Abraxas

I am really not sure why I didn't quite get this project but I dug Santana's self titled so much. Abraxas is Sanatana's sophomore album and is full of what made their debut so good, but expanded even more into more impressive tracks and an iconic cover. I would say this album is more technical than Santana's self titled and while some people may enjoy that, I personally found it made the project feel a bit dry at times in terms of enjoyment and a bit loose with how cohesive everything is here. Don't get me wrong there are some certified bangers here like Oye Como Va and Samba Pa Ti, but I really struggled with more of the instrumental tracks here and listening to this project as a fully fleshed out album. I think Abraxas is solid, but I think there will be plenty of other Santana I will take over this any day.

3.5

What an epic use of an electric guitar what more can I say.

Cool to see some early Latin Rock. I didn’t know the well-known tracks were theirs, I always thought of them as a 90s band so this was very useful to help correct that. I still was bored through most of it unfortunately. Rating: 2.7

Virtuosic guitar, silly smooth. The songs were pretty cool

Like the album, knew a bunch of the songs, didn't realize it would be so instrumental but still likes it

T H E B E S T <3 <3 <3

Like nothing I’ve heard before and just so diverse throughout. Love the rock mixed with Latin music and really enjoyed the songs not in English. The instrumental tracks were less my speed but otherwise this was quite a groove and I was very impressed by the quality here from 1970. I think this is the perfect combination of rock and psychedelia to keep a mainstream feel with many new and innovative sounds going on all the time.

Как-то нейтрально, будто просто фоновая музыка

I like me a talented genre masher. Santana makes a unique gumbo for sure. In spite of all that, just not my favourite musician. Fine but never really brings me to my feet. Weirdly, when I listen to it as highly accessible jazz I like it more than when I think of it as rock.

Big guitar starts coming and it don’t stop coming. Definitely better than Jeff Beck, but I didn’t dig it as much as Floyd so three (3) it is. Let’s move on

3/5- very jazz soothing vibe

I enjoyed majority of the album. It's a really smooth & laid back vibe and I feel like was sitting in an old wood panelled bar or something. it just had this really cool vibe to it. I would give it a 7.5/10

Love the Latin sounds intermixed. Can't believe he sounds so actual considering this is the Bad Bunny year

Fan of this guy, easy listening and listened to it immediately after it finished.

1.3/5 Sure the music was solid but it just felt like background music.

Not my cup of tea

I’d only heard ‘Black Magic Woman’ and ‘Oye Como Va’ before, and having now heard the full album I still think they’re probably the best tracks. The fusion of Latin jazz with psychedelic blues rock is well-executed, though I wasn’t completely sold on some of the instrumental tracks, and overall I was slightly underwhelmed, despite the undeniable fact that Carlos Santana is a great guitarist. Sure enough, he dominates the album instrumentally, but Gregg Rolie deserves particular praise too; his organ playing and vocals are great and the two tracks he wrote are the best original songs on the album.

Ehh

Not my type of music normally, but this album grew on me slowly. It's petty amazing!

I can imagine how hype this was in the 70s

This was a nice album to listen to. Flowed and was very chill. I knew a few of the songs

It’s all right

Superb guitar

muito foda, mas algumas partes meio repetitivas

What a surprise this was, I really only knew of any Santana from the 2010's collaborations and thought that was it, how wrong I was, this album was amazing from start to finish!

A classic! Santana's best album

Beautiful guitar, great rhythms.

Better than most of the 70s rock on here, really good vibe.

Good

This is one of those records that I don't visit often but always enjoy. Santana is a wizard on the fretboard and the blues fusion material they did in the 70's is always impressive. Of course "Black Magic Woman" is a signature tune.

Nice latin rock

Ey that was different and I actually liked it

Инструментально кайфовый альбом. Готова переслушать ещё разок другой. Сохранила трек "Hope You're Feeling Better", врубила на репите, божественные рифы, балдею и от гитары и от баса с ударкой. Обложка классная, люблю подобный коллаж.

latino

Nothing stood out to me

This was a great album. I enjoyed it from beginning to end.

Bastante melódico y musical. Pocas voces, adecuado para escuchar la guitarra. Me gustaron 3 canciones - Black magic woman - Samba pa ti - Oye como va (obviamente) Me gustó tambien aprender sobre la historia, lo que hizo Jose Feliciano con la cancion samba pa ti y lo historica que es. Tambien sobre la revista Rolling Stone y el top 500 que se suele hacer.

Exceptional.

Psychedelic Latin rock with amazing guitar, mostly instrumental. 1.5 songs made a playlist

Full of energy and very nicely aranged. Interesting to listen to, and even though I might listen to it a few more times, it won't be a regular for me.

Firstly, the album cover caught my eye. I've long had an appreciation for the concept of Horror Vacui and the amount of detail in every corner, preventing you from focusing on one point, is very pleasing. Just like the cover, every second of these songs is jam packed with detail. The bass and guitar lines are good, and this album overall has a nice, groovy atmosphere with some high energy more rock-heavy tracks. It's a simply solid (mostly) instrumental album, not so much my type, but good music is undeniably good music.

loved the latin jazz rock feel, though at times i found myself wishing there were more riffs, but thats just preference. I’ll definitely reacg for this album again for some of its songs

such a rich display of instrumentals, really made me appreciate music without needing to divulge into the lyrics and just appreciate the feeling it gives me.

Beautiful album. I didn’t get solidly into Santans until a few albums later. But, I think this is them at their peak. Brilliant playing and songwriting.

I like this album its good - its really instrumental fave song - Mother's Daughter 4/5

Hace unos meses encontré a Masayoshi Takanaka. Su álbum "All of me" me encanto. Me apareció un tal Santana en las recomendaciones pero no le di importancia. Me voy enterando que es un guitarrista legendario que incluso ha tocado con Takanaka. Lo entiendo completamente, todo el tiempo estuve emocionado escuchando esa guitarra. Takanaka inclusive hizo un cover de samba pa ti en On guitar. También la canción "Oye como va" es una referencia a un personaje de jojos. Ya van dos álbumes con referencias.

Круто, но не совсем то к чему я бы часто возвращался. Тем не менее есть пара очень классных песен

Great one

This was very nice listen, I enjoyed it, and I would listen to more from Santana

Muy caliente

Very good for old people ears I’m sure

Nice vibey album. Already familiar with the hits. Nice to see the wider context. Makes me forgive him for Smooth but only slightly.

Classic Santana. What more can you say?

Great album. Relaxed and classic

Looove

Vynikajúca gitara, zohratá partia, ale mňa to až tak nebaví.

really good! i already knew black magic woman and oye como va so i was excited going into the album

Favourite song: Black Magic Woman

Listened while sorting the washing Oyo como va and hope you’re feeling better

banger after banger. absolutely amazing album.

Absolutely No Notes.

Good listen, didn't blow me away but super chill.

Ok ok, starting off with a very interesting instrumental track. Enjoyed it, was a nice bit of background music. I really like the emphasis on the instrumentals. The vocals are honestly really nice and calming. I like this guys voice. In black magic woman/gypsy queen I love the emphasis on the guitar. It’s not too complex but also very much adds an awesome vibe to the song! The drums throughout were constantly driving the pace forward! Se a Cabo was a great track that grew in its sense of urgency as I listened. To then go into Mothers Daughter which started off a bit more chill and then threw everything at you was a really nice moment in the layout of the album! I really liked Hope You’re Feeling Better! It was a very rock-esq track which I really appreciated. I also enjoyed the closer! Overall this was a nice listen. Something different and shorter which I appreciated. The emphasis on instrumentals was so fun and didn’t drag or feel out of place! I might check out more of this guys stuff! I’ll give this album a 4/5 ⭐️. I might give out a 5 at some point but it’s really gonna have to wow me. Favourites: Black Magic Woman, Hope you’re feeling better Least Favourites: nothing really stood out to me as bad! So none 8/1089

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

I like the vibe but lean toward something w more lyrics

Decent I very like the instrumental

More recognisable than I expected. Pleasant and easy listening

when this started i immediately had to switch tabs to see what was playing. this whole albums feels like improv jazz, or at least the stuff i was exposed to playing in high school. the rhythms are catchy and driving, the guitar, organ, drums, and vocals all come together in a great way. 4/5

It reminds me of the same vibe as some of the tubular bells, lots of sweeping tracks that blend into each other. Didn't enjoy the vocal tracks as much (mothers daughter) because then it feels like it goes further towards traditional rock that I don't enjoy as much. It legit just makes me want to listen to tubular bells again. I don't think its a 5* but its could definitely be something I add again to a background playlist in its entirely in order, 4*?

Nhạc mới lạ, hơi ma mị, rùng rợn(?) và rất spiritual =))) Theo description thì có vẻ là latin rock? Nói chung vừa nghe thì mình chả biết thể loại gì 😔 Bài đầu tiên tempo khá đều và chậm, maybe bật lúc làm việc? Trải nghiệm khá thú vị vì mix rất nhiều nhạc cụ, guitar vẫn là chính đặc biệt là guitar rift. (Có thể do nó là epilogue 😇) “Black magic woman” khác hẳn với bài đầu tiên, có lời và khá hay 🤓 Thể loại jazzy rock? Vẫn còn guitar rift nhưng không bị out of place. Cuối bài thì the music changed a bit, upbeat hơn(?) và không lời =))) “Oye Como Va” nghe như nhạc sẽ mở trong background cảnh phim cả crew đi vào pub =))) Khá oke để làm nhạc background làm việc 🤔

Wow the percussions!!!!

Album: Abraxas Artists: Santana First spin mood: very jammy, love it. Lately I’ve been gravitating towards a higher appreciation of instrumentation and this hits that on the nail perfectly. Such sweet melodies and guitar riffs that will transport you. What it stirred in me: magical sensations, chills One lyric or sound that stayed with me: absolutely love oye como va, and great to hear it again. Where I was: driving in the snow, early morning vibes not slow at all but the music helped me recenter and calm down. To take it slow that life ain’t going anywhere What I felt: maybe a sensation of slowness and patience. I remember feelings of impatience when there was too much instrumentation solo but now I enjoy it and relish in them.

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

Very good!

Ein faszinierender Mix aus Latin-Rock, Blues und Jazz. „Black Magic Woman“ und „Oye Como Va“ sind zeitlose Highlights, während „Samba Pa Ti“ pure Emotion transportiert. Die Band spielt mit Leidenschaft, Carlos Santanas Gitarre glänzt. Ein Klassiker – nur kleine Längen verhindern die Höchstwertung.

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

not my style sadly but very interesting!

Very fun, hot, sunny vibes. Had a feeling a few songs from this were featured in movies, that’s exactly right. «…notably the hit "Oye Como Va" in comedies like American Pie & The Hangover and classic Scarface, while "Black Magic Woman" also appears in various media…» Very awesome album to smoke hookah and vibe to. The cover artwork is incredible.

Black magic woman is a classic but the album was great. This feels like a great album but also a great showing of classic rock.

A classic.

Hits are amazing and classic. Others are solid.

not my style but interesting sound

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.

Listened on: Spotify Listening experience: Over multiple sessions in the car I enjoyed this album and knew a couple of the songs - Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va (no idea where I have heard this one). I enjoyed the instrumentals and was pleasantly surprised by the piano and other instruments other than guitars. Would definitely put this one on again.

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

Santana is clearly a ridiculously talented guitarist. I like the addition of other rhythm instruments then just drums, too. Black Magic Woman is a classic. Oye Como Va is very enjoyable too. Samba pa ti is a relaxing vibe Hope.your Feeling Better has a great opening riff that keeps going.

Mostly indistinguishable guitar, this was fine

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

its ok

Abraxas may be a very commercial album, but this isn't "Supernatural". This is Santana magically mixing accessibility, dance-like qualities, innovation, complexity, virtuosity, and emotion into a latin-rock masterpiece. The first song is an improvisational latin-jazz fusion track with scarce but brilliant guitar notes over a groovy latin rhythm. "Incident at Neshabur", "Mother's Daughter", and "Hope You're Feeling better" are outstanding classic rock songs with unforgettable hooks and main riffs.. "Se a Cabo" and "Samba Pa Ti" are great instrumentals; a fast-paced rhythmic tune and a romantic and emotional one respectively. "Black Magic Woman" and "Oye Como Va" are the great hits. Black Magic Woman starts generally soft with great melodies and arrangements and ends in a louder and more energetic jam. "Oye Como Va" is driven by a Hammond organ riff and is insanely catchy and danceable. It has to be a great song to become a monstrous hit even though it is sang in a foreign language. It is regarded as a classic in the music of its kind.

70’s Rock ⭐️ Hope You’re Feeling Better

Snappy Latin rhythms and fiery guitar playing, it can only be Carlos Santana. Fantastic album.

Exceptional vibes, I enjoyed the beats and the instruments

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

Not for me

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

Almost a 5

Excellent vibes

Absolute cinema

I went into this album not really knowing what to expect, normally I wouldn’t listen to this type of music. However, I was pleasantly surprised that this album was an enjoyable listen. The album was filled with numerous different instruments, each song was unique. The album combines Latin and psychedelic into a unique rock album, filled with cool guitar solos. I would say that this was a solid album. This was probably one of my favorite mainly instrumental album I’ve listened to. My favorite tracks were Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen and Mothers Daughter.

this if fire though.

8/10, achei um ótimo álbum, mas na minha opinião, maioria das músicas parecem instrumentais. Gostava que tivessem mais letras.

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

- I LOVE 70s psychedelic rock!!!!!!the guitar riffs, the sometimes disturbing sound effects, im hooked. les influences jazzy et afro-latino sont un ajout intéressant in the mix - c’est vraiment un rollercoaster but I was in for the ride; faut vraiment etre dans le mood pour écouter ça tho, j’écouterais pas l’album sur une base réguliere - j’adore le artwork de l’album - I have to give 4 parce que j’ai trop de respect pour l’originalité de Santana - meilleure chanson: black magic woman/gypsy queen

👌 smooth.

the psych- and blues-tinged Latin rock stylings of Carlos Santana are as good a way as any to ring in a new year! I have a fairly good connection with his eponymous band's debut record, which I had a second-hand vinyl copy of as a kid. (I accidentally played it at 45 speed once. "Waiting" sounded sick.) Abraxas is, generally speaking, much newer territory for me; despite that, there's two tracks on the A-side I'm more than familiar with. the first is the now-classic medley of Fleetwood Mac's "Black Magic Woman" and Gábor Szabó's instrumental "G*psy Queen" which, of course, was in Guitar Hero III, and its iconic status is obvious even in GH3's cover recording. having become more familiar with the original version presented here, I can obviously say it's much better, and certainly the best song on the album. the elusive opening, Santana's iconic guitar solos, the adrenaline at the switch-up midway through, the dense percussion layering throughout—you know how this one goes. second is "Oye como va", a Tito Puente classic that I played more than a couple times in undergrad with my university's Latin big band! the electrified version of it here has become another one of Santana's signature songs, and for good reason; if that cha-cha-chá groove doesn't move you, you may want to get your pulse checked. lots of records from around this era of the 1001 Albums... selections tend to emphasize the hits and/or singles at the expense of everything else, but the deeper cuts on Abraxas hold up really well against its two most iconic ones. the A-side also contains opener "Singing Winds, Crying Beasts", a nice bit of atmospheric, modal jamming that feels almost like an extended prelude for "Black Magic Woman", as well as "Incident at Neshabur", which opens as a fiery D minor jam in 6/8 (with great solo turns from Santana and organist Gregg Rolie) before giving way to a transcendent, borderline ambient back half in C major. the B-side contains "Se a cabo" and "El nicoya", two more great features for the percussion section; two tightly constructed originals from Rolie ("Mother's Daughter" and "Hope You're Feeling Better") that show the band leading with their blues influences; and "Samba pa ti", the slowest and sultriest of all nine tracks here. if you like your rock music groovy with a lot of raw power and a live feel, look no further! the singing might not always be the greatest thing you've ever heard, but how can you listen to these guys play instruments together and not instantly get a lift? strong 8/10.

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

I listened to this in the background while doing something else and so didn't give it my full attention. Having mostly heard the single from this LP, I didn't expect so much instrumental music and was happy to hear more of the guitar and rhythm section.

Very very groovy. But not much else.

God the bass is so great.

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

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

Would enjoy this in a beach bar but not my usual vibe.

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

Fine.

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

I mean, my top three of all-time favourite guitarists are Carlos Santana, Jimi Hendrix, and Prince (in no particular order). Add to that the perfect blend of Latin, Jazz, Blues, and Rock, and you've got the recipe for one of my favourite albums of all time. Yes, I might be biased, since I've got nearly all of Santana's recordings, but this is by far (together with some of his other albums from the '70s) his best! And yes, I've got a "Black Magic Woman" too! 5/5

Amazing

too much weird things happening all at once

The combination of Latino beats and rock is so fire. The Spanish songs are just better I’ll be totally honest. Also fire album cover. This is so groggy it’s great I definitely wouldn’t turn this off if it came on. Some of this would make great getaway music especially “se a cabo”. Normally I don’t like Latino beats but the guitar makes this album really enjoyable to listen to - very unique compared to your average Latino album I feel. I honestly enjoyed this so much more than expected. Very high 4.

Just like the album, this albums music and guitar lead is really quite good, alternative percussion is a welcome change, little singing completely good. Feels like some sort of persona beat y'know. When the singing exist its fine, as I don't need to listen to it for long. First and last song were stinkers so following the one party system ( one bad song tolerated for a five) its a four

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

First time listening to Santana and what a treat. A beautiful fusion of samba, jazz, and funk

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

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

just ended the album. really really good amazing chill jazz like vibes

The journey through psychedelic Latin rock went by almost unnoticed, it even made me want more.

Not for me

Spectacular sound, fun and concise listening experience!

This was a really fun album to listen to, I really enjoyed the more instrumental songs more than I normally do. Really great pick for today.

4.5

*Abraxas* I pretty much give this one the same review that I gave their first album i'm not quite sure which one I like better because they both are just very energetic and very incendiary. If there was anything I was going to say lessons Abraxas is the intro on the outro which neither did anything for me but pretty much everything in between is just incredible. My favorite bits are the more Latin 10 which is a carryover from the first album but they also showed muscle and just straightforward bluesy rock and roll especially with *Hope You're Feeling Better* of course also the big hits were good *Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen", "Oye Como Va" and "Samba Pa Ti" (9.8) ★★★★½

Great guitar work, but I miss some more singing. 4.5 stars

I think this is a really good album. At times it does border on being too jammy, but I think the songs are solid enough to overcome it. Carlos' guitar playing and tone are also great. Highlights for me are "Black Magic Woman", "Oye Como Va", and the excellent "Samba Pa Ti". 4 stars.

Fuck Santana

Hot stuff. Or rather should I say mucho caliente. This is just a brilliant, timeless classic fusion of rock, jazz and latin. Good enough to be preserved in the Library of Congress as well as Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock. Santana’s guitar tone is killer, the cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Black Magic Woman is an all-timer and there are some underrated blastin rockin highs in the second half as well with Mother’s Daughter and Hope You’re Feeling Better. Great bongos on this. 5+/5 album art from Mati Klarwein as well. The lady on it with the dove is actually meant to be the Virgin Mary so the timing of this album for Christmas is actually pretty good.

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

Another that is not my bag of tea but this is a truly great record.

La segunda cancion fue buenisima, el resto me dejo medio indiferente. Aunque me sorprendio el solo de percucion de uno de los tracks

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

felt like one long song and i loved every minute of it

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

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

THE COVER OMG

Cool instrumentering men inte min grej

Get this one on vinyl

Turns out I really like Latin rock

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

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

Listened Before: No Insanely lit 5/5. Listened twice before lunch

Wel paar mooie nummers maar ik voelde het totaal niet

instrumental HEAVENN to viciada on repeat

Classic

This seriously awesome tripped out electric music album has got the power of 3 nuclear power plants. It is so powerful and forceful with the stylings of jazz and samba but clearly a very electric album. They prove without a doubt that they were in control of the music scene after their performance at Woodstock. This album was meant to be savored fully and to totally soak up the power of it.

Første låt er super chill; her er det bare å lene seg tilbake & fyre opp noe godt. Black Magic Woman var jeg kjent med fra Guitar Hero og likte den egentlig ikke så godt da. Det var visst også en cover-versjon, så hjalp sikkert ikke. Gitaren er mixet mye mer subtilt her, så låta føles mer dynamisk & balansert. Mulig jeg også har vokst eller bare blitt samba-pilled av Getz, for nå kan jeg faktisk vibe til denne, selv om den starter litt for runkete. Og da Ome Como Va kom på, var jeg umiddelbart tilbake i en bowling hall i LA! Herifra og ut skifter skiva litt stil og legger seg ofte nærmere hard rock av typen Deep Purple/Uriah Heep, og det funker på basis av at det kan virke lekende lett at slik musikk blir kul. Jeg hadde ikke trodd jeg skulle si det, men synes faktisk skiva er bedre når den er mer latino og mer jazza, som den er på flere av partiene på Incident at Neshabur, hvor han elegant veksler mellom hard rock og jazz rock. Samba Pa Ti er også et høyepunkt, treffer meg nesten på samme sted som Zappas Watermelon in the Easter Hay. Om noen hadde spurt meg i går om jeg var Santana-fan, hadde svaret vært et soleklart nei. Idag er jeg farlig nær å si ja.

Mitt kjennskap til Santana har primært vært "Smooth" og "Black Magic Woman", men mitt første møte med bandet var på en trippel-cdsamling jeg hadde som het Children of the Revolution. Trolig en av de utgivelsene som har formet min musikksmak mest. Der var altså "Samba Pa Ti", og det var en av låtene jeg pleide å skippe på CD-en. Jeg ville heller høre på Deep Purple, The Band, Free og Steppenwolf. Med litt voksnere ører syns jeg det er en chill låt. Det er kanskje tålmodigheten som kommer med alderen? Og generelt syns jeg albumet er overraskende bra. For mitt inntrykk var at Santana er litt sirumpa gitarrunking. Litt gitarrunking er det jo, men det er ikke noe verre enn andre artister jeg liker fra den tiden. Faktisk mener jeg flere av de andre instrumentalistene får vist seg. Den litt Deep Purple-aktige "Hope You're Feeling Better" er feks en orgellåt fremfor alt. Mens "Se a Cabo" er rytmeseksjonens tid til å skinne. Det er et velprodusert album med et lydbilde som låter friskt selv i 2026. Andre latinrock-album jeg har hørt virker å ha fått stemoderlig behandling studiomessig. For eksempel The New York Sound av Flash & the Dynamics, et album jeg digger, men som sliter med et noe tynt lydbilde. Jeg tror jeg kommer til å komme tilbake til Abraxas

It goes without saying that this is top-notch guitar playing, but Santana's backing band is really good in their own right. At times it almost felt like I was listening to a Latin jazz band. Really fun music on this one, and not a huge commitment at 38 minutes. Need to grab this one on vinyl. 4/5

Another banger from Santana, his first few albums are generationally amazing and so easy to listen/groove to.

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

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

Niet echt mijn ding, maar zou het ook niet uitzetten

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

Classic album from my grandpa's time. back then, he had a radio station and he would put songs from this album and more on repeat. 2025 and i still love it, we need more like it

None of it was really pulling me in.

Not my usual music but ATE, 4/5

classic guitar work

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

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

Great album

A timeless classic.

Very strong album that definitely shows off Santana's guitar prowess.

So vibey. Great work album

Good songs, background vibes

70-tals groove, mycket instrumentalt, mycket spelglädje

I don't know what else I could ask from an album. Latin-fused rock, congas, nasty bass lines, a tasteful virtuoso on lead guitar, players who are absolutely locked the fuck in together, and masterfully-recorded and mixed. Wonderful album. So nice, I listened twice

first listen: black magic woman and oye como va are my favs

10/10 extrem de funky, nu mă așteptam

I didn’t really know what to expect going into this one but it was a great time. It was very fun front to back. Would listen to again

3,5/5

Classic guitarist here with classic guitar riffs. Can’t really hate it at all.

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

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

I always thought Santana was the guitarist, not the band. Turns out it’s both. Great album, definitely worth a revisit. 4/5

I give so many 5 stars because I like so many things! but this one should be on a whole other level. one of the top 10s

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

Once again, an album that needs no introduction. Simply magnificent. Memories from my early days as a student in the dormitory come flooding back. 5/5

Sensational! High energy. Beautifully blends piano and guitar over soulful, funky rhythms. Best enjoyed on a rainy morning with a cup of coffee when you have a BUNCH to get done today

Groooovy

loved the jazzy elements

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

This is an absolute killer album, first time I've listened through a Santana album. Always heard highly of them and this is evidence of why they're amongst the best. Fresh, jazzy, and high percussion that crosses into rock genre a bit.

4.5

Guitar sex

not exactly the sound I am used to! I can appreciate the artistry though:) Did a great job at portraying feelings and experiences through sound!

I never listened to this album and loved it. Adding the my regular rotation.

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

Fantastic

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

pretty chill

I'm familiar with quite a few of these tracks, but surprisingly, I don't think I've ever listened to the full album. It's a jam. It's a vibe. I'm glad I listened, but ultimately, I'm not necessarily feeling compelled to listen to it again on any sort of a regular basis.

Expert guitar craftsmanship

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

Love a good psych rock album. Very enjoyable and probably my favorite pick so far!

I read that Santana was rated the 11th greatest guitarist ever. I’m not sure what world Rolling Stone is living in that there are ten better guitarists.

Vibe with this heavy| track 4 Half way through too many instrumentals| track 5 Out of 10 it's a 7 round up so 4/5| track 7

12/10/2025 Wednesday cool art

Black magic woman is the peak of sexiness Love the mix of rock and what seems like more indigenous Mexican sounds

Really solid album, Santana might be one of the greatest guitar players ever. Every song sounds different, but they flow so well into each other. It felt like I was listening to a spanish radio station. Standout Songs: Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen Oye Como Va Mother's Daughter Hope You're Feeling Better

Album rules

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

Such goodness.

Elevated by the Latin influences

Ah Santana, I can put it on and listen in a dark room, I can have it one when I'm cleaning, it's great road trip music. This is a great album.

Excellent stuff. Holds up well. Easy to listen to.

Excellent listening, beging to end

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

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

not my cup of tea.

Hot and Spicy. 4.5 star

I don't think I realized how psychedelic Santana was

I really enjoyed this one! 7.5/10

This was a fun listen! I'd put this closer to 4.5 instead.

This is the pinnacle of cool

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

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

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

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

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

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

Such a fun album the whole way through. Didn't find myself bored at all. Wanted to get up on my desk and dance.

Great album! So many hits that fly under the radar, and the other tracks are great too. People always want to chalk Santana up to a solo noodler or just another guitarist who only does collaborations with popular artists, but his range and variety of music over the years is crazy. Awesome on his own, and automatically levels up anyone else he plays with.

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.

interesting...

Had never heard of Santana before, had absolutely no idea what to expect. LOVED THIS. Don't think I've ever heard anything like it. What a treat. A lovely reminder that this project is great for discovering new things Songs added to playlist: - Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen - Oye Como Va - Se a Cabo - Samba Pa Ti

This album is badass for background music.

Amazing album. Truly a must-listen for every music fan. While 'Oye Como Va' and 'Samba Pa Ti' are great songs by themselves, this album takes you on a journey to really explore these amazing tracks to their full potential. It's not just the amazing strumming of the legendary Carlos Santana but the performance by the rest of the band members take make this LP as interesting as it is. The only reason this album is 4 stars instead of 5 for me is because I like the single version of 'Black Magic Woman' better than the album version. 4.5/5 stars

Loved it, best recommendation of the list so far. I guess also I had never really listened to Santana before, of course I knew their name and the general vibe but I honestly didn’t know that tracks like Oye Como Va are Santana songs. Love the Latin psychedelic vibe, right up my alley

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

4/5

I listen to this classic album at least once a month. If you like guitar rock, you're probably already a fan of this one. The original Santana band, featuring Carlos Santana, of course, and Gregg Rolie, released four albums. All of them are perfect in their own way. Caravanserai, the fourth, is a personal favorite, but Abraxas is the one most universally regarded as Santana's masterpiece. The 2008 MOFI One Step tops many lists of best vinyl releases of all time. Even though I am very familiar with this album, I listened three times yesterday, on vinyl, streamed, and high quality files through headphones. No matter how you listen, this record holds up as potentially the best Latin/electric blues fusion album of all time, beautiful passages leading into blistering guitar and organ solos, the entire band playing off of one another. I am looking forward to reading the negative OAD reviews of Abraxas because I simply can't find a single thing wrong with it. Five stars.

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

Te bebes la guitarra, día soleado de noviembre en Madrid, limpiando la casa, una maravilla

Excellent.

mmmmh Santana - es una legende muy grandeeeee. Y me gusta la musica mucha. Muy funky, absolutemente nice y fun fun fun. Estos son quattro formaggi (Ich glaub de typ redet gar kei spanisch)

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

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

Percussion panning - left/right Pretty good

Let me add another Hell Yeah! Such a brilliant album. Everything's here, Santana's guitar that would dominate any other band is somehow just another genius sound on on this album.

Wow! This is music! I think I’m a Santana fan now.

This album was fucking yummy. I love Santa and I think he's got such a great feel

What a treat after yesterdays album (69 love songs, really did not like it). Not sure if im giving a 5 for the juxtaposition, or if it really is just that good. Pretty sure Abraxas was just that good. Latin music mixed with psychedelic rock? Hell yeah brother. Album art might be one of my new favorites. Trippy af! 9/10

The vibes on this album are world class. I am a huge fan of Santana's ability to blend together Latin influences, rock and blues. The playing on this is super well done and the album as a whole comes together perfectly. The only criticism I can come out with is that I wish it was longer.

As someone who grew up idolizing hippies and 60s psychedelic music and having watched the Woodstock documentary dozens of times, I'm embarrassed to say I've never listened to this album or really any Santana beyond the hits. For some reason, Santana just didn't resonate with me back then. That said, I have heard several of the songs on here. This album is a great Latin, jazz, blues fusion. The Latin percussion is infectious and makes you want to move and the guitar playing is obviously next level. I really enjoyed this one and clearly missed out not listening to more Santana in the past.

So much good stuff on this album, Santana was truly ahead of his time with his guitar tone, the musicality... There were a lot of times earlier in my life when I was like, "Santana, what's the big deal?" And then I listened to this album

Always an enjoyable listen.

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

Idk it was good

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

Viktig gitarist, kjedelig musikk.

4.5/5 GODDDDD i love santana

4 out of 5 Great singles, santana rocks

Easy to listen to late 60s rock with that infectious guitar of Santana mixed with Latin influence.

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

Part rock, part jazz, part salsa. Groovy, smooth, funky, rocking. Is there anything this album doesn't do? I guess the vocals are nothing to write home about? But don't mind that, let Santana sing to you with his guitar. It's a pity Santana's most popular tracks are from when he did the pop crossover album in the 90s. I mean good for him to keep himself relevant and to create something a little more geared toward the masses, but that stuff is nothing compared to this.

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

Great album, good to revisit. Hope you’re feeling better is one of my fave Santana songs off the beaten path & mothers daughter.

Just long enough to not be too long. Arguably flawless if this is your jam, just not compelling enough to listen on repeat

Never been my thing

The perfect antidote to T Swizzle. This is Latin-infused rock at some of its finest

I’m not sure that this is my favorite of the classic Santana records but it’s probably objectively the best. They really nail the Latin jazz pop rock mix, to perfection. Santana would go hard in all of those directions later, but never struck the balance so sweetly before or after. There isn’t an ounce of flab here among the lengthy jams and instrumentals. Black Magic Woman>Gypsy Queen>Oye Como Va>Incident at Neshabur is an album run of greatness I’d put up against anything from the era

Pleasant and fun. ★★★

The beginning of this record has an amazing rainy day vibe. It's moody. I like it. I really enjoy Santana’s playing. He has his own signature style but it isn’t flashy, it’s musical and melodic. This band is tight. REALLY tight. Good lord. “Se a Cabo” is excellent. "Mother's Daughter" is incredible! Especially that transition between them. Those first few tracks I was thinking this was a three to a four, then "Se a Cabo" pushed it to a four, then that transition - 5. "Hope You're Feeling Better" just puts it over the top. What a build up this record has! Whatever Carlos was paying his percussionists it wasn't enough. These guys are killing it. This was a big surprise to me. FIVE STARS

Definitely had an image of Santana coming into this, which was just ‘Smooth’ but as I start listening to the album, can really appreciate more of the nuance, layers and skill in these songs. Yeh, really digging this. Much more prog rock / world music than pop charts. Glad to get a better sense of him as an artist. Enjoy the occasional use of vocals as an instrument, rather than constant presence.

Beautiful. Blows my mind this came out in 1970 lol and he’s still performing.

I'm a guitarist like Santana, in the same way that a child painting shapes with a potato is an artist like Michelangelo. He is just ridiculously good. It's in the second half of this album that this really comes to the fore, and elevates it from a fun but not too memorable record into something quite brilliant. The second half alone is a clear and strong five star, the whole thing falls just a touch short, but is still very enjoyable.

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

Another album I was really expecting to not enjoy nearly as much. Immediately. I was blown away by the elements of jazz fusion that were on this record. Some of the songs were honestly just so well crafted. "Black magic woman", bar the slur in the alternative title, is a phenomenal song. The vocals while they are very sparse serve each track so well. It's funny. I started listening to the intro and I wasn't the biggest fan of how it was sounding and I legit thought I was going to hate the rest of the album but as soon as that track ended you just go right into this upbeat very high energy list of instrumentals. Santana's guitar playing is honestly off the charts and the fact that his band is able to absolutely not only follow his lead very well but also paved the way for his guitar to almost serve as lead vocals. The voicing in his technique is so strong that I can't fathom it. The fact that guitars can wail this hard over top hand drums to give it this incredible psychedelic Latin texture is remarkable for the time and honestly kind of revolutionary. Chicano rock might end up being something that I check out more because of this album and I'm definitely curious to know the rest of his discography. I definitely can see myself listening to this album again in full. Me being stubborn, I don't want to put this at 5 out of 5 Stars but I might have to eventually depending on the rest of this list.

Great style, I can appreciate the long guitar solos

Short and well written. Allot of latin influenses well blended with Rock. I'm a bit biased because i play a bit of guitar and think Santana is a great guitarist.

Great album

I can't believe this album was rom 1970. It sounds as applicable today as ever. True art is timeless, and this falls into that category.

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

Never been a fan of almost purely instrumental albums. Comparable to turning up at Wimbledon buzzing for a portion of strawberries and cream just to find they’ve only given you one strawberry in your cream and charged you £9.50. Big let down.

Pretty fun background music

Felt like I was put on hold for 37 minutes

It simply doesn’t get much better than a mixture of jazz and rock. Every song made it to my liked playlist (besides the last one which was aight).

Just great. Such a cool album. Really caught my Latin mood today. Haven’t heard it for years but gets a big yes from me.

A very different sound to this album compared to a lot of popular music but really interesting and very smooth guitar playing 7/10

Very mood dependant, between a 3 and a 4

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

Outstanding

Okay

4/5

Samba Pa Ti takes you places

(83/100)

Would listen again. Good background music without being too innocuous, and enjoyable when you tune in.

Solid

Not sure why it’s taken me this long to actually listen to this album all the way through. Some fabulous cuts, even besides the two most popular and legendary songs