Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Santana
Label: Columbia Records
Released: 1969
Length: 37:29
Rating: 4.5/5
Santana are one of those extremely rare, legendary rock bands who, thanks to their pioneering work in uncovering new, previously unexplored musical territory (in their case, fusing Latin music with classic rock), became a worldwide phenomenon practically from day one. Their self-titled debut came out in the late summer of 1969, when everyone who had been at the legendary Woodstock festival and heard »Soul Sacrifice« already knew exactly how gifted and innovative these musicians were.
Santana were made up of their charismatic chieftain, Mexican-born guitar virtuoso Carlos Santana on guitar and vocals, Gregg Rolie on keyboards and vocals, David Brown on bass, Michael Shrieve on drums, and Jose Areas and Mike Carabello on percussion. Right on their debut, simply called »Santana«, they pulled off a fiery blend of traditional Latin rhythms steeped in Chicano Mexican-American musical culture and hard-hitting rock. It was a one-of-a-kind mix whose ‘exotic’ flavor instantly won over most of the Western world and changed the history of rock music forever.
On the individual tracks of »Santana« you can easily hear that the original Santana were a jam band that loved stretching out into long improvisations, so it’s no surprise that most of the album is instrumental music, with a heavy emphasis on Carlos’s melancholic guitar improvisations, Rolie’s massive layers of organ, and lively percussion. On the suggestion of their manager at the time, the band decided to put out slightly more compact versions of the songs on the album, though they still kept a strong improvisational edge.
The Latin rocker »Waiting«, shot through with instrumental jams, is an incredibly fiery opener to the album and a brilliant start to the long studio career of this legendary band, and of Carlos Santana in particular. With his ruffled guitar variations and runs, he’s already front and center on the opening track. Still, when it comes to building a heated atmosphere on top of Latin rhythms, driven by wonderfully colorful percussion, and to measuring virtuoso muscle, keyboardist Rolie doesn’t trail far behind him at all, wowing at every turn with his organ mastery. »Evil Ways«, originally written by jazz guitarist Clarence ‘Sonny’ Henry, became their first big hit single. The lyrics are about a fickle woman who neglects her lover in favor of her favorite girlfriends. The mischievous guitar phrase is backed by swaying percussion rhythms, while Rolie’s restless vocals and agitated organ runs give it a special atmosphere. And Carlos’s closing guitar passage is pure balm for the soul.
»Shades of Time« has a somewhat more ethereal pulse, and alongside the colorful vocal harmonies, Shrieve’s outstanding drum combinations really stand out, while there’s hardly any point wasting words on the guitar wizard this time, since he’s the very definition of improvisational perfection. Carlos may never have been the best American guitarist, but he was certainly (and still is) the best American guitarist of Mexican descent. On the instrumental »Savor«, it’s mainly the two percussionists who shine, creating a seriously hot vibe within the Latin rhythms, while Rolie once again conjures up a mysterious yet hot-blooded improvisation on the Hammond organ.
The rainbow-colored instrumental »Jingo«, a cover of »Jin-go-lo-ba«, originally performed by Nigerian percussionist Babatunde Olatunji, is among Santana’s most recognizable evergreens, and was later covered by James Last and Pierre Moerlen’s Gong as well. The turbulent rhythms of the exotic percussion are soaked in layered organ passages here, while the ‘shaman’ works his guitar magic with ingenious improvisations that still don’t stop thrilling today. The excellent backing vocals add a special dimension to this classic and second single from the album.
On the punchy Latin rocker »Persuasion«, Gregg Rolie steps up on lead vocals again, while Carlos conjures up some seriously fiery blues passages that blend deliciously with the mighty layers of organ. On the Latin jazz rock fusion instrumental »Treat«, Carlos and his crew, mostly through subtle piano arrangements, show off their ear for jazz elements too, which will come much more to the fore on future albums. Carlos’s melodic guitar solo is pure poetry for the ears once again, while Rolie shows off his keyboard versatility at every turn. The melancholy-tinged »You Just Don’t Care« features an almost hard rock guitar phrase, while the lyrics, which Rollie sings with special fire, are yet another sentimental confession about a broken heart.
Santana first won the public’s attention with the unforgettable instrumental »Soul Sacrifice«, one of the highlights of Woodstock, which is both the closing and the key track on their debut. One of the best-known classics from Carlos’s virtuoso crew is marked by the hard graft of both percussionists and a fantastic drum solo from Mike Shrieve, while Rolie’s shimmering Hammond organ variations pave the way for Carlos’s playful runs. Together they create a fantastic atmosphere in which the musical worlds of both Americas join hands. It’s worth mentioning that when they played »Soul Sacrifice«, one of the first creations of their career, at Woodstock, Santana were a practically unknown, obscure band, and pretty much overnight they became huge stars and crowd favorites. The 1998 CD reissue of the album also includes three tracks that were played at that festival: »Savor«, a nearly 12-minute version of »Soul Sacrifice«, and »Fried Neckbones«.
Led by the unstoppable guitar shaman Carlos Santana, Santana shook the music world to its core with their self-titled debut, creating something totally new with their Latin rock fusion, so it’s no surprise this album was a huge artistic and commercial success. The music pioneers of Santana, originally an extremely tight-knit collective, believed strongly in their mission back then, and their fire for linking two different musical worlds can be felt on every track of this achievement, which is still excellent and influential today, and with which Carlos very successfully laid the cornerstone of his magnificent career.
Line-up
Carlos Santana – guitar, vocals
Gregg Rolie – keyboards, lead vocals
Michael Shrieve – drums
David Brown – bass guitar
Michael Carabello – congas
Jose ‘Chepito’ Areas – timbales, congas, percussion
Production
Santana and Brent Dangerfield
Track list
1. Waiting (4:04)
2. Evil Ways (3:56)
3. Shades of Time (3:13)
4. Savor (2:45)
5. Jingo (4:21)
6. Persuasion (2:35)
7. Treat (4:43)
8. You Just Don’t Care (4:35)
9. Soul Sacrifice (6:38)
