Santana Albums (32)
What The Critics Say
Carlos Santana delivers his third straight star-studded pop album in a row with 2005's All That I Am. Like 2002's Shaman, this follows the blueprint that producer/record mogul Clive Davis laid down on 1999's Supernatural, which means that apart from a cut or two, Santana functions as a supporting musician to a parade of guest stars singing pop songs. Here, Santana and Davis try to make lightning strike again, having Michelle Branch, who sang "The Game of Love" on Shaman, sing the sound-alike "I'm Feeling You," which she also had a hand in writing, and the result isn't bad. The biggest names here are Mary J. Blige, Big Boi, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, and the ubiquitous will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas -- and the production is clean and safe, while the songs are professional but predictable. Since none of the songs are bad and since the guest spots are neither embarrassing nor flashy, All That I Am never offends, and Santana has some nice playing scattered throughout the album -- his signature, rich, super-saturated tone is certainly the most commanding, memorable thing here. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Fillmore Performance: San Francisco 1968'
Release Date 11/5/2002
Tracks 8
Label Cleopatra
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What The Critics Say
Nobody could have predicted the success of the star-studded Supernatural in 1999, but it revitalized the career of Santana, plus Clive Davis, who cooked up the whole idea of the comeback in the first place. Given its blockbuster status, a sequel that followed the same blueprint was inevitable, which is exactly what 2002's Shaman is. If anything, there's even less Carlos Santana here, proving that he and Davis are among those that believe that Supernatural was a success because of Rob Thomas and "Smooth," not the typically tasteful, excellent guitar playing. And, no surprise, Thomas has a strong presence here even if he doesn't sing. He writes two songs, flexing his muscles as a neo-soul songwriter (not badly, either, on cuts sung by Musiq and Seal), and providing the template for all the guests here: they want to launch a new stage of their career, finding a wider audience. Outside of Seal (who has a comeback of his own to launch) and Placido Domingo (who does these things because he can), everybody here has hearts to win and something to prove, and they do a mixed job of it. P.O.D. falls on its face with the embarrassing "America," but Chad Kroeger far outshines anything he's done with a surprisingly subtle and soulful "Why Don't You & I," easily better than anything by Nickelback. But this points out the problem on the record -- each song is tailored to the strengths of the lead singer, not the strengths of Santana, who's left with piddly, forgettable instrumental interludes and playing endless lines beneath the vocal melodies. Who can blame him? It's the only chance he really gets to play on this album. On the whole, it holds together no better or no worse than Supernatural -- it's the same record, essentially. True, there wasn't anything as awful as "America" or the foolish aural press release "Since Supernatural," but there was nothing as joyous and wonderful as the Michelle Branch-sung "The Game of Love." Written by the team behind the New Radicals' modern pop classic "You Get What You Give," it's every bit as soaring melodic and irresistible; it may not be Santana -- it sounds even less like Santana than "Smooth" -- but it's perfect pop, the best pop single of 2002, for reasons that have nothing to do with Santana. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Center Stage: Live'
Release Date 6/20/2000
Tracks 6
Label Direct Source
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What The Critics Say
Santana was still a respected rock veteran in 1999, but it had been years since he had a hit, even if he continued to fare well on the concert circuits. Clive Davis, the man who had signed Santana to Columbia in 1968, offered him the opportunity to set up shop at his label, Arista. In the tradition of comebacks and label debuts by veteran artists in the '90s, Supernatural, Santana's first effort for Arista, is designed as a star-studded event. At first listen, there doesn't seem to be a track that doesn't have a guest star, which brings up the primary problem with the album -- despite several interesting or excellent moments, it never develops a consistent voice that holds the album together. The fault doesn't lay with the guest stars or even with Santana, who continues to turn in fine performances. There's just a general directionless feeling to the record, enhanced by several songs that seem like excuses for jams, which, truth be told, isn't all that foreign on latter-day Santana records. Then again, the grooves often play better than the ploys for radio play, but that's not always the case, since Lauryn Hill's "Do You Like the Way" and the Dust Brothers-produced, Eagle-Eye Cherry-sung "Wishing It Was" are as captivating as the Eric Clapton duet, "The Calling." But that just confirms that Supernatural just doesn't have much of a direction, flipping between traditional Santana numbers and polished contemporary collaborations, with both extremes being equally likely to hit or miss. That doesn't quite constitute a triumph, but the peak moments of Supernatural are some of Santana's best music of the '90s, which does make it a successful comeback. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Live at the Fillmore 1968'
Release Date 3/10/1997
Tracks 9
Label Sony
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What The Critics Say
Two-CD package drawn from performances at the Fillmore West in December 1968, with an early lineup including Bob Livingston on drums and Marcus Malone on congas (both of whom would be gone by the time the group recorded their official debut in 1969). The band sound only a bit more tentative here than they would in their Woodstock-era incarnation, running through several of the highlights of their first album ("Jingo," "Persuasion," "Soul Sacrifice," and "Treat"). More interesting to collectors will be the five songs that have not previously appeared on any Santana recording, including covers of songs by jazzmen Chico Hamilton and Willie Bobo and a half-hour original jam that concludes the set, "Freeway." The sound is excellent and the arrangements a bit more improv-oriented than what ended up on the early studio records. Its appeal isn't solely limited to committed fans; on its own terms it's a fine release, highlighted by some burning organ-guitar interplay in particular. Live at the Fillmore 1968 ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This is a trio album featuring Carlos Santana, his brother Jorge, and his nephew, Carlos Hernandez. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
'Sacred Fire: Santana Live in South America'
Release Date 10/19/1993
Tracks 13
Label Polydor
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What The Critics Say
For their third live album, Santana introduced a new bass player, Myron Dove, and added guitarist Jorge Santana (Carlos Santana's brother), and singer Vorriece Cooper to bring the band up to nine members. Adopting the mantle of Bob Marley, the band played "Esperando," which borrowed Marley's characteristic audience chant. Much of the album is given over to repeating Santana's earliest hits -- "No One to Depend On," "Black Magic Woman," "Soul Sacrifice," -- which should please the band's new record label (it's always good to have versions of the hits in your catalog). ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Santana signed to Polydor in 1991 after 22 years with Columbia Records. On this label debut album, the band has been altered by official addition of frequent sideman Raul Rekow and Karl Perazzols, replacement of longtime percussionist Armando Peraza. But this septet is still led by Carlos Santana and keyboardist Chester Thompson, with Alex Ligertwood singing. The record has a somewhat elegiac tone, beginning with a stage introduction by the late promoter Bill Graham, who was Santana's mentor and unofficial manager, being dedicated to Graham and Miles Davis, who also had died since the last album, and featuring an excerpt from a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., solos taken from Davis and John Coltrane, and music written by Bob Marley, Coltrane, and Gil Evans. Despite the presence of all these heroic ghosts, however, Milagro is only an average Santana release, familiar-sounding but undistinguished, and it failed to arrest the band's commercial slide, becoming the first new Santana studio album not to crack the Top 100. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
'Spirits Dancing in the Flesh'
Release Date 1/1/1990
Tracks 10
Label Columbia
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What The Critics Say
Following a 1989 20th anniversary reunion tour to promote Viva Santana!, Carlos Santana reorganized the band as a sextet consisting of himself, singer/guitarist Alex Ligertwood, singer/keyboardist Chester Thompson, bass player Benny Rietveld, drummer Walfredo Reyes and percussionist Armando Peraza. This unit, with such guest stars as Vernon Reid (of Living Colour), Wayne Shorter, and Bobby Womack, recorded Spirits Dancing In The Flesh, Santana's 15th and final studio album for Columbia Records. It was an unusually eclectic collection, featuring songs by Curtis Mayfield ("Gypsy Woman"), The Isley Brothers ("Who's That Lady"), and Olatunji ("Jin-Go-Lo-Ba"), as well as interpolations of John Coltrane's "Peace On Earth" and Jimi Hendrix's "Third Stone From The Sun" into Santana's "Mother Earth." (The Olatunji song is the original version of the tune adapted as "Jingo" that became Santana's first hit in 1969.) For all those influences, it was more of a straightforward, guitar-heavy rock album than usual. Coming more than three years after Santana's last new album, Freedom, it sold to the band's core audience only, reaching #85. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
