Supernatural (CD - 1999)

Personnel: Carlos Santana (vocals, guitar, congas, percussion); Everlast (vocals, guitar); Dave Matthews, Rob Thomas, Lauryn Hill, Cee-Lo, The Product G&B, Fher, Eagle Eye Cherry (vocals); Eric Clapton, Francis Dunnery, Al Anderson, Sergio Vallin, JB Eckl (guitar); Danny Wolinski (flute, saxophone); KC Porter (accordion, programming, background vocals); Mic Gillette, Jose Abel Figueroa (trumpet, trombone); Marvin McFadden, Javier Melendez, William Ortiz (trumpet); Jeff Cressman, Steve Turre, Ramon Flores (trombone); Alex Gonzales (drums, background vocals); Billy Johnson, Carter Beauford, Horatio Hernandez, Rodney Holmes, Greg Bissonette, Jimmy Keegan (drums); Karl Perazzo (congas, timbales, percussion, background vocals); Raul Rekow (congas).

Producers include: Carlos Santana, Steve Harris, Wyclef Jean, Jerry "Wonder" Duplessis, KC Porter.

Engineers include: Steve Fontano, Glenn Kolotkin, Mike Couzi.

SUPERNATURAL won the 2000 Grammy Award for Album Of The Year and for Best Rock Album. "Smooth" won the 2000 Grammy Award for Song Of The Year, Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals and for Record Of The Year. "The Calling" won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. "Maria Maria" won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal. "El Farol" won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. "Put Your Lights On" won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal. "Love Of My Life" was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals. "El Farol" was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition.

"Corazon Espinado" won the 2000 Latin Grammy Award for Record Of The Year and SUPERNATRUAL won Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. "El Farol" won the 2000 Latin Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.

Santana: Carlos Santana (vocals, guitar); Tony Lindsay, Andy Vargas (vocals); Chester Thompson (keyboards); Benny Rietveld (bass); Rodney Holmes (drums); Raul Rekow (congas, percussion); Karl Perazzo (timbales, percussion).

Additional personnel: Dave Matthews, Everlast (vocals, guitar); Sarah McLachlan (vocals, piano); Lauryn Hill, Cee-Lo, The Product G&B, Rob Thomas (vocals); Wayne Shorter (saxophone); Bill Ortiz, Julius Melendez (trumpet); Jose Able Figueroa, Jeff Cressman (trombone); Carter Beauford (drums).

Personnel: Carlos Santana (vocals, guitar, sleigh bell, background vocals); K.C. Porter (vocals, accordion, programming); Rob Thomas , Fher, G&B Product, Cee-Lo (vocals); Angus Sutherland, René Martínez (guitar); Jeremy Cohen (violin); Danny Seidenberg (viola); Joseph Hebert (cello); Danny Wolensky (flute, saxophone); Earl Gardner (trumpet, flugelhorn); Julius Melendez, William Oritz, Marvin McFadden, Mic Gillette (trumpet); Abel Figueroa, Steve Touré, Jeff Cressman, Ramon Flores (trombone); Joseph Daley (tuba); Nico Nibbering, Chester Thompson , Alberto Salas, Loris Holland (keyboards); David Crockett (drums, percussion); Horacio "El Negro" Hernández (drums); Raul Rekow (congas); Karl Perazzo (percussion, background vocals); Kobie Brown, Che Pope (programming); Lenesha Randolph, Gonzales Alex, Tony Lindsay (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: David Thoener; Benny Faccone.

Recording information: Chung King Studios; Electric Lady Studios; Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, CA; Plant Recording Studios; South Beach Studios; Th.

Santana's mega-hit album Supernatural was so ubiquitous that one might ask why he or she would need the DVD? Firstly, Supernatural Live is a live concert version of Carlos Santana's collaboration with artists such as Dave Matthews, Everlast, Lauren Hill, Wayne Shorter, Rob Thomas, and Sarah McLachlan, different from the released record. The sound quality is excellent, as are the performances. In fact, Supernatural Live is so entertaining that it might be the best first introduction to Santana's breakthrough (if you didn't hear the whole thing on the radio). See who the collaborators are (if their names are foreign to you), watch the magic and inspiration, and listen to some great rock. The music videos for "Smooth," "Maria Maria," "Corazon Espinado," and "Put Your Lights On" are also included, making this a tremendously fan-friendly disc as does the inclusion of an eight-minute featurette, rehearsal footage, an interview from "The History of Rock and Roll," and surround sound programming. Excellent. ~ JT Griffith

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

Fans old and new have much to celebrate about SUPERNATURAL, Carlos Santana's Arista Records debut. After several years of quiet in the studio, Santana is joined by his seasoned contemporary Eric Clapton and by such young luminaries as Lauryn Hill, Dave Matthews, Rob Thomas, and Fher (of famed Mexi-rockers Mana). As an album that caps a rock career spanning more than three decades, SUPERNATURAL is a testament to the stylistic breadth of Carlos' musical world, to his dynamic communicative abilities, and to the fact that rolling stones truly gather no moss. The man continues to make a guitar wail like no other.

To the sound of punchy horns, Rodney Holmes' double-bass drum kick, and of course, Santana's searing string-bending, "Yaleo" tears it up with abandon. "Migra" is another signature Santana 'Latin rock' piece with a pulsing Bo Diddley beat and a strong message about the U.S. immigration officers' harassment of Latinos. "Love Of My Life" is a sultry number with Matthews pouring sweetness all over the microphone, while "Do You Like The Way" features Hill dropping the light of her wisdom to slow, rough beats. minimize