Abraxas

Good listening music, black magic woman is a standout but most of it is just kind of groovy jammin

It is what it is

This album has consensual sexual intercourse.

A blast from the past. I’d forgotten how amazing this album is. Thank you

ok

Timeless piece of music, great guitar and percussion work

Saw Santana in 02. Best concert I've ever been to.

Lyrics: Multilingual Poetry: The album's lyrics seamlessly blend English with Spanish, adding a unique cultural and linguistic richness to the songs. The bilingual approach is particularly evident in tracks like "Oye Como Va" and "Samba Pa Ti" [[2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraxas_(album)]. Spiritual and Mystical Themes: "Abraxas" explores spiritual themes, drawing inspiration from various mystical traditions. This is evident in songs like "Black Magic Woman," creating an enigmatic atmosphere that captivates listeners. Music: Innovative Fusion: Santana masterfully blends rock, blues, jazz, and Latin rhythms, creating a genre-defying sound. The guitar work of Carlos Santana is a standout, characterized by his signature tone and improvisational prowess. Diverse Instrumentation: The album features a diverse array of instruments, including congas, timbales, and organ, contributing to a rich sonic tapestry that distinguishes each track. Production: Timeless Sound: The production of "Abraxas" remains remarkably timeless. The seamless integration of various elements showcases the expertise of the production team, allowing the album to transcend its era. Studio Experimentation: The album reflects a willingness to experiment in the studio, evident in the psychedelic elements of "Singing Winds, Crying Beasts," showcasing the band's artistic exploration [4]. Themes: Cultural Fusion: "Abraxas" celebrates cultural diversity, intertwining Latin American and Western influences. This theme contributes to the album's universal appeal and enduring relevance. Mysticism and Spirituality: The mystical and spiritual undertones in the album's themes create a profound listening experience, inviting contemplation and reflection. Influence: Global Impact: "Abraxas" has had a significant impact globally, influencing subsequent generations of musicians. Its fusion of genres paved the way for the development of world music, leaving an enduring legacy [5]. Cross-Genre Influence: Santana's innovative approach to blending genres has inspired artists across various musical landscapes, from rock to Latin and beyond. Pros: Innovative Fusion: The groundbreaking fusion of genres sets "Abraxas" apart, contributing to its lasting appeal. Guitar Mastery: Carlos Santana's exceptional guitar work remains a highlight, showcasing technical skill and emotional depth. Cons: Uneven Pacing: Some may find the pacing uneven, with slower, introspective tracks contrasting sharply with more energetic pieces. Limited Vocal Variety: The album primarily relies on instrumental prowess, which may be a drawback for listeners seeking more vocal diversity. In conclusion, "Abraxas" stands as a testament to Santana's musical genius, offering a transformative journey through its diverse soundscape. Its influence on subsequent generations cements its status as a classic, despite minor pacing and vocal considerations.

He’s a brilliant guitarist, but this isn’t my thing. Long guitar solos don’t do it for me

2/5

It's very well produced, the sound is rich and deep. It also clearly comes from the era of "this was meant to be listened to in one sitting". Some of the riffs and breaks are a little self indulgent and perhaps didn't age as well as they could have, but I recognize that sort of thing is pretty subjective. It's also very iconic, I could recognize bits and pieces that have been woven into the cultural zeitgeist well enough to have the appropriate amount of "oh, that's where that's from" moments.

Not my favourite kind of music, but now i have given it a try.

Kinda boring but not bad

3/5 interesting music, not necessarily what I would listen to on the daily, but well done

Really cool album. Heard before, but now I'll remember that Oye Como Va was on here. Had that one playing in my head a few times. I really like the laidbackness here. + Singing Winds, Crying Beasts + Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen + Oye Como Va + Incident at Neshabur

i have a soft spot for this stupid record santana fucking suck lolololol

I hate Santana.

11/16/23. Mad at myself for not listening to more Santana. I was expecting a guitar heavy album, but instead was surprised with very solid, fun songs and instruments! This will definitely be added to the rotation and maybe influence my own playing.

I liked the album more when they started singing

Good fuck music

Love this album. Great stuff.

Amazing

I had the pleasure of seeing Santana (on a double bill with Earth, Wind & Fire) this past summer and they sounded amazing. This is album is timeless and atill holds up beautifully. Of course, everyone knows about Carlos' incredible guitar playing but the whole band are phenomenal.

Very fun to listen to

A pretty nice album. Latin instruments, latin rock, long guitar solos - easy 4 stars.

Wasn't as special as I thought it would be

Listened to the two big songs on the album quite a bit but I have never heard the album in its entirety till now. Pretty decent.

l know a handful of Santana songs, but this was my first time listening to one of their albums (even though someone gifted me a copy of this on vinyl, whoops). This was pretty much everything I could want in an album: the instrumentation was great, the vocals were good, and the album had an incredibly unique and cohesive sound. This album was part jazz, part funk, and part mystical desert seance. And yet, everything came together really well to make a beautiful album. I loved the percussion, the keyboard parts, the piano melodies, and the guitar playing. Each song seemed to have a few simple elements that really stuck out to me that helped elevate them from good to great. This album was fantastic from start to finish, and it's an album that I'll be quick to revisit.

3/5. A Latin-infused blues album, that has some okay lyrics but Santana's guitarwork is what drives each song. There are instrumentals on this album but they don't stand out as excellent, I feel like this one has a chiller vibe but doesn't match the aggressive energy Santana is known for. Good on some days, but not amazing.

Everybody knows Santa's biggest hits, but I never listened to this full album. It's absolutely amazing. One must wonder why I haven't before!

A fantastic album in the realm of musicality. The bongos, synth and electric guitar make this not only something you could relax on a beach to but something to cure workday blues. This music can transport you to a peaceful realm, get you groovin as well as just motivate you through a day.

Good guitarist.

tremendous vibes today, absolutely love this album. Love the guitar riffs and latin rock, vocals are great too. 4.5-5.

Lots of classic songs

Saving this for my next psychedelic adventure. Rich full sounds. Pleasant.

It's fine, cover of Oye como va is great, otherwise a bit ho-hum.

My first introsuction to Latin Rock. Should listen to more, this was dope.

Fun, easy listening, pretty in some parts energetic in others. Awesome album and it made me go listen to Soul Sacrifice live at woodstock again, so bonus points for that.

Fabulous Easy to listen to. Is she a black, magic woman, or a black-magic woman?

Smooth. Just extremly good vibes would listen to again!

Hahaha, just listened to this the other day. Some of Santana's best tracks. Classic 60's psychedelic jams. Great guitar work.

Feels like I’m listening to the Narcos soundtrack, by no means a bad thing

Was never a fan of Santana growing up but listening to this now was very enjoyable, funny how our taste changes over the years. Really enjoyed the rhythm/percussion parts

2.5-3. Enjoyable album, Black Magic Woman the clear highlight. Lacking other standout moments but enjoyable music nonetheless

2.5/5 - listened through it a few times in the background and nothing stood out however pleasant enough listening with some lovely little bits

Great album, the first few tracks just melt into each other, samba pa ti was a nice highlight, loved the jazz influences on this album too.

3.33 per track.

Lots of tasty licks. This album is on fire.

I really liked this record. It's got a really interesting mix of styles but it's all tied together. I've always had a fondness for Santana but never really sat down to listen to an album until today. If this was a ten point scale I'd probably give it a nine but I'm saving my fives for stuff that really really deserves it.

Holy Moly.

Known before: No Standouts: 03. Oye Como Va

Known before: Yes Standouts: 04. Incident at Neshabur 08. Hope You're Feeling Better

K.B.: no Standouts: no Rating: 6,5

Not a fan of the latin influences

Love this album. Mom gave me her original copy. Never fails to capture the attention of anyone listening, young.. old... its timeless.

Classic stuff.

Can't go wrong with Santana.

exceptional plucking

Lovely mix of Latin beats, jazzy tone, and rock guitar. Energetic without being overdriven

Beautiful

Lopsided. Starts off with some absolute rhythmic magic and then fades into some haphazardly spliced songs. The guitar work is mesmerizing and the percussion and organ work is a great compliment. Really creative stuff, just needed some better artistic direction.

Amazing. Pumped me up and made me feel happy, balanced and just overall stoked. Loved a ton of the songs and the whole album just felt like one big song

Amazing guitar. Some definite classics

This shit kinda slaps Geweldige opbouw naar "black magic woman" Interessante Latin beats in verwerkt? Ja het is helemaal Latin Yes please, oye come va is funky 4 sterren!

Boring

Master class

Cool rock album. Enhances some beach vibes in my view. 3.4

Rating: ** 3+** Notes: Was a really cool album, prbl would have never listened to it or even find it. Never heard music like this so far, however i really liked some parts of the album and would even listen to it again. Why just 3 stars? Because of gut feeling, but could also be 4 tbh. Songs which stood out in no particular order (credits to Uncle Gue for the idea): "" ------------------------------------------------------------- Rating Scale: 1- very bad 2- bad 3- neutral 4-good 5-very good additonaly -/+ sign if necessary

Totally forgot about that band. ~15 yrs ago I first got to hear Black Magic Woman. I really like the jazzy/rocky/latino/improvisational vibes of the Album. Personal Top3 in no order: Black Magic Woman Oye Como Va Mother‘s Daugther

Cooles Album. Black Magic Woman und Oye Como Va gefallen mir am besten! 6.2/10

This is good noodlin'! And better than 90% of the 60s SF noodle bands (which is a pretty low bar, but still).

I’d heard some of the hits from the album, and did not expect some of the other tracks to be so jazzy. The piano-forward tracks were particularly intriguing. I like the blend of styles throughout the album.

Grew up on this album. Amazing guitar work

nee wait i kinda like it. black magic woman is best vibes en de gitaar is nice. also op t laatst geeft het wii party bordspel eiland.

Kinda boring

OK album... black magic woman is kinda fun for the bass and lyrics but I could do without the guitar.

Latino pero rock Mucha percusión buenísima

This is my first full length Santana album (not counting Supernatural that was playing on repeat in the background when I was a kid) and it already has 3 of the biggest hits that I knew beforehand. A lot has been said about these three so I’m just gonna state the obvious that Black Magic Woman is probably among the top songs ever. I just love how the guitar sound grows in the beginning among the synths and the rhythm section and then just completely breaks free. The rest of the album compliments the top 3, especially the jazzy parts. They are well within the balance of jazzy/interesting and easy listening. Also, as a drummer, I’m a sucker for all these Latino jazzy rhythms which can be hear throughout the entire thing. A perfect soundtrack to a sunny lazy Sunday evening.

Black Magic Woman is a fantastic track, and there's some other pretty solid songs here as well. Just a bit too instrumental for my taste, and the other vocal tracks just don't scratch the itch Black Magic Woman does.

Gitaarmuziek zoals ik het fijn vind, muzikaal. Eerste en laatste nummer overslaan. Mother’s Daughter +++

Classic rock songs!

70s sounds

Feels good, nice variety, LOVE the guitar

beautiful

Decent tunes relaxed good to listen to in the garden with a beer.

Fantastical and tasteful

Some gnarly guitar and some gnarly bongos.

Sublime

Early Santana was great

Dadrock Weltmusik Gutes Gitarrenspiel, mittelmäßiges Songwriting

Nice instruments Different African vibes

Great

Groovy Favorite Tracks: Oye Como Va, Black Magic Woman 4.5/5

Great album!

My uncle gave me and my brother this album. I've owned this my entire adult life. An all time classic. The most 5 star album I've come across on 1001 albums so far

Great guitar sound from a legend. Something I should explore more. Some hip hop samples found on this record.

Really good guitar and licks, soke groovy music but nothing standing out too much. (71%)

Heard before: No (heard like 4 songs tbf) Favourites: Black magic woman/ gypsy queen, Oye Como va, Se a cabo I have heard a good few songs from this album but never listened all the way thru. Great stuff yet again, I keep getting good albums that are right up my street.

It's simply excellent. More nostalgia. My parents had pretty good taste.

Some great Santana sounds

Honestly loved everything about this. I was unsure at first, there are some low spots within a couple songs, but it really is a bop.

An absolute classic. Had to follow up with some Moonflower

Album 4/1001 Best song: se a Cabo

Fire

Great talent, moderate song-writing ability. Wouldn't turn it off but wouldn't seek it out.

Abraxas is a stellar showcase of Carlos Santana’s guitar-playing and songwriting talents Will definitely be listening to this again, albeit maybe more during the summer months Favourite tracks: Black Magic Woman, Oye Como Va, Incident at Neshabur, Mother’s Daughter, Samba Pa Ti

3,5

Niet mijn muziek, wel een kneiter van een klassieker

Santana heeft mij nooit kunnen boeien en vandaag dus ook niet.

Dit had wel een lekkere seventies vibe

Heel goed te hebben en best veel bekende nummers.

Santana kan ik best waarderen. Het is ten minste een beetje energiek.

Not bad, just not what I would look forward to listening

Santana- I enjoyed this Such a good fusion of blues rock with Latin jazz.. Love how the first 3 songs seque into eachother. Really great album, awesome band definitely super influential. He has some cool big guitar moments and some great tones.

This is pretty sick. Never been a huge Santana guy but he’s got some really cool records. Great band and really cool percussion.

It’s crazy that you can know it’s Santana right off the bat.

The best songs on this album are the first and last track. "El Nicoya" is an exciting percussion feature, and "Singing Winds, Crying Beasts" is a beautifully transcendent piece of musical orchestration. Between the sweeping chimes & effects, and the weeping guitar, it's absolutely beautiful. Too bad the rest of the album is as dull as classic rock gets. "Samba Pa Ti" is the only song that actually stands up of the tracks in between the beginning and end of the album. It's not groundbreaking, but its a nice guitar feature. The three covers, "Black Magic Woman", "Gypsy Queen", and "Oye Como Va" are so overplayed at this point that it's impossible for me to get into them in the album context. They're fine, but passable, I was never into these songs to begin with. Both of Gregg Rolie's songs are insufferable with some of the worst lyrics, overly aggressive singing, and basic jam-band riffs I've ever heard. These songs were very irritating and I'd be very pleased if I never had to hear such subpar songwriting again. That only leaves "Se a Cabo" and "Incident at Neshabur", which were boring. I didn't think this album was particularly great, and I probably won't revisit it.

One of the kings of rock guitar. Some great tracks. Maybe a little too long.

Santana! The best album so far. The only songs I didn’t really like were the ones w vocals. 🤷‍♀️

"Singing Winds, Crying Beasts" is a wonderful opener, with a nice Prog feel to it. "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" is, of course, a classic. Great guitar and percussion. "Oye Cómo Va" is a catchy sing-a-long that also deserves to be a classic. "Incident at Neshabur" is the highlight of the album. Interesting time signature changes and a beautiful, slower second half. The second side of the album is an unfortunate downgrade from the first. "Se a Cabó" is fine enough, though feels like a lesser "Oye Cómo Va." "Mother's Daughter" isn't the greatest, with the lyrics and vocals being the worst part. "Samba Pa Ti" was excellent. Beautiful, and the best part of side 2. "Hope You're Feeling Better" is a definite improvement over "Mother's Daughter" (both sharing Gregg Rolie as the writer), but I'm not sure if the raspy, rocker voice is right for Rolie. "El Nicoya" is a disappointing closer, almost feeling like an afterthought. The percussion in the left speaker was frankly annoying. Overall, a great listen.

Black Magic Woman on this album and it’s great. Would be a vinyl to look out for.

Pichudo y corto

Can't understand those who didn't have fun with this. Maybe I would've enjoyed even more with some funny substances but that's OK. (I don't like giving numeric ratings, I just give 3 to anyone)

c'était bien rock

Great percussion/rhythms, notable Afro-Cuban beats. Feels surprisingly fresh for 1970, although some nice 60's psychedelic flair. Couple of well known classics.

Just a great album to put on and relax.

Surprisingly really really enjoyed this album. Unfortunately got most of my Santana when he collaborated with late 90s artists and it sounded pretty contrived and lame. But early original Santana is something else completely. Raw guitar mixed with Latin sounds. Super cool.

My advice for this album is to enjoy the inspired atmosphere and memorable instrumentation, rather than zooming in on the actual songwriting. I did the former and latter so I thought it was just alright.

Great Latin jazz. First song is kind of nothing and boring but the rest is good. Ez 4.

MAMA

Good guitar and drums 3.5

Latin ist nicht so meins.

9/10

Never listened before, I like it

Тупа кайф 8/10

Whoa... 70s psych rock with Latin flair. Groovy, funky, pretty chill but never boring. Made for a practically spiritual car journey just as the sun was beginning to go down on a Saturday evening. Just a brilliant album that I'm absolutely going to hunt down on vinyl (Once I fix my record player...) Favourite: Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen

I'm not ordinarily into prog and prog-adjacent stuff, but I'm so impressed with Santana. Bringing authentic Latin influences into the music really brightens it up and makes this a great listen.

Beautiful album. Have always loved Santana's music. 4/5

The Oye Como Va cover is a classic, and most of the rest is pretty solid. Quite a mix of genres

That amazing latin touch on some great blues/rock.

Funky and fun. Oye Como Va and Samba Pa Ti are masterpieces.

I’m not saying it’s bad, it just did not click for me.

Cool cafe sort of music but doesn’t grab me. Don’t get the hype on Carlos’ playing.

fun!

Total classic. Santanas best work

Class

Portada espectacular.Album melódico, casi sin letra aparte de segmentos de dos canciones. Oye cómo va favourite. Buenos ritmos y me gusta este tipo de canciones de solo melodía y Buenos ritmos. 7/10 lo escucharía otra vez

Smoothia Santanan tilutusta. Black Magic Women tällä levyllä. Muuten ehkä vähän tasapaksua, mutta silti ihan kunneltavaa

Missing some lyrics

The musical melting pot of the late 60s was still simmering strongly enough to eventually boil over into the start of what was intended to be a promising decade and, whilst not the soundtrack of that period of time, Santana was one of the perfect microcosm for a more accepting music culture. Mixing together blues with psychedelia and samba, Abraxas is indeed a mythical beast wielding some of the most potent configurations possible in the moment. Yeah, Carlos himself may have went on some fantastical spiritual sounding journeys in the aftermath but, with this, it seemed as if he was already on his way. Favorites: Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen, Oye Como Va, Incident at Neshabur, Se a Cabo, Samba Pa Ti, Hope You're Feeling Better.

I had never sat down and really listened to Santana, but I was surprised I recognized so many songs I had heard from movies or commercials I guess. The riffs are quite nice. Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen and Mother's Daughter are a real treat. What a great album. Yes please.

Cool, I enjoyed

Makes me anxious and not in a good way, didn’t like the album.

se acabo

Excellent! I like the jazzy/groovy style. Also, it’s very diverse, different styles for each music it’s amazing. Didn’t know this Santana Band they are really good.

Latin rock, recognized a few songs

Cool grooves from time to time, but it’s a little one note for my taste. I did enjoy it, but I doubt I’ll really remember it.

Always hated having to play black magic woman on guitar hero, what a bloated hunk of fudge that song is. In adulthood, it’s not bad, but not impressive. If you came up to me and said “my uncle just recorded an album, check it out!” And then started spinning this, I’d simply say “oh that’s cool” and then go on my phone

This was a very pleasant surprise for me! I have never understood why Carlos Santana is a household name and this record finally got me to understand and appreciate how he made his legacy. What a great album. I only knew the hits beforehand (Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va) and I was totally blown away by the quality beyond those tracks. Such great fusion from a time when Latin-influenced music was nowhere near where it is now in the mainstream. Mashing that up with the classic rock sound and elements of Jazz and Psychedelia is superb, I’ll be listening to this for a while. Special shoutouts to the Jazz groove on Incident at Neshabur, the jammy-ness of Se A Cabo, the tempo shifts on Mother’s Daughter, and Hope You’re Feeling Better for feeling like a long lost Deep Purple track.

Really cool project, very clear how Santana was able to create Smooth now

Noiiicce

it’s that kind of 60s-70s thing that just seems like it was invented for the movies or something

Really enjoyable and iconic

Groovy, hypnotic, and exciting. But I can’t see myself listening to this often. Just not my main jam. I’d probably give it a solid 5 at least tho. Good background music for a taco 🌮 joint.

Why vocals?

This is an album documenting one man’s complete lack of any form of internal struggle.

Santana at the height of his powers. The man can wield an axe.

Guitar with a side of singing. Would listen to going 170 on the highway

Could not get into it at all unfortunately ultimately just not my style of music

A fantastic album from start to finish.

solid santana album

This was really good! It will be part of my rotation now.

Hes like a good guitarist or whatever, but it feels like he is just good at guitar in the technical sense and not in the way Jimi Hendrix was good at guitar. I dont feel anything when Santana plays, I can appreciate the talent, but thats where it ends for me. Also fuck him for being a transphobic piece of shit.

Classic Santana

Some classics and a few others thrown in for good measure!

Classic Sanata - Oye como va

Classico, molto figo.

A very sad but high three. The first three songs were phenomenal but the rest of the album was just good, disappointing compared to the beginning.

Solid Santana. A few solid classics. It's everything you think of when you hear "Santana" and makes me wanna road trip out west.

Absolute cracker of an album. Great iconic tracks, really entertaining well put together music, excellent cultural and musical blends.

Not a fan of Santana but I do appreciate his guitar playing. Apart from the 2 popular songs, Black Magic Woman & Oye Cómo Va, on this album, the rest just passed by me.

Mellow, rich and… well, I really don’t want to use the word ‘smooth’… god, I hate that song. It turned me off Santana for all these years. What a joke. It’s good. I liked it. Mellow, rich and polished/peaceful/continuous/not rough.

W Carlos

Surprisingly lacking in terms of the grooviness of Latin music. But the electric guitar driven sound is interesting on its own.

Excellent. Infectious and upbeat album!

Simply beautiful

Great album. Definietly one of those that will stay with me. I can't express how good "Black Magic Woman" and "Oye Como Va" are.

My first one it's not too bad I guess

Great album!

Typical (and that’s not a bad thing) Santana formula of….”Here’s your well crafted, imminently catchy, hit single or two….and now we’re gonna fuck around and do whatever the hell we want to do for the remainder of the album” (and that, too, is not a bad thing). But, it’s not MY thing, so I’d give it a 2…..on the other hand, this was a huge record for them, breaking the sophomore jinx, and probably deserves a 4. So let’s compromise with a 3.

Very cool combo of psych rock and latin flair

Pretty mad would be good on vinyl with a spliff

Amazing and varied sounds throughout. Soothing piano on Incident in neshabur, mostly instrumental tracks sembra pa ti and se a Cabo. Then the last two tracks completely different, one sounding very 80s rock and the other very latin influenced.

Wonderful start to finish

Growing up in the Seventies, even in an isolated small town, of course I heard "Black Magic Woman" and "Oye Cómo Va" on the radio. However, until today I had not listened to this album, on which those songs appear. While I occsionally enjoy jazz, Woodstock-style psychedelica, or Latin music, I'm not an enormous fan of these genres -- and yet their fusion works here.

Would definitely listen to again. Really enjoyed.

Solid background ambience

I really enjoyed listening to this on the way to work this morning. Never been that into Santana but i thought the percussion and the loose structure was just good times. Great cover of Black Magic Woman

I have listened and loved 'Oye Como Va' before, heard the others for the first time. Loved it, will definitely listen more. Great show of guitar and keyboard solos. Loved the sound which is described as 'Latin rock/psychedelic jazz'. Highlights for me: Intro, Incident at Neshabur, Samba Pa Ti, Hope You're Feeling Better

Beaucoup de moments avec uniquement des instruments (+++) Vraiment très cool 1. Début un peu dramatique, en cohérence avec le nom, j'apprécie. Le morceau continue comme ça sans parole donc ++ 2. J'aime bien 3. Morceau le plus écouté, et c'est très clairement justifié, très entraînant 4. Sympa 5. Solo de percussion incroyable absolument auquel s'ajoutent progressivement des instruments et une voix 6. + de chant mais aussi + entraînant, on se laisse emporter par le chanteur 7. Morceau plus calme mais relaxant (playlist travail) 8. Ne pas se fier aux quelques premières secondes, très groovy, j'aime

4.5

it ok

Easy listen but not enough grip

Another musical dna. Sure carlos has perhaps become predictable but this mix of rock, jazz and Latin is irresistible. Hope you’re feeling better and mothers daughter kick. Samba Pa Ti is fantastic. Black magic woman pretty much copies greens solo from the original but the backing instrumentation is something special. Listened to this hundreds of times. 13 stars.

Let's just take a moment to take in that cover art. And then try standing still when the music starts. Smiling, dancing, soul warming music. The energy and playfulness and riotous fun of Latin music, still does it's magic as well now as 50 years ago. And the title and texts Endure some analysis apparently. A timeless masterpiece I guess. Again! Ola.

Abraxas was released the same month that I saw Woodstock, in which one of that film’s highlights for me was Santana doing Soul Sacrifice off their debut album. In the 70’s I saw them twice at the Hordern (73 & 76). But most memorably I saw them at the Sydney Showground on Remembrance Day 1977. That day the concert started in the afternoon with the Felix Pappalardi-involved Japanese band Creation, then the Kevin Borich Express, and then, around 6.00p.m., as the sun started to set, Santana (they were followed by LRB & then the headliners that day, Fleetwood Mac, touring on the back of Rumours, which had been released earlier in the year. This was their first Australian tour since they’d re-invented themselves.) Santana, as the sun was setting, was one of the great concert experiences I ever had. I remember Santana performing Black Magic Woman that day, but according to setlists now available on the internet, Fleetwood Mac did not (the song having been written by their original guitarist, the late, great Peter Green). Black Magic Woman is one of the highlights of Side 1 of Abraxas, on which there are no duds. It is an outstanding side of music. Their version of Tito Puente’s Oye Como Va is wonderful. Side 2 consists of 5 tracks all written by band members. The only one written by Carlos himself is Samba Pa Ti, the first half of which is slow & atmospheric. Very much like the Santana-penned track Europa(Eath’s Cry, Heaven’s Smile), from the Amigos album, which the band played that day just as the sun set. Almost 50 years later I can still picture that scene. I play the first 2 Santana albums regularly. There was nothing else like them at the time.

In this 1001 albums project, I feel like I have sat through a zillion late 60s white-boy psychedelic rock records, and they bore me to death. Really, when I think about it, they don't have a lot of life in them, and they meander around without much drive and they just shit me. In that context, I can see why Santana were such a dramatic success when they suddenly emerged in 1969. Their career-making appearance at Woodstock was the highlight of the festival (as far as I can tell from the film). Because they knew how to groove. The energetic rhythm drives everything, which is what all those other bands could never really get right. The Santana band can noodle as much as much as they like (and they sure do like to noodle, especially live) because you can dance to it. Despite Carlos Santana's name on the marquee, I'd like to call out Greg Rolie as the most valuable player here. His organ playing and singing really lift this record, and "Hope You're Feeling Better" is the standout original track on the record for me. That said, five (that's more than half) tracks from this album turn up on the 1974 Greatest Hits album, and deservedly so. As time went by, it became clear that Carlos Santana is a bit of a one trick pony, but it a pretty bloody great trick, and never displayed better than on this record. Personally, I prefer the self-titled album, but it's a near thing really. Between the self-titled album and Abraxas, you have all the Santana you'll ever need, but you really do need it.

The album is good old classic rock. It all feels a bit dated, sure; but I can appreciate the music and admire the musicianship. The songs on "Abraxas" are still good, and Carlos Santana is a great guitarist.

Must tää on kyllä aika kliffa platta! Kunnon lattarirokkii ja hyvii versioita klassikoista! Uuwee! 4/5

Nojaah, letkeetä joo, mutta ei tätä levyllistä ihan jaksa.

Nautinnollista jazz-vaikutteista rockia. Santanaa oon sillon tällön kuunnellut biisin, pari mutta toimii erinomaisesti myös albumilla. 4/5

Yeah it sounds nice and the instrumentals are enjoyable but there’s minimal lyricism and that’s just not what I enjoy listening to.

This was another "oh no!" moment when I saw Santana pop up in my list. I had mentally placed them into the same category as bands like the Grateful Dead - ponderous and boring hippy-shit. I was expecting an album of Latin-tinged coffee commercial pap, but it turned out I was wrong. From the opening I realised this was going to be something much better than I had expected. I could hear echoes of Pink Floyd (particularly Animals - which would come 7 years down the line) and a bit of Deep Purple. The guitar was great, but the whole album was well put together, never dragging and changing style throughout. The covers at the start were probably the highlights, but I also enjoyed the instrumentals, even the foreign language tracks were good. Not quite a 5-star experience, but pretty close.

“Look, look, something is very wrong! I don’t want Santana “Abraxas,” I’ve just been in a terrible auto accident!”

I'm not really into this genre and style of music, but it's quite a nice time.

A near perfect album, with classic after classic.

I had modest expectations going into this album. I've heard Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va hundreds of times - they are decent songs, but I'm beyond tired of hearing them. The rest of the album took me by surprise. It was actually really good, and I thoroughly enjoyed each song! Santana is an incredible guitarist, and I'm glad I got to listen to more of him. I probably won't listen to this very often, if at all, but I'm glad I did once.

More singing on the album than I would have thought. A fun listen that is perfect for the summertime. 4/5

Excellent chill guitar

Guy has great tone

Carlos Santana did provide some interesting guitar techniques throughout this album along with the Latin-tinged percussions. My only concern here is that nothing seemed to interesting or really stand out other than what's mentioned

Exciting, fun, musically complex, mostly instrumental latin rock album. I enjoyed it!

- incredibly smooth and slick - honestly was over pretty fast and I like a short album - not something I'd really go back to except to have in the background, but still good music

- great summer evening vibes - incredible guitar skill - surprisingly enjoyed the album despite the lack of vocals

I mean it was smooth, but it just kinda felt too similar the whole way through. Maybe if i was in the right mood. Just felt like a really long interlude, never quite getting to any songs

Gran disco, el vinilo es otra cosa. 8.5/10 Singing winds, Crying beasts 7.5/10 Gran intro, atmosférico. Black Magig Woman 9/10 Temazo. Oye como va 8.5/10 Temazo para bailar solo. Incident at Neshabur 6.5/10 Not feeling it, es una canción intermedia estrepitosa pero no termina de aterrizar Se acabó 7.5/10 Santana crudo, los bongos ayudan bastante. Ritmo rápido y tropical Mother's Daugther 8/10 Explosiva, energética. Se puede dividir entre explosión y letras que le dan un poco de espacio. samba pa' tí 8/10 Temazo. Hope you're feeling better 8/10 buen tema de rock, cargado con toda la onda setentera psicodélica El nicoya 7/10 Simple, ritmo pegadizo, buena despedida.

I didn’t know what to expect, it did. 4 Stars.

Latino rock! Je sais pas si c'est le meilleur guitariste ever, mais on rentre tellement dans son vibe en 5 secondes. C'est envoûtant comme musique. C'est sur cet album qu'il y a le classique black magic woman. Ça juste pas rapport comment c'est taste pour les oreilles. Chaque chanson a un riff et un mood différent et unique.

Santana's big album. Lots of Hispanic-influenced jazz here.

Wow

Clearly skilled and good, but I'll never want to put this on again. In all due respect.

Great combination of Mexican flavor and Americana rock vibes. Awesome instrumentals, beyond just the guitar - organ, keyboard, maracas

Hope You're Feeling Better Mother's Daughter Incident at Neshabur Grooving bass, fuzzy guitars, excellent instrumentation create an album that slides and pops for a fun, psychedelic, and latin-jazz rock sound. The guitar work is the highlight, but the inclusion of beautiful organ, keyboard, maracas, and the occasional backing vocals are well-constructed and add to the tracks.

Amazing album, forever associated with Woodstock. Made for summer afternoons and outside listening. Love Mother's Daughter.

This was released the day I was born! And it's my first major surprise of these reviews, because I'd never heard this album before (though I recognized two of the songs), and loved it way more than I would have expected. "Hope you're feeling better" is the only slightly weak spot.

i didn't expect it to be so jazzy. i like it!!! good background music, if you know what i mean... i wouldn't listen to it to listen to it. i would put it on in the kitchen while i'm baking, or play it while i'm walking. greatly enjoy the sound.

Not an album I’d ever listened to in its entirety. Happy I did

vinyl, really good record

I just want to vibe out with this album, it takes your hand through this psychedelic trip and delivers you into nirvana with the sounds of bongo's and Santana's spine melting guitar licks. Will listen to this album gain for sure.

Did you know that during the recording for their first self-titled album, Santana had to be dragged away from the guitar solos? Jam sessions kept taking over all the recordings, so the band got rounded up and informed that they needed to introduce actual structure to their songs and cut down on time. They managed to perfect the mixture of wonderful, free-riding chaos and rock songwriting here. The air is warm and heavy and the guitars are roaring and you're chilled out beyond belief. What an album to just take a step back and exist in. An enchanting 4/5.

Santana is nostalgia

Great album! Santanas way of handling the guitar is iconic

Good moments but not exceptional.

Background music

Fuego

Very vibey. Would like to cop on vinyl if available

soulful guitar

Surprisingly good! Sure, it is masturbatory guitar noodling, but its nicely accompanied by organ and great percussion. Incident at Neshabur is a stand out for me. Haven’t yet bothered to listen to the Santana-records passed on by my father. Time to do some crate digging.

Masterful. Talent plus enjoyable listening = 4

Top 3 Songs: 1 - Black Magic Woman (2) 2 - Hope You're Feeling Better (8) 3 - Oye Como Va (3)

It was a good album

Singing winds crying beasts: mystical start Black magic woman: guitar hero 3. I never realized there was a intro song to this song, thats crazy. This song is amazing, a classic. I really love the bass groove and the guitar just kinda going along and complimenting evethying else Oye como va: played a version of this song in middle school band. This album is really hitting all of the nostalgia for me. So good. Incident at neshabur: love all of the funky random sounds, cowbell, the bouncy rattle, organ comboed with chord piano, ride and snare, so chaotic in the jazziest way. This would slap so hard in a jazz club. The tempo slow downs!! That was so perfect and unexpected!! Loved that. Really tugging at my strings by tipping into the phycadelic vibes a little. This is surprisingly good Se a cabo: love the jungle feel. Mothers daughter:im enjoying the upbeat energy, but im a little ready for a slower song to mix into this album, hopefully the next one is. Samba pa ti: peeeerfect. This is the perfect slow guy. Im pretty happy with the organization of this album the song are starting to kind of blend for me for their similarities, but the vibes are on point, lots of beaches. As much as I like the soloing guitar I think at this point I'd like a little more structure, a little less soloing a little more band Hope you're feeling better: again, its good, the guitar is a little too lost in the sauce for me. If their were multiple people soloing it wouldn't be an issue, but after hearing the same guitar solo they all start to sound the same to me El nicoya: this was very random wtf😂. This album has a couple of 5 star songs by themselves, but overall its at max a 4 star. A little too much of the same and im just waiting for their to be more.

Refreshing to listen to at the time. A few recognizable songs I didn’t realize were Santana. Not sure it ends up in any regular rotation but a good listen. Guitar riffs were well done and well done together and make for good listenablility

Fine, faded into the background for me. As we’ve gone through this list I’ve definitely lowered my opinion on guitar solos, to the point that it is crazy to me that they have been the backbone of music for so long. They are all the same

Nah

Santana is one of my favourite guitarists so this is an easy 5

Really enjoyed this a lot more than I expected. Groovy, great amount of instrumental, different enough so as not to be boring.

This would be an easy 5 if it came out in 2023. The fact that it came out in 1970 makes it even more impressive. Santana’s guitar playing is obviously great, but upon revisiting these songs the percussion stands out as another tasty feature

i’m always down for a santana album, and this is one of my favorites. i own it on vinyl, i listen to it all the time, easy 5

It's really hard not to like Santana. Nobody's been more successful at making Latin Rock sound cooler than they have.

The first half of this album is legendary. Don't get me wrong the whole album is amazing, it start strong and ends strong as well. Hope You're Feeling Better rocks.

Fun in the background though I wasn't like mind blown by his guitar chops or anything

fun album, if guitar riffs arent really my thing.

Groovy Favorite Tracks: Oye Como Va, Black Magic Woman 4.5/5

I liked it, mostly the first half. The songs in the second half sound more boomery

it was alright, a bit too heavy on the synth/organ for me

3.75

pretty good vibes. Black magic woman is a classic, overall decent

Weird jams are my jam Really liked this album

It’s impressive but also a bit forgettable

A few seconds of anticipatory silence. Some tentative piano jazz chords. Swells of cymbal, twinkling chimes. And then in it comes, screaming in technicolour all the way from one channel to another: Carlos Santana's signature searing guitar tone. This is "Singing Winds, Crying Beasts", and it marks the beginning of a psychedelic odyssey through the sound and soul of Latin America. I've never listened to any Santana before, but "Abraxas" is a gem: the band's second and most famous album, it's held up by stunning instrumental work threading together some dynamic originals and inspired covers. I'm often sniffy and dismissive about covers of other artists' work, but the versions done here form such great bedrocks for Santana's guitar parts and the band's Latin accompaniments. "Black Magic Woman" (originally a minor hit in its own right by Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac) is hypnotic, smooth and seductive, with an infectious burst of energy in "Gypsy Queen" tacked onto the end. We're then into "Oye Como Va", originally a Tito Puente number but given a rock-oriented make-over here with guitar and organ solos a-plenty. Both pieces ultimately became more associated with Santana than their original artists, and it's a delight hearing them back-to-back in the mould of a unique fusion of Latin, jazz and rock. Carlos Santana's own contributions cannot be overstated: his guitar is all over this album, and deserves praise as Latin rock's answer to Hendrix. While the rest of the band more than hold their own against Santana, I would single out José Areas as an absolute treat of a percussionist. Without his contributions, instrumentals like "Incident at Neshabur" or "Se a Cabo" could fall flat, but his conga and timbales run through their veins: the life and soul of "Abraxas". In the second half, there's a noticeable pivot to more conventional blues rock penned by lead singer Gregg Rolie. "Mother's Daughter" and "Hope You're Feeling Better" leaped out at me on first listen, with their immediate crunchy guitar riffs and soulful vocal performances, and then on second listen they began to feel slightly jarring in amongst such intricate Latin-influenced jazz. I've now settled on the idea that they're great fun in their own way: reminiscent of Traffic or Cream songs, they satisfy a visceral urge to rock out as well as shake our hips to the album. The gorgeous, lush "Samba Pa Ti" forms a welcome tonic in between the two. Seamlessly paced, virtuoso performers, psychedelic heaven… "Abraxas" is going to stay with me. It's a high four (9/10) for now, but I've no doubt this could improve with time.

I quite like this

The songs are either really good or really forgettable, but I think that comes down more to my preference. I just don't think the instrumentals necessarily translate into good /songs/, if that makes sense. If this record was all Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va, then we'd have a better time.

Santana is a master of guitar. No notes.

Somehow very chill and very intense at the same time. Incredible talent on display here. 4.5 stars

Groovy grooves Lots of guitar Kinda just 70s rock

I do already love Santana so good start I guess. Listened to it the man knows how to lick a mean guitar. Spanish makes me feel sexy

Vibing hard to the songs I don't already know. What a jam.

Buena la wea

Great guitar album. Super cool grooves. Great meld of rhythms and great guitar. Carlos Santana is a master musician. Loved the album.

Probably up there with Depeche Mode for my favorite album we’ve heard that I didn’t previously know. Great grooves from the percussion, fantastic guitar work. Fun fact, Fleetwood Mac (pre-Buckingham and Nicks) wrote Black Magic Woman.

Solid gold.

The slower and more thoughtful cuts avoid the excess of cowbell and are thus much the stronger, especially “Incident” with its excellent piano flourishes and “samba pa ti.” Mostly forgettable vocals are the other major demerit that keeps this out of the top rank.

This was a great album to listen to while high and it was also fun to hear classic Santana that’s totally different from his 21st century stuff. Oye como va was my favorite and Santana can fucking shred. It also held up the whole next day while I was sober. Pretty great album idk if it’s worth a 5 but I think it’s close enough.

|Not really my thing, nothing wrong with it but I wouldn't listen again

geetar

Nice mix of music with vocals and instrumentals. Enjoyed the variety of genres here. This is a good background listening album.

I figured going in that this would be an album that I like, but ultimately don't find that interesting. However, I found this album really engrossing. It was clearly influential on a lot of the jam bands that I was really into when I was younger, and yet this didn't feel generic. It also had a clearer jazz influence than I was expecting. Each song is distinct and well-conceived 4/5

Latin Beats meet classic rock and the result is great

OMA GO BO GA! OMA GO BO GA! HJEEEH OMA GO BO GA! Kun uskoo että vihdoin saa rauhaa uskoo että heh.. selättänyt soundin ja tuttua soitantaahan tämä vain.. heh.. PAMAUTETAAN SEMMOSILLA ASIOILLA HUUHHUH DONBASS ALUE KONSANAAAN Pommia pommin perään Sotarikoksia perkele kidutusta lapset siperiaa kohti & vanhuksille se kuula päähän vain heh

Loved this before i got this album. So many good and diverse tracks.

Fuck no.

first listen this is an incredible record

I was familiar with the singles before listening to the album, but all of the songs have a great energy. Not a lot of variety, but it's great at what it does.

This is some sexy, smooth Latin rock. Very psychedelic and well-mixed. A lot of fun. I could give this 5 stars, but it might JUST fall short of having that certain je-ne-sais-quoi to get it there. But I will be listening to this one again.

AJ: Excellent. Don’t know much about or written by Santana. “The hits” are cool, and I randomly got to see him live and he was great. The band is of the Earth. So much soul and energy. Love the first track feeling like the band is getting him going. Didn’t hear alot of guitar, until black magic woman. Like he’s gathering energy from the band and then saying “ok, vamos.” I loved it. ❤️ Cat: this album is fucking amazing!! Mood music for sure. Latin, jazz, rock n roll all fused together. And they’re all so good! Highly recommend listening with headphones. The stereo effects are wild.

Some of these riffs are just too much.

I well remember the release of this album in 1970 when I was playing at being a civilian DJ on armed forces radio in Germany.

Absolutely fantastic album.

From atmospheric to heavy, from Latin to fuzzy rock, with virtuosity in technique and musicality. Yes the guitar, but how about that percussion?! And organ on Se a Cabo?! Outstanding record start to finish.