Santana [Legacy Edition] [Digipak] (CD - 1969)

Santana: Carlos Santana (vocals, guitar); Greg Rolie (vocals, piano, organ); Dave Brown (bass); Mike Shrieve (drums); Jose Chepito Areas (timbales, congas, percussion); Mike Carabello (congas, percussion).

Reissue producer: Bob Irwin.

Recorded at Pacific Recording, San Mateo, California in May 1969 and live at The Woodstock Festival, Bethel, New York on August 16, 1969.

Includes liner notes by Ben Fong-Torres.

Santana: Carlos Santana (guitar, vocals); Greg Rolie (piano, organ, vocals); Dave Brown (bass); Michael Shrieve (drums); Jose Chepito Areas (timbales, congas, percussion); Mike Carabello (congas, percussion).

Additional personnel: Tower Of Power (horns); Coke Escovedo.

This is part of Columbia/Legacy's Master Sound series.

Personnel: Carlos Santana (vocals, guitar); Gregg Rolie (vocals, piano, organ); Michael Shrieve (drums); José Chepitó Areas (congas, timbales, percussion); Mike Carabello (congas, percussion).

Audio Mixers: Joe Lizzi; Vic Anesini.

Liner Note Author: Hal Miller.

Recording information: Pacific Recording, San Mateo, CA (01/27/1969-08/16/1969); Woodstock Music & Arts Festival (01/27/1969-08/16/1969).

Photographers: Coni "Night Loon" Beeson; John Kalodner; Amalie R. Rothschild; Jim Marshall .

Arranger: Alberto Gianquinto.

Carlos Santana was originally in his own wing of the Latin Rock Hall of Fame, neither playing Afro-Cuban with rock guitar, as did Malo, nor flavoring mainstream rock with percussion, as did Chicago. His first record, as with the best fusion, created something a little different than just a mixture -- a new style that, surprisingly, remains all his own. Granted that Latin music has seeped into the mainstream since, but why aren't Van Halen and Metallica listening to this? Where they simmer, Santana boils over. ~ Carl Hoyt

Before the arrival of Carlos Santana's eponymous band, the San Francisco rock scene drew the inspiration for its jam-oriented music mainly from blues, rock, and Eastern modalities. Santana added Latin music to the mix, forever changing the course of rock & roll history. On Santana's groundbreaking debut album, the group mixes Latin percussion with driving rock grooves. Santana's unique guitar style, alternately biting and liquid, vies with the multiple percussionists for the sonic focus.

Unlike later efforts, Santana's first album features an abundance of loose collective compositions based on a couple of simple riffs ("Jingo," "Soul Sacrifice"). This approach allows for Santana and his bandmates to flex their improvisational muscles to fine effect. The high energy level on SANTANA is infectious--the laid-back feel of other '60s S.F. groups was clearly not for Carlos and company.

The Sony Legacy Edition of Santana's 1969 self-titled debut album is exactly the kind of deluxe treatment that the repackaging and remastering of a classic album deserves. Fine liner notes by Hal Miller guide the listener through the historical journey of this record. First, there is a stunningly remastered version of the original album, front and center with alternate takes of "Savor" and "Soul Sacrifice" added, as well as a studio jam. Musically, Santana is the spot on the map marking the point where everything came together, mutated, and changed. Here Afro-Cuban son, blues, rock, jazz, and funk collided head on, and decided to become something else. Gregg Rolie's swirling, atmospheric organ provided the sonic root equation. Santana's guitar provided the frenzied flight, and Michael Shrieve's Elvin Jones/Roy Haynes-inspired driving kit work provided a dynamic commensurate with the visceral nature of rock. This was not aided, but made possible and furthered by the percussion work of Joe Areas and Michael Caravello, and anchored to earth only by David Brown's rock-solid, dirty-assed bassing. Sure, "Evil Ways" was a monster single, but it doesn't begin to tell the story of the album. Interestingly, with the all the bonus material added, the album doesn't even tell the story of the album. What does offer the key is disc two, which includes the band's original studio sessions for the album -- before the addition of Shrieve and Areas to the band. These tracks, almost all of which appeared in different form on the final version, revealed a talented, original, but loosely focused and slightly timid jamming ensemble that put together some compelling riffs and ideas, but hadn't jelled in a studio setting. Add to this Santana's complete Woodstock performance (with four previously unreleased tracks which took place before the album's release date) and the listener gets floored just contemplating the final release. That in four months, this band had gone from being green and naïve to becoming command performers. This is a remarkable, welcome, and definitive addition to the Santana catalog and raises the watermark for all reissues as well. ~ Thom Jurek minimize