Santana

Santana attempted to duplicate the success of Supernatural using the same formula: he paired his trademark keening proto-psychedelic-gone-Latin guitar whine with a bevy of famous collaborators, and it almost works. Almost, because some of the collaborators seem to have been selected for their star quotient instead of their affinity for the superstar's aesthetic. Those who do possess the same wild-eyed spirit -- such as Ozomatli, Macy Gray and, strangely, Michelle Branch -- elevate what Santana does best. But still, the most inspired tracks are his instrumental excursions into inner space, such as "Foo Foo" and "Victory of One."

This is no time for Carlos Santana to have an identity crisis. Is he the leader of a global
dance party or just another supplicant to the cruel demands of radio formats? From his
band's beginnings in the late 1960s, Santana seemed to have a mission: to realize the
one-world idealism of the Sixties by merging rock with the entire African diaspora
(especially Afro-Cuban drumming). Santana and his band should have made Sham... More >