Abraxas

Enjoyable soulfoul music. Focused on guitar, but there is more to it than that.

Masterclass is guitar, Really fun Album

Great musicianship but got bored…

So cool, so chill, so hypnotic. These guys are so great.

Good. Probably worth another listen

Great guitars, cool atmosphere. Incident at Neshabur is transcendental. I might have to smoke a blunt and give this another go. 6/10

Classic

First track was a real snooze. Black Magic Woman is the hit here I guess, but it’s pretty noodley. Oye Como Va has a good groove but gets repetitive quick. Incident at Neshabur is actually cool, is this a jazz album? Mother’s Daughter is sort of typical 70s fare. Samba Pa Ti has such potential but the guitar and organ tone is grating. This is fine with a few enjoyable moments but overall just isn’t my thing.

Good song list! Loved the sounds of the first track vis a vis the title of the track. Might not flock back to this one but there was a lot I enjoyed and little that I disliked.

Yeah I'm not really feeling this one for some reason.

Well-deserved addition to this list!

What a grand band. This was crafted like a live set but produced beautifully in the studio. I will return and listen to more Santana. Great album!

Santana has some great songs and is a cultural staple...I've never met a Santana fan in my life. Not a statement about this album. Merely an observation. I actually really enjoyed sections of this. I used it as cleaning music. It worked pretty well for that purpose.

Overall I enjoyed, but there was nothing extremely memorable about the album itself, the cover art is beautiful though!

A smooth easy, motivational listen

Very enjoyable largely instrumental album. Santana is a maestro on the guitar and these compositions are a blast to listen to.

While I didn't have much in the way of expectations for this, I didn't expect to like it. Although I also described it to someone else as "enjoyable background music," so maybe that's not terribly positive. But the chill vibes do settle into a comfortable place, and Santana's playing never feels wanky. It matches the song, and I appreciate his restraint when he could undoubtedly shred. An unexpected pleasure.

Generally I'm highly suspect of bands named after the guitar player (or anyone besides the singer) unless you're Van Halen which gets a pass because: 1) Eddie Van Halen is basically the greatest guitar player ever; 2) 1/2 of the band had the last name Van Halen; and 3) it's just a sick name for a band. So I've never been really been sure what to do with the Santanas of the world and I of course lived through the Supernatural era and indeed worked in a record store in 1999-2000 where that was the only consistent seller that year besides Enimem's second album, and it was weird how much Rob Thomas was involved with that. Anyway, this was absolutely great and I need to relax and go with the Santana flow.

The free flow of the songs is truly genius. The closest to Latin Jazz? Not sure about that but the musicians playing off each other is a trademark of Santana and a must listen to anyone who says they listen to all types of music.

26/1001 First listen. It’s got The Doors sound right off the hop. I’ve heard Black magic woman and Oyo como va countless times of course . Samba pa ti was the stand out for me. 5/10

A landmark for a near perfect fusion blending Latin jazz, psychedelic, blues, and polyrhythmic rock seamlessly. I love how some songs slow down the energy bringing a smoother, ballad like atmospheric feel that contrasts beautifully with the energetic fiery instrumental sections. The polyrhythms give it a slight progressive feel, which I really love. The guitar work and overall instrumentation are wonderful, they showcase great use of dynamic range and precision throughout the album. I love how the Latin percussion like the congas, timbales, bongos add depth and culture to the sound, while Santana’s guitar flows freely through it all. The addition of the organ and piano tie everything together. As a whole creating a sound that feels spiritual and bursting with energy. Overall, the fact that I enjoyed a 40 minute of an almost fully instrumental album speaks for itself! This album has the perfect balance between groove and melody. The artwork fits the music perfectly too, abstract, vibrant, full of motion, pieces all over the place just like the songs themselves. I already knew Black Magic Women/Gypsy Queen, however I really enjoyed Singing Winds, Crying Beasts, Oye Como Va, Incident at Neshabur, Se a Cabo, Mother's Daughter and Hope you're Feeling Better.

groove. guitar. cool.

81/100.

A veritable mixed bag of a record. Some great stuff - mostly for me the heavier stuff on the second half like Mother’s Daughter and Hope You’re Feeling Better, but also some cheesy bits and a lot where it’s too smooth for its own good. Definitely stuff to revisit though

Amazing album, I was grooving the whole way through. I seriously need to listen to more Santana

Meh. Good musicians. Too much noodling.

Santana's "Abraxas" is a classic album that I regrettably overlooked for years, my loss entirely! This album is superbly written, arranged, and performed, featuring an excellent mix that marries Latin rhythms with Rock and Jazz. The guitar work and overall instrumentation are wonderful, showcasing a superb use of dynamics throughout. This dynamic range is crucial, especially given that five of the nine tracks are instrumentals, yet the album maintains excellent melodies and a cohesive flow. A near-perfect blend of rock, blues, and Latin jazz. A wonderful listen (5/5). Side one 1 "Singing Winds, Crying Beasts" (Instrumental) (4/5) 2 "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" (5/5) 3 "Oye Cómo Va" (5/5) 4 "Incident at Neshabur" (Instrumental) (5/5) Side two 1 "Se a Cabó" (Instrumental) (4/5) 2 "Mother's Daughter" (5/5) 3 "Samba Pa Ti" (Instrumental) (5/5) 4 "Hope You're Feeling Better" (5/5) 5 "El Nicoya" (Instrumental) (5/5) Total - 42 Average - 4.67 154/1001 84/154 albums reviewed were new to me.

Black Magic Woman is a song that is so seared into my brain from childhood that I couldn't NOT enjoy this album. Obsessed with how all the songs lead into one another. Obsessed with the horns and the piano and everything. Sexy, smooth, just extremely wonderful overall!

Latin Rock with Jazz Fusion influence. Really big Jazz and Blues influence. It’s incredibly good. I like it. I enjoy it. Feeling like I’m in Mexico or Colombia right now. Listened to it almost twice. Solid 3/5 —————————————— Liked: — Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen — Oye Como Va

Pretty good, not as good as what I originally thought. However a nice mix of latin rock, psychedelic tendencies, jazz fusion and blues. Will listen again. low 3.5

Loved this album. It was so smooth and interesting

Loved it.

Classic and still quite an ass kicker

Više je neoporecivo vješto odsvirano nego što je nešto naročito prijatno za slušati, nije bilo potrebe da iko ovoliko cijedi gitaru ali eto.

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

Great dinner party music

【一句話（中文）】 《Abraxas》（1970）超前到離譜—放到今天聽依然合拍、好聽；一想到它是 1970 年發行，真的被震撼到。 【這是什麼類型（中文）】 類型：拉丁搖滾（Latin Rock）× 藍調／迷幻色彩（Blues/Psychedelic），帶強烈打擊與循環感的節奏。 預期：大量康加鼓、丁巴列、搖鈴等拉丁打擊，律動先行、可長時間 groove，電吉他與鍵盤做層次。 不是：電子舞曲或四拍落地的 house／EDM（節奏像舞曲，但是真人樂手與類比音色）。 建議試聽：〈Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen〉、〈Oye Como Va〉、〈Samba Pa Ti〉。 【One-liner (EN)】 “Abraxas” (1970) feels shockingly ahead of its time—still stylish and highly listenable today; considering the release year, it’s genuinely mind-blowing. 【What it is (EN)】 Style: Latin rock with blues/psychedelic hues, built on hand percussion and cyclical, dance-leaning grooves. Expect: congas, timbales, shakers driving the rhythm; guitar/keys layering on top—live band energy, not electronic beats. Not: house/EDM or strict four-on-the-floor; it only *feels* club-friendly because of the relentless groove. Starter cuts: “Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen,” “Oye Como Va,” “Samba Pa Ti.”

So good

Santana delivers a classic album with screaming guitars and timeless vocals

Iconic guitar sound and playing. 3 classic tracks and I enjoyed the rest (even the instrumentals!).

Solid album that I could listen fully any day. Didn’t know that some songs were that old.

Background restaurant music at best. Like a particularly aggressive form of food poisoning I would not wish this on anybody. Trendy music with absolutely no bite to it at all.

Überraschend unterhaltsam. Das hat Spaß gemacht an einem ruhigen Samstagmorgen.

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

Ist schon ein one trick pony, aber die Songs machen Spaß. Mir fehlt aber ein Banger in Richtung "Soul Sacrifice" vom Debüt.

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

Nie auf Länge ein Album gehört. Hat sich nicht vollends qualifiziert dies nochmal aus eigenen Stücken nachzuholen, aber irgendwie ist der Sound doch ein Stück weit im Ohr geblieben.

Grundsolide Gitarrenmusik

Cooles Album, nicht zu 100% meins, aber die Qualität kann man nicht absprechen.

Das ist ein Meisterwerk. Punkt.

Cover alone is a 5.

Samba Pa Ti

Lovely record. Carlos Santana is one of my favorites guitarists, and the percussion on this album is fantastic.

Groovy, funky, upbeat/energetic, cool. Very enjoyable.

*Great mix of jazz, rock, and other influences *The guitar work is top notch

A fantastic display of Latin music and atmospheric rock

3.5

This was cool, what a great vibe

I really like this album. Bluesy proggy rock but with a Latin twist. Great cover of Black Magic Woman and I really like Oye Como Va and Samba Pa Ti.

Dope

It opens like a jazz ensemble warming up and then seamlessly merges into the monster hit, "Black Magic Woman", which has always, I guess, been a jam song and THAT song crashes into Gypsy Queen and I want to be at the Hayden Planeterium for the Abraxas Experience. It does get a bit samey-same after a while but just as I wrote this, the vocals on Mother's Daughter came in to save us. To be honest, the Santana-penned tunes are the least interesting.

eh, its okay

- ikinä en oo santanaa kuunnellu, kiva päästä kuunteleen! - ja heti pääsee pyörtämään sanansa, en välttämättä ole kuunnellut santanaa mutta olen kuullut santanaa (oye como va = bängeri) - on hyvää kikkailua, kitaralla ja muillakin soittimilla - hope u feeling better kuulostaa ihan heviklassikkolta - iha hyvä albumi voisin kuunnella uudestaanki

Album No. 0044 on my list. "Abraxas" by Santana was an interesting listen. I indeed knew some of the songs of the album before. "Black Magic Woman" is a timeless classic and my favorite track of "Abraxas". "Samba Pa Ti" - known before as well, but still not a big fan. In general, the whole album is very cool and groovy, but sometimes the songs lack some dynamic. Yet, there is some excellent guitar work on this (even better for example than on "Layla" by Derek and the Dominoes, which I recently reviewed). Beyond "Black Magic Woman", "Incident at Nashabur", and "Hope You're Feeling Better" were my favorites. 4/5 stars!

Great guitar work, strong songwriting, and catchy melodies.

An instrumental experience of the fusion between club jazz, bossa nova, and hard rock guitar. The occasional lyrical section is more of an additional instrument to add to the melody of it all. This is music to smoke and think to.

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

5 - MEDIUM

Perhaps most well known for Smooth, which is a song that people who actually lived through the '90s seem to hate: Santana is a guitar God, and Abraxas erases any doubt of that. Here, we have a particularly exciting fusion of Latin rock and jazzy psychedelia. I'm honestly most into the more abstract cuts here: Singing Winds/Crying Beasts, Incident At Neshabur, Se A Cabo, Black Magic Woman, and to an extent, Mother's Daughter. These songs all showcase Santana's ingenius, atmospheric and tastefully restrained guitar playing. I would also like to make note of the spectacular percussion across these songs, which I think is consistently underrated. Of these songs, the atmosphere on Singing Winds... is incredible and kicks things of right. Black Magic Woman is an inspired cover of a Fleetwood Mac song, and Santana really emphasizes the spacey, mystical qualities of the original composition. Incident... is the album's jazziest moment, and Se A Cabo may be the single best rhythm performance on the whole album, sounding precise and dizzying. In a very different way, I also love Oye Como Va, which is an incredibly fun song, it makes me want to get up and groove. Out of what's left, El Nicoya is brief, but very good. And I like Samba Pa Ti, and Hope You're Feeling Better, but I've not decided how much I like them compared to the rest of the album. That being said, the whole package here is awesome, this is some incredibly unique rock from a very talented group of musicians. Also, the album art here is among the best, *ever*, just take it all in, holy shit.

Pretty music, all elegant and well played, but feels like something is missing. Seems to me it would benefit from more excitement, more passion, more life. It fails to really pull me in.

To echo someone else in the comments, I saw this and groaned expecting wanky traditional rock riffs, and while there was an element of that, it was beautifully balanced with some weeping guitars. There was a lovely mix of different forms of percussions instruments and the latin influence. Samba Pa Ti was my standout track. I actually really enjoyed listening to that. It did not make me want to go and find ore or want to listen to it again, but what it did do is change my perception of Santana. For that reason it is getting high 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars

This is an astonished rich piece of work, combining latin rhythms with blisteringly good rock lead guitar. I was amazed to discover today that Carlos Santana was only 22 when this was recorded. The highlight for me is a cheeky cover of Oye Como Va by the legendary Tito Puente. The only thing that drags this down is the horribly sexist origin of the album title and the associated artwork on the cover.

7/10

Gostei

Pleasant album. The vocals sounded a bit odd to me, but generally I really liked the instrumentation.

Instrumental guitar music is rarely for me, and this is no exception. The vocal-led tracks are great and I enjoy some of the noodling, but it’s not one I would return to.

Carlos! c

I didn’t know much about Santana before this listen (he started in San Francisco - I didn’t know!). To my surprise, this album made me feel a bit of his experience. While I’ve heard his music many times - who hasn’t? - but giving this album a full intentional listen was different. He took a pretty bold and unforgettable approach - fusing genres and sounds with some pretty effortless swagger. And the amount of instrumentation alone is incredible: stellar percussion (those chimes), layered keyboard and piano, epic drumming, confident guitar and bass, and some magical cowbells too (for flavor). It must have felt electric to live thought that era - the music capturing a sense of trippy, jazzy, universal energy that’s utterly unique. This record is a reminder that some musical moments can never be repeated.

My parents had this record on vinyl and as a kid I listened to it when I was like 11 years old. Why? Well, because the cover art had a beautiful dark-skinned lady on the cover with her titties out and some crazy tattooed red faerie chick con tetas afuera también with a conga jammed into her choncha dropping some magic psychedelic blessings all over the place. That's why. I remember being frustrated by the white dove placement even then. What I naturally didn't know at the time was that this was such an important album. Huge props to these guys for forging a path ahead bringing in the acid-drenched psychedelic rock of the 60s and melding it with Latin sounds. "Black Magic Woman" is obviously a standout here. But, did you know? It also had a really shitty straight-to-video erotic thriller starring Mark Hammill named after it. It's a little on the nose that this song featured pretty prominently in the soundtrack for this craptastic film. Thanks, 1991 Cinemax. Otherwise, it's a pretty solid track, even if originally penned by the Shittiest Band Whose Name Will Not Even Be Uttered Here. There are covers that eclipse the original, and I will plant my funky flag by Santana's rendition as the standard because again, fuck Fleetwood Mac forever. "Oye Como Va" of course also is another classic, and not just because of it being an integral part of lowrider culture, but that doesn't hurt either. Shit is funky. The whole thing sounds like we're peering through the gaps in a fence, gazing at a colorful and ecstatic Santería ritual on a very humid day. The song structures swell and quiet down with authentic and well-rehearsed collaboration between a very capable band. They are bringing a lot of different influences and styles to bear and throwing them into one big steamy spiritual pot of soup. Even though this kinda stuff isn't totally my bag, I think this recipe really works, primarily due to the complex songwriting and overwhelming virtuosity of the players. These are pretty heavy cats. I can see why this record was included in this book. IT was no fucking doubt flipping people's wigs back when it first dropped. Regarding the cover art: see the first paragraph. But also, from a fundamental design POV, we cannot read the type, at all. The artist and title are swallowed completely by the trippy ass painting of fantastical realms where you can take your shirt off freely. But that's actually fine, it seems like it is really supposed to be that way. I mean, you know it's Santana's "Abraxas" simply by the mystical titties and such all over it. What more do you need?

High points were oye como va and black magic woman but that's due in part to nostalgia. When listening to the rest of the songs on the album I flipped from enjoyment to restlessness. I couldn't find myself matching the pace of a few of the songs and it did dampen the listening experience. Probably won't revisit- not my favorite Santana work

No one sounds like Santana. I always think of his story at Woodstock, where he hallucinated the headstock of his guitar as a snake which he had to fight off. This actually reflects his playing style pretty well-- it's like a wild animal he is constantly trying to tame and control, and sometimes the guitar bites and screams before he can bring it back. This album is perhaps their best as a full band concept too, a sweeping epic of Latin soundscapes, from the gentle opening of "Singing Winds, Crying Beasts", to the bluesy twists of "Black Magic Woman", to the danceable grooves of "Oye Como Va", to the anger and grit of "Se a Cabo", to the melodic masterpiece "Samba Pa Ti". I don't think any track is skippable here. It's one of my favorite albums alongside their debut, which is arguably even better.

First take by this album cover. No thank you. Now I’ll listen a bit. Nah, thought it would be worse but still wasn’t a fan at all

Not for me

Bravo Carlos

Very pleasant to listen to, but the bar has been set high in the past couple of days when it comes to Latin albums.. Tracks with heavier Jazz influence like Incident at Neshabur were very cool. The classic Santana sound of a guitar mimicking vocals on the staple tracks like Oye Como Va and Samba Pa Ti was still a delight to listen to as well.

Enjoyable jams with unique latin twists and guitar wails

Absolute vibes and vibing

A masterful mix of genres that doesnt sound forced or a hokey mashup. And the genres stamd on their own but blend so well. Beautiful.

Mais um que não sei se entendi

Some great rhythms, and nice guitar work. But cannot be forgiven for murdering Black Magic Woman.

I blasted ""Oye Cómo Va" at a MAGA crowd protesting illegal immigrants in Jupiter, FL in 2016. I figured they'd love that track despite their hatred of Hispanic people.

Cool album, curachas and guitar galore!!

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

Enjoyed this, vibey

Very Latin, Very Californian. Was interesting to hear the original version of a lot of these songs and how Santana changes them even if marginally. Loved the big 3 or 4 and what a fantastic opener. I think the weaker spots are when the album goes a more generic hard rock route on tracks like Hope You’re feeling better but even then still commendable.

Psychedelic rock. Latin roots. Easy listening. Artistic.

Such an amazing guitar player.

Some good tunes on here

Already knew Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va. Lots of funky guitar solos.

5 stars, just because there aren't 6.

Guitar pr0n

I found it difficult to separate this record from teenage memories, namely, a feeling of ironic kitsch a la 70s songs on Tarantino soundtracks. I feel confident in presuming that a great deal of the band was high all through these sessions, particularly the vocalist, with his lazy yawning intonations and long-hanging sibilants. My choir director would throw me out of the room for that shit. Be that as it may, it’s a classic sound and a good 30 years before Santana collaborated with Rob Thomas.

A cool blend of songs that are timeless and songs that are very rooted in the late 60s/early 70s. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would.

If an album could be described as delicious, this would be it

An enjoyable album that feels a bit musically repetitive at times, probably by design, which is cool but also made parts of the album a bit redundant as I was listening to each time. I went with "Se a Cabo" and "Mother's Daughter" for the playlist. Thought the two tracks capture the general vibes of the whole album well.

From the first track to the last, this album did a great job of setting and maintaining a distinct atmosphere. I don't think it was something I'll be putting in heavy rotation, but I can't quite place what it is. The vibe of the album definitely has something to do with it, though. It felt like a dark fusion of Latin grooves, psychedelia, and some really solid rock. I've never been too keen on the singles from this album, but this is an album that is meant to be listened to front to back. The instrumental tracks, particularly the opener, were excellent. I have always heard Santana referenced in terms of the guitar, and Carlos Santana clearly knows what he's doing with the instrument. However, I thought the drumwork was most distinctive on this album, and is probably the reason I would come back to it. There was a lot of very intricate hand drum rhythms, and it felt like drum "riffs" rather than guitar riffs were the driving force behind a lot of the songs. Ultimately, I don't think this is the best album for me, but there's a lot to like here.

Tasteful playing with soul and energy to spare. Glad this album made it instead of Supernatural. Solid choice.

Chill 3.5

OK

105/1001 :: Santana - Abraxas Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ➖ Rating: 6 Listen before you die: Yes Fav Songs: Black Magic Woman, Oye Como Va Couple things surprised me about this record. 1st was how many songs I knew having never heard the whole thing. 2nd was how enjoyable it was. In fact, now Oye Como Va has been stuck in my head all day. Latin Soul infused with psychedelic rock by a guitar virtuoso can be cool at times. That said, this album (as I expected) was a little too jammy for me. It was a total vibe and I could see why people would love this but other than a song or 2 this is not something I would normally spend my time with and that didn’t change after a hearty listen.

I inherited this album from my eldest brother. Quite why he had it I don’t know because he was heavily into traditional jazz and classical music. He’s no longer with us so it will always remain a mystery. With all the love in the world to my brother it was never a record I truly cherished. There is one caveat to this. The guitar so.o at the end of Black Magic Women is absolutely sublime and worth the admission money on its own. A solo I never tire of and which highlights what an exceptional and talented guitarist Carlos was. Also in fairness having listened to it today I can hear a lot which I previously ignored so well worth putting on my permanent rotation. 4/5 11/10/25

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

Immersive and psychedelic. I love the fusion of jazz and blues in this, and how Pop is incorporated to keep it fresh and snappy.

I’ve heard Santa playing most of my life. I’ve always liked what I heard, but for whatever reason I have yet to sit down and really explore their music. I’d long associated Santana’s music as a mix of Latin and rock, which it is. What I didn’t realize is how psychedelic the band can be. Another thing that I have appreciated about Santana, although perhaps not enough, was his brilliant guitar work. There are some absolutely masterful riffs sprinkled throughout these tunes. It is hard to believe that it took me 55 years to get here, but I will absolutely be taking a deeper dive into Santana’s discography.

Guitar work was tasteful and impressive and I was blown away by the percussion section. It felt like a jazz album of rock with a Latin feel.

Cool af

Favorite Songs: Black Magic Women, Oye Como Va This was a quick album, a nice background album to listen too. Kinda crazy it’s from 1970.

Great listen.

Smooth, soulful Spanish guitar with beautiful lyrics.

I'm a sucker for some good guitar. Carlos delivers good guitar. 4

бля я хорошо кайфанул

Good album. Way more piano than I expected, but overall very enjoyable.

Before: I've heard the name Carlos Santana a ton, but I think the only song I'm really familiar with is black magic woman. After: Wow! Two amazing days in a row. This album is so incredibly smooth. This is the perfect mix of rock, jazz, and Latin music to me.

I love the variety in sounds in this record. The psych rock, the latin sound, and jazz. They're all kind of fused together in a really amazing way which is something I appreciate so much in music. I thoroughly enjoyed this record. Every musician killed it. The organ playing, the guitar playing, the piano playing, all interweaved. I loved the bongos throughout it all. I loved the polyrhythms as well which gave it a prog feel too. This record essentially had bits of a lot of my favorite parts of music.

This record is so rad. I love that in the late 60s and through the 70s everybody was just doing their own take on the blues. (I guess that's true of really all contemporary American music 🤔) The obvious fusion of Latin, Jazz, Blues is what makes this so palpable. Carlos' guitar is so dialed and his style is so recognizable. The drumming is super good, kind of the sneaky second best thing on the album. Its really easy to get lost in this album, because there is just so much going on that you kind of just lean into one or 2 things and ride with it. I had a blast with this one.

Rv

Fun, largely instrumental, seventies rock with Mexican guitar flair.

Incident at Neshabur

Honestly this album was fantastic. There wasn't many vocals in this album at all and it made the album blend all the tracks together because of that. I'll definitely listen to this album again and I finally understand why Santana is considered to be the best guitarist of all time.

#138/1001. All the Santana hits in one album? I didn't realize this was the case. I think I am only familiar eith couple other albums from some reason. But this rocks, the original superstar who brought Latin grooves to hippie consciousness and beyond. I'm also glad how the guitar master sometimes steps aside and let's the band shine.

Cool Latin vibes, Santana with some well placed blues licks and decent solos. I Like!

Oh well, plenty of noodeling. Samba Pa Ti of course being a great tune.

4/5

Great album.

Very good. Catchy songs

Альбом хорош и обложка хороша.

In my first listening, I ended up with very good impressions, but the more and more I listening to it, I think I like it a little less. First of all, this album is incredibly smooth and the elements of rock and latin blent very well one with each other, and makes this album a very unique and interesting experience. So, what is not to like about it? Not much really, I think I just was getting bored of it, or at least its second half, since the first one has the best moments and I don't think I ever got tired of them. There were times that I wondered if I should give it 4 stars, but after my lastest listenings, I decided to give it 3.

Overraskende godt. Meget jazz agtigt

Pissegroovy! En del bedre end jeg havde regnet med!

Black Magic Woman is an alltimer! Had a great time. Santana was a guitar wiz 🧙‍♂️

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

I don’t know how to judge an instrumental album.

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

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

(3.5) so groovy

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.

Ніколи не любив Сантану.

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!

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

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

That’s some quality guitar playing. 3/5

Alltime Classic

Smooth

I like this album. I've heard it a bunch in my childhood. I don't know if I'll ever listen to the whole album again, but some of the songs are stellar. 7/10

At least there’s no Rob Thomas on this album.

Not particularly my cup of tea, but classic Santana is classic for a reason. Worlds above the later collaborations that make me want to stab myself in the ear when they come on.

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.

It’s way too easy to forget how greats Santana is. What’s wrong with me?

This album is amazing! Just great from start to finish. No filler, all great.

Abraxas, I give myself to thee!

Santana is awesome - this album is a classic

not bad

Don't care. Santana smooth though

Good

Good

Awesome debut album

Literally listened to this in my dad's car growing up. Pure nostalgia.

oye como va cured my ear infection

this guy does drugs

Samba pa ti really buttered my biscuits

samba pa ti wow wow

Fun but still just background stuff.

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.

The percussion was on fire. It’s like a cousin to Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew in a way more than just same album cover artist.

I love a man of few words

It's alright. Favourite track: Mother's Daughter

some very good songs

Droning guitar elevator music…. Not my favorite.

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

Got nice vibes to get work done

Classic.

This was fun to listen to!

Enjoy the smooth jazz rock tunes like Black Magic Woman and Samba Pa Ti

4/5

A very enjoyable album, good to hear everything other than the obvious Samba Pa Ti and Black Magic Woman. Something I would listen to again.

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

Samba Pa Ti is very close to my heart in that it is the only song that is guaranteed to get me off my butt to dance with my wife. The rest of the album is just spectacular.

Early Santana. Raw but full of emotive guitar. Fantastic percussion.

Pretty funky music, an interesting blend of genres

One song I knew, but otherwise a good jam of rock and organs.

I’ve known Carlos Santana as the funny “Smooth by Santana feat. Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty” guy for so long (yes, I have the t-shirt) that I never even considered the possibility of him being a serious musician with critically-acclaimed albums. You could definitely say that Abraxas came as a surprise to me, not only because it’s somehow nearly 30 years older than Supernatural (an album which is pushing 30 itself), but because it’s legitimately good fusion/psychedelic rock that goes so far beyond the boundaries of the “guy plays catchy Latin guitar melodies with popular singer” music he’d later score so many radio hits with. That said, Abraxas is a bit all over the map stylistically. It’s all perfectly listenable, but I definitely see myself gravitating toward certain cuts ("Black Magic Woman" is the big one) than the project as a whole. It’s a textbook three star album for me! Highlights: Singing Winds Crying Beasts, Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen, Mother’s Daughter, Samba pa Ti

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

First day of Yoga

This is good. I'm not into overly guitar-y music, but this is very solid, and it did periodically excite me.

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

Good album, but don't think it's for me. Maybe would like it more in a different mood

I really like “Black Magic Woman” and “Oye Cómo Va.” Of course! The rest of the album (and especially Side 2?) isn’t nearly as absorbing.

Extremely Unique instrumentals from anything else in the list thus far and this album is incredible. We got Donkey Country level music beats in this thing.

Heeeeell yeahhhh that guitar.

Every song is interesting and well put together. The instrumentals are on point and the highlight. The vocals are great touch to the whole thing. That guitar made me feel something. I'm in love with this album. Favourite Song: Oye Como Va Honourable Mentions: Samba Pa Ti, Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen, Incident at Neshabur

very good and very interesting. mayhaps a 5 in the distant future

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

Good album, Santana's musicality is, of course, excellent. The album could have been better with some more lyrics throughout the songs. 3/5

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.

I had one Santana album growing up and it wasn’t this one. I liked that one a lot. This one is just as groovy.

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!

Didn’t do much for me honestly. It’s not bad, but it’s not great either.

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

Alright.

5 *!!!

4.5

Santana

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

Great artistry, a deserved classic.

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.

Quite boring and occasionally annoying.

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

This is such a powerful album. I love the Latino percussion fused with rock, and jazz. I love Santana's guitar playing. If I could rate this album, it would be 100%. 5/5

Not bad, but I'm not a fan of Samba style rhythms

Classic Santana

I have never listened to Santana in much capacity, so this was fresh for me. I enjoyed it!

I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. Really good.

Wow bogfest surprise yet, album is great start to finish

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

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

Classic album. Ambient guitar with latin flavor.

Oyeeee como vaaaaaa Nunca entendí si me gusta o no Santana, depende el día me super aburre o me da ansiedad y otros es re chill y ayuda a hacer focus

Novedoso, me gusta la combinación de sonidos y estilos que mete

I’ve heard a few of these songs before and they still reach me as they did decades ago. Santana’s sound is unmistakable.

This is a very good album and Santana is a very good guitar player.

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

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

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.

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

Cool music but don’t feel connected to it

That was nice for a change

Groovy

Cool.

Solid all the way through.

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.

Very listenable musically, Just not super into it.

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.

Excellent guitar work. A fun listen, with Black Magic Woman the stand out. Works best for me as background music but would happily listen again.

Carlos Santana is a fabulous guitar player with a tight and proficient band, but I feel like can imagine all of his music without even hearing it. He has lots of covers and takes on other music which are quite good, but I am not sure who he really is artistically.

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

Already liked Black Magic Woman and the rest of the album lived up to that expectation. Almost a 5

Guitar solos just don’t impress me that much, I don’t know why. Simpsons: Yes

Was alright even though I'm not a big fan of instrumentals. Black magic woman was probably the highlight

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.

A couple of classic tunes on here, but my surprise favorite track was one I didn’t know called Samba Pa Ti. Mostly instrumental album. Very smooth.

I think this is an album that could be mind blowing if I listened to it in a dark room while on some kind of psychedelics. Listening to it in the background while working, it was fine. There's obviously some good guitar work in there, but otherwise it didn't grab me.

Great songs and guitar

Hermoso, rock gringo latino.

Amazing music, great guitar, rhythm and it continues to rock

Wow, I grew up with this so a bit biased, I will have to give 5 stars. It's been around a decade at did not liste and there are so many amazing songs.. alo latin blood so this speaks to me. the rythm is amazing (drums). Se acabó! (It is finished!). 5 stars (4.5 rounded up)

Jazzy noodling. No.

Santana's guitar playing is good enough to get it to 4

Just ok

The guitar-playing is stellar, yet it blends so well that it isn’t a “guitar record”

It was fine.

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.

A CLASSIC.

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!

I did not like this one, it’s just not my genre at all. The only time I’d enjoy this kind of music would be in a restaurant where I don’t really listen and it’s just playing in the background.

Sole!

crazy, liked every song

Labai patiko. Visos dainos buvo groovy, gitara atrodo kad dainavo vietomis. Tikra klasika. Vienu metu gitara grojo garsiau nei dainininkas dainavo lol

Surprisingly fun. Im not a huge rock fan but this was an amazing listen. 85/100 on my book, goated

Abraxas is a timeless Santana masterpiece, blending Latin rhythms, rock, and blues into a hypnotic, genre-defying classic.

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.

Fine, cool guitar but nothing blew me away.

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.

DNF - will review later. Liked what I've heard so far (~first 4 songs, have heard black magic woman before)

jojo visst det är väl okej men liksom varför?

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

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.