enjoyable moments but overall just isn’t my thing.

Yeah I'm not really feeling this one for some reason.

Santana has some great songs and is a cultural staple...I've never met a Santana fan in my life. Not a statement about this album. Merely an observation. I actually really enjoyed sections of this. I used it as cleaning music. It worked pretty well for that purpose.

Overall I enjoyed, but there was nothing extremely memorable about the album itself, the cover art is beautiful though!

26/1001 First listen. It’s got The Doors sound right off the hop. I’ve heard Black magic woman and Oyo como va countless times of course . Samba pa ti was the stand out for me. 5/10

A veritable mixed bag of a record. Some great stuff - mostly for me the heavier stuff on the second half like Mother’s Daughter and Hope You’re Feeling Better, but also some cheesy bits and a lot where it’s too smooth for its own good. Definitely stuff to revisit though

Meh. Good musicians. Too much noodling.

Latin Rock with Jazz Fusion influence. Really big Jazz and Blues influence. It’s incredibly good. I like it. I enjoy it. Feeling like I’m in Mexico or Colombia right now. Listened to it almost twice. Solid 3/5 —————————————— Liked: — Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen — Oye Como Va

Pretty good, not as good as what I originally thought. However a nice mix of latin rock, psychedelic tendencies, jazz fusion and blues. Will listen again. low 3.5

Više je neoporecivo vješto odsvirano nego što je nešto naročito prijatno za slušati, nije bilo potrebe da iko ovoliko cijedi gitaru ali eto.

【一句話（中文）】 《Abraxas》（1970）超前到離譜—放到今天聽依然合拍、好聽；一想到它是 1970 年發行，真的被震撼到。 【這是什麼類型（中文）】 類型：拉丁搖滾（Latin Rock）× 藍調／迷幻色彩（Blues/Psychedelic），帶強烈打擊與循環感的節奏。 預期：大量康加鼓、丁巴列、搖鈴等拉丁打擊，律動先行、可長時間 groove，電吉他與鍵盤做層次。 不是：電子舞曲或四拍落地的 house／EDM（節奏像舞曲，但是真人樂手與類比音色）。 建議試聽：〈Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen〉、〈Oye Como Va〉、〈Samba Pa Ti〉。 【One-liner (EN)】 “Abraxas” (1970) feels shockingly ahead of its time—still stylish and highly listenable today; considering the release year, it’s genuinely mind-blowing. 【What it is (EN)】 Style: Latin rock with blues/psychedelic hues, built on hand percussion and cyclical, dance-leaning grooves. Expect: congas, timbales, shakers driving the rhythm; guitar/keys layering on top—live band energy, not electronic beats. Not: house/EDM or strict four-on-the-floor; it only *feels* club-friendly because of the relentless groove. Starter cuts: “Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen,” “Oye Como Va,” “Samba Pa Ti.”

Überraschend unterhaltsam. Das hat Spaß gemacht an einem ruhigen Samstagmorgen.

Nie auf Länge ein Album gehört. Hat sich nicht vollends qualifiziert dies nochmal aus eigenen Stücken nachzuholen, aber irgendwie ist der Sound doch ein Stück weit im Ohr geblieben.

Grundsolide Gitarrenmusik

Lovely record. Carlos Santana is one of my favorites guitarists, and the percussion on this album is fantastic.

3.5

- ikinä en oo santanaa kuunnellu, kiva päästä kuunteleen! - ja heti pääsee pyörtämään sanansa, en välttämättä ole kuunnellut santanaa mutta olen kuullut santanaa (oye como va = bängeri) - on hyvää kikkailua, kitaralla ja muillakin soittimilla - hope u feeling better kuulostaa ihan heviklassikkolta - iha hyvä albumi voisin kuunnella uudestaanki

5 - MEDIUM

Pretty music, all elegant and well played, but feels like something is missing. Seems to me it would benefit from more excitement, more passion, more life. It fails to really pull me in.

Pleasant album. The vocals sounded a bit odd to me, but generally I really liked the instrumentation.

Instrumental guitar music is rarely for me, and this is no exception. The vocal-led tracks are great and I enjoy some of the noodling, but it’s not one I would return to.

High points were oye como va and black magic woman but that's due in part to nostalgia. When listening to the rest of the songs on the album I flipped from enjoyment to restlessness. I couldn't find myself matching the pace of a few of the songs and it did dampen the listening experience. Probably won't revisit- not my favorite Santana work

Very pleasant to listen to, but the bar has been set high in the past couple of days when it comes to Latin albums.. Tracks with heavier Jazz influence like Incident at Neshabur were very cool. The classic Santana sound of a guitar mimicking vocals on the staple tracks like Oye Como Va and Samba Pa Ti was still a delight to listen to as well.

Enjoyable jams with unique latin twists and guitar wails

Some great rhythms, and nice guitar work. But cannot be forgiven for murdering Black Magic Woman.

I blasted ""Oye Cómo Va" at a MAGA crowd protesting illegal immigrants in Jupiter, FL in 2016. I figured they'd love that track despite their hatred of Hispanic people.

Some good tunes on here

Already knew Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va. Lots of funky guitar solos.

An enjoyable album that feels a bit musically repetitive at times, probably by design, which is cool but also made parts of the album a bit redundant as I was listening to each time. I went with "Se a Cabo" and "Mother's Daughter" for the playlist. Thought the two tracks capture the general vibes of the whole album well.

OK

105/1001 :: Santana - Abraxas Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ➖ Rating: 6 Listen before you die: Yes Fav Songs: Black Magic Woman, Oye Como Va Couple things surprised me about this record. 1st was how many songs I knew having never heard the whole thing. 2nd was how enjoyable it was. In fact, now Oye Como Va has been stuck in my head all day. Latin Soul infused with psychedelic rock by a guitar virtuoso can be cool at times. That said, this album (as I expected) was a little too jammy for me. It was a total vibe and I could see why people would love this but other than a song or 2 this is not something I would normally spend my time with and that didn’t change after a hearty listen.

Cool af

Smooth, soulful Spanish guitar with beautiful lyrics.

Rv

Fun, largely instrumental, seventies rock with Mexican guitar flair.

Cool Latin vibes, Santana with some well placed blues licks and decent solos. I Like!

Oh well, plenty of noodeling. Samba Pa Ti of course being a great tune.

In my first listening, I ended up with very good impressions, but the more and more I listening to it, I think I like it a little less. First of all, this album is incredibly smooth and the elements of rock and latin blent very well one with each other, and makes this album a very unique and interesting experience. So, what is not to like about it? Not much really, I think I just was getting bored of it, or at least its second half, since the first one has the best moments and I don't think I ever got tired of them. There were times that I wondered if I should give it 4 stars, but after my lastest listenings, I decided to give it 3.

Black Magic Woman is an alltimer! Had a great time. Santana was a guitar wiz 🧙‍♂️

I don’t know how to judge an instrumental album.

(3.5) so groovy

That’s some quality guitar playing. 3/5

I like this album. I've heard it a bunch in my childhood. I don't know if I'll ever listen to the whole album again, but some of the songs are stellar. 7/10

At least there’s no Rob Thomas on this album.

Not particularly my cup of tea, but classic Santana is classic for a reason. Worlds above the later collaborations that make me want to stab myself in the ear when they come on.

not bad

Don't care. Santana smooth though

samba pa ti wow wow

Fun but still just background stuff.

I love a man of few words

It's alright. Favourite track: Mother's Daughter

4/5

Pretty funky music, an interesting blend of genres

One song I knew, but otherwise a good jam of rock and organs.

I’ve known Carlos Santana as the funny “Smooth by Santana feat. Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty” guy for so long (yes, I have the t-shirt) that I never even considered the possibility of him being a serious musician with critically-acclaimed albums. You could definitely say that Abraxas came as a surprise to me, not only because it’s somehow nearly 30 years older than Supernatural (an album which is pushing 30 itself), but because it’s legitimately good fusion/psychedelic rock that goes so far beyond the boundaries of the “guy plays catchy Latin guitar melodies with popular singer” music he’d later score so many radio hits with. That said, Abraxas is a bit all over the map stylistically. It’s all perfectly listenable, but I definitely see myself gravitating toward certain cuts ("Black Magic Woman" is the big one) than the project as a whole. It’s a textbook three star album for me! Highlights: Singing Winds Crying Beasts, Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen, Mother’s Daughter, Samba pa Ti

This is good. I'm not into overly guitar-y music, but this is very solid, and it did periodically excite me.

Good album, but don't think it's for me. Maybe would like it more in a different mood

I really like “Black Magic Woman” and “Oye Cómo Va.” Of course! The rest of the album (and especially Side 2?) isn’t nearly as absorbing.

Good album, Santana's musicality is, of course, excellent. The album could have been better with some more lyrics throughout the songs. 3/5

I had one Santana album growing up and it wasn’t this one. I liked that one a lot. This one is just as groovy.

Didn’t do much for me honestly. It’s not bad, but it’s not great either.

Alright.

Not bad, but I'm not a fan of Samba style rhythms

I have never listened to Santana in much capacity, so this was fresh for me. I enjoyed it!

Oyeeee como vaaaaaa Nunca entendí si me gusta o no Santana, depende el día me super aburre o me da ansiedad y otros es re chill y ayuda a hacer focus

I’ve heard a few of these songs before and they still reach me as they did decades ago. Santana’s sound is unmistakable.

Cool music but don’t feel connected to it

That was nice for a change

Cool.

Very listenable musically, Just not super into it.

Excellent guitar work. A fun listen, with Black Magic Woman the stand out. Works best for me as background music but would happily listen again.

Carlos Santana is a fabulous guitar player with a tight and proficient band, but I feel like can imagine all of his music without even hearing it. He has lots of covers and takes on other music which are quite good, but I am not sure who he really is artistically.

Guitar solos just don’t impress me that much, I don’t know why. Simpsons: Yes

Was alright even though I'm not a big fan of instrumentals. Black magic woman was probably the highlight

A couple of classic tunes on here, but my surprise favorite track was one I didn’t know called Samba Pa Ti. Mostly instrumental album. Very smooth.

I think this is an album that could be mind blowing if I listened to it in a dark room while on some kind of psychedelics. Listening to it in the background while working, it was fine. There's obviously some good guitar work in there, but otherwise it didn't grab me.

It was fine.

jojo visst det är väl okej men liksom varför?

Enjoyavle but didn't really captivate

Spiritual experience.

Nice background music.

Never really been into Santana. They are good, but not my thing.

Fav song: Oyè Como Va

Shocking little singing but irresistible rhythms. I found it boring, though.

Good album. I don't have much to say. Santana is an amazing guitarist, very groovy. Would definitely listen again.

Cool Latin rock type of stuff, really expected to like it more though it got a little boring after a while

This is such an uncle album.It's good. Mr Santana is a skilled guitarist and he never feels like he's just showing off. It's such an influential album too.

Álbum bem latino, e a guitarra conversa bem com o ritmo das músicas. Gostei de Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen, Oye Como Va e a maravilhosa Samba Pa Ti. Tenho que dar 3,5

I think many people are overestimating Santana's guitar skill. Based on this album, he is by no means a guitar virtuoso; I think the rhythm section behind him is often more impressive than anything he's doing. Also half the songs on here are covers, it should be noted. But it's definitely enjoyable music, has a great mood. Wouldn't mind hearing again, but there are at least two dozen bands from this era of rock music that I'd rather listen to

Overraskende godt. Selvom det var instrumentalt

5/10

Decent! I'm more than okay with mostly instrumental music. Santana is obviously legendary. I enjoyed listening to this while I ran an errand on a 97F/36C day.

This album is pretty good. I enjoyed it. 1001 album worthy: yes 102/189

Some very good stuff but also some really drawn out jams that don’t really do much.

Santana never really did it for me

Yeah it's alright. Some cool riffs here and there. Not really my cup of tea but it wasn't a total slog.

Couple of great songs, had a nice vibe, but most of the album is pretty forgettable. Singing Winds, Crying Beasts (5/10) Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen (10/10) Oye Como Va (6/10) Incident at Neshabur (6/10) Se a Cabo (5/10) Mother’s Daughter (7/10) Samba Pa Ti (5/10) Hope You’re Feeling Better (8/10) El Nicoya (N/A) 6.5/10

santana are too cool for this world 3,5/5

I seem to remember Black Magic Woman going a lot harder than this. This was an alright album, but it did make me realise Santana is mad overrated in the grand scheme of things. There’s some decent instrumentals on this album, but I’ve heard better.

Et par greie låter, ellers ikke mye å skrive hjem om. Svak 3’er.

fajne calkiem przyjemne

Background noise, but not a bad album.

Santana plays a mean guitar. I could listen to Santana instrumental tracks all day.

Santana is such a vibe. Honestly sounds like elevator music with kick ass guitar solos.

Definitely groovy.

I know only a few Santana songs and as far as I'm aware, I'm not at all familiar with this. I don't normally go for guitar rock, which I believe this album to be the case. So as a surprise to myself, I actually do know tracks 2 and 3, Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va. I like the song Hope You're Feeling Better, it's got kind of funky rock beat. This album is really well recorded. It's pretty clean sounding, which isn't usually what I look for but it's good. Santana is obviously a very good guitar player. So overall, I get why people like this but in the end, it's just not something I'm likely to return to based on personal musical preferences alone.

It's ok. There are a few jams (Mothers Daughter) but not really consistent.

Never heard of this band before! But really enjoyed the relaxed, jam band nature of this album.

I feel like this is an experience that I need to have - but I don't think I can have it at this time

If you like Santana this is the album for you, I’m not a huge fan but I appreciate the skill. Not something I would seek out but it was not objectionable.

Surprisingly dull

Greek?

I was mildly ashamed that I only knew Santana by way of Michelle Branch & Rob Thomas (I thought) and so was pleasantly surprised to find that I did recognize some of his other songs. That said, I thought it started out nice enough and then got bored. Maybe 3.5 if that were an option

Didn't mind listening to it, and "Black Magic Woman" is a great song. But it turned out to be more boring than expected. At least it was short.

Santana is what you get when you take some potentially solid jazz, cross it with a jam band, then make it as bland and uninteresting as possible. Cap it off with tacky early 70s stereo production (only hard panning allowed!). I'll ignore the fact that it's even more boring to perform these tunes than listen for these ratings. I'm not saying Santana is bad. Just that it's boring and repetitive. Even Santana's guitar playing is white bread--good, but doesn't build or go anywhere. At the end of the album, things started to get interesting. But then I noticed Tidal had started auto-playing Frank Zappa after the Santana finished.

relaxant

Some good songs

3 it's ok

this is great

I might just have a poor attention span, but this didn't really capture me.

Pretty cool I guess, sorta average, didn’t stick out. 3 stars

It's fine

a little too instrumental but appreciate the music

Una mezcla sonora de ritmos latinos e instrumentación anglosajona, bañada con la estampa melódica de la guitarra de Santana. "Samba pa ti" es una de esas piezas que hace querer aprender a tocar el instrumento.

I find Santanas guitar tone fatiguing, regardless of how good he is. some classics on here though that can't be denied

Pretty cool latin rock, not something I'd come back to often but it's good. 6/10

Instrumentaler Rock. Bekannt für Samba pa ti, Black magic women und Oye como va. 3/5

I'm giving this a high 3. At times the songs feel directionless but I think that's the point. Definitely a groovy album that can still hit at the barbeque today.

pretty solid! lost steam a bit near the end, but for the most part i enjoyed this. some psych jams with a latin flavor, sometimes funky or a bit jazzy, overall making for a nice tune-out vibey kinda listen

Had only heard the hits. It's a pretty fine album. Guitar playing is - of course - fantastic - but it all fits together so well. Drums and bass get their fill as well and the songs are good. Doesn't drift into pretentious guitarwankery (which I feared). Listening a second time, that guitar tone is sooooo sweet.

приятный. интересно (но не настолько чтобы читать про это) кто поёт

Enjoyable mix of rock, jazz, and Latin rhythms.

Solid sound.

Saw him in concert. One of the best I have ever seen. The man can make that guitar sing.

Never in a million years have I heard of these musicians. Expand thine musical intellect, sir Dimery of Thousania. It's pretty alright. The guitar performances are strong and the length of the album is well-suited to the style of music. There's an ineffable campiness to the music that I also enjoy, which is probably owed to there being few lyrical sections on the album. It's difficult for me to single out any highlights as the general lack of vocals makes the album feel like one big song. "Singing Winds, Crying Beasts" was my favourite tune out of the bunch. The subdued guitars and jingling ambience creates a very clear image in my head. It feels like I'm wandering through an endless dune while the warm summer air blows across my body. "Incident at Neshabur" is also another highlight. The genre shift and "serene" sound that is present on the second half of the song is very pleasing. I also like "Hope You're Feeling Better". The cowbell is an instrument that I am admittedly very biased towards. It has a generally limited usage and there are many genres where it flat out does not work, yet it's easily the most "fun" instrument of them all. Nothing gets me in a better mood than some good cowbellin'. The closer, "El Nicoya", was also good. Whatever variant of drum that is present on this album is very pleasing, so it felt good to have a song dedicated to the drummer going bongo-wild. There are some shortcomings, most of which fall down the latter half of the album. I can't say I really cared for "Mother's Daughter" or "Samba Pa Ti", or that they delved into sonic territory that wasn't already firmly established by the first half of the record. That's not to say that I can't vouch for this album as it's certainly unique overall.

I think this suffers from its own success. The singles I knew, I was meh about. The songs I hadn't heard were good. I'm gonna say this was good overall, but still not something I see myself revisiting. 3.25/5

h: oye como va

Knew black magic woman but nothing else, sounded exactly like I expected. Enjoyed it well enough but it was straightforward to the point of being bland a lot of the time. Good live I reckon but not particularly good on an album. Definitely won't be back but acceptable, 2.5.

Never listened to a Santana album before but this sounded pretty much as expected, perhaps a bit slower. I actually recognised a few tracks here, but they reminded me of working in a restaurant, assume they were on rotation there. A lot of it is pretty good, but would never choose to listen to it

https://youtu.be/VKvNn70m4PA

Kitara on populaarimusiikin soitin, ja tässä sitä soitetaan kaikkia miellyttävästi. Menee varmasti moneen makuun. Mukavaa, leppoisaa mutta tarkkaa ja jotenkin naiivin tunteikasta. Ehkä just se ei niin vetoa muhun.

3/5 Epochal und stilbildend, aber auch streckenweise ein wenig nervtötend, wenn zu viel gegniedelt wird

okay

Oye Como Va is a historic banger.

3.4/not bad

My pops likes this music… I find it okay 3/5

I guess I'm not in to guitar heroes. Doesn't appeal. Love the rhythm section though. They were outstanding.

bro is never interested in latin flavoured music. 3/5

I’ll take this 1000 times over hearing “Smooth” ever again.

I don't get the praise for this album. It's not bad, by any means, it's just decent and meh. Nothing much to say about it.

I can appreciate the musicality and the latin influences, but I don’t think it bears a repeat listen. Not my cup of tea.

This is one of those records that is actually less than the sum of its parts, even though the parts, particularly Carlos Santana's guitar and his rhythm section, are excellent. The songs drift along like barges over-loaded with great musicians and then are gone. The surprise here is "Hope You're Feeling Better" with that red laser organ tone and hard Funkadelic groove. More of that, please...

Talented guy for sure but overall a bit of a snoozer

Great groove and distinctive sound. Not a huge fan of the extended 'jams', but I appreciate the innovation and significance.

6.5 out of 10 initially. Good, but nothing life changing. Heard elements that have likely influenced music that followed it. Would probably be ranked higher if I was around when it came out.

This was an eclectic hoot. I like the Latin influences and the inherent lack of any sense of where the album might go next. Not sure what I expected but it wasn’t this.

Meh for me. I like the hits but the rest is too stoner for me.

pretty wild that oye coma va and black magic woman were on the same album. all in all, its a fun album. i dig me some latin guitar in the background occasionally when I work, and this kinda felt like that. nice background music to get stuff done to.

Decent change up. Shout out to Mr Dotson and middle school jazz band where we played oye como va incessantly. Nice easy listening

santana vibed modestly so that future artists could vibe a little bit harder

Ok

Oye Como Va (Tito Puente cover) Black Magic Woman

This wasn't much like I was expecting. Or I guess the second half was more so. Not bad. I'd put some of it on in the background for sure.

Very interesting rock with strong latin and tribal influences. Santana at one of his finest moments. It's not an album for everyone but it is a solid record.

Don’t remember it.

It was Santana

3.5 stars.

Pretty okay. More instrumental than I expected from Santana

Another one that I don't really vibe with. Get that it has its place in history but I just find it boring - possibly partly because of that terrible song with the Matchbox 20 guy from like 40 years later.

Good

An entire album of smooth Latin guitar wanking and someone playing bongos so hard that their hands must still be blistered 55 years later. The young Santana is not the one we all have cold sweat flashbacks to from the 90s. Left me with a strange desire to go to Marks and Spencer as well.

Just to me one of those albums that's pretty solid sound-wise but only maybe 1-2 songs stand out

When Abraxas dropped in 1970, Santana delivered something genuinely different for its time, weaving "world beat" influences into the fabric of rock with effortless flair. The album leans heavily on Carlos Santana's signature, soulful guitar work, but the fiery percussion section more than holds its own, giving the record a rhythmic pulse that's impossible to ignore. While the overall sound can feel a bit samey across the runtime, the high points more than make up for it—especially the iconic "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen," where Santana’s expressive guitar soars, and "Se a Cabo," which charges ahead with a heavier, distorted tone that hints at the band's rawer side. It's a hypnotic listen that cemented Santana's place in the rock pantheon.

Would make for a good vinyl addition, but not a daily listen for for. Fire guitar instrumentals but I’m not musically inclined enough to appreciate

classic

I don't think I have ever listened to this album. I think I have heard all the songs on it, but I don't know if I have ever really listened to it from beginning to end. I enjoyed it more than I would have thought.

Jag har haft någon slags fördom mot Santana och jag vet inte varför? Jag trodde att de gjorde musik jag inte gillar men detta var riktigt chill och superbra att plugga till så jag får slå mig själv på fingrarna

Good tunes. Perfect mood setting album

Would be 5 stars on acid.

Background music

interesting electric guitar. it’s santana so i expected nothing less. i mildly enjoyed it. the instrumentation was unique in the way where the different voices blended together but also clashed in other songs.

Nog wel vuur

Nice to hear this side of Santana. Why is oye como va such a banger no matter whose version?

This album was OK, but nothing too thrilling to me.

Not my cup of tea, but it’s a great album. Very good!

point4.

Really easy to listen to. Not world shattering. But an immediate pleasure.

Några vassa, klassiska låtar. Det övriga är ganska okej också.

Didn't realise Santana was around this long, although I guess it makes sense ('Smooth' was 25 years ago, after all). Cool enough, but the coolest part was reading about the various theories on the etymology of "Abraxas" (one guy thinks it's Coptic for 'the word is adorable', which is adorable but probably not correct). Anyway, I enjoyed this, and it wasn't too loud or anything, but it also wasn't as jazzy(?) as I was expecting. Another nice brisk album though. Good but not great (or maybe, good but not my style, but not NOT my style...) Album cover is a 70s monstrosity. Put it on a sofa and put that sofa in the trash. (Sorry Mati.) Highlights: 'Oye Como Va', 'Samba Pa Ti'

It was good. Enjoyed it well enough.

Actually much nicer than I thought. listened while play with j on the mat

Enjoyable album, nothing stuck to much from it.

Very good!

Epic electric guitar. Too much electric organ for my taste though.

I was really excited to listen to this because I love the songs that Santana is featured on so I figured I’d love his solo stuff. Unfortunately it was just meh. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t anything remarkable or even memorable. I was hoping for more

Solid album, Oye Como Va is a gem.

Good vibes but not a favorite

Pretty enjoyable listen. Quite liked a lot of this.

Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va are classics. The guitar skills are on fire and overall a really fun Latin rock album.

Good jams, black magic woman

Summer vibes, some nice songs!

The sound was a little muddy in places otherwise a good album if you like 70s rock: long jams, nice balance of the different instruments, some Latin rhythms lurking behind it all.

HERESY ALERT!! I actually like everything about this album except Santana’s guitar playing (well, ok, almost everything - Mother’s Daughter sounds like a parody). Love the latin fusion grooves. The B3 player is amazing. But then everything breaks down so Santana can take the stage - Ron Burgundy style - and widdly, widdly, widdly, waaaaaaayyyyyyyyiiiiiiii, widdly, widdly, widdly, waaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyiiiiiiiii. His playing is hammy and pretentious, he rushes into phrasings, and often sounds like he’s playing just beyond his technical ability so that his phrasing often breaks as his fingers pinch a fret. For me, so many great vibes on this album are just killed by his guitar breaks.

really enjoyed the whole thing, but nothing but black magic woman stands out to me

rock para papais estadunidenses com origens latinoamericanas!! mais guitar hero viu, mas black magic woman era legal de tocar. ótima musica de fundo. e essa capa eh mto foda.

Just ok. Never really been a fan of Santana's guitar work.

Kinda feels like a chore to listen through, but good music and great as background noise

I like the guitar in samba pa ti, but none of the other songs really stand out to me

Some interesting instrumentals, but not too interesting either.

Ich gebe drei Sterne!

It's a good album, especially guitar wise, but what it offers in virtuosity, it lacks in feelings. If that's your introduction to Latin Rock music, you might enjoy this a lot, but if you're already familiar with South American Rock from that time, Santana might just not sound so incredible.

7/10 Fave: Samba pa ti

何曲かいいなと思える曲はあったけれども、自分の好きな音楽のジャンルではなかった。正直、なんでこのアルバムの評価がこんなに高いのかが理解できない。このアルバムに収録されいる曲にはほとんど歌詞がないため、どの点を評価すればいいのかがよくわからない。もういちどはいいかな

Most enjoyable. Strange. An excellent piece of musicianship. Probably drugs required? Sadly lacking on listen. 3.8

An interesting mix of bougie cafe music with rambling guitar solos, blues and latin vocals. Why don't we utilise the bongos in rock music any more? Am I supposed to light a spliff, play air guitar, or dance the salsa? All questions I was pondering before being distracted by an electric organ solo. I enjoyed the album but I can't decide when I would listen to this. Maybe I'll throw a house party, make some punch, a prawn cocktail, vol-au-vents, and fire up a cheese fondue (car keys in the bowl please).

Classic Santana. Great guitar player and fun album!

I liked this album - nothing bad to say about it really It became background noise for me though because of all the guitar solos 3 ⭐️

Really good guitar work but that didn't end up being enough to get me really into this. "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" and "Oye Cómo Va" are the highlights. I think I might I know "Oye Cómo Va" from something silly - maybe the Dexter soundtrack?

Good, kind of a jam.

I was hoping for some more famous solos but the band music was well done.

I'm sure I was bombarded with this as a child. I actually probably appreciate the latin grooves more these days. Black Magic Woman always sounded spooky to me. In a good way.

I've never really enjoyed listening to Santana. I can't point to anything specific and say "this is why I don't like this," it's just an overall dissatisfaction. And I'm tired of hearing Black Magic Woman which was overplayed on the radio in the 70's.

Expected to find this very tedious and was surprised that it was quite an enjoyable listen.

Not good, not terrible. Might give it an another chance later

This was a great album! Had a lot of good songs on it, a lot of the popular songs that Santana did before his resurgence in the late 90s and early 00s, but it was a cool album and I enjoyed it for the most part

Super easy listening

A couple well known 60ish songs with long keyboard and guitar jams, plus other songs with multiple rhythm changes

I like two of the popular tracks: Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va. I didn't get as into the other popular track: Samba Pa Ti. The rest of the album is fine but didn't grab me.

I do like Santana, and I know this album is good, I just really don't love it and there is nothing that would make me come back to it.

Singing Winds, Crying Beasts (Instrumental) 3.8 Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen 4.1 Oye Como Va 4.2 Incident at Neshabur (Instrumental) 3.4 Se a Cabo 3.3 Mother's Daughter 3.5 Samba Pa Ti (Instrumental) 3 Hope You're Feeling Better 3.5 El Nicoya 2.5 Score: 3.477777778

Santana's performance at Woodstock is all-time stuff. Their studio albums aren't the stuff of the gods, however, and tho this has classic rock staples, I'm no more convinced by it than I am by the Eagles. To be fair, it's better than the Eagles b/c the percussion - the principal Latin import - does give it a rounded and foxy sensibility. But the songwriting is mediocre, and the instrumentation is mostly thin, with the exception of 'Incident at Neshabur,' an effective nonvocal track, and 'Se a Cabó,' which is short and persuasive. But this one doesn’t crescendo when I’d want it to, tenderize when it ought to, or complicate when it needs to. Suffice to say, there's better out there.

Technically great, but did I really care that much? Unfortunately no.

Sexy and groovy, but it also rips and wails. Santana is a guitar legend. This was a solid listen, and at under 40 mins it's honestly the perfect length album.

smooth

Santana is one of my favorites. I have listened to Black Magic Woman and Samba Pa Ti many many times and it never fails to give me goose bumps. Overall, this album is alright.

There is some great guitar work here, but just a couple too many instrumentals for my liking. The guitar tones throughout the record are simply iconic.

Good. But not my jams generally.

This album reminds me of belly dancing for some reason.

better than i thought

Chill. Lots of iconic instrumentals and guitar.

I liked it