Reviews (page 6 of 13)
4/5
Very good. Catchy songs
Overraskende godt. Meget jazz agtigt
Pissegroovy! En del bedre end jeg havde regnet med!
Really cool guitar, tough to listen to on the morning commute as it makes me want to drive fast! :)
I’m so sorry for having low expectations
Чудовий альбом з насправді досить помірним вкрапленням латіно року (за виключенням деяких пісень) ніж можна було очікувати. Пісні іспанською набагато кращі за англамовні, які занадто наслідують умовний західний стиль.
I really enjoyed listening to this album. It is superb music that I really connected with. I was enjoying it so much I got halfway through a second Santana album on Spotify before I realized it. It is still hard to believe that Black Magic Woman is a cover. This is a great album.
Penúltimo día de septiembre con Abraxas, el favorito de todos de Santana. El álbum lograr un objetivo muy común de esa época pero que pocos conseguían: que el oyente entre en un estado de hipnosis con un disco completo, impensado para los tiempos actuales en que el consumo musical es de microdosis y sin compromiso. ¿Romantizando un pasado que no viví? Es probable Muchas gracias y hasta mañana, que cerramos septiembre
Shit rips
Pretty awesome!
Great album. Mix of latin, jazz, psychedluc rock. It is expansive and full of passion. The sort of exploration where you can imagine musical rituals taking casting magicspells and transporting your consciousness. 4.5 stars
Smooth
I don’t know if this music remobilizes some of the latent LSD stored in my spinal cord or if it’s that I was listening to this a lot when I was making out with H— in high school but I just absolutely feel wonderful listening to Santana.
Abraxas, I give myself to thee!
Santana is awesome - this album is a classic
Good
Literally listened to this in my dad's car growing up. Pure nostalgia.
I am so glad I finally had a chance to listen to another 70s psychadelic rock artist, and even with latino and prog hints - so so so nice. Well, of course, it's not like I couldn't listen to Santana earlier - I knew quite well they existed and I was planning on listening to that monochromatic lion debut, but I never got around... And wow, Abraxas is so good. Peacefull, not intimidating, very easy listen - but not simple, braindead music. This is full of fineness. I already came back to this album more than once, and will be coming back.
some very good songs
This was fun to listen to!
Enjoy the smooth jazz rock tunes like Black Magic Woman and Samba Pa Ti
Great guitars, fun listen.
When a guitar is played with this amount of talent and skill it transcends to another level. This isnt three cords and a bridge, it is someone who closes their eyes and pours out their soul through their fingers and very fee make it to this level. I enjoyed this purely for the respect for his talent rather than any particular love for the songs
Early Santana. Raw but full of emotive guitar. Fantastic percussion.
While this falls more into the "on here for influence" rather than how it sounds today I think it's one of the better ones there. 7/10
I had heard of this album as it is included in many “best albums of the 70s” lists. First time listening was pleasurable. I normally don’t like Jazz fusion or albums where there are mainly instrumental tracks but this is very accessible and beautifully made.
We dig it dude
Falls off the second half the album but doesn't mean it's terrible, Carlos Santana is still the goat
really good latin rock release. very influential for the time too
Love it 4/5
The lick. 10/10. I can listen to this on da za
Heeeeell yeahhhh that guitar.
very good and very interesting. mayhaps a 5 in the distant future
very nice
3.9 2x catch up 9/18
I always had the image of Santana as mainly Latin rock, but Hope You’re Feeling Better is straight-up hard rock. The guitar tone on this track is just raw and powerful — pure hard rock. I like it.
This album came outs in 1970, and I was 12 years old at the time. One of my cousins had a copy of this on 8 track tape, and I heard parts of it and didn’t really care for it. I don’t think that it was “radio friendly “ enough for my musical tastes back then. Over the years I have heard Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va countless times, and have grown to become quite fond of those songs. After listening to the whole album for the first time, 55 years after its release, I am a bit blown away. I just can’t believe this was issued in 1970…to me it really sounds way ahead of its time, and the songs have held up really well. This album seemed to be about half filled with instrumental tracks, and I really prefer my music with vocals, as long as the vocals are good. Still, I think this album is awesome and I would have given it 5 stars if more of the songs featured vocal music, but it is still a really strong 4 stars album for me, I will definitely be listening to it again!
Great album!
Really enjoyed this album!
großes album. black magic woman oye como va samba pa ti und der southernrock-kracher mothers daughter
OYE CÓMO VA MI RITMO BUENO PA GOZAR MULATA OYE CÓMO VA MI RITMO BUENO PA GOZAR MULATA OYE CÓMO VA MI RITMO BUENO PA GOZAR MULATA
4.5
I obviously knew "Black Magic Woman" and "Oye Como Va," both of which I enjoy quite a bit. The remainder of it has a similar sort of psychedelic Latin vibe. Dug it a lot.
liked this. crazy work on the electric guitar. huge fan of all of the time signature changes in ‘incident at neshabur’ (did notice the vibraslap a lot but i think that’s a me problem). gave it two listens, was working on the first listen, and couldn’t remember whether there were vocals on the album - realized on second listen that the vocals really felt like an instrument of their own, as opposed to instrumentation and vocals being discrete components.
This was ace it does not sound like 1969
Classic Santana
I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. Really good.
Intoxicating. The latin rhythms of the conga drums got me grooving
Some of the best guitar riffs I’ve ever heard. Most of this is instrumental and I wish it was entirely instrumental, because the instrumental aspects are so good. Lyrics aren’t bad or anything, the instrumentation is just that good.
Great flow, very groovy and some amazing guitar work.
Jazzy
Classic album. Ambient guitar with latin flavor.
This is a very good album and Santana is a very good guitar player.
classic santana album :)
Only came into this knowing Black Magic Woman, honestly. I usually don't have an easy time getting into things that are jazzy or jammy, and this is both, but somehow it works for me! Maybe because it's never extended out too far, and it's just normal length songs in a normal length album?
Great listen. Very unique drum grooves, nice guitar tone, feels just the right amount of improvisational.
Groovy
I remember finding this album in the attic in our country house when I was six. The cover always facinated me, it had the depth of a Bosch painting the many shapes and colors drawing me in. I listened to it much later but that first meeting always stayed with me. This time around I really loved the drums at work here, Michael Shrieve has such a luschious expansive sound here. Santanas guitar of corse gets well deserved credit but I do not think the rich jazz fusion would work without the rest of the band. Black Magic Woman and Oye Cómo Va might be the most famous songs here but Hope Your Feeling Better and Incident at Neshabur are my personal favorites. Overall a great album my only complaint is that it is almost too easy to listen. It is so smooth that it does not hold onto me as strongly as other albums. Still the skill here is very obvious.
Groovy music with some great guitar solos painting a groovy soundscape. Lacking words a lot of the time, but somewhat makes up for it with its characterful instrumentation.
Already liked Black Magic Woman and the rest of the album lived up to that expectation. Almost a 5
Some absolutely great tunes on this. Oye Como Va is one that I can now put a name to. I listened to Samba Pa Ti with my eyes closed picturing mega food like the old M&S advert which was delightful.
Great songs and guitar
Hermoso, rock gringo latino.
Santana's guitar playing is good enough to get it to 4
An incredible album, with his usual panache and style Carlos Santana plays magnificently throughout it. It's filled with great instrumental jams and features the incredible Black Magic Woman. Even though his style and flavour is absolutely unique, I just think that it doesn't have enough huge hits for me to give it 5 stars.
I didn’t have the highest expectations for this album, but was blown away. From only hearing Black Magic Woman, I now think that’s the weakest track on the album! The guitar is fantastic, love the Latin beats and percussion. Will definitely be listening to more Santana in the future!
Surprisingly fun. Im not a huge rock fan but this was an amazing listen. 85/100 on my book, goated
First track had such a slow build build, but going straight into Black Magic Woman was killer. Whole rest of the album was fantastic 4 out of 5. I gotta listen to more Santana.
More innovative of an album than the radio hits would suggest. Reminds me of Mahavishnu Orchestra and points to future sounds from The Mars Volta. Good balance between groove and free-flowing improvisation. Smooth guitar tones with occasional snarly over-driven sounds. Even popular songs like "Black Magic Woman" have more complexity than their radio edits would let on.
Raw guitar magic Fav song: Black magic woman/ gypsy queen, mother’s daughter Least fav: el nicoya 9/10
7.5/10
Quite the album for Santana. I bet this shot him from being a huge talent to an international star. Great listening.
smooth and easy listen from start to finish
One of those solid 70s albums. Doesn't quite hit 5/5 for me, but definitely 4/5.
Santana is one of a kind. This was a great listen. I always enjoy hearing him play.
Great Album
theres so much music from this era that i know so entirely despite never having conciously decided to listen to. most of it is much worse than this album, i dont know why santana isnt in that group of artists. whole album was a little long, otherwise great
Un álbum más entretenido que la mierda que abre encima los 70 con canciones icónicas. Lo que no me deja ponerle 5 es que creo que hay un pequeño exceso de jam. Nota: 4/5
Un verdadero viaje psicodico Las últimas canciones fueron mis favoritas, se siente la influencia Grateful Dead 7/10
The opening song was very slow, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the rest of the album. I was definitely able to apply prior experiences with latin inspired music here. It was a rather fast paced and groovy album. 8/10.
#661. A proggy jam band kind of album that is less than 40 minutes? Perfect 4/5: yarp
crazy mix. what a vibe.
I thought I rated this already. Anyway, this album is great in my opinion. Catchy, and has some great jazzy moments. Jacob you’re a bum for not liking it
Clearly his best....
I prefer the debut. This one sounds good but does not fully take off. I missed psychedelic madness. But good album overall.
Nice!
Love these grooves. Why would anyone listen to steely dan — aja when this album exists??? The n-2th track is one of my favorites in terms of absolutely sentimental grooves. Pass the cigars mccusker! FOUR
Very cool Latin rock music. You can see how something like this could influence a group like The Mars Volta.
With some of my Santana favourites and some I've never heard before but now like, this is an album that you can put on to which no one will complain about and ask for something else. I'll give it a 4 star rating for it's listen-ability.
Ok
Planant
I have always liked this album a lot, Carlos Santana is a wonderful guitar player and he shows that off here. The Fleetwood Mac cover is good, anything that Gregg Rolie is involved with gets bonus points from me, and "Samba Pa Ti" is just insanely gorgeous, right up there with some of my favorite instrumentals.
Great guitar, but that's Santana for you. Good vibes, more guitar than vocals. 4*
Good
Bring back sexy guitar
"Oye Como Va" is such a good song
The playing is superb, the mix of Latin, jazz and rock was trailblazing, and it is amazing that out of this hybrid two songs found their way to pop chart success. That said, I’m not generally a jam band fan, and too much of this blends into one continuous song for me. Respect for the musicianship, just not one I can see reaching for.
An album I’ve seen but not listened to before, I actually have it on vinyl passed down to me. I have to say it’s a shame it took me this long to actually listen to it cause that was pretty amazing, pure energetic Latin jazz fusion with some western rock in the mix a bit aswell, the entire album was great with the first song acting as a great soft introduction and then breaking into one of the lead singles and then just going on an amazing run till the very end with a short instrumental to end it off. The guitar playing was amazing aswell by the one and only Carlos Santana and the organ in some parts aswell was awesome. Overall, 8.5/10, my way of singing its praises but keeping it just from being a 5.
Loved this! Hate Black Magic Woman, but everything else was wonderful.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Perfect background music, and gave one of the best transitions in music!
Superb fusion of virtuoso rock guitar and Latin rhythm section. Liked it even more on subsequent listens. 4½
Very pleasant psychedelic rock, easily 4+. Good to finally meet the Black Magic Woman's origin
4.4
There's an undeniable vibe to this album that hits just right
Mysticism and guitar virtuosity in an obscure late 60's package that seems to get overlooked more than its contemporaries. I might still appreciate the self titled a bit more, but this is miles more interesting than his work with Robert Thomas that would come in three more decades.
I didn't know this album was so popular. It's one of those unique albums that surprise me. There's so much to like about "Abraxas". Santana managed to combine two entirely different genres and combine them perfectly. What a way to end the week. 4 stars for "Abraxas"
One of Santana's best. Oye Como Va is my favorite song from him.
1. Signing Winds, Crying Beasts - 8 Really love the synthesizer and the guitar sounds great. The build up and out into the next track is flawless. 2. Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen - 9 Lyrics are extremely simple and very repetitive, but the instruments are very clearly what lead the track. That's the intention at least and the guitar on Black Magic Woman is superb. Overall the sound is great on it. When the track picks up into Gypsy Queen it feels out of place until the guitar comes in more and the song crescendos. Fantastic piece of music. 3. Oye Como Va - 11 Musically this is a brilliant track. The guitar, the organ-like synthesizer, the very brief lyrics. Everything about this track is stellar. Absolutely unbelievable sound. 4. Incident at Neshabur - 9 Guitar sound is just outstanding on this track. I'm running out of superlatives to label these tracks because they all just sound so very very very good. The pace change is a bit sudden on it but it leads to some more awesome notes from the guitar. Piano is a lovely addition at the end of the track. 5. Se a Cabo - 8 Excellent. Just all around excellent. 6. Mother's Daughter - 10 Instruments are great on this track but unlike the rest of the album, it's got a lot of lyrics in it and they are exquisite. Santana's voice sounds really really good as does the excellent use of the drums, which often rolls the song both in and out of the lyrical parts of it. All of this before an amazing guitar solo to end the track. 7. Samba Pa Ti - 9 Slower song and an awesome listen. Guitar is the star of the show and builds up into the track brilliantly before becoming a full fledged solo. I originally was only going to give this a 7 or an 8 before that absolutely stunning guitar at the end. 8. Hope You're Feeling Better - 10 Lyrics are very very repetitive but how can you not love a song with that amazing a solo in the middle of it? And if that's not enough for you, you get another lovely one at the end. Instrumentally this is a complete masterpiece of a track. 9. El Nicoya - 6 Bit random to end the album on this track. It's also completely random given what else has been on the album. There's not much to it. Very simple lyrics and very simple instrumentally but I cannot be too harsh on the track because it's only 90 seconds. Average Rating: 8.89 Adjusted to a 5-Point Scale: 4.45 Rounded Down: 4 Stars
Enjoyed it great music to sit on the beach and listen to
Not my usual but good!
Wow this is a banger. I also just learned Santana DVX is real. God is good
I have come to really like Santana and Abraxas is probably my fav album of theirs. one thing i dont get is why is the band named after carlos.. he did produce this album and write two songs but so much of this music feels extremely collaborative ! its just funny that its named after him when its such a group effort
Pure Santana. Knew a lot of the songs growing up my parents listen to Santana all the time so this album has a nostalgic feeling great album to pop on and have in the background while doing other things wouldn’t listen to every day but definitely need this one in the final collection. Such a fun listen
C’était chouette, à réécouter
I love this album best at night - so mysterious and other-worldly.
I enjoyed the overall sound of this album. It was a lot jazzier than I expected. Cool to listen to since I knew Santana but never really listened to an album. Incident at Neshabur sounds so cool. It actually reminded me of a song from the sound track of an anime called Read or Die. Oye Como Va is a vibe.
4.0 / 5.0
Good album. Enjoyed the Latin/jazz influences. Got a bit bored towards the end but short enough album for it not to be an issue. Overall:8/10
Très bon album agréable à écouter en lisant au soleil🌞
Very good album, experimental while creating actually enjoyable songs 4/5
You might hear something on this album that sounds like a cliche, but if you do, this is probably the guy that invented it. The fluid, continuous melodic content that Carlos Santana provides throughout this record is remarkable not just in its fluency but also in its ability to take over and recede from the listener's focus as needed. Santana also pioneered a couple of other guitar-nerd classics: popularizing Paul Reed Smith guitars and Mesa/Boogie amplifiers (he literally gave Mesas their second name, saying on first hearing Randall Smith's work, 'man that thing really boogies!'). Wonkery aside, this is an album that is unapologetic about its influences, whether Latin jazz or psychedelia. It's cohesive, too -- the Latin rhythm section, the Ray Manzarek-like organ work, the (occasional) vocals, the driving bass lines and the namesake's searing guitar work, veering between expressive jazz-influenced solo lines and hard rock. It's a lot for a band to wrangle if you think too much about it, but this is an album that must have been thoroughly felt in the writing of it. This is an album for which words like 'lush,' 'driving' and 'influential' pour out easily. It's better to sit for 40 minutes with it through some good speakers or headphones and experience for yourself. It's not perfect -- I think without the emotional weight of affecting lyrical content on most of the songs, this'll leave you a day or two later -- but it's a gem. As long as you like music made with guitars, because that's a strong focus, here.
Great Album. Some well known songs that are timeless. Some more obscure, but musically enjoyable to listen to.
Good album - nice to listen to it again 4/5
Really enjoyed listening to this album. It sounds like someone gave Khruangbin shrooms and new instruments (jokes aside, they might have drawn inspiration from this)
I'm not a big fan of Carlos
Good album. A classic!
Favorite Track: Incident at Neshabur
INSANE! pac instrumentali dbest, atmosfera kr jih tej bobni nrdijo, klavirske in kitarske solaze trgajo gate. groovi so mindblowing. res sm uzivala u tem albumi
Best Song: Samba Pa Ti. There is a really gentle sweetness to the guitar here, especially in the intro sections, that I loved. Worst Song: Singing Winds, Crying Beasts. Not a bad song, but it felt like more of an extended introduction to the album than a meaningful song in its own right. Overall: I mean, Carlos Santana is just really fucking good at the guitar, but what I particularly liked about this album, relative to other "guitar-heavy" offerings, is that it felt like the non-guitar instrumentals were allowed to shine in a way that further elevated the guitar. In that way, the album didn't feel like an excuse to show off as a guitar virtuoso, but as an integrated effort to really make the instrument sing.
Short and not too bad. I think I will warm to it.
Nice n chill
this was just excellent music, very much enjoyed it. can't believe how late to the party i am with Santana.
Great mix of psychedelic guitars and Latin beats. If the songwriting was a little better it would have been a 5
Cool, chill and atmospheric.
Santana is awesome
8,33
Great album! Super clean sound and it was cool to hear Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va in context. Latin Psychedelic Rock that flows real well. Standouts: Black Magic Woman, Oye Como Va, Mother's Daughter Rating: 4.25/5
Favorites: Black Magic Woman, Hope You’re Feeling Better, El Nicoya There’s something about Santana’s music that makes me feel drawn to it despite only being familiar with this record and Supernatural. This is Santana at his prime in my opinion, with some of the best sounding music of his career to date. Super jazzy at points and really just a lot of fun.
I really love this album - listened to my dad’s copy of the vinyl growing up, and it was one of the first CDs I purchased. Santana is such an incredible guitarist, and the arrangements on this album are so complex and interesting. Truly a classic that deserves its place on the list! 5⭐️
No ma talent w palcach ten Santana. Waham się między 6 a 7, bo kompozycje są ciekawe, aranżacje śmiałe i ma to swój charakterystyczny styl. Trochę brakuje mi mocnego wokalu, ale no cóż, nie o to chodzi w tym albumie. 7/10
Santana can shred
Owned. Good stuff
Cover: 8.5 A classic that I've actually heard of. Excellent music overall. A good chill album.
An energetic classic rock album that blends Latin dance influences with a jazzy procession that bleeds charm. Santana is of course a great guitar player, and his riffs are electric and intricate. The production alone brings you on a magic adventure of rhythm. Fave Tracks: Singing Winds, Crying Beasts; Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen; Oye Como Va; Se a Cabo; Mother's Daughter; Hope You're Feeling Better Worst Track: Incident at Neshabur
I like it. Good vibe throughout. All fit together. 4 stars
Solid
This whole album is pretty great. I like how laid back it is for being such recognized guitar rock album; the Latin feel just cools everything down without making it at all less interesting. 3.7/5
Really enjoyed it. Good background music that develops into more. Only 37 mins but feels like an epic piece.
Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va are the standouts. I didn't realise these were covers, so I relistened and Samba Pa Ti is great too. I'm a big fan of Carlos Santana and his band; Smooth with Rob Thomas is one of my karaoke songs. I can't sing nearly as well as any of the singers on this particular album, but I can match Rob Thomas note-for-note. 4 stars.
Good vibes, El Nicoya a good way to end
Oye Como va such a good song guitar was really good
This jam oh it is my jam
Creami
Les tam-tams
They know their instruments and they are not afraid to do instrumental tracks. I liked it more than I thought I would.
yes
Belles passes de guit de Carlos. Section rythmique qui apporte beaucoup. Retenue dans la longueur des chansons; ils auraient pu partir sur des envolées de chansons de 10-15 minutes mais se sont limités à des takes de 4-5 minutes. Bien correct comme ça.
J'aime danser
I really liked the songs with lyrics. The instrumentals were OK. I'm finally going to take the time to look up who Santana's lead singer is...Gregg Rolie. I'm not familiar with the name, but I like his vocals here. The guitar playing is great of course. I will play this one again.
So, I'm a fool: I had no idea this was a Latin jam record. Love the concept and the execution was phenomenal. Probably a 3.5.
Play the guitar Carlos Santana!
Musikalisch sehr cool 4*
Bongos!
Ultra groove
Um álbum excelente de um intérprete também excelente.
Fucking awesome Latin infused rock n roll.
Sanata's neat trick was marrying traditional Latin songs, structures and percussion to a contemporary, early-70s rock idiom and somehow making it sound timeless. It's an enjoyable listen.
I liked this album and listened to it four or five times, never having listened to much Santana, but was still on the fence after all those listens.
It's a lp of its time and not really my jam, but you cannot deny it's influence.
Electric organ, noodling guitars, latin percussion, extended jams, yea, I really love early Santana. I also always forget how great 'Samba Pa Ti' is.
• 4/5 • breakthrough Latin prog sound, masterful guitar work from Carlos, a couple of great singles, enjoyable listening throughout while not so long as to be self-indulgent • if the best tracks were originals rather than covers, I’d probably give an extra star
Already liked
Wow. I hadn’t heard singing winds crying beasts and it’s now one of my favourite pieces of music.
Strong start, lost interest as it went on but some definite bangers in here.
Abraxas? Oh man, that takes me back. Santana, right? Before he went all 'Smooth' and started collaborating with everyone under the sun. This was Santana. 'Black Magic Woman' and 'Oye Como Va' were the jams, no doubt. You heard those riffs and you were instantly transported. It was the kind of album you put on when you were just hanging out, maybe cruising around in your buddy's beat-up Trans Am, windows down, smell of exhaust and cheap gas in the air. Or, you know, when you were trying to impress that girl from your homeroom who was way into classic rock. It wasn't like, 'whoa, deep artistic statement' for us back then. It was just good, solid, unpretentious rock. Groovy. Perfect for a Friday night after a week of trying to avoid your parents and sneak in some MTV before they changed it to news. We didn't overthink it, we just felt it. And it felt good.
OYE COMO VA... MI RITMO BUENO PA GOZAR... MULATA
OVERALL: Man, I was expecting this to sound much more Latin or Salsa, instead I got a really good rock album. Half of the songs are instrumentals, but they are all pretty good, with my favorite song on the album (Incident in Neshabur) being one of them. The instrumentals on the entire album are actually incredible, there are some exceptions but it's usually very good. The percussion was used to its fullest extent for the first few songs, and the guitars slowly took over. My biggest flaws are that the songs can sometimes drag on and the vocals could use some work, however they aren't really that big or major flaws, they just hold back the score a bit. If the vocals were as good as the instrumentals and the instrumentals didn't die when the vocals started, this would probably be a 5 (Hope You're Feeling Better does this and it's pretty good). SONG AVG: 7.882222 PERSONAL RATING: 8/10 Singing Winds, Crying Beasts: I got Penthouse and Pavements right before this, which genuinely made me stop going on this goddamn site for months. I got an album by The Beatles and another one by Common, which are both artists I like so I'll check those out later. Anyways, pretty weird opening, but I do like it. Very nice instrumental track, but I feel like the wind chimes were pretty weird. I really like the conga (I think) and the guitar, and the keyboard is usually pretty good. This does drag on for a while, but it's pretty good nonetheless. I can also see the argument for this being actual garbage, but I like it. Transitions well into the next song. 7.5/10 Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen: Pretty solid instrumentals, although it is kinda boring. This reminds me of Catch a Fire, but slightly more interesting. The last minute and a half is really good, and the production at the start is pretty nice, but it kinda dies for a good while when the guy starts singing. It does sound very good overall, especially the guitar which is genuinely incredible, but I can't really recall most of the song. I do like it, though. 8.25/10 Oye Como Va: THIS is what I was expecting when I saw that Santana made this. The two minute long instrumental break is super good, but it definitely goes on for too long. Since I don't know Spanish that well, I don't really know what the lyrics mean. All I can really say is that the guitar solo is great and the organ was surprisingly good. Also the percussion didn't need to be as good as it was. The vocals kinda suck, but they're fun. Overall pretty good. 8/10 Incident at Neshabur: Damn good instrumental track. Pretty energetic, and every instrument works together incredibly. Surprisingly jazzy. I genuinely don't know how to describe this song, just listen to it. Very good percussion, really good keyboards. There might also be a time signature change, which is pretty cool. I guess the guitar could have been used better, but at that point I'm just trying to complain for the sake of complaining. The ending might actually be perfect. What the hell happened at Neshabur. 9.94/10 Se a Cabo: Incident at Neshabur, but they made it about half as long, got rid of most of the instruments, focused on the guitar, and said the title over and over. for like 15 seconds. The guitar is genuinely amazing, but everything else is just kinda okay, maybe above average if I'm being nice. The ending is pretty good though. 7.25/10 Mother's Daughter: The guy that speaks English is back. Honestly, probably the best guitars so far. This sounds more like a 'normal' rock song, I guess. The instrumentals dying as soon as the verses start is kinda funny. Honestly, I feel like this band just doesn't know how to do instrumentals and vocals at the same time, which is fine but the verses feel kinda empty when compared to the whole song. 8/10 Samba Pa Ti: Its okay I guess. A third instrumental track (should be 4th, but Se a Cabo technically has lyrics), but the instruments this time are much less interesting. The guitar is good, but not as great as it's been compared to the other songs. The percussion is nice, but it might as well be a loop. How much you like it is entirely based on how much you like the guitar. 6.75/10 Hope You're Feeling Better: Finally, they figured out how to do vocals and instrumentals at the same time. Probably the most normal song on the album, the instrumentals and vocals are much more basic. That doesn't mean they're bad, the guitar is still incredible and the percussion sometimes has it's moments. I should probably mention the drummer now, because he does a pretty nice job. The outro is pretty cool. 8.75/10 El Nicoya: I don't know what that percussion instrument is, but it is really good. That's kinda it. It's a good outro, but it feels so short compared to the rest of the album. The background chanting things are kinda corny I guess, but it's just a guy doing something incredible on a drum with a quiet guitar and weird vocals. 6.5/10
So silky smooth with great grooves and rhythms. Didn’t even consider that we’d see some Santana on this list but now I’m hoping for more. A fantastic listen that’s short and sweet, and Oye Como Va is such a classic. Makes me want a few Dos Equis and some tacos al pastor (only if it’s on the trompo).
Really had a good time with this album, and two songs that I'd really forgotten about but absolutely love.
sick enjoyable oldie-rock experience
Nice melodies.
86% Best: Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen; Oye Como Va; Incident at Neshabur; Mother’s Daughter; Hope You're Feeling Better Must-Hear? Sure
Guitar playing is legendary and such good vibes across the whole of this record. W album.
Favorite: Black Magic Woman Least Favorite: El Nicoya
Classic
4 star
I didn't know I knew this album so well! It's got Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va, both bangers. The rest was a fun dive into Santana that I haven't done before
I thought this album was great.
timeless latin prog rock, give me more
Hard to believe this is 55 years old. Carlos Santana was and is the man.
Strange start to the album with the wind chimes, but then the guitar and percussion kicked in and overall ended up being quite solid.
Varios de los temas ya los había escuchado porque son clásicos. La experiencia del álbum es muy buena, orgánica. Una excelente combinación de rock, jazz y música afrolatina. Tengo entendido que el nombre "Abraxas" proviene de un libro de Hermann Hesse, uno de mis autores favoritos. Se hace notar la espiritualidad y el misticismo del escritor en la música. Me gustaron los recursos de paneo cruzado en la producción del álbum.
The mood is irresistible. I wish I could drink this album.
Classic movie soundtrack songs for every movie that features a Spanish speaking character. Catchy as hell
I don't think this was quite a five for me, but it was damn close. Something that's been a pretty strong indicator for me so far has been the desire to return and listen again - and this one successfully pulled me back in, twice. Not an album that I'd say changed my life, but it's still a phenomenal collection of music.
I’m not sure what I was expecting when I heard this was Jazz Rock, but this was 🔥. I liked the mix of English, Spanish, and Instrumental tracks. Favorite Track: Se a Cabó
Okay, now I’ve listened once. Definite 60s Woodstock vibes. I’m sure these dudes jammed the fuck out live, and there was much mud covered lysergic free love swaying and damn can that Carlos play man and pass that over here cough. It’s cool, I enjoyed the overplayed stuff more in the context of the album, but I don’t see myself revisiting this one much. I’d pick this one up at an estate sale or out of a dollar bin.
Actually quite enjoyed
Love the Latin percussion and the lack of vocals. Meditative. Intense but also chill.
Cool and efficient
Latin rock / Psychedelic rock Santana’s second album and a major commercial success solidified their fusion of rock, Latin rhythms, blues, and jazz. The title comes from a line in Hermann Hesse’s Demian, referencing the mystical unity of opposites—a fitting vibe for such a genre-melding record. 8.0
Awesome guitar
It's hard rating guitar pioneers. While some riffs sound dated that's only because at one time they were novel. All that said I honestly don't think Santana is that great a guitar player. Definitely deserves a place in history and is valuable as a trail blazer but there are better displays of instrumentality around.
Great instrumental work, but have seen better jazzy-rock
this is an interesting album to get. i haven't heard very much santana yet but i know what they sound like, and i know carlos has played with john mclaughlin and gang. my expectations for this are relatively high, from both the things i've heard about them and the cool ass cover that looks unsettlingly like Live-Evil. also i think my parents have it on vinyl, like The Wall. TRACK BY TRACK 1 SINGING WINDS, CRYING BEASTS. wow this is chill. i was coming into this expecting to be punched in the face with an overblown guitar solo but this is chill. rhythmic but not as rhythmic as i expected. i really like this, every instrument is doing great at its job. the keys are very cool and so is the wailing guitar that comes in every now and then. 9/10 2 BLACK MAGIC WOMAN / GYPSY QUEEN. this is smoooth. not like that one song though. as was expected the guitar is magnificent and the rhythm is so enticing. the switch up around the 3:40 mark just caught me off guard. oh yeah this is fantastic. 10/10 3 OYE COMO VA. pretty cool. spotify has this as the most popular song on the album which surprises me because it isn't as fantastic as the last album, not that it needs to be. chill salsa with a great guitar. actually this is growing on me the more i listen to it. i should really learn to write these after the song. 9/10 4 INCIDENT AT NESHABUR. it's hard to write about songs like this but this is just fantastic. purely masterful instrumentation, just what i wanted from this album. every instrument sounds incredible and they play together so well. 10/10 5 SE A CABO. exactly what i said for the last track. just masterful instrumentation, straight up jazz fusion a groovy latin foundation. you can't not bang your head just a little. 9/10 6 MOTHER'S DAUGHTER. the vocals aren't really in the way but this would be a cool instrumental album. actually no the vocals are pretty annoying. other than that this track is yet again fantastic. reminds me of a jazzier electric ladyland. if i get past the vocals this could be my favourite track on the album so far. 10/10 7 SAMBA PA TI. smooth and warm sounding, this one is slower than the other tracks. the sound of the organ is so nice i wish it was at the forefront a bit more. great guitar as always. 8/10 8 HOPE YOU'RE FEELING BETTER. by far the heaviest song on the album, and it kicks ass. it's funny that my first two albums on this website both make me sound like a cringy guitar thirsty teenager but that's exactly where this puts me. crazy good guitar. 9/10 9 EL NICOYA. conga outro, not much to say really. it's a minute and a half long. closes the album well i suppose. 6/10 overall an incredibly cool album, with some of the best instrumentation in its genre. very unique for its time too i would argue; not too detached from what john mclaughlin was doing but with a heavier latin influence that set santana apart. i could absolutely see myself returning to this, i imagine it's a great album to just put on and enjoy. overall a 9/10, very pleased with it. damn i can only rate it 4/5
Overall: 7/10 The guitar work is obviously great but I want to give a shout out to the rhythm section, those guys killed it! I respect this kind of latin music and there were a few tracks here that I liked but this generally isn't the type of stuff I listen to. If anything, I just kept thinking about the film A Serious Man instead which was really distracting lol pretty enjoyable overall though, I may listen to this a bit more in the future. Fav Song: Mother's Daughter Least Fav Song: Incident at Neshabur
Santana is one of my favorite bands from olden times, and this was one their most popular albums. It’s just good enough to bump it from 3.5 up to 4 stars. If it had been a greatest hits album then five stars for sure. Seems like this list of 1001 is excluding all greatest hits albums though.
Veldig ålreit
Went into this wary of another instrumental album, but was pleasantly surprised by the early psych rock sound. Very easy to listen and relax to
Too short
What a great, non-stop groove. You just forget how strong the whole band is. Such an enjoyable listen.
Klassisk Santana, behaglig å høre på med et par kjente hits (bla. Black Magic Woman av Fleetwood Mac) Har mer lyttetid med albumet som kom etter dette (Santana III, også min favorittskive av samme artist) men helt klart et bra gjennomført Santana-album.
Great musical talent but not my thing.
Good mix of Latin grooves and great guitar playing. “Oye Como Va” is a great song. 3.5/5 Would listen again
Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va are exceptional. The other tracks are good. A solid 4 overall
This is lively and timeless. I love the sparse vocals, the organ, the guitar work, and the congas. I just think it’s strange that Carlos won’t tell us what the incident at Neshabur was 🤨 Standout track is: “Oye Como Va”
Really enjoyed the album. Santana’s guitar work is amazing. The three on the album for my favorite.
Really not what I was expecting, so a welcome surprise. An eclectic collection of songs with a definite hint of Pink Floyd, the Doors, and even Black Sabbath! Slightly let down by the 70s jazz lounge style, but a great effort.
What a cool little album; perfectly hits that sweet spot you never knew you needed of Latin rhythms and 70s rock. Really nice variety throughout of more guitar, rhythm, or unexpectedly a bit of Hammond organ led songs. Loved the penultimate track, ‘Hope you’re feeling better’; indeed I am, thanks Carlos .
4.5
Love a world-music, drum-led, electric-guitar-enhanced album! Although, of course, it gets formulaic, and shall I say, boring if you're not in the right frame of mind. But I can totally see myself trying to place myself in that frame of mind to bliss out to this album!
good
Groovy, psychedelic, magical.
Great guitarist, great songs. Definitely made a mark on music history.
A classic, recorded a few months after this bands' thrilling Woodstock set featuring their teenage drummer in all his glory. It also gives you a sense of the power of interpretation to consider that Black Magic Woman was originally a Fleetwood Mac tune.
I enjoyed the instrumental songs. Always like oye como va and black magic woman.
It's so interesting how the generation that was all about free love, protesting intolerance, segregation, and injustices, and who sometimes won't shut up about how great they are is still also the generation that today is sometimes intolerant of the queer community. Carlos Santana said some offensive things about trans people a couple years ago at a concert. It got some attention, and he apologized. But still, boomers are gonna do boomer things. It's like Harvey Dent said, "You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain." But I digress. I'll review this not for the artist, but for the art. Moving on. You know I didn't realize for the longest time that the name "Santana" refers to the band, not the artist. The dude was so exceptionally good at playing guitar that his band was just his last name. I guarantee you most people could not name another member of the band, and instead thought he just chose to go by his last name. He lives up to this though. He's become one of the all time iconic guitarists. This was the band's second outing, and they definitely did not suffer from the dreaded sophomore slump. This has two absolute classics on it in "Black Magic Woman" and "Oye Como Va." The rest are great as well, combining excellent guitar work, with an energetic and infectious rhythm section and good vocals. The vocals are just good because, let's face it, being the singer in a band named after the guitarist is a thankless job. Nobody is here for you and only notices you when you either fuck up or do something exceptional. But you aren't going to do anything to outshine the guitarist, soooo..... This was a fun album. A mix of rock, jazz, latin music, all with the flair of a guitarist that had few equals. Four stars. Standout Tracks: Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen, Oye Como Va, Incident at Neshabur, Se a Cabo, Hope You're Feeling Better, El Nicoya
I actually enjoyed this a lot for what it was. I do prefer songs with vocalists but I did find myself tapping my fingers to some of these songs
prime dad rock (if your dad was smoking weed)
A good album, I liked Singing Winds, Crying Beasts and Black Magic Woman.
Excelente!!!
You have to love Santana as a genre-setting virtuoso-laden standard bearer. 4 very easy stars.
tá maluco meti esse sob efeito do produto obra de arte
"Santana, acabei com ela. AI!" Um blues jazz com um samba ? É isso mesmo ? As congas ou bongos, num sei o nome ao certo do instrumento, é bizarramente bom.
Yas Mexican psychedelic
GÁBOR SZABÓ MENTIONED
Breathtaking guitar playing and such unique way of blending Latin infused music with rock.
My only points of reference for Santana is 1999' "Smooth (ft Rob Thomas)", "Black Magic Woman", and "Oye Como Va", both of the latter two are on this album. Much, much better than I expected. Santana's blend of Latin and psychedelic styles are a breath of fresh air compares to a lot of his contemporaries. Especially when he incorporates jazzy styles, which he often does!
Yeahhh babyyy
Incredible listen from start to finish. "Black Magic Woman" has held a special place in my heart ever since I was first introduced to it while playing Guitar Hero 3 waaay back in the day... the closing jam "Gypsy Queen" elevates the whole song from simply 'pretty good' to f*cking outstanding. "Oye Como Va" is undisputedly one of the most well known and revered latin rock songs of the 20th century. Has a timeless feel to it - easily one of Santana's best.
🎧Cool as hell & chill as f**k
noice
Incredible music
Great album
Santana at its peak. Latin rock doesn't get more exciting than this
This album is incredibly catchy and the instrumental parts are insane. The varied and powerful percussions on it are the ultimate delight.
Why did I used to really dislike Santana? It feels like Latin Jazz Best Song: Black Magic Woman Rating: 7/10 Stars: 4/5
Awesome.
Great 70’s Santana. The kind of record you can put on and just chill. Not a bad track, just great guitar, jams, and grooves. Awesome stuff.
When you say Carlos Santana, what comes to my mind is few 2000s pop hits he had, like Smooth with Rob Thomas. Quite boring and unimpressive affairs. But it seems Santana had a different art life before - great Woodstock concert and Abraxas album soon after. Carlos really is a talented guitarist with a knack for good songwriting as well. Really good album, I'm a new fan of old Santana, it seems.
Not sure if nostalgia bump from listening to my parents albums when young. I find it quite amazing the guitar can be so overwhelmingly prominent to this degree. Blended styles. I would not generally listen these days but still enjoy it.
Very solid, obviously great guitar on this
Not much else to say except Santana rocks. I love the style of Carlos Santana and this album was great
Nice mix and vibes. Oehh that delay thing was nice. The pacing and crispness of everything is super nice while still being smooth, contrasted by tight percussion, morphing into something more energetic. It sounds like every song is ment to convey a certain emotion or/and tell a story. hahaha the percussion is fantastic!
Wat een verfrissend geluid zeg, heb al eerder een album geluisterd van deze legende maar dit is er ook wel eentje hoor
Short and sweet.
Never heard of Santana before and was impressed with the style and instrumentals
Short, sweet and full of most excellent guitar playing.
only familiar w/Santana singles. this was a great, chill listen. love the latin influences
Love the sound of this so much.
Didn't have time to properly review this one but I really enjoyed it. Each song provided a lot of interest for me and they varied enough that I found them all quite fresh. I liked the Latin American (?) influences.
Chill and great to listen to.
Actually pretty solid album. I hadn't listened to this in awhile because I've moved away from classic rock but actually it's a good album
Classic album
makes me want to groove! good lyrics, funky guitar and bass lines, great song ideas. really enjoyed "hope you're feeling good". I really like it!!
This is #day204 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... how about a record from 55 years ago? As I write this, it's the last day of winter 2025 in my hometown, Lviv, with a temperature of +3°C and drizzling outside. I was initially skeptical when I saw the name Santana and the genre Latin rock, among others. I figured it would be a solid 3 at best. But after giving it a listen... wow! This album turned out to be incredibly fun. Of course, I recognized "Black Magic Woman" (though I didn't know it was a cover) and "Oye Como Va," but there's so much more to explore here, from jazz fusion to psychedelic rock and beyond. The guitar work and Latin American and African rhythms are out of this world. I honestly think this is one of those albums you must hear before you die. A very pleasant surprise. This is a 4 out of 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day205.
February 28, 2025 (T-28) Technically not the first time I'm seeing him on this list, as I know Carlos played on the John Lee Hooker one, but getting a bona fide Santana album this late in the process is shocking. Definitely deserves a spot on this list. I've heard both "Oye Como Va" and "Black Magic Woman" plenty of times (the latter plenty and plenty of times); the rest of the album is loosey-goosey and jammy, but doesn't get tiresome over 40 minutes
This was solid. Listened to it three times through!
There were a few songs on this I loved, but aside from those it felt more like background music - great guitar parts but not a whole lot else I found interesting. Favorite songs were: Black Magic Woman - Smooth with a vibe that fits the vocals well Oye Como Va - reminds me of GTA Vice City Hope You're feeling better - rockier sound with great percussion 7/10
I was grooving, I generally like more lyrics but cool album. Album cover/tits: A+
Solid groovy album, this is what virtuoso playing should be instead of unfounded wankery. Rating: 4.0
Some classics here and easy listening. The rhythms are catchy.
I knew the singles of course, I didn’t expect Santana to be so jazzy! What a wonderful album, had a great time with it.
Interersant album. Un swing foarte bun Versurile bune ritmuri hispanice complimentate de rock 4/5
Hadn’t heard the whole record before. Guitar tone and playing is wonderful. Outside of the hits not much in the way lf songwriting though.
I quite enjoyed this. An uncommon mix of smooth enough to listen to in the background while I worked, but upbeat enough to groove to in the car on the way home. I also do love a Latin groove. Close to a 4, but I'll settle for a strong 3.9.
Actual heat incredible
Dude...this album? Oh my god. I see why Action Bronson raps about Santana on a consistent basis. "Samba Pa Ti" and "Oye Como Va" are two certified slappers. Love it.
Delicious grooves that dance throughout the brainwaves!! From the subtle introduction with SUBTLE WINDS, CRYING BEASTS melting into BLACK MAGIC WOMEN/GYPSY QUEEN. The frenzied INCIDENT AT NESHABUR and SE A CABO are obvious crowd pleasing jamz!!
I am a santana enjoyer
Revived my middle school obsession with santana
I can appreciate guitar playing that doesn’t make me miss a vocal line because it’s so smoooooooooth
Incredible guitar playing and great hits
Latin psychedelic
Yayyy Mexican music.
Great vibes. I only listened to this once, but honestly Oye Come Va is good enough for the whole album to be a 4.
While not every song landed for me, the overall vibe and uniqueness on this squeaks it into a 4 star rating.
Super nice flow in this classic album.
01) Singing Winds, Crying Beasts - 7,5 02) Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen - 10,0 03) Oye Como Va - 10,0 04) Incident at Neshabur - 8,0 05) Se a Cabó - 8,5 06) Mother's Daughter - 8,0 07) Samba Pa Ti - 10,0 08) Hope You're Feeling Better - 9,5 09) El Nicoya - 8,5 TOTAL: 8,89 (89/100) Current ranking: 55/458
My familiarity with Santana is pretty much limited to 'Smooth' and a bit of a reputation as middle class dinner party music. And whilst, yes this album features that song from the M&S food ads (Samba Pa Ti), Abraxas surprised me by being closer to hard rock than I expected. Overall I thought this was a pretty good time. A decent variety across the tracks and some really groovy numbers.
Groovy and smooth! Santana has a way of making his guitar feel like it’s talking. It’s got an awesome Latin hypnotic pull to it. Playlist Additions: - Black Magic Woman - Oye Como Va - Samba Pa Ti
Easy to listen to with some great tracks. Will continue to listen to Santana from time to time.
Pretty good - latin psychedelic rock/jazz fusion leaning towards prog, and probably an inspiration for bands like Zeta. The album had a good mix of styles too, from very jazzy guitar/piano solos (Black Magic Woman), to more tropical or beachy music (Oye Como Va), to songs I could see in some older videogames (Se a Cabo), and more traditional 70s rock (Hope You're Feeling Better)
Huevos Grande!!! I am not a fan of 'Jam Bands', but Carlos and crew could take half an hour for each song and I would still be here for it.
Groovy good fun
In the middle of the second song i leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes and listened through the entire album. Its perfect relaxation music. Not much more to say other than this is one album I vill have to remember and come back to when the mood kicks in.
Favourite songs: Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen, Mother's Daughter, Hope You're Feeling Better, Oy Como Va, Se a Cabo Least favourite songs: Incident at Neshabur 4/5
I always expect more guitar on Santana albums and then I remember he was really more a a band leader. Still, he shreds in his own unique way. Dude created a sound. How do you not give him credit for that?
I didn't really know Santana (I don't think they have ever been as big in the UK as they have been in the US). But this is great. Hard to fault it really. Maybe it's a low 5/high 4 as for all the musical quality and high-intensity rhythms, my *emotional* bond with it isn't that strong. Top tracks: Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen Samba Pa Ti