Reviews (page 3 of 14)
Enjoyed the instrumental, makes me think this is used in older movies :) such an awesome album cover!
what a fucking cool album. beautiful beautiful instrumentals, feels very 80's disco groove
A second vibe in a dimly lit NYC diner album has hit the 1001albumsgenerator
i really love this one it's such a vibe. i'm also like 99% sure I had Santana's greatest hits downloaded on my MP3 player back in the day because I burned my dad's CD
Another edition of this album contains a Guitar Hero song that I was obsessed with. Black Magic Woman was my best song on expert mode. Cover art for this album is so cool. Also the fusion of Latin and Rock music just works.
goats for a reason
Today I learnt that Black Magic Woman was a Fleetwood Mac Cover!
tuff
7.75/10 - I really enjoy the Latin influences on the psych rock album. I think it’s warm, fun, and inviting. It’s a good album to vibe with or a good album to really pay attention to. Plays well both ways.
Pretty cool album with the Latin influences. It's not something I'd come back to often but it's good. 6/10
This is an extremely solid album. Black Magic Woman has always hit real well for me and the rest of the album is great.
I knew the singles except for Hope You're Feeling Better. I guess I was hoping for more guitar, but it's still very good. Mother's Daughter was a cool new find. Banger!
Thought I was gonna hate this, but the opening track is a lot more jazzy than I expected! Hey wait this is beautiful wtf This is so my style, I can’t believe I wanted to skip this one
Awesome album actually. Hard Rick guitar mixed with Latin sounds. Works really well. 4.5 probably.
I should like this more, but ...
Meh
Nothing much to say tbh. It was cool chill and stuff
Highlights: Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen, Oye Como Va, Se a Coba and Samba Pa Ti. 3.1
Damn, was this album good. Elite guitar playing and super smooth melodies joined together into some excellent songs.
Although not my type of rock, santana is clearly an incredible musician, shown by his fusion of rock, blues, jazz, and latin american music. His ability to blend these styles and sounds truly makes this a album you have to listen to before you die.
Great musicianship, most songs are ultimately forgettable. Would have been fun to see live
4/5 Rhythms drive the album. Leaving space for guitar.
A solid album with a strong Latin sound throughout. Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va were the highlights, but the album held up well otherwise.
I've liked what I've heard from Santana, but never listened to an album or anything more serious than just hearing songs on the radio. This was a really fun album. Yes, there were hits, but throughout it was varied, interesting, fun and engrossing. I will need to start exploring his catalogue more deeply.
🎸🎶💃🏻🕺🏽🎉
One of the greatest guitarists of all time. The Black Magic Woman cover is a favorite of mine. And I had forgotten about Oye Como Va, another awesome song. The whole album is great..
Solid album. I did not know Black Magic Women was a cover, or a mashup. What they did with those songs is excellent A master class in doing a cover. When your cover becomes the definitive version of a song, you did something right. The rest of the album is great as well.
Love it
Carlos Santana is the king of doing that thing where you hit two guitar strings at once and then bend them, but you bend one of them slightly more, so that the two notes rub against each other. BTW, imagine playing Woodstock before your first album comes out. And absolutely crushing it so hard.
Black Magic woman. Nostalgia do guitar hero 3, lendas do rock
Peaceful at first but fell off a bit
OMG the GUITAR, THE Melancholic VIBE, THe smooth tones, THE GUITAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR
So so so so so good
Mostly feels like fairly standard classic rock with a Latin tinge. Nice guitars and keyboards. Obviously I was familiar with "Black Magic Woman" and "Oye Como Va". Solid songs. "Mother's Daughter" is a really great song. "Hope You're Feeling Better" is good too.
Even though two of their most famous songs are cover songs, they have the natural ability to always sound like themselves.
1st track was cool, some good Latin beats throughout the album. Needs more rob Thomas
This album was great.
Santana at their very best, no difficult second album syndrome here.
Crazy shit!
El disco no se siente como una lista de temas sueltos, sino como un único e infinito viaje continuo de ritmo, percusión, fuego y esa guitarra de Carlos Santana que literalmente llora y habla.
tis gud. honestly I am biased so at first I rated 5, but for me this is like 4/5. Purely a subjective thing
it was a nice album to listen, diverse and easy to follow, not painful like others albums here 3,5/5
A true classic. Searing guitar solos, latin-flavored percussion and melodies with hard-edged rock. Every song on this is inspirational. Opens with Singing Winds/Crying Beasts, an atmospheric song featuring electric piano and guitar solos. Segues into a cover of Peter Green's Black Magic Woman, a blues number that serves as a vehicle for iconic keyboard and guitar solos and then transitions into a short blistering jam cover of Gábor Szabó's instrumental Gypsy Queen. Followed by a funky cover of Tito Puente's Oye Como Va - slinky, funky, groovy, and irresistible with another set of legendary guitar and organ solos. Original instrumental "Incident at Neshabur" finishes side one with an eclectic suite of jazzy/latin motifs. Side two begins with Se a Cabo, a frantic jam. Followed by Mother's Daughter, a blues jam with a great vocal and fun coda. Samba Pa Ti is a wistful electric guitar blues ballad instrumental. Hope You're Feeling Better busts out the hard rock with distorted Hammond organ for a memorable finish. I never get tired of listening to this one. It's got something for everyone - jazz, blues, latin, rock, a little prog. The guitar, percussion, and keyboard work is just amazing - it features Gregg Rolie (a later founder of Journey) as singer and keys player.
5/5 a favorite album by one of my favorite guitarists
On the one hand, I feel like I've arrived too late to the Santana party, on the other, it seems like the party never ends and everyone is invited.
I didn't hate this nearly as much as I thought I would. Oye Como Va is a great tune but so incredibly overplayed.
While I didn't have much in the way of expectations for this, I didn't expect to like it. Although I also described it to someone else as "enjoyable background music," so maybe that's not terribly positive. But the chill vibes do settle into a comfortable place, and Santana's playing never feels wanky. It matches the song, and I appreciate his restraint when he could undoubtedly shred. An unexpected pleasure.
Santana is definitely one of my major music blind spots and I wasn't expecting much because I don't necessarily love music from this era that has a lot of meandering guitar solos and tangents... but I was quite impressed. Guess when the musicianship is that high those musical meanderings can be quite nice.
Santana music is always good
6.5.26 General Thoughts: Very smooth and enjoyable. A nice variety of songs within the album, even though they do all cohere to a similar vibe. Some great jazz pieces. Favorite Song: Mother's Daughter Rating: 3.5/5
Near perfect distillation of 'not my thing'.
Incredible album
Yeah I mean Santana’s good. This album is good.
I am biased most of the time if I don’t know the artist but this album is good ngl
An absolute 5/5 masterpiece. I used to think Santana was just one guy, but this album proves what an incredibly tight band they are. The guitar work is legendary, but the piano and organ sections really blew me away and carry the whole groove. A perfect record
Not my type of music.
Que joya! Un sonido muy sorpresivo para la época combinando lo latino con el mundo de la guitarra electrica, no es que necesariamente no se haya hecho antes, pero su ejecución está muy pero muy bien hecha Mi favorita es definitivamente Black Magic Woman, pero es que no es como que haya bajado revoluciones después de esa canción en su álbum, otras como Oye Como Va y luego Se a Cabo son muy buenas, y estoy dejando otras por fuera Invitados a darle una oportunidad al señor Carlos Santana en su excelente álbum del 70
I liked it there were quite a few vibey ones.
Oye cómo va and black magic woman are heat
I liked the ulbum alot,it's really peaceful,I also advice not listen to it in mono audio to get the full experience,the insruments and the sounds are ethereal.
Gotta love Santana. Mother's Daughter was the instant hit for me.
Amazing. Always loved Santana, but this challenge has really confirmed my love of the sounds of latin & Caribbean rhythms, blues-rock, and jazz. He's so good.
Best Track - "Black Magic Woman"
Got me dancing in the driver's seat and people looking at me funny. Guitar and percussion and horns. Rhythms and jazz. Listened twice. Saved the entire album as a fave. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fuck, yeah! This is #298 and might be my favorite so far. Listened twice. Will listen again. 🎸🪘💃🤘
mothers daughter was my favorite song. it was ok.
Shining hypnotic brilliance. And if further evidence were needed of their collective brilliance - Live at Tanglewood 1970.
I don’t give out 5 stars easily, especially on a first listen so I gave it a second listen - it’s top drawer stuff; really enjoyed the Latin jazz rock vibe. Santana’s guitar playing is a treat and at times, it really lifted some tracks just when they needed it, particularly in the latter half of the album. The album might be slightly front loaded on first listens.
Another sick fucking album
toll.
Singing winds, crying beasts - 3 Black magic woman / gypsy queen - 5 Oye como va - 4 Incident at neshabur - 4 Se a cabo - 3 Mother's daughter - 4 Samba pa ti - 4 Hope you're feeling better - 3 El nicoya - 3
It was good. I don't know what to say
1970. The name of the album is inspired by a book "Demian". Abraxas means "the power above all" and was carved on amulets and gemstones for protection from the evil in certains cultures.
Funky!
Liked it, knew more songs than I expected.
It was okay, quite liked the covers (Black Magic Woman and Oy Como Va) but otherwise wasn't blown away.
My roommate showed me this in college because he really loves the album art. tbf i do too, it's great. Man such a nice easy listen. Ofc Oye Como Va is just a relaxed banger. I'm straight edge these days but it makes me want to sit by a pool with some mezcal.
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.
Abraxas by Santana was pretty good. I liked the guitar and most of the instrumental to be honest I thought it was a lot stronger than the vocals. Overall not a bad album. Top three: Hope You’re Feeling Better, Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen, Oye Como Va
Significantly worse than Supernatural but still good.
La banda sonora perfecta para soportar estos 30 grados de calor en mayo.
Great guitar album.
Enjoyable riffs and licks with a few songs I'd definitely heard before. I appreciated this record more than I thought I would, not knowing his back catalogue or ever having listened to his evolution. This made me intrigued to listen through.
Listened previously. Expectations: High - Verdict: Near Perfect - Singing Winds, Crying Beasts pulls you into the mystical world of this wonderful album. The guitar cuts through like a knife and focuses the music. Black Magic Woman then gives us a more conventional song. I'm not sure if I think it surpasses the original but it's certainly very good. Oye Como Va is a masterpiece. Incident At Neshabur is great, as is Mother's Daughter. Samba Pa Ti is another masterpiece of guitar work, it's just sensational. Hope You're Feeling Better rocks.
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
Funky gitar
I forgot how good Santana was. Pleasantly surprised. Great guitar from Carlos. Lots of instruments Jazz/Latin influences . Type of progressive rock. Three hit songs stand out Black Magic Woman written by Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac Oye Como Va Tito Fuentes Hope you’re feeling better
Really enjoyed this. Santana has a really special and unique sound which I find very evocative. Will be worth a revisit in the future.
A bit backgroundy.
I KNEW THIS WOULD BE A HIT ALBUM STARTING FROM THE COVER.
Estos primeros álbumes del tipo son muy buenos. Ritmos latinos con psicodelia. Un viaje hermoso. Uno piensa cómo después fue capaz de hacer tanta mierda. 6/10
Jazz, rock, and Latin is a combination I didn’t know would work so well. The first half of the album flowed so well that I didn’t even realize I was like four songs in. Interesting listen, I enjoyed it very much
Pretty great!! I loved the instrumentals.. not a fan of when he opens his mouth and starts singing..
Peak
Bit too instrumental, but it's chill. Very jazzy.
Besides the music, easily the best album cover so far I've found through 1001, the music is funky too
Bad
Opening track is fantastic, love the bells playing with left/right audio tracks. Each individual song is great, but they blend together more than I’d like and I start zoning out at some point. Upon a relisten, it’s kind of amazing how well the album works as one giant song as well as individual tracks. Great example of rock of its era.
Pretty good. Heard this one a lot
I listened to this while making pasta salad and it was great cooking music. No song really stood out to me and I think I would have to listen to it again with more focus but I did enjoy what I heard.
Solid I enjoyed the lyricism and for someone who generally mostly listen to songs with lyrics the instrumental sections were still quite funky and fun. I’m a fan but don’t know that I’ll relisten later. 6.87. Glass of orange juice. When you want it it’s great but most of the time not a huge need
Sympa
Pretty okay
It wasn’t too much my personal taste but I did love oye como va and added that straight to my travel playlist.
Extremely solid and enjoyable album
Abraxas es una obra de arte atemporal que merece ser escuchada como un álbum en su totalidad que es un clásico. Desde el hipnótico inicio con "Singing Winds, Crying Beasts" hasta el estallido de energía caribeña, cada pieza rompe esquemas y se queda en la memoria del oyente de forma indeleble. El disco posee una dualidad maravillosa: por un lado, es un trabajo de una tremenda profundidad espiritual donde se escuchan ritmos ancestrales y rituales; por el otro, es una producción súper bailable y enérgica que invita al cuerpo a la celebración y al movimiento libre en cortes imperecederos como "Oye Como Va". La arquitectura sonora es impecable: la sección rítmica de percusiones latinas y el órgano de Gregg Rolie crean un manto denso sobre el cual emergen voces que encantan y envuelven. Sin embargo, el corazón del álbum es, indiscutiblemente, la guitarra de Carlos Santana con alma propia; su tono, sostenido e impregnado de una fuerza y calidez descomunales, se entreteje con los instrumentos con una autoridad superior que transita entre la sensualidad de "Black Magic Woman" y la desgarradora melancolía de "Samba Pa Ti". Un disco conmovedor, crudo y real que ha envejecido bien y que es pura medicina para el espíritu.
Ik ben in een vrijgevige bui. Dit is trouwens hoe je gitaren doet, duidelijk de centerpiece in sommige nummers, maar zonder ooit overweldigend te zijn.
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
Good mostly instrumental rock
Groovy. Would listen again
love me some psychedelic rock and the Latin American influenced, is sooooo goood. i find this one surprising, due to how contemplative and disposed to long songs and passages was this one, considering what I expected from Santana and his popular songs in media. At the end, I've realized that this is despite all, classic rock. Somewhat different, but follows the expected patterns of short singles being the recognizable parts to the public, and some of the others and sometimes, lengthier parts of the music were left to the album. And sometimes, those parts were the best. I think here is that way. Good and a fantastic vibe. And the cover is wonderful.
Kjedelig med nice bakgrunnsmusikk
Fav- se a Cabo 5/5
3.5 defintely some groovy moments in there outside of the hits
Meh. Not my favourite.
Quite simply a phenomenal record, and one that I first explored on the recommendation of a fellow pub-goer. I hadn't ever heard anything quite like it at the time, and even now it kind of feels like it occupies its own space entirely. It's a hypnotic medley of Afro-Cuban rhythms, blistering blues rock and jazz fusion fluidity, all of which are integrated seamlessly and spectacularly. The soundscapes conjured up on here are explorative, but always simultaneously feel grounded in an earthy sense of urban grit. The interplay between Michael Shrieve’s jazz-nuanced drumming, Jose Areas' timbales and Michael Carabello’s congas creates a dense, polyrhythmic heartbeat that really does propel the entire thing, whilst you then, of course, have Carlos Santana's instantly recognisable, endearingly warm tone and style of playing. Full marks from me!
Love it. Exactly what you imagine an album with this cover to sound like.
Second side struggles to be as good as the first, but the first is so darn good, it is a lost cause.
Abraxas freaking rocks. I grew up with a lot of these songs and I had a great time jamming to them again. Santana's a legend. This is a perfect latin/rock fusion album, not a bad track on the damn thing. Standout tracks are "Black Magic Woman" "Oye Como Va" and "Hope You're Feeling Better." Its a pretty solid 5 for me. I could listen to this album any day.
This is why I love this list.. I’ve never liked Santana’s music but after hearing Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va in the context of the album, this slaps
“Mother’s Daughter” and “Hope You’re Feeling Better” rock. The latter especially. Great progressive rock album. I will be listening to more Santana. Listen using good quality audio to hear Santana’s guitar picking and also the other instrument separation. Really well recorded. Listened via Spotify lossless or FLAC if physical copies not available.
Sambafiilistelyä.
The lack of lyrics on most songs unfortunately holds these back from being really strong numbers for me. I like the guitar parts, but when you hold these to other songs from that era, Rainbow, Sabbath, Zeppelin, the outcome is less favourable in my opinion. When they do have lyrics it feels to me like Cream did, with my of a Latino feel, I don't mind it at all.
Listening to this was a lovely way to chill out on a glorious, warm, sunny day. A mix of classy guitar with some Latin American style and rhythm and a bit of Acid Jazz sneaking in with tunes like Incident At Neshabur. Despite the morally dubious lyrics of Mother's Daughter, it rocks out very nicely and my standout track is the Hendrix-esque Hope You're Feeling Better. A classy 4 stars for Santana.
Fucking awesome! I loved the sound of it and he is such an impressively stylistic guitar player. Some great songs!
This rocked, despite it being listened to while having a very bad sad day. Sort of after I guess. It rocked though, super hard. Will relisten when in higher spirits someday lol. 4.5
Laik a la cancion n2
A treasure from the past. You MUST listen with headphones, like I did many many moons ago!!!!
Oh, this is funny. I complained about how I had had an assful of Santana while hearing the band play with John Lee Hooker, and now the universe has blessed me with, arguably, the band’s greatest album, Abraxas. It’s fine. I do like Santana and can listen to this album again. It’s really good. But, I feel it won’t be as pleasurable, seeing as I haven’t listened to it since we got Santana overload in the early 2000s. First, Santana is the band, not just the guitar player. Carlos Santana is the motor that drives Santana, but without the band, he’s just one man. This is the band’s second album and includes Greg Rolie on keyboards. For the third album, a guitarist named Neil Schon would join Santana in 1971 as a 17-year-old kid. He and Rolie would later leave the band and form their own band named Journey. You might have heard of them. Abraxas came out in late 1970, so Schon would have likely toured the album with the band, leading into Santana III, on which Schon actually played. Abraxas became Santana’s first #1 album on the Billboard charts. It sold over 5,000,000 units worldwide. There are nine tracks, with two songs you probably know well, but never knew were Santana. The album clocks in at 31 minutes long. Beautiful. Track 1 is Singing Winds, Crying Beasts, and this is one you likely don’t know, as I can’t recall it by reading the song title. The song starts with some rather ominous piano playing, wind, and chimes. We could be up on a mountain ledge searching for Mount Doom for all I know. Here comes the familiar Santana guitar sound. Now we get the Latin groove, with bass and bongos. I love Santana’s percussion. I also love that electric piano sound. Santana can build a great song. I just noticed that we have a gong going full on, no stop in the background. The song just keeps building. It’s fixing to run out of time to get there at this rate, as we have like 45 seconds before track 2 kicks in. Hmmm, it just built and built and then faded away. Interesting. It didn't even really provide a lead-in to track 2. That was weird. And Track 2 is Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen, and you know this song, at least Black Magic Woman. Well, you know Gypsy Queen, too. It's a song added on to the end of BMW. It was the first single off the album, and I believe it has been played on the radio ever since. Even with all my Santana fatigue, Black Magic Woman is insanely good. You’ve got cowbell, bongos, that bass, all the instruments add up to Latin funk. Rolie is singing lead, and he’s got a great voice. It isn’t Steve Perry great, but good enough for Santana. Then the song immediately moves into the sped-up groove of Gypsy Woman and Carlos Santana gets to show off a bit. Even his little weird sounds are burned into my brain. Great power chords to end the song. It’s an all-time classic rock song, a Latin song, a dance song. It’s got it all. Track 3 is Oye Como Va, and you know this one as well. It was the second single off the album. It, too, has been played on the radio since it debuted. Whenever I hear it now, I can’t help but think of The Big Lebowski. As an aside, if you have never seen The Big Lebowski, stop being a dumdum. Watch it immediately. If it tickles your funnybone on the first watch, periodically watch it over the years. You’ll find new things every time you watch. It’s amazing how Santana got a song with Spanish lyrics over in America in the 1970s. The song isn’t a shredder for Carlos. It’s just got a great groove that can be used for parties, barbecues, and other nocturnal activities. It’s one of those songs you play on a hot summer night to increase the heat. Track 4 is Incident at Neshabur, and it sounds like a jazz song from the opening. The piano is really leading it, before it changes into heavy rock riffing. Then back in a Latin jazz song. Oooh, I like this. Another summer track, though you want to listen to this on a bright, sunny day with the windows down, preferably driving alongside the beach on the Pacific Coast Highway. No beach? Drive around a lake a few times. I guess I’ve always really paid attention to Carlos’s guitar, so I missed how important the bottom end is to these songs. David Brown is the bass player, and he’s really solid. Jose Areas is also an incredible percussionist. Not a drummer, he plays everything else. The drums are manned by Michael Shrieve. Santana truly was a melting pot of a band with dudes from every background and ethnicity, it seems. It’s probably why the music struck a chord with people. It has several different flavors of influences and playing styles. Carlos is the master chef, but uses his ingredients to create a beautiful, spicy dish. Track 5 is Se a Cabo, and it, of course, starts out with a killer bass line, and Carlos comes in with the riffage. Just a grooving song. Besides maybe track 1, this album is a party, hangout album. This song is purely made for Carlos to burn down the house, riff-wise and solo-wise. Though, as always, everybody gets a chance to shine. Track 6 is Mother’s Daughter and the longer I listen to this album, the more I think, maybe this wasn’t the Santana album I listened to the most. I think it might have been Santana III. Anyway, this album is great, if for nothing else than the cowbell usage. I must mention that the songs are split evenly between instrumental tracks and tracks with vocals. However, some of the songs with vocals are more group chants. This song has Rolie on vocals. He sounds like the typical rock group singer for this time period. He sings fine and has a nice rasp to his voice. Track 7 is Samba Pa Ti, and it's the first slow song. This would be the ballad if anyone were singing. Instead, it’s Carlos playing in place of singing. Later in the song, another guitar and an organ harmonize with the lead guitar. It’s a really cool song. After all that wind and fire, to slow it down really changes the mood, in a good way. The title translates into Samba For You, which doesn’t give us much to go on, really. It may be to one of Carlos’s many lovers. Or his coke dealer. Anyway, it’s a really nice change of pace, and Carlos’s playing is excellent, without getting over the top. This was the last single off the album and probably the weakest of the four singles. Track 8 is Hope You’re Feeling Better and it’s got a great wah effect on the guitar. Very Jimi Hendrix-like groove with Rolie back on the vocals. This is a rock song right here. It also has a bit of ZZ Top in there with the fills Carlos is putting between the vocals. This was the third single released on the album. Not sure why it hasn’t cracked classic rock radio because it’s a banger. Wow! For as much as Carlos held back on Samba Pa Ti, he’s unleashing his firepower on this song. That main riff is really good. Santana is finishing the album strong with one more track to go. Track 9 is El Nicoya, and it’s just a minute and a half of the band chanting in Spanish and, I assume, Areas playing the crap out of the bongos. That song sounded like the record company said the album was too short and needed to be at least half an hour long. So, the band sat down and just jammed and took a minute and a half out of the jam and said, “There.” Very disappointing way to end an otherwise brilliant album. Okay, as much as I complain about having heard enough of Santana, I loved this album. I also think it’s a must listen. You don’t have too many bands like this that have broken through to the mainstream. Plus, I’d like to get more people away from the 2000s era Santana and more into what was the pure Santana. So, when you’re sitting out by the pool or throwing a party or even just sitting on the porch drinking beer, put on Abraxas and you’ll immediately find yourself leveling up your shindig.
Too much noodling on the guitar
Increible él como guitarrista e increible como te construye el ambiente y lo va cambiando rapidisimo a su gusto, musica de calidad en su maxima expresion 9/10
Really good, has the energy and softness at the same time, cool 👍🏼
7/10 - Muito Bom!
not many lyrics ☹️
This album mostly just washed over me. Fantastic guitar work throughout as one might expect from Carlos Santana. For an album that was a conscious effort to move away from the more cover-heavy sound of the first album, it's perhaps ironic that the stand out tracks are the covers of "Oye Como Va" and "Black Magic Woman." Which also makes the first half of the album much stronger than the second half, with "Hope You're Feeling Better" and "El Nicoya" becoming kind of a limp finale. Roughly half the album is in Spanish,.which I neither speak nor understand, but that doesn't really matter as the vocals are the least important thing here, regardless of language. Which is probably why the instrumentals work so well.
3.5/5
Favorite Track: Oye Como Va
============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== --------------------SANTANA------------------- ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- --------------------ABRAXAS------------------- ---------------------------------------------- ---------------------(1970)------------------- ============================================== ============================================== -----------------CALIFICACIÓN----------------- --------------------★★★★☆-------------------- --------------------(4,055)------------------- ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== 1. Singing Winds, Crying Beasts (★★★⯨☆) 2. Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen (★★★★☆) 3. Oye Como Va (★★★★★) 4. Incident at Neshabur (★★★⯨☆) 5. Se a Cabo (★★★★☆) 6. Mother's Daughter (★★★★★) 7. Samba Pa Ti (★★★⯨☆) 8. Hope You're Feeling Better (★★★★⯨) 9. El Nicoya (★★★⯨☆) ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== PUNTAJE TOTAL 3,5+4+5+3,5+4+5+3,5+4,5+3,5 = 36,5 ============================================== ============================================== PUNTAJE PROMEDIO 36,5 / 9 = 4,055 ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== CALIFICACIÓN FINAL ★★★★☆ (4,055) ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== ==============================================
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.
I knew some of this album, already being a fan of “Black Magic Woman”, “Oye Como Va”, and “Samba Pa Ti”. The rest of this album was very much in-line with that, but not as good. As much as I liked the pure instrumentals, it wasn’t clear where one song had begun and another ended. But, overall, this was a nice, relaxing album to play on a pleasant Friday evening.
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
This was ok.
Black magic women is amazing, I absolutely love this album.
Pretty cool High 3/5
Solid album. Some really interesting changeups in the track list and obvious bangers like black magic woman. Did not expect to vibe with El Nicoya as much as I did.
energiczny , daje vibe jakiejs tradycyjnej afrykańskiej muzyki w połączeniu z jazzem i rockiem, nie ma zbyt duzo tekstu ale jest git , peak instrumental , ogl nie mój vibe ale na luźne dni da sie posluchac
Great album. Lots of fun
Really great blues rock, just gets boring and repetitive after the 4th or 5th song
Decent experience, not so good but not bad either
An explosive fusion of psychedelic rock and Latin rhythms with a jazzy feel. Basslines can be punchy riffs or have that Latin bounce, while Santana makes his guitar sing for its life in each song without overstaying its welcome, all backed by percussive polyrhythms. It’s quite spectacular and still sounds great 56 years later.
Man, this album is iconic. It’s crazy how much of it is embedded into me. I didn’t fully realize. I’m a bit torn. I almost want to give it a 5. I mean I would listen to this. I gave Rush Moving Pictures a 4 because of competence. But I would not listen to that album. I think that answers it. 5 it is. Boolean: yes absolutely, glad to hear more times before I die.
One of my favourite albums of all
Good. Some beautifully played guitar tunes and the classic Como Oye Va
Oye como va temazo
sí estaba cocinando ese we. ocupo oir los discos que según son más jazz fusion
Some high points where he was channeling Hendrix but mostly too smooth to get excited
I like the black magic woman and basically almost every other song except for the one at the end that ends way too fast on this trippy album. I never took any drugs before but I bet this is what it would sound like and a pillar man is based off Santana so I gotta give it like a 9 cuz it's so fine
This is the kind of album I want to discover during this whole. How it's outside my normal wheelhouse atmospheric and enjoyable. Definitely adding to the digital library.
BANGERRRRRR magique love love love love
It was okay good vibes but not really memorable
Cool elevator music
so extremely competent and yet I find myself bored
Outstanding
Peak santana
7.5/10 Will I add this album to my library? maybe
Love this album!
Great album. Great guitar the whole way through. Black Magic Woman is a special song and the transition into Oye Como Va is so good. There are some filler moments, but worth the listen through and through.
It’s Santana being Santana. It’s funny how many samples of this album have ended up on adverts, mind.
Beautiful album. Brilliant sound. Unique vibes.
Ok. 2.3
hell yeah a lost gem (to me) that i hadn't heard since my friend back in high school would play this tape constantly in his nissan sentra. memories....
Tenho que reouvir isto Bacano :)
He’s such a genius
Wow -- classic Santana! Most of Santana's music that I have heard has been much more recent... and much more refined and polished. It's interesting to hear this more raw and unpolished version of the band. Theres an amazing fusion here of Latin (I LOVE that percussion!), blues, rock and jazz. I think the strongest element is the improvisation -- technical but also full of emotion in the moment. Black Magic Woman is a classic, and I really loved Incident at Neshabur.
Moments of magic and explosives in equal measure. I’ve heard some of Santana in passing and enjoyed it, but this surpassed all my hopes. A beautiful creation here that I’m looking forward to enjoying for years to come. 2 listens Favorite Tracks: Incident at Neshabur, Hope You’re Feeling Better, Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen
Expectation: -> I see this album's potential, for me, to be similar to the high floor, low ceiling analogy. Cannot imagine that 1970 Santana will wow me. Yet, he is known as one of the most talented guitarists, has a great reputation. After listening: -> Was expecting mostly solo guitar. This is all good, some of it really really good. Especially enjoyed some rock moments and the guitar solos. The talent is obvious. If this is critically acclaimed, and I am guessing that it is, I can see why. Track ranking: Mother Magic Samba Hope Incident Oye Winds Cabo Nicoya
I liked this a lot. Going into it I was thinking I barely knew any santana songs, and the ones I did know were on this album. Good stuff
Great, vibey, mostly instrumental latino rock music. Rhythmic & interesting!
not the vibe rn
Not the biggest fan of noodly psych but this exceeded (low) expectations - was kinda nice on a hot day.
muy muy bueno Santana y yo ahora somos friends, lo de que al principio pareciera un álbum instrumental ya me había ganado
Lovely album, although santana is a guitarist I felt this album had overall strong instrumentals and composition beyond guitar
Oye como va! Vou muito bem com essa musica !
7/10
me gustó la salsa rockera pero mucho instrumental para mí
Love this album to bits, a lush and thrilling rock album all the way through, definitely Santana at his best.
Fattar grejen men det här går inte för mig.
Inte lika gitarrunkigt som jag trodde det skulle vara. Det instrumentala låtarna var klart bäst. Bra perc som gjorde mycket för svänget. Jag kan nog sträcka mig till en fyra.
Rökigt! Ljusår från vår generations ”Maria Maria”-santana. Stark 3a!
Tänk att bo i San Franscisco på 70-talet. Vilket drag!
Den av mina skivor som gått varmast senaste året. Kanske inte är ett perfekt album, men det sitter som en smäck när solen skiner och man precis har ploppat ner limekvarten i coronan. #lifeisgood. Tänl att få brajja på med det här bandet och gå loss på percen. Eller bara ha Santanas gitarrljud. "Hmmm... Något saknas i titeln till Black magic woman..." tänkte den gode Carlos och la till /Gypsy Queen. Nu börjar det bli dags att sjösätta vidare forskning i gypsy-fascinationen sent 60/tidigt 70. "We stood before it and began to freeze inside from the exertion. We questioned the painting, berated it, made love to it, prayed to it: We called it mother, called it whore and slut, called it our beloved, called it Abraxas..."
Genuinely they ate this shit up
Héroe de la guitarra.
Now that’s what I call musíca!
Great music cultural moment.
Very NICE my head was bobbin the whole album this is a very nice recommendation.
Playful and inspiring instrumental album that combines rock and latin music together perfectly.
Santana is an absolute guitar virtuoso, and this album shows the breadth of his talent. He mixes rock electric guitar with Caribbean beats, and ends up with a singular sound. Great album cover too.
This second album from Santa showed their second album lived up to the hype that was generated by the first album. This album had hits that played in regular commercial AM radio popular rock stations. The whole album slayed on the rising FM radio stations that utilized album formats. This is a classic album! And Carlos Santana has continued to get better!
I think he must think he's an alien angel... Back before he went through his problematic Rob Thomas/hip-hop crossover era. Angelic
The three well-known hits stand out ("Black Magic Woman", "Oye Como Va", "Samba Pa Ti"). The rest of the album is not exactly my jam. 3,5
i've never actually listened to a santana album. this is probably his most famous. it's fine. the two big hits are the least interesting on the album, but "samba pa ti," possibly the third well-known song is still an outstanding listen. "incident at neshbaur" was a surprising instrumental of jazz chords over a standard rock arrangement. a really fun listen, that. "mother's daughter" is also a little gem. "hope you're feeling better" is some cool psych rock from the era.
C’était cool ! Et c’est donc Santana qui fait Oye Como Va, bon à savoir ! J’ai trouvé ça un petit peu plat, mais je pense qu’il faudrait que je l’écoute un peu plus et je finirai par plus l’apprécier.
Objectively the correct form of guitar wankery. Great latin percussion with some really funky riffs. Good (if sparse) vocals. Was in the vibe and didn't notice it had auto-played into non-album tracks.
Psychadelic goodness, enjoyed this thoroughly. This sort of music puts me in a trance and before I know it the album is over. Unfortunately it's missing the standout factor required for me to give it a 5. High 4
not into latin rock but they did a good job with this
N/A didn’t listen yet and it won’t change it
Santana rips and this album rips. Tempted to give it a 5 but I've given too many. 4.5
Great for vibing, songs are a lot of fun, but need more structure
bit wa wa woo wee for me
One of the best psychedelic rock albums I've ever heard. Carlos Santana and his band really knew how to jam. I'm not familiar with the recording process of this album, but the arrangements are all so loose and adventurous that it gives the feeling that it's all been improvised. Everyone involved does an incredible job but Santana's guitar work is truly the star of the show, his playing is so emotive and driving with tons of memorable riffs. This is primarily a rock album but the flourishes of blues, jazz, and Latin music give it so much personality and color. This is primarily instrumental but the portions with vocals are excellent. The lyrics are nothing special but they don't need to be, as the vocals clearly aren't the primary focus and are more just a component of the greater ensemble. The two most famous singles, Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va, are obviously both excellent, but the deep cuts hold their own quality-wise. So many albums from this era label themselves as "psychedelic" but very few truly live up to that descriptor like this one does. It truly does feel like an acid-tinged journey through space and time, and it's easily my favorite on the list so far.
Some classic Santana kicks this one off. Good stuff
Oye como va is so nostalgic to me
Such a good album. Relaxing yet energetic at the same time. Amazing guitars. Really good music of Latin music with American rock. Perfect to listen to from start to finish.
now this is a really good listen!
Better than I thought it would be while still being the album with the song every Boomer bar band plays
REALLY weird and so bipolar but I liked it
There are some absolutely classic songs here, and to me it has always sounded kind of timeless even though it is also very much a product of its time. The versions of "Oye Cómo Va" and "Black Magic Woman" have become, to me, the definitive ones even as they were covers of established artists.
Rate: 8/10. Pachanguero y rockero.
Very good album. Emaculate and captivating guitar playing over some Latin beats and riffs.
I have never liked Santana and black magic woman has always been a song that just irritates me. I was not looking forward to listening to this but I enjoyed it more than I thought and black magic woman played in full with the opening track was really good. It is a solid jam album. Its short and doesnt over stay its welcome and I imagine if i loved guitar solos this would jave been perfect.
Great album and artist; I love the variety of the album. And ending up listening to it while sitting in the sun was a great feeling.
Сказать нечего ту би онест
Nice, but not my type of music. Nice Listen for bike ride in the sun. Love the guitar tho!
Not for me
Love Santana! Heard a few of these songs before but the whole album was great
very vibey. not my usual thing but i enjoyed it!
good vibes and fun guitar work here. wild that santana released his best songs almost three full decades apart. favorites: black magic woman, oye como va
Dude can play guitar
I will always love Santana. Each song feels connected like it's a full experience, and the man sure knows what he's doing.
Excelente álbum
Solid album. Not totally my jam but some classic cuts.
I liked the hits off the album, but I found the album hummed around a 2.5 for me. I'll round up since Oye Como Va is fun
The hits hit. The misses are probably only misses because I wasn't on some sort of mind-altering substance while listening to this. A solid 3.5 stars because of the hits, but rounding down.
It's good! What a guitar artist, truly. Love all these bangers.
Just as good as I remembered! Makes me want to experience it ay an outdoor concert with the smell of sweet ganja in the air. I added “Oye Como Va” to my playlist.
Not a big fan of latin sounds (and latin percussion in particular). I found this one is definitely good, but not great for me. For instance, I know " Oye como va" is a classic, but I don't really like it. That being said, I really enjoyed the guitar work (for instance in the jazz-inspired Incident at Neshabur, Mother's Daughter, or Samba Pa Ti). I also like the fact that the songs I enjoyed the most seem to be the ones written by Carlos Santana himself.
On paper It’s everything I dislike, but I really enjoyed the expressiveness
Funky!
fun and groovy. Larry Gopnik open your heart
santana abraxas
Great guitar work. 7.3/10
alberto grooving a little bit
Se la noia si incarnasse in una chitarra
I like Santana, very much. But this one I enjoyed it... Not that very much.
Rocksito psicodélico chimba
A short but sweet album that shows off how fantastic of a guitarist Carlos Santana is. It has a couple of big hits, which I think work better in the context of the album than on their own, but this is the kind of record that really rewards you by listening to it from front to back.
Rart nok med noget såkaldt ikke-vestligt.
Fácil de escuchar y con buenas canciones. 8/10
I had a really good time with this album, obviously Santana is a great guitarist but all I really knew going in was Smooth, so I kinda assumed it'd be a little like that for the most part. But I was once again pleasantly surprised, this turned out to be a lot more mellow and groovier than that. It feels like a group of guys just hanging out having a good time, which I can really get behind. Great stuff. Favorites: Singing Winds Crying Beasts, Oye Como Va, Hope You're Feeling Better
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.
Sexy as hell guitar playing. Solid album, not much for me to say honestly.
En extra för Black Magic Woman
Classic Santana banger
Honestly I thought this was a really enjoyable listen. Admittedly I was a bit distracted, but liked having it on in the background. I can't give it a 4 and I'm too lazy to re-listen, but like 3.75 seems right.
Really like the instrumentals, Carlos Santana is an amazing guitar player, I overall like the vibe of this album. Album feels like Carlos Santana showing off his guitar skills. Notable songs: Black magic women and oye como va
Really enjoyed this album! Perfect listen for a day with beautiful weather, maybe on a drive with the windows down. When "Sambo Pa Ti" came on I immediately knew I'd heard it before and after some googling was finally able to place it. Also, very cool album cover. I've listened to some Santana before but definitely need to listen to more so this felt like a great place to start.
Probably their best
4.5
great!
ну не без слов не
Great 9/10
Carlos Santana is a fantastic guitarist and this is a fantastic album. I absolutely loved listening to this and I quite enjoyed that the majority of the album is purely instrumental.
Neat debut, it certainly creates an atmosphere. My standouts are black magic woman (being the famous origin of the track) and Incident at Neshabur.
A masterclass of Latin music. Favorite Track: "Oye Como Va".
An interesting and fun album, something that you don't hear everyday. Also it is quite atmospheric Fav songs - Oye Como Va, Mother's Daughter 4/5
Man can certainly play guitar. Other than that, this was mostly enjoyable if not anything outstanding.
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.
It was much more diverse than I expected and I enjoyed most of it. I had only heard the radio versions of the songs, and the album edits were more interesting.
Oldie but goldie… heard it a lot in my twenties
Santana is an epic guitarist; this album is a must-listen
Guitar work is amazing. Songs lack a little. Black Magic Woman and Oy Come Va are both excellent.
So far isn't all to bad i like it
Good guitar work
EXCELENTE
No m'esperava aquesta mescla de cançons en castellà i angles i una altra vegada que hi ha mooolta més instrumental que lletra... Que està xulo eh però un poc de lletra, nose, deixaume cantar una mica ni que sigui. I que se que es s'objectiu i es gènere musical, però no es es meu rollo.
Really enjoyed this. Great, long instrumental sections alongside some decent vocals.
each song grooves bigly.
When this album came out there was nothing that sounded like it. I was attracted to it because as a drummer, I loved anything with percussion and the album is loaded with it
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
I enjoyed vibe
Pure sweet grooves. A classic for sure.
Really loving the atmospheric grooves on this album. The bass lines give the tracks a genuine swagger that I can’t help but enjoy, and the instrumentals dancing around it work a treat, especially the guitar work which is superb. In truth the album feels like a jamming session but in the best way possible, full of life, intrigue and passion.
Abraxas de Santana es más que un álbum, es una experiencia llena de energía y emoción. Desde el inicio te envuelve con esa vibra tan característica de los años 70: cálida, libre y profundamente rítmica. Escucharlo es realmente agradable, y casi sin darte cuenta te dan ganas de bailar. La fusión de rock, jazz y ritmos latinos crea un sonido hipnótico, especialmente en temas como Black Magic Woman y Oye Cómo Va, mientras la guitarra de Carlos Santana le da un toque lleno de alma. Este álbum confirma por qué los 70 son tan especiales: música que no solo se escucha, se siente. 5/5
Quite enjoyed this as a more laid back album, however not quite strong enough for a 5
Got the vinyl out for this one. Some of Santana’s best work. Fun album.
Han kan spille, men 40 minutters gitarsoloer har aldri vært min greie.
Siempre escuchar un disco de Santana es un placer, relajante, divertido, tiene de todo, no hay canción de Santana mala o fea, todo lo que toca es oro.
Great stuff.
I really liked it
Some almighty grooves on this album for sure. Obv Oye Como Va is a huge standout for me, even over Black Magic Woman. Incident has some cool ideas in it and I'd never listened to it all the way through. I think I had it on an ipod as a teenager but always skipped after the first few secs. SE A CABO BABY that shit is sick, a bop a bop a bop. For Mother's Daughter, I gotta say, their straight ahead 70s guy rock and roll is the weakest thing on this album but it's still pretty sick! Way better than the contemporaries also playing "first distortion pedal and organ" stuff. Samba Pa Ti is a little more laid back than I had hoped, was ready for some Samba de Orfeu type. But it has a really pretty melody. I feel the same about Hope You're Feeling Better as I do about Mother's Daughter. Aaaaand El Nicoya is a quick shade of what I was hoping for out of Samba Pa Ti! This record fucks. Easy high 4. If you're out there calling this elevator music... I need you to learn to dance. Move your body in rhythm in any fashion. Not everything instrumental is "elevator music", just try to get some groove in you.
Classic! Praticaly a greatest hits!
I really like this album and to black magic woman I didn’t like it when I first listened to it a while ago but I really like it now and I wasn’t expecting all the instrumental stuff but I loved it
I just saw Santana in concert; they put on a great show! “Oye Como Va” and “Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen” are both great songs off this album.
The first half of the album was chill, but then it just wound down to white noise
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
If this was instrumental, it probably could have gotten a 4