With the massive creative and even critical success of&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Caravanserai/dp/B0000A2I1B/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Caravanserai</a>&nbsp;and<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Welcome/dp/B0012GMV58/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Welcome</a>&nbsp;in the last couple years before this,Carlos Santana and his band weren't exactly gaining any huge commercial successes from any of these. Whenever they appeared on a TV show or in concert,it seemed they were always expected to play the bigger hit songs from their debut trio of albums. Those were as creative hits and albums as they'd ever done. But when they moved beyond that,more towards jazz and funk they really began to lose some of that attention. They were perceived as a psychedelic latin rock band. The reality is...there was a lot more happening. It had to do with the San Francisco culture they spawned from. With Tom Coster still onboard for this album and Miles Davis/Chick Corea alumni Airto and Flora Purim taking a bigger role this time out this album musically really clicked with everything they'd been coming at since they started their career. I think it probably went somewhat unnoticed to even some hardcore fans. And I happen to know some writers and critics kind of dismissed it as...forgettable. Well whatever it is,forgettable it isn't.

  Even with albums in between this provides something of the musical link between the earlier&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Caravanserai/dp/B0000A2I1B/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Caravanserai</a>&nbsp;and the next album&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Amigos/dp/B00171RQBW/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Amigos</a>. Starting out with "Spring Manifestations" on a Brazillian fusion percussion roll call or sorts and ending in the same manner on the closing title song,with Airto's wordless vocal cries as an exit point we have instrumental numbers such as the late 60's Miles Davis type,quietly melodic "Conto De Los Flores" along with "Aspirations",the leslie amped "Flor De Canela" and "Promises Of A Fisherman". These are all melody based,filled with this almost...audio impression of bright sunshine directly overhead. Quiet but stinging hot all at the same time. Tom Coster's organ work is paramount on these songs. "Life Is Anew","Give And Take","One With The Sun","Practice What You Preach","Mirage" and "Here And Now" make up the main core of the albums. All are vocal numbers featuring the relatively newbie Christian funk vocalist Leon Patillo,who sings very meaningful and spiritually open lyrics along with some of the most flowing,slick and danceable melodic funk of the era. Each starting off in the somewhat more jazzy vein these numbers are truly Ricky Vincent's "united funk era" personified.

  This newfound funk direction would be something admirers would hear the band continue to develop for the rest of the 70's decade. They would soon get their poppier side going stong again after this album. And this would wind up being the last of the Santana band's more abstract jazzier style excursions. But this one kind of one up's it's predecessor to a degree by rather anticipating a more pop oriented sound with it's thick but softly produced funk grooves. Nothing on this albums,even Carlos's passionate as always lead solos are particularly loud. In a lot of ways,aside from the sometimes penetrating sound of the guitar solos this isn't even a rock n' roll album in the traditional sense of the word. Not even psychedelic. The songs are deep inside the groove and there really isn't the same sense of ego tripping noise making usually at the core of rock music. Maybe it was some type of rock in a jazzier funk place,who knows. If so Santana was continuing to redefine what rock was. I heard it said recently rock music was at something of a low during 1974 in particular. Maybe because with albums like this it was starting to merely turn different colors that got some people a little confused. Either way this is an excellent album,great to get your head and ears straightened out with and revisiting if you never heard it.
With the massive creative and even critical success of&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Caravanserai/dp/B0000A2I1B/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt? ie=UTF8">Caravanserai</a>&nbsp;and<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Welcome/dp/B0012GMV58/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt? ie=UTF8">Welcome</a>&nbsp;in the last couple years before this,Carlos Santana and his band weren't exactly gaining any huge commercial successes from any of these. Whenever they appeared on a TV show or in concert,it seemed they were always expected to play the bigger hit songs from their debut trio of albums. Those were as creative hits and albums as they'd ever done. But when they moved beyond that,more towards jazz and funk they really began to lose some of that attention. They were perceived as a psychedelic latin rock band. The reality is... there was a lot more happening. It had to do with the San Francisco culture they spawned from. With Tom Coster still onboard for this album and Miles Davis/Chick Corea alumni Airto and Flora Purim taking a bigger role this time out this album musically really clicked with everything they'd been coming at since they started their career. I think it probably went somewhat unnoticed to even some hardcore fans. And I happen to know some writers and critics kind of dismissed it as... forgettable. Well whatever it is,forgettable it isn't. Even with albums in between this provides something of the musical link between the earlier&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Caravanserai/dp/B0000A2I1B/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt? ie=UTF8">Caravanserai</a>&nbsp;and the next album&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Amigos/dp/B00171RQBW/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt? ie=UTF8">Amigos</a>. Starting out with "Spring Manifestations" on a Brazillian fusion percussion roll call or sorts and ending in the same manner on the closing title song,with Airto's wordless vocal cries as an exit point we have instrumental numbers such as the late 60's Miles Davis type,quietly melodic "Conto De Los Flores" along with "Aspirations",the leslie amped "Flor De Canela" and "Promises Of A Fisherman". These are all melody based,filled with this almost... audio impression of bright sunshine directly overhead. Quiet but stinging hot all at the same time. Tom Coster's organ work is paramount on these songs. "Life Is Anew","Give And Take","One With The Sun","Practice What You Preach","Mirage" and "Here And Now" make up the main core of the albums. All are vocal numbers featuring the relatively newbie Christian funk vocalist Leon Patillo,who sings very meaningful and spiritually open lyrics along with some of the most flowing,slick and danceable melodic funk of the era. Each starting off in the somewhat more jazzy vein these numbers are truly Ricky Vincent's "united funk era" personified. This newfound funk direction would be something admirers would hear the band continue to develop for the rest of the 70's decade. They would soon get their poppier side going stong again after this album. And this would wind up being the last of the Santana band's more abstract jazzier style excursions. But this one kind of one up's it's predecessor to a degree by rather anticipating a more pop oriented sound with it's thick but softly produced funk grooves. Nothing on this albums,even Carlos's passionate as always lead solos are particularly loud. In a lot of ways,aside from the sometimes penetrating sound of the guitar solos this isn't even a rock n' roll album in the traditional sense of the word. Not even psychedelic. The songs are deep inside the groove and there really isn't the same sense of ego tripping noise making usually at the core of rock music. Maybe it was some type of rock in a jazzier funk place,who knows. If so Santana was continuing to redefine what rock was. I heard it said recently rock music was at something of a low during 1974 in particular. Maybe because with albums like this it was starting to merely turn different colors that got some people a little confused. Either way this is an excellent album,great to get your head and ears straightened out with and revisiting if you never heard it.