Friday 28 August 2015

What we're listening to. Santana.


We fully understand....it's a 'greatest hits' album rather than 'Moonflower', 'Abraxus' (which got most people hooked on Santana), or 'Love Devotion Surrender' and we empathise. But. 

If you want an introduction to Santana, this is the best Alum to get and certainly in an office, it has everything.

'Evil Ways', 'Black Magic Woman', 'Oye Como Va', 'Samba Pa Ti', 'She's not there' and possibly the best of them all, 'Let the children play'.

It's from 2013 and seems to have a few different covers but it's the Double Album you want, featuring songs from 'Supernatural' and not the 2002 release.

Santana wasn't really a band, just guitarist Carlos Santana and a huge number of people who played with him. I'll guess there were 50 Band members on Albums.

They started in 1967 but their breakthrough came at 'Woodstock' in 1969. Their 'Abraxas' Album of 1970 with the single 'Black Magic Woman' then propelled the Band going to number one. 

Actually, Black Magic Woman was written by Peter Green original founder of 'Fleetwood Mac' and not by Santana as is often assumed.

Like reggae, this does take listening but a Latin groove that easily infects and is very up-lifting. 

They're still about (a Streamabout staffer saw them live in Amsterdam) and there's lots of music to discover if you like this.

For us, it was well, a little bit magical....

I was just amazed to come across this 'Evil Ways' from that Woodstock gig in 1969. A really young Carlos Santana...and there's talk of re-creating this line-up this year to do some concerts.



And here is 'Let the Children Play'.