Santana has a unique sound of his own. When he first showed up around the late 60`s his music was different and always put out good songs. He was good then and still is.

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I saw Santana as late as the late '80s and they were just about the tightest band I have ever seen.
The guys onstage were anything but posers or fakes and if you saw what I saw and heard and think that,well we just disagree on music and what it is and should be.
Carlos said very little and the band went through one great song after another without any "sing along" b/s you see coming from most Woodstock era acts nowadays.
It was about 3 1/2 hours of nonstop wall of sound music....some of the best I've ever heard.
He didn't play a starring role in it either,he was just one of the band.

I think Moonflower is absolutely brilliant!

It's important that you've said 'they' because, as cited elsewhere herein, "Santana'' means both the leader and the band. This is a band's sound, not that solely of the guitarist. He often backs out of it and gives it over to the organ and percussion. Minus this, it's like Chuck Berry without Johnny Johnson and his piano. On a personal note, Santana is one entertainer in the rock genre for whom my wife does not require any arm twisting to listen to.

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"Another day in paradise!"

If we're talking about The Man (Carlos), I love/hate him. He can really play very well, and he has a distinct, individual style and tone that I (overall) like.

I've seen him twice, and by weird coincidence both times at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, with ZZ Top being the final act of the evening. First time was at the Miller Lite Randy Quaid "Biggest Party In Texas II", which kicked off ZZ Top's Recycler Tour in 1990; the second was at the Eric Clapton Crossroads Festival in Dallas.

Both times I saw him I thought, "Oh, man--this guy can play! ...That's a good looking PRS...Oh, I remember this song ...I forgot about that song...I don't remember three guitar solos in this song; oops, make that four ...oh, the percussionist is taking ANOTHER solo ...dear Lord in heaven, when will this end? "
...and that took us to the end of the second song.

He's much like a jazz trumpet player who doesn't know when to stop playing or when his audience has grown bored. Yes, he allows his band to shine, and shares the stage with them as well, but he delayed ZZ Top hitting the stage in 1990, and cut into Jeff Beck's slot at the ECCRF-Dallas.

I forgave him about both of those things, because he could play the songs exactly the way he played them forty years ago...and yes, that is a back-handed compliment.

What I absolutely can't stand is his whacked-out pseudo-mysticism/quasi-spiritual bull crap that Editor Boy (aka Michael Molenda) at Guitar Player fawns over so much. The "conversations" he has with the spirits of long-dead musicians tells me he has perhaps damaged his mind much like Peter Green (who did "Black Magic Woman" better--and first).

PS--I do have one very fond memory relating to him, however...my wife and I danced to "Smooth" (featuring Rob Thomas) at a wedding one night, and it was a wonderful, intimate experience. We both smile when we hear that song, due to the memory of that dance. Thank you, Rob and Carlos...now get off stage.

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

This is one of those questions that makes me nuts. Do you like the Latin music and Rock? If not, then Santana is not for you. If you do, then he epitomized it. He never seems to have been THE virtuoso guitarist, but he's always been the consummate musician. The MUSIC ruled. So when people talk about his sound and his tone (which is very real) it's some of the most lyrical guitar playing. He's also able to consequently really pour emotion into his playing, whether you feel it as pain or joy.

Yeah, when he's interviewed it's a lot of mystical nonsense, but then again, so is John McLaughlin (Mahavishnu Orchestra).

I have an old 4 track reel with a Santana album on it and I think "I hope you feeling better" is brilliant.

I dig what you're saying, Yanktar.

Yes, I do like Latin rock/Tejano rock/etc...Sir Douglas Quintet, The Texas Tornados, Freddie Fender, the Latin Express (of Fort Worth, Tejas), Flaco Hernandez, Vellejo, Los Lonely Boys (although they tend to get diarrhea of the guitar a bit too often, too) are all big players in my household.

I guess my problem is the mysticism coupled with the over-playing coupled with the fact I wasn't going to to the concerts see him...he just happened to be on the bill. He was a slowdown between me and ZZ Top or me and Jeff Beck, etc.

Had I been going to see him, I might have been more accepting of the forty minute songs.

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

Amazing guitarist. His new albums are complete sheist, but his early work is great. I love Abraxas and the jazzy Borboletta.

Scream, I get that and you make a good point. The WRONG band on the bill is just wrong.
I remember seeing the Stones in '76. The opener was The Meters, a very good "Funk" band of the time, with that Motown-derived sound. The audience went crazy, booed them right out of there. I felt really sorry for the guys, because they were a good band. But they were wrong for the bill.

But I've always had a thing for good Latin music--it's the best dance music and I still remember the best dances when I was in college were given by the Latin-American student orgs. And could those kids dance! It would be 25 years before my wife and I learned to mambo at all like that!

That's it Abraxas is the album.

the best Hispanic guitarist to live period, not to mention one of the best period definatley in my top 10

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Santa Santana

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

Andres Segovia; go to your room.

Soul Sacrifice Rules http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLDalZ4-53g This song defines IN THE GROOVE.............

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The blues ain't nothin but a good man feelin bad.