Reviews (page 7 of 14)
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
i don't think i could ever fully get into this from a vibes perspective but you have to appreciate how talented of a musician he is
A fun little trip with Santana. Enjoyable and mellow. A good accompaniment to an evening.
Just really good music this
This album, specifically Oye Como Va, was my first exposure to surround sound music, on a quad 8-track tape at somebody’s trailer way out in the boonies somewhere around Princeton. I remember the stereo system wasn’t anything fancy and the rear speakers were pretty small, but on one of those speakers on OCV the only music was a single repetitive percussion instrument, and I was hooked and haven’t wavered for 50+ years in my love of surround. The album as a whole is quite good, with side 1 stronger than side 2. Carlos Santana’s guitar work here is excellent per the usual. A 3.5 rounded up to 4 because of the surround sound. I’ve tried to sell this before, but them doing Soul Sacrifice at Woodstock, when hardly anyone knew them (their debut album dropped 2 weeks after Woodstock) is well worth a YouTube watch — the crowd reactions are great.
Oha! Now this is some Dad certified Classics. This makes me think of some beach bars immediately, good vibes. I kinda wanna buy a ride-on lawnmower now tho
I thought this was going to be shit but, actually I quite enjoyed it.
oh i didnt know we had good music on this list
I love noodly guitars, and he's better than most
I mean this in the most positive manner, this is Uncle Matt music. Great album. Knew more songs then I thought.
....
This was my first time listening to this entire album, and it’s very impressive to hear the blend of genres. It’s obviously a crossover of Latin music, jazz, and blues, but it also shares many characteristics with prog rock and has a bit of psychedelic influence as well. While Carlos Santana’s guitar work garners much acclaim, the musicianship across the board is top-notch. The bass, keyboards, organ, and percussion each contribute significantly, so that every member complements and elevates the others.
Great album. My favorite song was Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen
Really enjoyable jam that still plays well a half-century later.
Very good. Jazzy rock with a Latin twist.
Really cool album with different modes of songwriting and sounds. It's amazing that Carlos Santana can be a driving force while only talking with his guitar. I think it would be 3.5 overall, but the riffs and Oye Como Va put this up to:
8/10
Great album with quite a few classics - a solid 9/10
Wow this is a fantastic record! The classic hits (Black Magic Woman, Oye Como Va) are of course fantastic - but good gracious Mother's Daughter is a real winner and a bit of a sleeper. Lovely guitar work (tone, technique, phrasing, melodic creativity) goes without saying but wow it's quite amazing.
This is a solid album for sure. Great one to start my 1001 albums journey on. Obviously fantastic guitar, but the variety of styles and percussion is really fun. Near jam band, but a lot more structured.
j’aime beaucoup! même si je trouve que l’album était un peu court, je me suis bien ambiancée et amusée pendant l’écoute! je pense que le fait que l’album soit quasi instrumental est une bonne chose, et le peu de paroles ajoutent quand même quelque chose. malheureusement ma chanson préférée pour l’instant (oye como va) est une reprise, mais c’est vraiment un album solide
The first (primarily) instrumental album, we get an excellent start with the second release from the main band that brought Latin music to the American mainstream. From the hits like Oye Como Va and Black Magic Woman to the slightly more obscure (this is still a huge album we can only go so far here) tracks such as Samba Pa Ti and Incident at Neshabur, this album continues to demonstrate how the electric guitar, as played by Santana himself, is a natural evolution of the genre. The more classic Latin elements are still well-integrated, of course, grounding the album firmly in that genre, with the rock elements serving to enhance the feel rather than distract. Favorite track: Incident at Neshabur Least favorite track: Samba Pa Ti
i am glad i heard it before i died.
Of the songs I'm not familiar with, Incident at Neshabur is my favorite.
Хорошо работалось под этот альбом, не примитивная хорошая музыка
it is good, santana is great, but idk didn't really suck me in
Super exciting and unlike anything I've heard in awhile. Honestly could've been longer but other than that I have very few problems with it.
4.4
7/10
Can't resist the sweet & smooth guitar playing from one Carlos Santana. Mix that with the collective works of Santana (the group), and you've got yourself some nice & easy (and impressive) Latin rock/jazz. The arrangements from the album's first side shines above the rest, but I can hardly complain about the album overall. A digestible mix of instrumental and vocal Latin rock & jazz.
Oye Como Va is an instant time travel moment to a lot of nights of salsa dancing in a sweaty basement with the funnest most respectful people. Whole album is an absolute banger too. Black Magic Woman, hello
a stunning, classic album. Santana is so good.
Decent album feel like it’s a nice chill one to listen to. Really like the different instruments as well this album is very unique sound definitely would recommend. 7/10
This is a special type of music, a mix of rock and latin, but I could be wrong. However songs are very pleasant to listen during an activity or just enjoy your Friday morning.
Pressed play without expectations. Almost prepared to be bored for the next 40 minutes, but I must confess that I was engaged with the mystique and atmosphere this record exhales. It kept me jamming. Santana here is not leaning towards a supper shredding trick, only positive vibes.
This fucking rocks. I was hesitant on this one considering the pretty lame aura that surrounds Santana’s music and it took a few tracks to get into but I ended up really loving how unique this sounded. I guess I would call it fusion but it has many hints of salsa and even Bossa nova thrown into the mix that separate it from the fusion standards (Zappa, Mahavishnu etc.) that I’ve listened to, at least. Standouts are Oye Como Va, Mother’s daughter and Hope you’re feeling better.
Great album honestly. Not super lyrical but great nonetheless. 8/10. The Latin elements were so enjoyable.
nagyon szeretem a pszichedelikus zenét, ez az album elég ilyen jazz-világzene fúziós jam sessionre emlékeztet (nem negatívum). a gitár mindig faszántos nagyon meg a billentyűs szegmensek, a perkát nem tudom mindig értékelni, eléggé irreleváns a szememben xd (vagyis nyilván szuper fontos ritmusügyileg de a szólókat sajnos picit leszarom). összességében szupi vibe, bár nekem néha background zene egy bárban. szövegügyileg mondanám talán gyengébbnek (már ahol volt, bár spanyolul nem tudok szóval lehet azok a részek bombák). respect viszont, hogy azért egy ilyen nehezebben emészthetőbb jam seshhez képest nem húzták 30 percesre a számokat, így full befogadható szerintem bárkinek. kedvenc: incident at neshabur 10/7
I’d been hoping a Santana album would be on here. Oye como va is one of my all time favourite songs.
Bonus points for being a short album.
My apologies, Santana, I was unfamiliar with your game. Real groovy Spanish funk. Music like sipping tequila on a hot summer night.
Trippy treat. Love
One of the biggest issues I have with 70’s rock, or dad rock as some would call it, is that the vast majority of songs tend to be overstuffed with guitar solos. And not really structured solos, but more jam-like solos. The kinds that meander for a bit too long and inflate tracks to lengths in the 5-minute range. It gets a bit tiring to hear rock albums from this decade because of it. But Santana is built different. His guitar playing mixed with the Latin music elements give him a very distinct sound. The result is smooth (no pun intended) and gives the album this unique serene lounge like vibe. Honestly, there are only two dad rock songs on the album (Mother’s Daughter and Hope You’re Feeling Better). If it weren’t for those two, this might have been a perfect album. But as it is, it is miles better than a majority of dad rock albums. Favorite track: Black Magic Woman/ Gypsy Woman Other hits: Oye Como Va, Incident at Neshabur, Samba Pa Ti, Se A Cabo
YESSSSSSS
Really like Santana.
great music, troche sie zlewa w calosc, te piosenki ktore maja wokal bangery tez
Classic
unikt och bra )
That was a surprisingly good time. Mellow and funky just like I like it.
Bonkers tone. Very psychedelic. Love old Santana.
Santana rules. Just amazing guitar playing and the drums are on point too. I don't find myself putting Santana on a lot but I should check out some more of his songs besides the big hits. Soul Sacrifice at Woodstock is a frequent watch though. 8.5/10 (4.25/5)
Beautiful instrumentals, great variety - includes the infamous "Black magic woman"
Surprisingly really enjoyed this - almost all instrumental, good vibes!
Tight musicianship in what is essentially a jam session for Carlos Santana to show us his dexterous, breezy guitar playing. Interestingly, whereas most bands have 'instrumental breaks', Santana have 'vocal' breaks. Although it's full of Latin rhythms with congas etc, it definitely falls under the rock rather than world music category. It's great music to drift away.
Very good, very proficient, technically very interesting, but I just wasn't that interested. I think I've heard this album a few times before (I think I have/had it on vinyl). It does what it does very well, but I don't reach for it as a favourite or anything.
It's got the hits, it's got the riffs, it's got the grooves. Cha-cha-chá!
4 great album. Great guitar playing
very fun & interesting. can see how it fits in with other late 60s/early 70s proggy guitar stuff but also love how it has its own distinct latin-influenced elements. this feels very classic for a reason.
This album starts off heady, like waking up from a dream you can’t remember in a room with lots of incense and wooden bead curtains. “Black Magic Woman” is a classic, but the second half of that track, “Gypsy Woman” is really excellent. Santana’s rendition of “Oye Cómo Va” is also excellent. The next track, “Incident at Neshabur”, shimmers and shines and sprawls. It’s jazzy and intriguing and sexy and beautiful. Track 5, “Se a Cabó”, is a delightful and fun three minutes. The first five tracks of this album are fantastic and truly had me hooked. Sadly, the next track, “Mother’s Daughter”, feels out of place; it feels more like some blah jam band inspired by the rest of the album. Then the next track, “Samba Pa’ Ti”, is absolutely stunning, especially the first ~2-2.5 minutes. The restraint from the guitar and the gentle accompaniment from the percussion and bass is so, so beautiful and nearly moved me to tears. When the organ comes in it gave me chills each of the three times I listened to this track today. This track was far and away my favorite, but unfortunately, the very next track is cut from the same cloth as “Mother’s Daughter”. “Hope You’re Feeling Better” is decidedly better than “Mother’s Daughter”, but both are glaring weak spots. The closing track, “El Nicoya”, is mischievous and playful and a very nice note to end on. Overall, I really loved this album. It’s the first album from this project in the realm of psychedelia that I have found really exciting and excellent, and while it could be called psychedelic rock, it’s also Latin and jazz. The drumming throughout the album is unbelievable. It’s really a shame that the two duds really are such duds, because they take up nearly a quarter of the album’s run time. I want to give it 5 ⭐️, especially for “Samba Pa’ Ti”, but considering the two very weak tracks I have to settle on 4 ⭐️. 8.5/10
Ground breaking album!
Judging by the album art, Carlos Santana has a very consistent taste in women.
Really fun with fantastic guitar. 4/5
Ακουγεται σαν 3 4 διαφορετικα αλμπουμ. Απιστευτη παραγωγη και ηλεκτρικη κιθαρα. Πανεμορφο
Just an amazing mix of tunes
Interesting, I've never listened to Latin rock before. Lot of shredding. I know Loobis liked at least half of this.
I was familiar with a lot of Santana's work, specifically from this "golden era" of their work. I have to say- sitting and listening to the album start to finish was an awesome experience. The intro was relaxed and different in tone from the rest of the album, but transitioning into black magic woman and Oye Como Va back to back set the stage for the powerful instrumentation. I also found myself enjoying the lesser known songs from the album, epecially Mother's Daughter. I had to look up the vocalist Gregg Rolie, as I was enjoying his voice and it sounded familiar to me. His vocals compliment Santana's guitar work really well. Overall- thoroughly enjoyed it. Id rank it 4.5/5, but not quite 5 star for me
Much more jam band than I expected. I liked it.
Great album, Santana is awesome.
I coulda sworn we already did this album. Guess not. Anyway. This was probably a popular album to have on while hippies did their taxes. Wink.
Had forgotten about this one. Very nice Latin psychedelia, almost makes up for Smooth.
The legend. Incredibly smooth rock with latin influences. Stunning guitar, of course. Excellent rock album.
Classic
Great album, a couple of the songs were very familiar and the rest were just jams. The whole thing was instrumental, so nothing too exciting, but it all sounded great. Carlos Santana has this unique sund and you cal tell that it's his guitar playing. I liked that it was a quick listen, we got through the songs fairly quickly and that was it.
Flows smoothly with sparse vocals, focusing instead on bluesy jazz-rock guitar riffs with Latin beats thrown in. The result is a captivating fusion. Standout tracks: Oye Como Va & Hope You're Feeling Better
Groove, Santana style. 4/5
I’ve always appreciated the hits here, but I obviously did not give the complete work the attention or accolades it deserves. Some great jams and percussion. 4.25/5
I was surprised at how much I liked this. Normally my reaction to Santana is an immediate change of the dial which even includes the early 2000s duet with Matchbox Rob. But on this one, the Latin/world vibes carried me through. Interesting that so much of this was instrumental too which is very cool. Even more surprising is that this album went to No. 1 in the U.S. While I normally will seek my vibes of this nature with more trad groups like Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66, I can still dig this.
This album sounded like drugs. And I dug it. Respect to Santana and the entire band because this thing just flowed. Also not sure I knew that Peter Green of Fleeteood Mac wrote Black Magic Woman so that’s a fun fact. Certainly Santana’s version became much more recognizable.
This album is a total vibe and I’m here for it. 4/5
Skemmtileg plata og mjög gott sound. Hljómar frekar modern miðað við að vera gítarmússík og slagverkið er eiginlega sturlað! Leið mjög hratt og tók hana nokkrum sinnum. Bjóst alls ekki við að fíla þetta svona mikið.
You can basically put on any early Santana record and hear some of the finest rock music of the late 60s, guaranteed.
This was an absolute treat. Carlos Santana brings such wonderful flavors to the mix that it's difficult not to have fun while listening. Fantastic album.
Great rock album wrapped with latin jazz flavors and some notes le radio hits. Would listen to this album again.
maggotbrain vibes
Wat een lekker album! Een soort psychrockjazzsamba album? Ik ben helemaal enthousiast joh! Tuurlijk staan hier dikke hits op zoals Black Magic Woman en Oye Como Va, maar ook de nummers die geen hits zijn, bevallen me erg goed! Vaak zijn dit meer instrumentele nummers met lange solo's en uitgerekte stukken gitaar. Normaal helemaal kut natuurlijk, maar ik vind het hier wel lekker werken! Ok, de laatste 2 nummers slaat toch de gitaarmoeheid toe. Dan ben ik toch een beetje klaar met de lang lang lang langgerekte gitaatsolos. Het is dan toch iets te veel scheurende gitaren voor mij, maar alles bij elkaar was dit een album wat ik absoluut nog een keer ga luisteren! FAVO: Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen, Oye como va, Se a cabo, Mother's daughter, Samba pa ti
I've heard this album before. Such a unique sound, great album with a couple of classics and amazing musicianship throughout.
Having heard really only the hits by Santana, I was surprised to find this to be a jazz focused album. Some highlights - the beautiful way the piano and guitar intertwined in the later half of Incident of Neshabur, and the guitar playing on Hope You're Feeling Better. A nice album to listen to at the end of the day when you're winding down.
Kende het album nog niet (behalve Oye Como Va) maar erg van genoten. Zoveel om naar te luisteren, en de guitar riffs poehhh. Vond the jazz invloeden in eerste deel album wel onverwacht haha, maar nice. Mothers daughter, hope your feeling better 🖤
So. Good. 4/5
really great album. i enjoyed it a lot. carlos santana's prowess for guitar is chiefly on display here, which i'm sure might surprise people who only know him as the 'smooth' guy. there are some classics on here that still get a lot of play today - and i think because of their omnipresence, i am less enthused by those songs. songs like 'black magic woman' and 'oye como va' are great, but overplayed and are not my favorite anymore. to me the star of the album is, 'hope you're feeling better.' it's like nothing else on the album - face melting, aggressive in a way that stand out. the rest of the album is at least good but there are some more dull instrumental moments on here.
Talented musicians having fun
Excellent album all through, just the good side of noodling
Santana toen ie nog niet vervallen was in eindeloos gitaargepriegel maar nog rockte en swingde als een tiet
Santana’s Abraxas is a lively and tightly packed album, bursting with energy across its 37 minutes. The drumming by Michael Shrieve and Greg Rolie’s keyboards are particularly outstanding, driving the album’s dynamic feel. While Carlos Santana’s guitar work is undoubtedly the centerpiece, he doesn’t dominate too much, allowing the full band to shine together. There are moments where the album feels like an extended jam session, but it never overstays its welcome. Incident at Neshabur stands out as a highlight track, encapsulating the album’s blend of jazz, rock, and Latin rhythms. A fantastic listen, and worthy of a solid 4/5.
I mostly found this hugely enjoyable. I already knew and loved Oye Como Va, thanks to the Carlito's Way soundtrack, and was vaguely aware of the rest of the album. I knew of Carlos Santana, and his fondness for rendering vocals largely unnecessary, putting the guitar front and centre. The album romps along in a pretty joyful way. I'd have preferred even more Latin content and a bit less of the Cream-style rock, but it was a great listen over the weekend.
Loved it.
Sublime as always
Very, very close to 4.5 stars. Doesn't finish as strongly as it starts, but goddamn, it's still pretty awesome all the way through. 4/5
One of the best late 60s/early 70s records period. Such a cool amalgamation of sounds.
Some amazing songs, I really enjoyed the vibe but not the best of the best.
3 banger songs and the rest was vibes
#72 - Total classic.
Latin jazz meets psychedelic rock. Fantastic.
Nemám námitek, solidní album, není to nejlepší od Santany
Really enjoyed that. Sounded a lot like a Mexican Hendrix, with bits of other stuff thrown in. Think the interspersal of genres worked quite well, certainly more than the previous Santana album I got. Saved quite a few down.
I was familiar with Santana but had never listened to a full album. That’s the beauty of the project, it challenges you to dive into an artist. I always knew he was a great guitarist but was unaware of the range his music had. From the opener I was intrigued, hazy, psych jazzy vibes. Black Magic Woman is a fantastic track, putting Santana’s guitar chops on full display. Just a wonderful album all the way thru, I really appreciated the variety here. 4 stars
Electric guitar riffs inspirational. Samba Pa Ti constantly on repeat
Santana is a great musician and this is a solid album with some great songs
So good. Should have listened to the whole album earlier
A pretty solid listen
I think I have only heard the single version of "Black Magic Woman," so the extended outro jam was interesting to hear. I had probably heard at least half of the songs on the album. So I was pretty familiar with the album. It's a good jam, but I always feel "Oye Como Va" sounds a little... dated. But apart from that, it's a solid album. Top tracks: "Hope You're Feeling Better," "Incident at Neshabur," "Black Magic Woman"
I don't know why I always disliked Santana growing up because they are excellent musicians. Not just Carlos on guitar (truly a master) but I really liked the extra percussion work by Areas and Carabello. I had no idea Gregg Rolie, also of Journey, was the lead singer of Santana. Not a huge fan of his vocals but he tickles the ivory (or plastic) pretty well. I still don't quite get samba or bossa nova so maybe that is why I don't totally resonate with their latin rock sound. Still, they are probably the best in the business at it. Until this 1.001 odyssey, I never really appreciated their classics on this album - Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va. Singing Winds, Crying Beasts and Hope You're Feeling Better are also pretty slick. I won't give it a perfect rating, even though I can understand if someone else does, but this is a quality album.
I had heard songs from it but never the album it's an entirety. It was really nice! We actually listened to it twice in a row.
What a great album. I could listen to that all day.
Fijn albumpje hoor, ik weet eigenlijk niet waarom ik Santana zo weinig geluisterd heb.
Smooth from the beginning. Slightly dinged because the two best songs are covers.
Get after that guitar Santana.
Despite his resurgence in popularity when I was going into my teens (“Smooth” is forever a bop), I think people forget just how unique a guitarist Carlos Santana is. On Abraxas, he and his band fuse jazz, rock, blues and Spanish rhythms into something beautiful.
Classic Santana
Finally, a rock record that differentiates itself from others. I liked it a lot!! Also, Carlos Santana sings with his guitar. He has a soul like no other.
Great guitar/organ/percussion sound and I was into the vibe. This would have been awesome to see/hear performed live.
Great album. I think I heard this one somewhere else but I can’t remember where or when. Highly recommend to listen completely :)
I'm not sure whether I ever had listenend to Abraxas in full, but certainly not in ages aaand... this is for sure something one should have heard, but it didn't quite hold up to my initial exclamation of "Yes!". Couple of things: I had this on during a walk and after the Deep Purple soundalike and the latin drum filler - which typically would be an interlude, no? - I was two or three songs deep into the algorithm serving me other tracks before I realised the album had ended. And before I realised why my interest had picked up again: 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 music's focus was up, noodling had gone. Also I couldn't help but think that, for being one of THE famous guitarists, this Santana dude isn't exactly a David Gilmour, is he? Or a Mark Knopfler, Tony Iommi. But then, of course, \"Rolie\" as band name wouldn't quite have the same ring to it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. A righteous classic, nonetheless. The hits are undeniable hits, the vibes are proper vibes, but all in all, not without a good load of 𝘮𝘦𝘩. Time for decimals: 3.9.
Solid great album
Buenazo. Black magic woman, insuperable.
Classic tracks Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va... Good guitar album with a 60s 'jam' style
A bit out there but nice to listen to in the background
their debut album is a contender for my user album, but we have this in the meantime I have strong memories of playing Donkey Konga to Oye Como Va
That was pretty sick. Lots of great guitar, cool Latin rhythms, highly smooth vibes. I liked it. Best song: Black Magic Woman
Some absolute classics in the first half. Wow. 2nd half is okay, but still 4 stars for that great 1st half. Santana found his niche here and stuck to it
I liked it more when I was younger. But this is still a classic for every rock music fan.
Great music, proggy, great all round
Fantastic upbeat instrumental music. Great for working
Great sound, talented musicians. I was shocked this album is from 1970 because Santana has had such lasting power in our culture that I thought he was most popular in the 90s. Great work/driving album to put on.
Amazingly cool album cover from an album everyone who knows classic rock is aware of. Instant classics and rock radio staples "Black Magic Woman" and "Oye Como Va" along with the beautiful guitar god shredder "Samba Pa Ti", make this a Top 1000 album.
I've always known Carlos Santana was a good guitarist but it's good to be reminded that he (and his band) was making stuff this creative and genre-crossing as early as 1970. The Latin vibes combined with classic rock sensibilities and spotless execution made this a really enjoyable listen for multiple days.
Very good album with some outstanding guitar. A cultural blend that works well.
This album successfully blends latin music with American rock and roll (and jazz!?) such that its hard to hear where one ends and the other begins. Nothing on here was bad, but the hits soar far above the other tracks for me. "Mother's Daughter" and "Hope You're Feeling Better" sound like Cream knock offs, but "Black Magic Woman" and "Oye Como Va" do not sound like they could have been played by anyone other than Carlos Santana and his band. The guitar parts are unsurprisingly great, played with feeling and emotion still accessible to me today. Random fact: The singer/keyboardist here was one of the co-founders of Journey. Tragic!
Good album. The rest of the album doesn’t quite hit the awesomeness of the beginning, although “Mother’s Daughter” does get to that level.
Cuando el grupo Santana apareció sobre el escenario de Woodstock en 1969 impactaron la escena musical con su mezcla de rock psicodélicos y sonidos latinos con elementos de blues y rock. Con sus tres primeros discos, Santana, Abraxas y Santana III, fueron auténticos pioneros del rock latino. Su segundo álbum fue un éxito mayúsculo, permaneciendo año y medio en las listas y colocando dos sencillos entre los mejores de la época: "Black Magic Woman" (adaptación del tema de Fleetwood Mac, fue número uno aún con la controversia sobre su temática; para unos describe una misteriosa mujer ideal y para otros habla de drogas) y "Oye como va" (mezcla explosiva de la salsa de Tito Puente con elementos de rock). Pero Abraxas es un álbum muy ecléctico donde también cabe el jazz rock instrumental de "Incident at Neshabur" y "Samba Pa Ti" (gran tema que hoy sigue provocando grandes emociones y recuerdos en mi).
Musical historians can pinpoint the boom of Latin jazz fusion better than I, but at some point Santana, Chic Corea, Cal Tjader, WAR, and countless others helped to collectively define this genre. The opening track is an invocation, preparing your mind for something special, and sure enough we go to "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen." I've heard it before, but today I hear it with new ears. Carlos' playing is amazingly smooth and lyrical. There's that cosmic taking-peyote-in-the-desert sound before erupting into a full on rock n' roll jam at the end. By the time "Oye Como Va" ends, you are lost in the music, and you maintain a pulse and direction despite the clever and natural musical left turns in "Incident at Neshabur." "Samba Pa Ti" is the surprise gem on the album, slow, soulful, and melodic, and proving no real need for a singer. Though this band is named after guitarist Carlos Santana, the entire band is exceptional, especially the percussion section. Great jams, and great vibes.
I was pretty excited to listen to this. Everything I've heard from Santana until this point has been cool, so I was eager to hear more from them. I really liked it! I could hear a lot of different ingredients in this musical mélange; I was surprised to hear so much jazz. Maybe unsurprising if you know much about Santana (I don't). I always thought it was kind of unusual for a rock band to be named after someone other than the singer. Indeed, a lot of these songs don't have any singing at all, but listening, I realized that Carlos's guitar does the singing, rising above those undeniably compelling Latin rhythms and drifting and curling like incense, all working together to send you into a trance. I can fit this music into my life, and yet it doesn't just fade into the background. It's interesting and engaging. I definitely want to hear more! 4.5
Somehow I managed to own this album on vinyl when I was about 15 years old. I have no idea where I got it from. It didn't belong to my parents. Maybe a friend had given it to me for some reason .I would listen to it on my parents record player. Santana can jam. I used to listen to this one and the Santana album Caravanserai quite a bit. The rhythm section on this album is absolutely killer. A lot of the album sounds tribal. My standouts are Se A Cabo, El Nicoya, Samba Pa Ti, of course the classics Oye Como Va and Black Magic Woman. They really put on a percussion clinic on Incident at Nashabur. If I could I would do 4.5 stars.
Couple of classics. But a bunch of 70s trash mixed in. Good listen!
A really cool album. No favourite songs in particular, but I’d definitely listen again!
Esóterico. O albúm te traz o desejo de não pensar, apenas sentir. Sentir cada batuque, cada nota e cada tom que você conseguir captar. É um albúm para se ouvir mais de uma vez, de preferência de formas e condições diferentes. Sozinho ou acompanhado. Sóbrio ou chapado. Em uma segunda ou em um sábado. De preferência, as últimas opções.
I should listen to more Santana
Carlos Santana is so widely regarded as a guitar god, but then so it Clapton and he sucks, so I've always thought of Santana as overhyped. You see him in music documentaries and he's always, and I mean ALWAYS dropping names, jazz names like John Coltrane, and I think, man, you never played with him, stop that. Then you run across something he did with Alice Coltrane, but then he shows up at those big wanky all-star shows a little too much and I think he's really trading hard on his rep. But you know what? That cat can PLAY.
It’s just nice to have an album that’s most well known for its guitar that doesn’t suck (the album, not the guitar). Seriously, how hard is it to have an album mostly based around good guitar that’s not self-indulgent crap?
Great album
Really enjoyed this. Short but punchy. Will likely revisit.
Samba Pa Ti is on eof the greatest tunes on earth....
good Latin rock
Of course I knew the hits Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va before listening to the rest of this, but there were some other good songs on here I've been missing out on, like Mothers Daughter and Hope You're Feeling Better. This had less guitar solos than I was expecting, but the percussion section was on point for the whole album.
Santana!! I've always loved that name for how close it resembles Satan, or Satanas. Ave Satanas!!! lol but dude, this album is going to be fire! Dude is that pigeon eating that lady out? lmao. OMG I love the intro to Black Magic Woman. I'll give it 4 stars
A very pleasant version of 60's rock, with some added latin influences.
The music just feels big and polished. Couple of all time tunes. Good album indeed.
Fantastic psychedelic rock album! Classic tracks on here.
Een gitaargod, gaaf dus, maar wel één die op North Sea Jazz staat. Dan is het even spannend hoe het gaat vallen. Oye Como Va is wel een dikke guilty pleasure van me. Af en toe zet ik die aan, met Chan Chan van Buena Vista Social Club er achteraan en dan kan ik er weer een maand of twee, drie tegen zonder dat ik naar Cuba of een ander Floortje Dessing eiland hoef te reizen. IK vind dit wel een lekker album. Het is best aanstekelijk allemaal. Ik heb blijkbaar een dag waarbij deze muziek werkt, wat niet elke dag het geval is. Daarnaast vind ik de lengte van 37 minuten voor zo'n soort improvisatie-muziek-album keurig. Vaak willen dit soort types albums van minimaal anderhalf uur maken ook al staan er maar 6 liedjes op. Ik ben positief genoeg voor 4 sterren. Geen idee wat er mis is met me vandaag.
My god, I loved this and it was such a surprise. I thought it was going to be another dull dad rock offering but no! This is what I love about the generator
Abraxas Never listened to a Santana album, my main knowledge of him is Black Magic Woman, his hair, old men in indoor markets in Santana T-Shirts and Smooth ft Rob Thomas. Singing Winds, Crying Beasts, is very of its time in terms of title and psychedelic bongo atmosphere. I like it. Black Magic Woman is good. I know this is very famous and well loved but I do prefer the Fleetwood Mac original, although the mysterious bongos do add a nice texture. Oye Como Va, the main motif is so so familiar, I don’t know if I know the Tito Puente original, or some other cover, or whether it’s just a very relied upon Latin musical phrase that appears in lots of places. It feels like it was on Buena Vista Social Club but there’s no track with that name and I can’t be bothered to try and find it. For a jazz latin blues rock song Incident at Neshabur is actually very good, a real grower, becoming more expressive and more interesting with each listen. Probably my stand out. Se a Cabo could also be a terrible latin jazz rock shitshow, but there is a winning joyousness to it that keeps it fun and at least diverting, even if it’s not the strongest track. Of the two more straight ahead blues rock songs, Mother’s Daughter and Hope You’re Feeling Better, Mother’s Daughter works best, quite fleet of foot and dynamic, the insistent bass, both in the intro and the main song giving it a great sense of movement, while Hope You’re Feeling Better feels a bit leaden in comparison. Samba Pa Ti is another grower, although there is a fair amount of noodling, it actually feels very expressive and interesting, rather than self indulgent. El Nicoya, the only bongo jam, is fine, not least as it’s only a minute and a half. He does have a lovely fluidity to his playing, and he is also good at the more heavy rock moments, although more so on Mother’s Daughter than on Hope You’re Feeling Better. I know it’s not directly analogous but it's interesting comparing this to Cheap Thrills and the other Psychedelic Blues Rock from 67/68. It’s only 2 years later but technological advances in the studio and recording makes this sound a million times better than those albums, it’s got that depth and warmth. The skill and musical dexterity of the musicians, as well as there being more elements than simple blues rock, helps too of course, but as recorded sound, Abraxas is very good. Overall I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. Latin Jazz Blues Rock is really not a genre I would actively seek out, and I was expecting interminable jamming and soloing with some jazzy latin steel drums, horns and bongo jams. And while those things do colour the album it is much better than those elements would indicate, and I enjoyed it more and more with each listen. I can now see why it has endured, why it’s so influential and why Carlos Santana is so well regarded as a guitarist. I’m not sure if I want to listen to any other Santana albums, my presumption is that they become a cheesy guitar wank fest, but of course I might be wrong. Anyway, the first listen was just about in the 3s, but with more listens I’ve actually surprised myself into a 4. 🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽 Playlist submission: Incident at Neshabur
Great guitar and jams by the band quite a few radio classics on this album
I like bongos. That’s a start. So, it’s apparent that if you have heard anything by Santana then you know what you are getting into with every album. Well, this album at least. It’s not an album you can hate, that’s for sure. I can only imagine what these guys were like to see at Woodstock, high as fuck. You, not them. You can easily be taken away by the jams that they break out in every song. Choice cut: Oye Como va
I've admittedly completely ignored Santana. I remember when 'Supernatural' came out in 1999 and vaguely understanding that it was a comeback from a rock legend filled with contemporary pop artists. I was always tempted to dismiss it as a shallow marketing gimmick but truthfully, I never disliked what I heard. Still, I was too anti-mainstream in my misguided youth to ever let myself grow to be a fan. Deep down though, I was curious. 25 years later, I finally see what I'd be missing of Santana's history. This album is fantastic, filled with great guitar performances and a heavy influence from Carlos Santana's native Mexico. It's expertly crafted and doesn't overstay its welcome. Really nice discovery.
Really enjoyed this. Having only heard Black Magic Woman before I was expecting it to be a full album of blues rock (which usually bores me). However it's much more varied than I expected, very eclectic mix of genres and styles. Also, it almost goes without saying, incredible guitar playing by the man himself!
Nice pairing for the Hendrix yesterday.
Man early Santana was pretty cool.
This album kicks ass on paper, but it just didn't click for me this time. Carlos shreds, the latin grooves are tight, but I wasn't feeling it. Maybe I needed a few drinks beforehand? It's a classic for a reason, I guess. I'll give it another shot when I'm in the right headspace.
Love samba
Classic 70’s guitar rock
this album uses a lot of very interesting instruments, it’s mostly an instrumental album with the occasional lyric which i really enjoy, gives a jazzy feel without the classic drive on the drum and traditional instruments that would be in a jazz song, some of the instruments get to do a solo
did not want to stop listening - was disappointed when the album finished it was just a great vibe and excellent music
Fun listen, needed more acid in my system tho