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Album Club
01-04-2015, 18:13
Album Club, April 2015: Santana – ‘Abraxas’

April’s Album Club choice comes courtesy of Barry, who due to a ‘no show’ has stepped in at the last minute with Santana’s ‘Abraxas’. Please listen to the album in its entirety before you vote.


Santana – ‘Abraxas’

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61iD1mqjVvL._SY355_.jpg


The version I used is the ‘Vinyl Classics’ re-master: Sony Columbia COL 489543 2 (1998)

This is the second album recorded by Santana in 1970 and was the one, which in the opinion of many propelled Santana to global stardom.

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What I like about this album is the combination of Afro-Caribbean music with that of Mexican mariachi and Latin American music. In particular, I love the way the tracks segue one into another, especially on side one of the LP, as can be heard here with the tracks: Singing Winds - Crying Beasts; Black Magic Woman, and Gypsy Queen.

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This album has it all – from the first track, designed to test the resolution of your system, to tracks that if they don’t get you up out of your listening chair and have you dancing around the room will at least make you tap your foot. If it doesn’t move you, you are either dead or have a lousy audio system!

Santana first promoted their style of Afro-Latin music fused with rock and roll as “Music to make love to” – which says it all really. Enjoy!

Oh – if you’re wondering why the album is called ‘Abraxas’, well it’s taken from a passage in the book: Demian by Herman Hesse:

“We stood before it and began to freeze inside from the exertion.
We questioned the painting, berated it, made love to it, prayed to it:
We called it mother, called it whore and slut, called it our beloved, called it Abraxas…”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraxas_(album)


Spotify: Santana – Singing Winds, Crying Beasts
(https://open.spotify.com/album/1CHUXwuge9A7L2KiA3vnR6/0vBCQeiEKRy6eJmrf5zz4H?)

Grooveshark: http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/Abraxas/7888562

Tarzan
01-04-2015, 21:26
Great LP!

'Mother's daughter', a great track.:yesbruv:

Audio Al
02-04-2015, 05:31
I gave it a 7 , Nice album but not outstanding

Thanks Barry :)

Tarzan
02-04-2015, 19:52
I gave it a 7 , Nice album but not outstanding

Thanks Barry :)


Thought you was off the drugs Al?:scratch:

RichB
04-04-2015, 11:20
I'm not the biggest Santana fan but this is a perfectly good listen for a Saturday morning.

7 out of 10 from me.

struth
04-04-2015, 12:23
thread crapping is not allowed and posts have been deleted re rules

Macca
04-04-2015, 16:49
Ah now this one truly is a classic. Taped a copy off the hippy down the street way back in 1990; just left college couldn't get a job for love nor money. Spent my evenings smoking gold seal, drinking peach wine and listening to music and this was on my regular rotation. Still is in fact. Every time I hear that intro to Black Magic Woman it transports me back in time to those days. Tito on the toms, man that is some good listening. Ten out of Ten.

Tim
04-04-2015, 16:59
Can't be any other score than 10 - a timeless classic. Owned it on LP, cassette and now just have the CD which is ripped to FLAC. Not played it in eon's so really great to re-visit it again.

Bazil
04-04-2015, 18:08
I've never properly listened to Santana , I'm not a big guitar music fan but I'll give this plenty of listening before voting.

high.spirits
05-04-2015, 13:09
Dug out my old vinyl copy and it brought back loads of memories!!!

Not so keen of the heavy organ use (very 70s) and never really got the "Incident at Neshabur" track.

Carlos still uses distortion on his guitar to get his sound as heard on more modern albums like Supernatural -just love the bass on Maria Maria...

7/10 as a bit dated now.

struth
05-04-2015, 13:15
Will give it a relisten tonight... I was weaned off this stuff years ago at great expense so I hope I dont reoffend:eyebrows:

Anthony K
05-04-2015, 13:49
I also have the vinyl , not a huge fan of Carlos guitar work but love the overall feel of the instrumentation , what I Cu-funk:)

Spectral Morn
06-04-2015, 11:08
Excellent album and it was out of this line up of Santana that Gregg Rolie and Neal Schon came, who formed Journey :) also Michael Shrieve, a wonderful drummer, his album Stiletto gets played here a lot.

Anyone interested in guitar based prog would do well to listen to Journeys first three albums, a very different matter to the later more AOR output.

Good choice Barry 8 out of 10



Regards Neil

Tom-Brown
06-04-2015, 12:02
I haven't listened to any Santana since the late 70's and although some of the tracks were good, I won't be rushing out to add any to my shelves :( all a little dated and some tracks even reminded me of bad "B" movie soundtracks :lol: :lol: I'll give it a 5

struth
06-04-2015, 12:09
Listened last night and felt like I was in a time warp tbh. I guess my listening preferences have moved on with age.
Thats not to say I didnt enjoy Carlos' axe work coz I did. A madter at work but as Tom says a bit dated and wont be heading my way. 6.5/10....7 for the vote

Bazil
24-04-2015, 18:09
Well I've given this long enough , its grown on me but it took a long time , goes without saying excellent guitar playing and some sublime tracks.
Only 7/10 though because I wouldn't buy it and maybe not to it listen again but I certainly know what Carlos is all about now.

Barry
29-04-2015, 01:34
Thanks for the comments Guys. In general you seem to have liked it.

I'm going to give it 9/10 as it's very good (well I did choose it :lol:), but not perfect enough for a 10! :)

struth
29-04-2015, 14:46
Was going to nominate one but I mean, what if they say I'ts no good? What if they say, "Get out of here, kid! You've got no taste" I mean, I just don't think I can take that kind of rejection. :eyebrows:

Barry
29-04-2015, 14:50
Was going to nominate one but I mean, what if they say I'ts no good? What if they say, "Get out of here, kid! You've got no taste" I mean, I just don't think I can take that kind of rejection. :eyebrows:

Don't be too sensitive Grant. The Album Club rota will come to the end with next month's choice. So a call will be put out for new contributers. Care to be one of them Grant?

Marco
29-04-2015, 15:59
Go on, you know you want to! ;)

Marco.

Tarzan
29-04-2015, 19:35
Don't be too sensitive Grant. The Album Club rota will come to the end with next month's choice. So a call will be put out for new contributers. Care to be one of them Grant?

l have a great choice. ( well l think so- let it be me:eek:)

Audio Al
29-04-2015, 19:39
l have a great choice. ( well l think so- let it be me:eek:)

OH NO , WHAT this time :eek:

Canetoad
10-05-2015, 02:47
7/10 for me. Very enjoyable!

Tarzan
10-05-2015, 12:14
OH NO , WHAT this time :eek:

Do not think you will like it Al.



It is pwopa moosic.:ner:

hifi_dave
11-05-2015, 16:20
It's a ten for me. I've been a Santana fan for donkeys years and saw them way back when in concert. A great album from a great musician..:guitar:

archiesdad
11-05-2015, 19:46
One of the many Santana albums in our collection, one that gets played often early on a Saturday morning while the coffee brews, so, 8/10.
Unable to vote in the poll though.

Clive197
12-05-2015, 08:04
I still listen to this album regularly. Too late to vote but I would have given it a 9.
I have this album on CD, SACD and vinyl. The later on a new 180gm pressing by Music On Vinyl.