Abraxas

the ones you know are decent, rest meh/noise

Different but nice and cool.

Some lovely old grooves, but it is a bit samey and just washes over you

3.5/5 niceish, i'll have to relisten

3, classics

A little bit rock, a little bit prog, a little bit jazz and a little bit Latin. Sounds like a good mix on paper and admittedly, there are some good tracks on ‘Abraxas’, but as a whole, it just lacks that little something to really elevate it.

I've never found Santana's music to be interesting. His guitar player (on studio albums) doesn't seem as loose as say, SRV or Clapton, which is what I prefer. It's a decent album, but dull. Didn't add.

Jazzy Latin Rock. 3 big tracks on here...C Santana is undoubtedly a great guitarist . I find it a bit wearing after a whole album (you need to be in the mood for that percussion) but it is solid stuff. 3

- 1970, holy shit - pleasant fusion of jazz, latin, psychedelic rock

I have this on vinyl and have always enjoyed it. It’s not great, but just good. You have to be in the mood for Santana, and luckily I was. There are some of their classic hits, mixed in with some all around good tunes.

Quite good fun. A couple of his most well known tracks here but the others stand up well on their own. A jam album with some fantastic instrumentalism going on.

I mean it's OK...

Great album. Not much else to say here. It's in my rotation for a while now and I don't see me getting bored with it.

A great mix of classic rock and latin sounds. No surprise why Santana became a legend. I enjoyed it but it wasn't something I'll really go back to.

Santana y su guitarra. Correcto. Sin más. 3

Psykedelisk blues rock, oyo como va, lange soloer, fusioner

I vibed with this - a relaxed but lively listen with enough variety to be interesting throughout. A good album to play whilst cooking I reckon. Once the album finished a few songs from Supernatural auto-queued and they had exactly the pizazz I think Abraxas was missing tho. A solid 7/10

Fun fun fun

Pretty good (if overrated) moment in psyche-rock/jazz fusion. This wants to be a Latin-flavored intermediary between Axis (Bold As Love) and Bitches Brew. It doesn't really hit the highs of either Hendrix or Davis, but it does showcase some serious talent. It's like an unfocused but tighter studio album from a jam band - there's talent there, but not from anyone with a clear, concise vision.

Pretty good! Nothing that blew me away or had me salivating with excitement, but wouldn’t turn it off if it came on. Not high praise but suitable for the music I think. Reckon you’d only manage one Santana album before you’d be sick of it though…

The second half of 'incident at neshabur' sounds like the soulful instrumental tracks that Van creates. They appeared in concert together once with Dylan and Bono. What a concert that would have been.

I wreszcie jakas odmiana pomiedzy przeskakiwaniem uk i us, wiec latino rokowanie w wykonaniu bandy Santana, ktora swoja nazwe bierze od lidera formacji pana Carlosa Santany, tytul abraxas jest referencja do demiana hessego, krazek z 1970, nagrywany w hameryce, na zachodnim wybrzezu, co ma niewatpliwy wplyw na to jak brzmi ten album, bo ekipa santany, to miks latynosow i bardziej bialych hamerykanow, wiec plyta dwu jezykowa, chociaz i tak blizej jej do instrumentalnego albumu, bo trzy kawalki sa spiewane po angielsku przez klawiszowca Gregga Rolie, reszta jest instrumentalno latynoska, bo jakas liryka jest, ale sa to glownie rytmowe chorki, szesciosobowy sklad w ktorym jest podwojna perkusja i congi, jak na muzyke latino przystalo, bo gatunkowo najlatwiej nazwac to latino rokiem, ale rownie dobrze pasuje fuzujacy jazz na sambowych rytmach, albo mozna jak na discogu cala litanie Afro-Cuban, Fusion, Samba, Blues Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Chicano Rock, wiec bogaty miks, nawet jesli chodzi o zlistowane traki, to w 37 mintuach i 9 trakach jest wmieszanie orginalnego kontentu z coverami szlagierow jak oye como va, pana Tito, ktory juz sie przewinal przez liste, to wlasnie coverami stoi plyta, bo sa one najbardziej sluchanymi utworami wedlug spotifaja, poza Samba Pa Ti, ktory jest orginalnym santanowym kawalkiem, co do plejkowych pickow to zdecydowanie titowy cover i hope you are feeling better, ktory najblizej podchodzi pod psychodeliczne brzmienie, ktore jest zarzucane plycie, dodatkowo ostro porobione wokale, brzmiace prawie jak cos beatlesowego, czuje ze tej bandy o wiele lepiej sluchaloby sie na zywca, bo 37 minut plyty to zbyt malo jak na tak roznorodne granie

Really great guitar playing, but that doesn't mean it's super standout album all the way through. Enjoyed it, but feels a 3.5. I didn't realize Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va were both covers. Way to make 'em popular, Santana!

First time listening to Santana and I liked it very much! His name and the album cover had already lifted my expectations, and the music lived up to it! I did hope for more psychedelia, but the other elements I was not expectating made up for it.

Tiene una buena mezcla de sonidos. Me gusta mucho que se perciba el rock, el jazz, el blues y la salsa. Se puede apreciar la influencia latinoamericana de Carlos Santana. Calificación: 3/5. Agradable de escuchar.

p218. 1970. 2022-01-14. 3 stars Early 70s samba jazz rock and ace guitar, vague Doors-ish echoes. Slightly bland. Cool background summer music :)

Very guitar heavy. Stand out song was Black Magic Woman.

Nice melodies and jazz like solos. But I couldn't really get into the album. "Black Magic Women / Gypsy Queen" my favourite song on the album.

Black magic woman Oye como va Samba Pa ti très bon

For the sick guitar licks it is a good listen

Isssssa mood

70s Santana er geggjað stöff.

medium 5/10

Very guitarry, very tropical, very Santana. This is palm beach, coctel, hawaiian shirt type of music. But it's also south-American rhythms, cuba and cigars. And Santana with his guitar in the middle of this craziness trying to make sense of it all. Sometimes, it does make sense. Some other times, it doesn't. "Oye como va" sounds out of place, and I wonder if I have come to actually dislike this song because it feels like an intruder in this bunch.

Great front end of the album, falls off towards the end.

Första låten agerar ett långt intro till en jävla KLASSIKER i form av Black Magic Woman. Otroliga Guitar Hero 3- flashbacks. En helt fantastisk låt såklart. Resten av albumet följer egentligen samma stil. Ganska unikt album!

Solid pleasant rock. Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va are classics. 6/10

After only really experiencing post Smooth-era Santana, this was a breath of fresh air and made it rather obvious what founded the band's legacy. A lot more mellow and groove-heavy than the flashy guitar show-off that I've heard of him. Of course it's a little bit lengthy on the endless noodling side, but, still, a good show.

not my kind of thing

Gypsy woman is fantastic enjoyed the harmonics guitar with vocals Oye como ve is another really good song I enjoyed hope your feeling better even though the lines were repetitive. The rest of the album was Santana being santana.

Would be a nice album to listen to on a lazy summer afternoon sinking a few cold boys.

Santanan soundi on kyllä pirun siisti vaikkei levynä ihan parhaasta päästä ollutkaan.

141121 17:15 3

It’s good.

A totally smooth album filled with what Santana are known for, cool latin/jazz fusion rock. Best: Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen Worst: Samba Pa Ti

6,5/10 Legal

Actually pretty groovy. I'm not mad on Santana - he makes a good sound, but after a while the tone gets kind of boring for me and it all starts to sound a bit samey. But I really enjoyed the Latin influences on this album, and it does a pretty good job of sounding sexy. Oye Como Va is always gonna be a classic

Funky, punchy pure groove Santana's leads are psychedelic as hell

Very good instrumentals, short and sweet length

TIL that Carlos Santana was not the lead singer of Santana. "Mother's Daughter" was when it occurred to me - it was not the voice I was expecting. I only previously knew "Black Magic Woman" and "Oye Como Vas" from this album, and always assumed it was Santana singing. Speaking of that singing, when the album transitions from more Latin-influenced or traditional songs back to more typical classic rock, the singers powerful voice coming back has a bit of a jarring effect. While I enjoy bands with the ability to interweave multiple styles into a cohesive whole, I don't think it feels cohesive with "Abraxas." It feels like two completely different bands. Both decent-to-good, but neither really stand out.

This album makes me think of work, specifically those people that excel in one particular aspect of their job and have no interest in working on their weaknesses, being well rounded, and becoming truly exceptional. In many cases they don’t really have weaknesses because they rise above in anything they put effort into. Their only weakness is the lack of drive to become more. They just want to work on what they enjoy and dig in as deep as they can. On one hand, there is something to be admired about someone knowing, and sticking to, what they like. On the other hand, the main takeaway for me is lost potential. Like what if Elton John had just said fuck it, I am a piano wizard and I don’t need lyrics. What if he never paired up with Bernie Taupin? I would probably not care much for Elton John’s music catalogue, and I don’t think we’d be calling him Sir. Santana’s lead guitar work is top notch. It’s beautiful. The Latin instrumental stuff (conga, timbales, etc.) is good, don’t get me wrong. However, there is just too much instrumental on its own. This is not all to say that instrumental albums can’t be interesting. They can be interesting, but they usually serve a specific mood, and the artist must commit to being an instrumentalist. Abraxas can’t decide if it’s a rock album or an instrumental album. That’s a problem. There are only 5 (of 9) songs with lyrics, and two of them repeat the same line or two the whole song. This leaves just 3 songs that are stimulating lyrically, which is the Achilles heal for this album. I am most pleased to have been introduced to Mother’s Daughter, which is the standout song for me on this album.

If I hadn't heard Santana's other albums I would've said this was flawless, but given a side-by-side comparison of this and their debut, I would have to say this pales in comparison.

Of course the famous tracks but the rest meanders like a muddy river. Notable for Latin+Rock but my favorites of his come much later.

Good background music. Awesome guitar

Good stuff

A neat blend of psychedelic blues rock and latin jazz. The Tito Puente cover was nice, and I never realized "Black Magic Woman" wasn't originally a Santana song (it was originally a Fleetwood Mac song). Makes me envision The Allman Brothers getting lost in the desert and doing some peyote. Favorite tracks: "Incident at Neshabur", "Mother's Daughter"

First songgg singing winds, crying beasts. Lowkey eerie start with the wind chimes and wind and threatening piano. Ooh now some geetar. Gotta expect that from santana. It’s starting to get more groovy I like it. Ooh yes get it bass. Some keyboard. Bling boing boing. Elevator sounding shi. A little bored. I like it but I’m a little bored. Really nice and groovy though I will say. Chill. Also side note I love the album cover like what is it? Idk but I absolutely love it. Psychedelic man. Next one, track two, is incident at neshabur. THIS defines elevator music. Definitely more interesting though now. Is Santana prog rock/psych? That’s the feel I’m getting. Ooh that guitar is fantasmic. So chill and nice. I would listen to this at a spa while getting a massage or something. BASS. Piano do be tinking. Oh shoot sorry it was on shuffle track to is actually black magic woman/gypsy queen and the other one is track 4. I’ve heard black magic woman before and I already love it so yeah it’s just amazing 10/10. Mmmm so good. Whoever’s singing is so smooth too (pun intended). Ok now 3 oye como va. I like the organ. Nice n groovy. I skipped four cuz I listened to it already but now it’s five, mother’s daughter. I like this one a lot the bass is so nice and the guitar is so awesome I love the tone of it. Ooh yes more singing. Yes please keep it coming. Geeeeetarrrrrr. Next is track six samba pa ti. This is my favorite one musically. It tickles the eardrums quite nicely. Yes I love this one. Track 7, hope your feeling better. Start that organ off with a bang wooooo. Alright this one is catchy some more singing I like it. Some claps now alright. I can’t get over this guitar tho it is actually so great. All improvisation and still awesome. Last song is track 7, el nicoya. What do all these titles mean? Idk. Some chanting and Congo drums. Interesting. Alright all done. I liked the album it was all improvising and chill psychedelic grooving which I liked. I will say though you have to really be in the mood for chill psychedelic stuff to listen to this album and if your not in the mood it’s lowkey boring. Really cool though Ill give it 6/10 stars.

nice and refreshing album, cool vibes and good music. was missing some lyrics but overall enjoyed it

Cool guitar as expected. Drums and rythym were nice too. I enjoyed.

BMW duh

It took a few tracks for me to get into it, but it's a decent slice of Latin rock. "Se a Cabo" and "Hope You're Feeling Better" were the highlights.

First heard about Santana from that awful Smooth song so knowing he was some Latin jazz fusion monster back in the day was a surprise. Still good stuff here, kinda wish it was a bit harder as he has the chops to really go

Pretty okay as far as people showing off how good they are at instruments music goes. Probably because it comes with a sense of musicianship, danceability and songcraft that most prog (I’ve discovered, for me) seems to lack.

This is some pretty great music and I liked it for the most part but I felt it became somewhat tiring by the middle. Then it kind of gives you a break with Samba Pa Ti and finishes ok. It has some killer tracks but I don't think it flows that well as an album.

Some very cool riffs in this album, "smooth" music that is nice to listen to. Don't know if I'd return to it much past that, but still an enjoyable listen Saved: Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen

Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen, Mother's Daughter Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Eh, this is clearly a bunch of talented dudes but idk it didn't really hit. I can't really put into words why I didn't really like it, but it just faded into the background for me. 2.5 that I'll round up.

Not bad, not great either

Good album. Only so far guitars etc can take you. Mothers daughter my favourite.

I think my opinion on this album is going to be very unpopular. First the positives. The keys solo on Oye Como Va is amazing. Incident at Neshabur is also really good but still not as good as most songs from some other fusion groups. Generally, I found the album kind of boring. Also, it didn't seem locked in all the time. People were off the beat on a lot of songs and I'm not sure if it was intentional but I didn't really like it. I'm also not a huge fan of Carlos Santana's tone or solos. It's not really that innovative or interesting. I really don't get the hype. Some of it sounds like it's trying to be jazz but it's not competent as a jazz album which bothers me. It's still okay but it's not great in my opinion. Favorite Songs: Oye Como Va, Incedent at Neshabur, Se A Cabo, Hope You're Feeling Better Least Favorite Songs: Singing Winds, Crying Beasts; Samba Pa Ti Strong 6/10

Good

Suave!

* Singing winds has a really chill sound, and the way they used the cymbal to sound like wind is super cool. * Black Magic Woman has a great sound to it with a nice bass-line, and subtle conga drums. But then at around 3:50 it takes off. Probably live this is a great part of the song, but listening by myself I'll be happier when it ends. * Oye Como Va is one of my all time favorite songs. I think it's on queue in my head to play at a moments notice. I could probably recognize it after 2 notes, including the one bass note and one keyboard chord. It's no wonder that genius.com translates "oye como va" to "listen, how it goes, my rhythm". * Incident at Neshabur (Neyshabur sp?) is complex, but on rhythm. Chaotic until about 3:00. And it's no wonder its on beat, because Carlos Santa did "lead guitar, vocals, and percussion" * Se a Cabo has a bunch of frilled solos noodling, probably fun in concert. The conga solo at 1:35 is pretty cool. I also like the big-band like un-mic-ed band singing "Se a Cabo" lines. But the guitar is what I didn't enjoy as much. * Mother's Daughter has great a great rythm and bass combo to start. But then takes off into the kind of chaotic noodling I'm not a super fan of. Then the lyrics cool it off and it becomes good again. * Samba Pa Ti, didn't even notice this song played and finished. * Hope You're Feeling Better is a good song, I like that there are lyrics to it. I would listen to it on the Radio without turning, but I wouldn't play it on purpose. * El Nicoya - I love the singing in the beginning of the song. Ooh and acoustic guitar, yes! Ok it's getting a bit repetitive now during the bongo solo. Aaand the track is over.

Better than I expected but still not something I'd seek out

Anders als erwartet, irgendwie mehr jazzige Einflüsse als Gitarrengewichse. Dennoch recht Café del Mar Sampler tauglich, durchwegs gefällig, teils hypnotisch/krautige Bass Läufe, im besten Fall haben sich auch mal Zeitgenossen von D.Banhart über Destroyer bis Woods bedient („Incident at Neshabur“). Ein Album, das nichts konkret will und in den besten Momenten alles sein kann. Cambozola-cremige 3.4

its good just not my style.

Classic Carlos sounds. Two fantastic fantastic songs back to back

Enjoyable listen, but not quite my style.

Ближе к 4

3

Me encuentro muy como al inicio cuando tocaron los Doors. Creo que Santana es un gran guitarrista, tiene técnica, inventiva y suficientes credenciales para callar a cualquiera. Su música es música que he escuchado muchísimas veces, es buena; esa mezcla de rock con ritmos latinos pero no solo ritmo latino realmente es más mezcla con jazz fusion latino. Creo todo un género y manera de arreglar canciones realmente a lo "chicano." Tiene todo ese crédito y más pero realmente, yo ya no lo aguanto. No puedo escuchar más sus versiones de Black Magic Woman u Oye Cómo Va. Este es un disco y una manera tan particular de tocar que ya para mi gusto tengo demasiado quemado y desgastado. Se que es bueno, me gustó en su momento pero ya no es para mí. Por cierto que siempre he pensado que Samba Pa Ti, que es la única canción de este disco que escribió él, es la menos aguantable (en este caso es una canción que nunca he tragado). Tiene puntos altos porque en el pasado me gustó y aprecio su importancia; simplemente creo es mejor que cortemos por lo sano Don Carlos.

Instrumental, meant to be listened to as a whole. Really nice. Samba Pa Ti, Singing Winds, Crying Beasts and Incident at Neshabur were the best.

Boomer tier.

i like it but it don’t have anything special to make me wanna give it more than 3 stars

Though pretty dated and is clearly the showcase for black magic woman & oye como va, it is a solid and energetic, groove-infused album. Not a giant fan of the date electronic keyboards and percussion as the message, but still give props.

I appreciate the skillful and soulful guitar work, the songs themselves don't do much for me.

OYE COMO VA! QUE LINDO!

Very good album, classic Santana songs.

Its okay. I really enjoyed Black Magic Woman and Incident at Neshabur, nice mostly instrumental album.

Classic Latin Rock. It's nice to have in the background but beyond that doesn't do a ton, but it's definitely culturally significant, 3.5 down to 3.

Never been a huge Santana fan, but this album has two of his greatest hits.

First Santana record I listened too. Knew "Black Magic Women" and "Oye Como Va". "Samba Pa Ti" has a killer guitar sound and feel but beyond this this album did not move me too much.

better than i expected from Santana,

2 huge Santana hits that would make anyone dance (Black magic woman and Oye como va) on there, but there's just too many instrumental songs/parts of songs for me to give 4 stars.

Santana at his best

Black Magic Woman immediately added to cooking playlist!

- "Jose 'Chepito' Areas, former drummer of the legendary rock group, Santana, has been arrested for allegedly molesting the two children of a friend's girlfriend, authorities said Wednesday. Officer Maurice Jennings of the Concord Police Department said Areas was arrested after he was allegedly beaten by the friend, Gary Sanders, who allegedly struck Areas repeatedly with a crowbar Feb. 16. Areas did not suffer any serious injuries. Sanders told authorities the attack was triggered by Areas molesting the children, a 6-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy, of Sanders girlfriend, who became acquainted with the musician when the couple worked on Areas' pool last summer. During an interview with police Tuesday, authorities said Areas 'did admit to some acts of child molestating.'" Also played in Israel despite the boycott. Another band on this list that deserves to be boycott by everyone, not just me. - There is some nice guitar work on this album (though, it can get a little heavy on the noodling). Although there are vocals on here, I think the guitar is the main melody line. - Not as into the jazzy keys or drum focused tracks, and I kind of feel like instrumentation feels cluttered, overall. - My favourites were definitely the covers - Black Magic Woman/Oye Como Va. I think that says it mostly - they're musically proficient, but I just don't really connect with their stuff - other than Samba Pa Ti, which stood out to me, probably because of the really nice guitar work and melody.

I would have scored this higher if I hadn’t already given Dire Straits 3 stars. Dire straits was my first album, so I thought 3 would be good. Santana has some bangers, but does too much and isn’t a great lyricist.

It’s Santana, guitar is top tier.

Well this had a few of his most famous songs. I’m not sure if they are that good. I just think they are okay. He can play well but it’s nothing that is mind blowing. The songs are good because you have heard them over and over but does that mean they are good. I don’t think so. My roommate use to play these songs all the time and it wasn’t great then and hasn’t changed now.

Not my style

Thought I'd like this but it's just a load of self indulgent guitar solos

It was ok, but not as good as a lot of old dudes tell me it is.

Inte för mig. Santana är hur begåvad som helst och så vidare men musiken på detta album fångar mig inte. Flera låtar har jag hört förut och de är ok, men inget speciellt för mig. Jag tycker det är lite tråkigt faktiskt. Jag kommer få ett gäng gubbar efter mig på grund av det men musik är musik och jag betygsätter min upplevelse. Inte för mig helt enkelt.

Undisputed guitar skills. Incredible sound (for the most part). But musically, this is a bit lackluster. Black Magic Woman is soooo good, but it can't make up for the rest. If 3 indicates some potential form of replayability then this is a 2. Sorry. 2.7

MEH

I've never been a fan of Santana even during his resurgence during the late 90's/early 00's. It's too much instrumental, which I know makes sense since he is a guitarist, but I don't like instrumental. I knew Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen and Oye Como Va.

It's taken until age 40 to properly listen to a Santana album, despite being aware of him forever, and sadly it didn't do it for me. Not a fan of the Latin influence in general and his guitar work is so smooth and clean that it falls into the category of 'easy listening' for me. It doesn't engage me in any way

Meh

Peaceful at first but fell off a bit

1st track was cool, some good Latin beats throughout the album. Needs more rob Thomas

Not my type of music.

Best Track - "Black Magic Woman"

It has interesting elements but also not my cup of tea, the intro was BEAUTIFUL though. Some tracks might grow on me with repeated listens.

Hmmm i like songs with more lyrics. It was nice listening to while cleaning, but not my favorite

I thought he would just be edging the whole time after the first song but at least there was more going on than just guitar. Still sounds like music 70 year olds have sex to

Bad

Nothing of note hear. Not offensive but really meh. I can't remember what a single song sounds like after listening, and every song felt overly long. Can't say there was much here to connect with for me. The guitar and the somewhat bossa nova elements are nice tho, so I'll give it that. Fav Track: Oye Como Va

Meh. Not my favourite.

not many lyrics ☹️

Just to much focus on his exceptional guitar work to be anything other than ok. ‘Oye Como Va’ is the standout track and highlights how this works best when embracing their latin routes.

It was mostly fine, but I have limited patience for guitar noodling, so this is not really my kinda thing. I kept finding reasons to listen to other things, which is never a good sign. Oye Como Va is great though, that would get a 4 by itself. Clearly a collection of extremely talented musicians, but not ones who I want to spend time with. 2/5

Ok. 2.3

Fattar grejen men det här går inte för mig.

Not for me

I don't hate it, but I can't in good conscience give praise to those responsible for the creation of both the band Journey and "Smooth ft Rob Thomas." Reprehensible. All the best songs here were written by other people.

ну не без слов не

When this came up I was quite looking forward to it with only listening to bits of Santana. Pretty disappointed to be honest, it just didn’t get going. Felt like it was over before it started

Algo distinto, como para escuchar de fondo mientras estudio o hago alguna tarea que requiera concentración, gracias a su falta de letras. Me gustó, aunque salí completamente de mi zona de confort en lo que respecta a la música.

Is it mean to say this album bored the fuck out of me. I’m saying wake-up-from-a-beach-nap-to-turn-it-off levels of boring.

Solid 2. Good listen albeit not something I will regularly listen to

Han kan spille, men 40 minutters gitarsoloer har aldri vært min greie.

I do not like that Santana man, I do not like that man jams. This was actually NOT the most Santana sounding thing I’ve heard (outside of Black Magic Woman 🤮) but the incredible bongo band did it better. I’ve always kinda liked Oye Como Va

Wow… or do I mean erm .. what an album? I do think the recess was heavily linked to them being one of the few bands to do anything coherent at Woodstock . Obviously it goes either with out saying that he is a great guitarist and I bet they are great live .. I just do not really want to listen to this hippy over indulgence

Meget anderledes, og jeg synes sådan set at det var ret fedt, dog er det nok ikke noget jeg ville sætte på, og tror jeg ville være nødt til at lytte til det et par gange for at vende mig til lyden, men vildt fedt at blive introduceret for genren. 2 føles hårdt, og jeg ved ikke hvor meget jeg synes det fortjener en 2'er

Not terrible, not for me though. 2/5

Go Latin rock! I didn’t feel obsessed with any song in particular but I would put this on to cook or something and jam out. Fast as you can by Fiona Apple is to when the pawn as incident at neshabur is to abraxas. Would love this if I wanted to just listen to guitar riffs. Perfect album for a guitar riff lover. Very impressive but as it went on it became less to my taste. Favorites: black magic woman, oye como va

Me outloud, seeing that today was a Santana album: "OH HELL YEAH".

Psychedelic rock has never been my thing but after learning to play guitar in my 50’s, I definitely respect the brilliance of his guitar work. The music just isn’t enjoyable to me

I am an avowed Santana hater. I gave this as honest a shake as I could give it and… I strongly disliked it. I’m having a hard time articulating what about it I dislike so much. The guitar? The organ? The percussion? The long-winded instrumental sections? "But aren’t you Latino?" Yes, and I dislike it all the same. Give me some cumbia. It’s not enough to warrant a 1, but it’s certainly a 2/5 for me.

2.5

Don’t get me wrong. Nice guitar. But not the perfect vibe for me.

Slightly less than mid.

This is fine but not really my thing and there was nothing in here that made me go "hell yeah this kicks ass" besides some really good guitar.

Wank fest

Not my style, but it was alright

Good

Good psychedelic rock with a warm guitar tone and latin/mexican(?) undertones. Favorite track (and title): “Incident at Neshabur” 2.75/5

it was long and musical not much singing, it would be good if your into that

I never knew Santana had so much latiny stuff. I liked it more than I expected.

Not something id listen to on a daily basos

Как-то нейтрально, будто просто фоновая музыка

Ehh

latino

Very good for old people ears I’m sure

Didn’t listen to all of it, but nothing noteworthy from what I did listen to

not my style sadly but very interesting!

It was okay, I'm rarely a fan of instrumental only songs. My favourites were Hope You're Feeling Better, Mother's Daughter, Black Magic Woman/, and Oye Como va was quite fun.

This was pretty good and I want to check out their other works. Top songs: Samba Pa Ti, Black Magic Women/ Gypsy Queen

Honestly not my favorite, but i think the guitar was pretty nice

Not for me

honestly slysela jsem tak dve pisnicky a jakoze bylo to alright, fajn hudba, ale zas tak me to nezaujalo mega se mi libi ten cover tho

too much weird things happening all at once

Santana needs a few more listens. It seems like something I would enjoy more now than I did when I first heard it in 2019. On the other hand, guitar wankery never appealed to me, and that's what Santana is known for. At least the latin flavor makes it more interesting than other guitarmen like Satriani or Bonamassa. Key tracks: Oye Como Va

Not for me

Not my cup of tea. Not into endless guitar solos. Yawn 🥱

I mainly loved the sound tracks with no voices. The one where there were vocals like black woman magic or so didn't seat well will me .. nice soundtracks

I think my brain needed more stimulation today and this didn’t quite do it

Wel paar mooie nummers maar ik voelde het totaal niet

None of it was really pulling me in.

Wish I paid more attention to my 3 years of Duolingo Spanish Fave track: Oye Como Va

can't get behind the keys/synth but the guitar obviously stands out. just not my cup of tea but i can appreciate the musicality

non english songs, not bad, but not in the mood

12/10/2025 Wednesday cool art

Album rules

It was very average. I couldn't say I despised it by any means but I found it very boring at some points, with some spots of interest which soon faded. It feels harsh to give this a 2 but I can't justify a 3. Favourite track - Mother's Daughter

I've never been a huge fan of Santana and I think this is my first listen to the album. I knew Black Magic Woman & Oye Cómo Va, they are both OK songs. The rest of the album did not excite me. This album offered nothing compelling enough to warrant a second listen.

I recognise musicians (guitarists in particular) rave about Santana, but not for me I’m afraid

Got better as the album progressed,but still just background noise for me.

Viktig gitarist, kjedelig musikk.

I appreciate the talent, but I've just never gotten into any of Santana's music at all.

Bored and couldnt wait for it to finish - can see why some people like it tho

Never been my thing

the album art is a 10 for me overall tolerable, i've never been into prolonged instrumentals and this project is making me realize anything "psychedelic" is not for me. recognized several songs just from existing in the world, but not a single song i'd actively choose to play. "samba pa ti" was a high point

Felt like I was put on hold for 37 minutes

At least 2 are pretty good; as for the rest: at least its pretty short

Handwerklich sicherlich alles gut und so, aber das gibt mir insgesamt echt sehr wenig.

Haut mich als Album nicht um. Ist eine schöne Sammlung einzelner Stücke, aber als Album funktioniert es für mich nicht im Kontext dieses Anspruchs.

eh, its okay

Santana has never worked for me. I usually love Latin music, but this mix of Latin beats with rock washes all of the energy and passion out of the beats for me. The Samba song was ok.

Mais um que não sei se entendi

I used to like it as a teen, but as an adult I find the demonic undertones distasteful

Some high quality guitar work in evidence here, with Black Magic Woman being the only song I was familiar with An interesting snapshot of 1970's guitar sounds Not my bag at all, but great for a one-time listen

Do you enjoy endless guitar noodling and pointless keyboard excursions? If so, then ask your doctor if ABRAXAS® is right for you.

I'm not a jazz fan, or a fan of jams, so idk if Santana is really for me

Ніколи не любив Сантану.

Not a fan. Used to hear black magic woman on the radio all the time, never liked classic stuff. Guitar stuff like this just doesn't do it for me.

Good

Interessante como musica de fundo mas não acho que envelheceu bem nos dias atuais, precisa estar num humor bem especifico

This is more similar to Miles Davis' Bitches Brew than I expected. I'm not usually a fan of guitar playing like this, but I ended up liking a lot of it. I'm also surprised that I actually prefer the instrumental tracks to the ones with vocals. Overall, this is nice, but not something I'd see myself putting on regularly. Standout Track(s): Incident at Neshabur

The musicianship is undeniable but this is not connecting with me. 'Oye Como Va' is an A+ classic rock song. But the rest is just boring to me.

Quite boring and occasionally annoying.

I can appreciate the guitar playing skill, but musically it just doesn’t do it for me: A couple of the songs stood out to me, but as a whole album it didn’t draw me in.

Not my cup of tea, probably too much into his indigenous roots for me, it's more a folk than a rock album

One great song - hard to listen to all the way through

music with not a lot of lyrics makes me feel like the subject of a nature documentary ngl

For me, two songs were enjoyable. The rest was too cacophonous.

Just ok

Fine, cool guitar but nothing blew me away.

mostly instrumental album, which I did not anticipate; Nice, but nothing special

Why was this so popular? He's a great guitar player but there is sooooo much wasted time throughout this thing. It's got zero direction.

It is music I can listen to.

It was decent but didn't blow me away. 2,5/5

Inte så kul, 2

I’ve never really been a fan of this type of rock instrumentation and this while having a little Latin swing its just jazz if it was annoying guitar solo after guitar solo Not my favorite thing

No thanks

Not really for me

2.5/5 - fun! But not really my thing. Standout track: - Mother’s Daughter: 4/5

Not my cup of tea. In the history of rock music this might be a five star gem. I can only rate it on how much pleasure listening to it gave me.

I like this record’s sound quite a bit, its pulsing latin rhythms, emboldened by Santana’s warm, tasteful guitar. This is a talented group, and if the music didn’t meander so often, I might find something solid to latch onto. Alas, meander it does. A lot. Top Tracks: Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen, Oye Como Va

This wasn’t great for me. It wasn’t terrible either. I just find Santana boring. He hasn’t changed his sound ever, and as good as he is, he’s not particularly remarkable. The debut album is probably are more persuasive example of his work. I’m just not into this one. I didn’t enjoy this, and I’m not convinced that it’s essential listening before you die.

I really wanted to like this. I didn't.

Ich weiß noch nicht wo es hinführt nach dem ersten Track Die Gitarrensolos sind cool, werden aber sehr schnell langweilig ein paar ganz gute Tracks, sonst eher mittelmäßig der letzte track ist so nervig

I don't like Paul Reed Smith guitars - I immediately picture a middle-class, middle-aged, fat, balding, midlife crisis guitar "collector" who has got together with his mates to form a pub covers band. They all play the same shit - Paranoid, Brown-Eyed Girl and fucking Black Magic Woman. By extension, I've never really entertained Santana, and on the strength of Abraxas, I've not really missed out on much. Nice organ and Rhodes sounds, nice guitar sounds, and, if you like cymbal swells in extended intros, then you will love this album. To me, it just sounded like lots of people playing instruments for the sake of playing instruments. Two stars, just for the funky organs and Oy Como Va

Lattariulottuvuus tekee hipihtävästä jammailusta sulatettavampaa (tai sitten hipihtävä jammailu on niin banaalia, että kaikki muu alkaa kelvata). Joka tapauksessa päädyin kuuntelemaan osia uudelleen. Matala 2.

This one is a bit strange, I'm not quite sure how to explain it other than guitar and hand drums. It didn't really manage to capture and hold my attention with its instrumentals, and the vocals didn't help much Standouts Se a Cabo 2/5

Vooral instrumentaal met een vleugje mexico. Lekker bij de tapas. Het is echter wel veel gepingel, dus niet meteen mijn favoriete muziek.

This album sounds like the appearance of a cloud of skunk weed smoke hanging in the air of a basement

This album has a lot of cool instrumentation. It’s a lot slower than what I typically find myself listening to. I really enjoyed Mothers Daughter, but the rest of the album I felt like I got lost in the pacing. As a guitarist, I was impressed with Santana’s ability, but it’s not something I would see myself returning to regularly. If at all.

Mostly musical. Def not elevator music, more upbeat. Maybe a good album to toss on while you're prepping foods, or cleaning, or sitting outside Sat. morning. Good tunes. Prob. not something to re-listen to a lot.

not really my thing, though still very cool and a couple of tracks stood out

Not my cup of tea. It see med like one long song of guitar noodling over latin rhytms with some random singing from time to time

Ahh im so booooredddd Incident at neshabur is on rn and its ok but i wish i was listening to my list Hope you're feeling better is also good

Bra gitarr

A good if not forgettable album that’s very much of its era.

Obviously very guitar focused some interesting blend of Latin and guitar riffs. Fairly unmemorable

Has all of the ingredients for something I should like, but it doesn't stick with me. I'm not a huge fan of Santana's guitar work. This guy cannot play a single fucking riff. Probably will not listen again.

однообразная, от чего и довольно методичная, но всё же пресная хуйня

Not a bad album and just a decent listen vut nothing more to say. About a 5/10

This was mostly okay, when it was the classic guitar parts, but then sometimes it was just a bit too much drums and bongos, which I don't mind but it just felt a bit jarring at times.

Fat noodles. Udon.

hey babe how about I show you my grand archon some time

Some good tracks, but some weaker ones too.

Just not interesting to me, felt a lot longer than it actually is.

not a fa

One listen isn’t enough to properly rate albums

It's Santana...good guitar not much else to it

Honestly it was on in the background during manual work and I didn't really give a shit to hear it. Not my cuppa.

Musik ist nicht so mein Fall. Aber mag das Albumcover sehr. Ist anscheinend Latino-Rock. Sänger ist aber sehr bekannt. Sehr rythmisch. Wenig Gesang, mehr Instrumente. "Hope You're Feeling Better" fand ich aber nichtr schlecht.

Couple of good tracks but dull for the most part

Pesado

Great guitar, great band, album not so great though.

Not really my type of music, I find this genre hard to get into. Okay background music and I started to warm up to it overtime. Might not come to my regular rotation tho. Also, instrumental music in general is very hit-or-miss for me.

kinda mid so far ngl yeah like ithe instrumentals r nice but the lyrics kinda BAD yeah a little too instrumental to my liking i dont feel strongly about it, i think its fcalming but yeah no not added

Play guitar, but make it sensual. Imma pass.

Not my style

Not a bad album. Lots of guitar which you would expect.

Nice background music...

Nicely played but didn't really find it gripping. Quite easy to zone out to most of the tracks bar a few.

There are some classics on here, and he's a great guitar player, but nothing I would drive around blasting.

A couple classics but didn't hold my attention. 2/5

Ihan santanan hyvää soittoa, mutta ei jää mikään soimaan omilla soittolistoilla.

it’s rock

Decent Santana. Latin music with some familiar hits

Blends into itself very quickly

Santanas music appeals to a broad audience. I’m not in that audience

Was misled by the epicness of the cover. Latin music mostly fails to appeal me. Here there are a bunch of subdued boring latin infused songs or rather instrumentals with some good guitars and bass. An album labelled rock from a guitarist should be epic. This was bland. Liked: Black Magic Woman, Samba Pa Ti (lovely singing by the guitar)

First track is called Singing Winds, Crying Beasts. It's a very fun latin groove to it, with gorgeous instrumentals, a thundering cymbals and bongos raining throughout, along with a beautiful chime, piano, and an eventual shrieking guitar, I enjoyed very much, quite the lovely introduction. Next track is Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen. The instrumentals once again sing a lovely love song that gets me swaying hard to the rhythm. The first lyrics pop up, and play along very well to this song. Eventually, the rhythm picks up swiftly with drums and guitar carrying the groove heavily. This song was incredibly well done, so far, I'm quite impressed. After this, we have Oye Como Va. The latin groove keeps swaying, at a much heavier rate this time with this next track, in which I'm not educated well on the history of the song "lowrider" and its genre of origin, but this gives quite the similar sound and rhythm. While it's a fitting sound, I don't feel it fits too well sequencing wise, but still fun. After all that, we have Incident At Neshabur. This gives a classic rock sound, almost reminding me of something Queen would try, but this is before Queen, and this is a latin rock record. At first, I was not impressed with this song, feeling it lacked the inspiration and expression the rest of the record carried. then, once again, I'm surprised at a beat switch, and the beat slows down to breath, then slowly picks up again. I found it quite refreshing to have the track rebirth after it's fiery start. Soon after, we follow through into Se A Cabo. This song is one of the shorter on the record, just fiery energy, reminding me of the final song in the movie whiplash a lot. It's simply an exclamation, more beauty of a latin groove. I think its an alright medium point, and while I love instrumental records, they're always hard to carry without lyrics. The music must be inspiring and diverse heavily, and I don't always feel that with this record. But, not bad so far. Following that, we have Mother's Daughter. Just as I make the comment about no lyrics, we get a song about lyrics. Unfortunately, I had wished the lyrics had a little more substance, it was much, and nowhere near as overwhelming as the music is, as it shines when it plays out. I'm starting to feel a little mixed on this project. Then, we get to Samba Pa Ti, a record that starts slow once again. It's a crying lullaby, and I seem to quite enjoy what it is so far. While the tone for this song is meant to be smoother, the instruments tend to be a little harsher then expected, making me not enjoy it as much as I anticipated. Second to last, we have Hope You're Feeling Better. It's very similar to whats been brought earlier, much like Gypsy Queen. But, its all been done. I just can't with it at this point, idk. I'm not feeling this record. Final track is El Nicoya. Just a simple play out, reminding you of the sounds and energy this record is meaning to bring, and I think, an alright conclusion. In my opinion, this record isn't much. Through every record, I do research to understand the purpose fo the songs and record in general, and maybe it's my lack of knowledge on latin cultures and the bible, but I didn't grasp much of this record. Loved the production at most parts, some of the lyrics fit, but at times this record either tried too much or tried too little, and I'm fairly disappointed looking at its short length. It had one job, and sadly, in my opinion, missed the target. I will take the grains of songs I heard and enjoy those on their own, but this record? It's just okay, I wouldn't obsess over it. Oh well.

I appreciate the dude, I really do. A pox on his family though for giving us Matchbox 20 forever. This was ok.

Great musicians who sound like they really love making music. Lots of fun.

If the only thing you want is guitar solos this is the album for you. Not for me.

Meh not something I'd go back to

undoubtedly talented, just not my thing.

He's good. I just dont like Santana

I know this is heresy, but I'm not a fan. He plays well; I just prefer not to listen.

Don't like the hits, some songs OK

I can appreciate the musicianship here but, to be honest, the songs don't blow me away. There's nice elements of Jazz, Hendrix, Latin & Rock all nicely packaged into nice tunes. It's nice enough but nothing amazing. 2+ stars.

Summery chill album.

i think i know like 2 santana songs, but 70’s is top tier so i have a good feeling about this one

All of these songs, and not one of them is the hit single "Smooth" featuring Rob Thomas? Hard pass.

Like some songs, don't like some songs. Generally not a fan of their music. 1.5 / 5

not on enough heroin for the instrumentals to be interesting

Very funky some great solos, a bit repetitive for me but still a great listen

Not really my thang, some fun instrumentals here and there, nothing to really hit the soul

I find these lyrics of jilted male ex-lovers bitching and moaning about how their partner has moved on over noodly rock guitars so funny. Like... aren't u rock n roll? Deadbeats that can only find a partner cause guitar look cool then everyone realises they are deadbeats. Anyway the instrumental songs were okay but surprise surprise I don't like these kinda tracks. Fave track: Oye Como Va

This was simply a boring album. Santana is this legendary guitarist in my mind but… eh. There wasn’t anything special to me

It's nostalgic elevator music.

DISCLAIMER: BIG RANT ABOUT THE CHOICE, BIASED ANNOTATIONS THAT DON'T EVEN COUNT AS A REVIEW. It sucks he probably will be the only latin american representation in this whole thing, because he's definitely not the best. I knew that before listening this record and I'm certain of it after listening to it. Don't get me wrong the dude is an amazing musician and the record is a nice mixture of genres, but there are a ton of better records made by latin american artists who have done more interesting things. If I had come across other albums before I'd probably have given it one more star because I'd have been less biased (And if there are more latin american albums consider this review a 3 stars and not a 2 stars one). Before Santana I'd have added Charly García (Either his solo work or his time in Seru Giran, Sui Generis, La Máquina de Hacer Pájaros), Gustavo Cerati (Either in Soda Stereo or solo), Luis Alberto Spinetta (Solo or in Invisible, Pescado Rabioso, Spinetta Jade, Spinetta y Los Socios del Desierto), Pappo (B.B. King said he was one of the best guitarists in the world, either his time in Pappo Blues or in Riff), Astor Piazolla, Gardel, Los Bunkers, Los Abuelos de la Nada, Los Saicos (Peruvian band from the 60s usually considered to be the first punk rock band), Babasónicos, Virus, Patricio Rey y Sus Redonditos de Ricota, Los Rodriguez (They're half spanish half argentinian), Café Tacvba, Silvio Rodriguez, Los Prisioneros, Mercedes Sosa, León Gieco, Andrés Calamaro, Fito Paez, V8, Illia Kuriaky and the Valderramas or even newer artists like Dillom, WOS, Ca7riel, Marilina Bertoldi, Kali Uchis, Miranda!, NAFTA, Peces Raros and many more. Best song was Hope you're Feeling Better Worst song was Singing Winds, Crying Beasts Looking forward to add one album to the user list when this is over.

what a dullard

Good in pockets but mostly kinda so-so. It just didn’t hold my attention the way a lot of Latin music does 🤷‍♂️ The Tito Puente track was the best.

Meh. Would probably have enjoyed it much more if I was stoned.

Obviously Santana’s guitar is the centerpiece of this album. Sadly, I have been trained to tune out classic rock guitar, especially in the form of Oye Como Va. The highlight for me on this album is the percussion.

It's just okay

Not for me

Combines three things I absolutely can't stand. Jazz, Latin music, and virtuoso guitar noodling. Hope You're Feeling Better was a good tune. Saved this from being a one.

It was alright

I need more vocals. I can’t do all of these instrumental, jam band type albums any longer 😭😭 I think I could only listen to this if it was in person

I would probably give it a 2.5. I get that he’s one of the greats. Just not my speed.

i get i should like this more. he is objectively talented but here we are could i write poetry to this? n

I mean it was fiiiiine but eh

meh. it’s not bad, but i don’t quite get the hype. i’d have to be on drugs to listen to this again and even for that i’d rather put on something else.