Audio CD review:
Santana - Caravanserai

Santana - Caravanserai

Band: Santana Title: Caravanserai Rating: Release Date: 25 October, 1990 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Eternal Caravan Of Reincarnation 2: Waves Within 3: Look Up (To See What's Coming Down) 4: Just In Time To See The Sun 5: Song Of The Wind 6: All The Love Of The Universe 7: Future Primitive 8: Stone Flower 9: La Fuente Del Ritmo 10: Every Step Of The Way

Customer Reviews the musical orchid of its era Santana was an open door: their music was popular, enough so to get onto AM radio in a big way ("Oye como va" would have gotten old, if it hadn't been Santana) and yet it suggested depth and freedom of form that wasn't present in even the furthest-out "prog rock". What a window onto the world when the LP of this music came out! As rock music eltonjohn'ed down, many of us were looking for a way out of the silliness and inconsequentiality of Anglo-American pop music. Those of us who were guitargod crazy were of course onto Carlos Santana, and I believe that he still stands, with his best work, as the greatest lyricist of the electric guitar, outside of jazz. Remember that this was before the great waves of Latin migration into the United States, so this sound was quite exotic to the ears of most of America. Moreover, cultures that aim at conformity and homogeneity, as America did at that time, tend to objectify "the other", negatively or positively. Some people reacted to the Latin nature of the music with slurs, some with the idea that this was a hot-blooded, "get dirty" kind of music. This was a gross, mindless response to the first three Santana records, fine in their own right, of course, but imagine what simple heads made of this band when it recorded, and performed, this relentlessly probing, spiritual music. "Boring". But not for some of us. And unlike some of the stuff that came out in this period that seemed interesting to those of us who were looking for something more, this has stayed interesting. I don't think it was terrible profitable for Carlos and his colleagues, though. After the LP's "Welcome" and "Borboletta", also interesting but not of the perfection of Caravanserai, Santana came out with disappointing "Amigos", a paint-by-numbers affair that simultaneously pandered to disco fever and the the whitebread America notion of the simple Latin. Well, you do have to make enough money to live on . Good music requires effort to appreciate I was a big fan of the first 3 albums and bought it without hearing a note. I bought this album when it came out in 1972 at the ripe age of 15. Imagine my adolescent surprise when this album required much more effort to adore. I've since learned that music I like immediately loses it's flavor on the bedpost overnight. The toe tapping fades with the umpteenth playback. . . This work represents a unique moment in time and a significant artistic accomplishment. You don't have to love every track to appreciate the expression and departure from easy commercial returns. It stands alone as a bold canvas created to satisfy Santana's inner exploration instead of a records company's profit motives. Like a lot of great music, this one captured a lot more ears because the artist had a name, and I for one, am richer for the effort. This stands as my favorite Santana album. Push yourself to learn every cut and you'll find it takes you someplace you've never been. The greatest musical gift of all. Song for the Wind His phrasing is along the lines of the great jazz pianist Bill Evans. The guitar solo on Song for the Wind by itself is probably one of the greatest solos of rock/fusion/jazz guitar. Just listen to the demo on this site and you'll see what I mean -- the actual solo is considerably longer but this gives a good taste of the album. I owned it in 1973 and just re-purchased and it has held up greatly with time. . You can see a complete list of all Santana discography, or go back to the Santana tabs