Nov 10
18
Santana – Santana (Legacy Edition)
Man, I love me some early Santana! After creating a huge storm of tribal electricity at Woodstock in August of 1969, the band exploded into the collective consciousness of young music lovers everywhere. Their debut album was a lively, mostly improvisational affair that followed a very simple rule: play in the studio with the same fervor they play live on stage. And it worked with some stunning results.
Santana: Legacy Edition compiles their stunning 1969 debut album along with studio out takes, songs and jams from their early album sessions, and their entire explosive set at Woodstock, minus “Evil Ways.” The two discs are jam packed with essential material and do a fantastic job of shedding a little more light on just what was going on with Santana in those formative years. When coupled with Fillmore ’68 you really get a sense of just how amazing this band was.
Let me assure you that the sound on this set, as with all Legacy Editions, is simply stellar. The percussion has been brought forth with stunning clarity and warmth and everyone shines through the mix with a fresh breath of life – the bass is tight, the drums full, and Carlos’ guitar piercing the heavens as usual. But what’s truly amazing is how excellent the original album sessions on disc 2 sound. In fact, I find myself listening more and more to these sessions and just marveling at how poised the band was on total latin rock domination. The long hypnotic grooves found on Fillmore ’68 are heard with just a little more polish and in perfect studio sound quality.
The always welcome “Fried Neckbones” kicks off the set and we are immediately plunged into a searing, mesmerizing groove. It’s hard for me to imagine any band other than Santana that would have been able to pull off something like this. The band gets deep into a late night mysterious jam that touches on jazz, psychedelia, and rock all with a healthy dose of latin rhythms. Organist Greg Rolie lays out a pulsating groundwork over which Carlos flies overtop with a spiraling solo while the bass, drums, and percussion all hang loose in a slow simmer that gets quite complex in its simplicity.
“Soul Sacrifice” sounds much more tribal in execution than the final version that ended up on the album and in doing so almost sounds like a completely different song. The drums and percussion roll to a steady pulsing beat that is positively enchanting while Greg and Carlos lay down some seriously awesome solos. It is indeed pure joy to hear Carlos and Greg meshing together as one, playing off their similarities and reaching that perfect synthesis of guitar and organ that most bands strive for but never attain. Yes, this is missing Michael Shrieve’s furious drum work and thus the pure rock energy that it would later attain, but it is powerful none the less. Just a fantastic groove laid down by some fantastic musicians.
“Treat” is presented in a longer setting by almost two whole minutes and the vibe is much more subdued than the more rock flavored version found on the debut album. Still, it maintains that late night feel perfectly, and the laid back approach makes it all the more shadowy. “Jingo” closes out the original studio sessions portion of the disc with a serious bang as the whole band tightens up for some nice tribal chanting. Carlos is ripping the fretboard up and down and the repetitive rhythms bring us back to a more primitive place in our minds like only Santana can do.
The Woodstock portion of the disc is vastly different in feel than the preceding studio tracks. Here we find a Santana that is completely unleashed in raw, manic power, and while only a few months have passed since the early studio sessions the band is light years beyond where they once were. Songs such as “Waiting,” “Savor,” and “Jingo” are taken at such a ferocious pace, and with such incendiary power, that it renders the studio versions tame in comparison. Rolie’s solos simply burn with electric energy and at times his Hammond B3 sounds like it’s about to explode at any moment. And then of course there’s Carlos who is just out of control on guitar, his amps turned way past 11, and his solos just tearing the earth right off its axis.
With drummer Michael Shrieve pushing the band to greater heights, “Soul Sacrifice” becomes a study in sustained energy as the band ripples with titanic waves of power that wash over the audience like so much mud that hot August day. Each soloist brings the song higher than the last and just when you thought it couldn’t budge another inch Carlos comes in with a soaring guitar line backed by a tight but loose rhythm section. I mean seriously, the whole jam is just brimming with pure electricity and is easily one of the most exciting and satisfying live performances I have ever heard by anyone. The dedication by each member of the band to contribute to the whole of the music, to the whole of the crowd and band as one, is simply indescribable.
Santana: Legacy Edition is one of those rare perfect releases that presents a stunning array of quality in both music and sound. It is truly fascinating to hear three unique aspects of Santana’s early career – the original recording sessions, the classic debut, and their legendary Woodstock performance – each touched on with just enough material to complete the whole story. In diving deeper into the material one begins to realize just how fast the band was moving back then, and how the roots placed down in those early sessions would soon grow into world wide success. If you are a fan of Santana, especially the early years, you owe it to yourself to seek out this fantastic gem of an album. Like I said, I love me some early Santana…
Tracklist
Disc One:
- “Waiting” – 4:07
- “Evil Ways” – 4:00
- “Shades of Time” – 3:13
- “Savor” – 2:46
- “Jingo” – 4:23
- “Persuasion” – 2:36
- “Treat” – 4:46
- “You Just Don’t Care” – 4:37
- “Soul Sacrifice” – 6:38
- “Savor” (Alternate Take #2) – 2:57
- “Soul Sacrifice” (Alternate Take #4) – 8:50
- “Studio Jam” – 7:09
Disc Two:
- “Fried Neckbones” – 7:41
- “Soul Sacrifice” – 9:06
- “Persuasion” – 3:52
- “Treat” – 6:49
- “Shades of Time” – 2:29
- “Jingo” – 5:20
- “Waiting” (live) – 4:44
- “You Just Don’t Care” (live) – 4:55
- “Savor” (live) – 5:25
- “Jingo” (live) – 5:14
- “Persuasion” (live) – 3:05
- “Soul Sacrifice” (live) – 11:49
- “Fried Neckbones” (live) – 7:13
