Best album ... 'Lotus'. All their greatest early songs played by the 'Welcome' band ... what's not to like. Carlos Santana playing at a peak. The way he swings into 'My Favourite Things' during 'Incident at Neshabur' ...... class!!
Moonflower is my no 1 favourite Santana album, I think all the live versions outstrip their studio counterparts. The studio tracks though dont disappoint one bit and of course theres a better than the original version of the Zombies' She's Not There. Tom Coster puts in some great performances on these live tracks as well. Lotus is absolutely phenomenal as well - I do think that when playing live he's one of those guitarists who totally transcends the constrictions of the studio so even though the studio version are great, the live versions are even better - Europa is great on Amigos , Toussaint L'Overture is great on Santana 3 but on Moonflower they're just something else. I also really like a lot of his post 70's work, however its the albums up to Marathon and his solo The Swing of Delight, that I think are unsurpassbale, though his '88 set with Wayne Shorter is great and some of his more recent recordings like Santana iv and Shape Shifter arent too shabby, though I havent been as enamoured with a lot of Corazon or Africa Speaks and I'm not overly convinced with Guitar Heaven. His autobiography from a few years back is also a damn good read though, and if I need a bit of a lift Santana nearly always does the job for me.
This was a nice review of ‘your’ favorite Santana records. I enjoy how you present your opinions without any attempt to force anything upon your fans. Living in Northern California, and even going to the Fillmore in SF, I was not aware of Santana until I saw the original lineup in Texas in 1969. This was very enjoyable.
Thanks for highlighting one of my hometown heroes, San Francisco native Santana. An outstanding memory of my university years was typing a final draft of a paper I had to turn in in the morning and listening to Moonflower over and over again to stay awake. Zulu started playing just as the sun started coming through my dorm room. My consciousness was slightly altered by the long hours. The music was fantastic. I think of that moment when I listen to the album in general and Zulu in particular
I knew when I saw this video that I'd get sucked into a month long (at least) Santana focus. I've always been a fan, but not a super fan, but thanks to you I've been listening to all his albums. His post-70s albums get pretty spotty don't they? The best songs are almost always the instrumentals. So I've been making some great playlists of his 70s albums, but also his instrumentals post-70s. You also got me to fully appreciate Lotus. That is now my favorite Santana album. I would have loved to be at that concert. That was clearly the height of his artistic integrity, where he mostly enjoyed playing those great instrumentals, and Lotus is mostly just that. What a classic. I also have a new appreciation for Moonflower, Caravanserai, Welcome and Borborletta! HIs post-70s stuff is so spotty. Supernatural (1999) is actually pretty good but then he goes another 20+ years, but I think his last album "Blessings and Miracles" (2021) is actually pretty good too. Some duds on it of course, but also some good songs.
Awesome top 10. I'm a huge fan of this era of Santana. I met a 21 year old who said she listened to some Santana, and there I was thinking it would be Abraxas or Supernatural. She dropped Illuminations on me ! I nearly had to pull over in disbelief Lol. ✌🏽
After listening to Santana for over 50 years, I've made up my mind that their music is timeless and probably will be listened to a hundred years from now. My favorite is still the first album, your 9th favorite.
Andy, I don't know as much Santana as I feel I should. I bought "Caravanserai" years ago and loved it on first hearing. More recently I bought "Abraxas" as a high-rez download and really like that too, so I must check out some of the others you mentioned, like Amigos.Thanks, as always, for a great video.
You Did it again Andy. You made me go back an listen to all those great Santana albums, and with a new appreciation. I was surprised with your #1 pick Amigos. I thought for sure you would pick "Lotus" or another early 70s album. I like Amigos. As a kid when I bought it in the late 70s it made more sense to me at the time than the other harder to get into more fusion albums. But NOW, for me its Lotus, Welcome, Caravanserai. Instrumental/fusionish Santana is the best. Actually I think their album after Amigos, which is Festival, in 1977, actually has a little more of the fusion sound. And the one nobody ever talks about is his 1979 solo album "Silver Dreams and Golden Reality". I bought that right after it came out and was blown away by it, and still am. I think he needed to make Silver Dreams, which is more of a throw back to his early 70s stuff, becuase the band had moved into a more pop/vocal direction and he needed an outlet for his more musical solos.
Very well done sir, I don't know how I could possibly choose a # 1 between Caravan Sierra & Amigos... I've been listening to both of those albums for over 30 year's & they just don't get old... Brilliant melodies
Superb ranking Andy. Think I might have gone for Amigos too. I remember when it came out it really bounced Santana back into commercial success after the fusion stuff. There was a great concert on BBC2 in '76 (?) to promote the album. Still on UA-cam I think. Love, Devotion and Surrender with McLaughlin was a beautiful album too. Carlos is a wonderful musician that the critics often overlook. Many thanks.
Thanks for the reviews. I ended up ordering a couple that I used to have on vinyl in the 70s. Picking the top spot is almost impossible but for me my #1 pick would have been Caravanserai.
Hello Andy, as far as this video is concerned, I know I've arrived here very 'late to the party', but it's only through the vagaries of the 'internet algorithm' that I came across it at all. Anyway, as a very long time and dedicated fan of Santana, (I'm in my late sixties, having been a fan for 30+ years, also I've got virtually all their albums and have watched the band live at least 20 times), I was fascinated to see what you considered to be the best Santana albums. Firstly, I want to congratulate you on not taking the 'cowards' way out by putting 'Abraxas', (considered by many to be 'the definitive' Santana 'cult' album), or 'Supernatural', (their biggest commercial success), at the top of the list. What's more, I fully agree with you that Santana's earlier works are by far their best. Thank you also for including 'Borboletta' in your list, because whilst it happens to be my favourite Santana studio album, I've rarely come across other Santana fans who rate it. Incidentally, 'Lotus' is my favourite Santana live album. What I found totally' jaw-dropping' about your list is that you choose 'Amigos' as your No. 1, because in all honesty, if you had given me 20 guesses to name your favourite Santana Album, then I still wouldn't have 'come up' with 'Amigos'! Yes, it has 'Europa' and 'Dance Sister Dance', but I've just never rated the album, and in any case, I much prefer the 'Moonflower' live versions of those 2 songs. Maybe I need to listen to 'Amigos again' to see if it'll grow on me, as happened to you with Santana 3. My very favourite Santana track is the collaborative album version of 'Let Us Go To The House of The Lord', which Carlos recorded with John McLaughin, (who is in my opinion by far the very greatest guitarist ever).This is from the album 'Love, Devotion Surrender'. In my opinion, in the first part of that track, Carlos plays one of THE greatest guitar solo ever - which 'blows me away' every time I listen to it. Thanks again for a great video! I've now subscribed to your channel so hopefully in future I will respond to your videos in less than the 3 years it took me to find and respond this one. All the very best!
I might be doing the In The Prog Seat at some point too...I love SOT! Especially the fusion stuff which is why I started doing this stuff here. Before I was just dropping drum videos up but this is actually a lot more fun. And there seem to be some great people with a lot of knowledge here too. I hope it keeps expanding as this is great fun
Santana was in peak form in the 70s. Really tremendous catalog! I love Moonflower. In high school, a friend and I gave each other Xmas presents. I gave him an 8 track tape of Moonflower. I opened my present from him - Moonflower. LOL Those 1st 3 albums are awesome. He has such a distinct sound. You can pick him out any time you hear him play. Moonflower is a masterpiece to my mind.... Greg Walker is my favorite Santana vocalist. Completely agree on Europa!
I managed to come across an import copy of _"Lotus"_ when it was first released (1974). Excellent recording, excellent album. _"Moonflower"_ and _"Abraxas"_ are two other favorites in my album collection. I also really like many of the songs on _"Supernatural",_ although there are one or two songs on it which I really do not enjoy. Certainly it's very fitting that Santana would have a major hit song titled *_"Smooth"!_*
Great choices, I am particularly enamored with the jazz-fusion period and therefore amazed that Amigos tops this list. And look, while Europa is a great track, to not single out the guitar solo in Song of the Wind is blasphemous! IMHVO, it is hands down the most lyrical, flowing, and emotive guitar solo in his whole canon. The guitar is weeping, crying, screaming but yet the solo never falters, it could go on for another 15-20 minutes for me. Thanks for highlighting Caravanserai, Welcome, and Borboletta, they are vastly under appreciated within the Santana community.
Well hello. I am new to doing album ranking videos. I've done three. I did the Santana band earlier today. I just saw your video on Santana and was surprised the you ranking was pretty close to mine. Amigos being one you ranked quite higher . I sure understand that, remarkable album. My videos are quite primitive compared to yours, but maybe with more practice--. I'm enjoying doing this. Thanks to rakers like yourself, I thought I'd give it a go. I enjoyed this video. Thanks
Marathon was my first Santana studio album. I think I bought the best of first but then I bought Marathon in real time and I absolutely loved it and you know what I still think. It might be my favorite Santana album. I just played it yesterday. It’s post the more experimental world music fusion of the mid-70s that was also great but it’s not yet as polished and hit focused as his 80s albums. I just love marathon.
Andy, is there another video for you to make around the fusion albums. Santana went through the fusion period with the band, then on Amigos and Festival changed to a more commercial direction, some say from pressure from his record company. But he then goes and makes Illuminations, Oneness and Swing of Delight. I have just bought Amigos because of your video. There is definitely a friction between the commercial and artistic demands. Santana seems to have tried at some point to run in parallel Santana a commercial band and Santana the fusion band aka the solo albums. The mid to late 70s are a very interesting period in Santana's music. There is definitely more to Santana than Oye coma va.
I respect you and admire you even more, Andy. A lot of music "connoisseurs" are really snotty about Santana, like he's beneath their taste and expertise, especially when it comes to fusion. It takes real musical sensibility to grasp Carlos' sound and what he conveys in every note that he plays on his guitar and the communion he has with the band...
When I first got " Love, Devotion, Surrender", I thought it was way over my head. At only 21. Later, about 35 years, I played it full blast (Marantz 240 power amp, SAE pre amp, Rectalinear speakers, Empire turntable), it really blew me away. My mouth was hanging open. It took all those years to finally get under my skin. Bought "Lotus", at a college town record store, back in 74. Had to save up for this one. So great, but no Neal S. on second lead. Never bought Santana 1, thought too much percussion, not enough screaming guitar. Love "Toussaint L'Overture" !
like your pickings of SANTANA number 2. and 3 albums. and others you said on your list . always digged on SONG OF THE WIND × from caravanseri Carlos digs deep into his guitar. Welcome also instrumental × FLAME SKY. is one of my favs as instrumentals he has played. one more FREE FORM FUNKIFIDE FILTH. from buddy miles and Carlos santana *LIVE* album. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
loved your comments, as I Santana fan since the early 70s, i don't agree or disagree with your choices, they are all good. Behind you there is Swing of Delight, fantastic album, theme tune from Spartacus one of my favourites. but also for different I like Zebop of Shango, the music is good and great singing from Alex Ligertwood. Winning is a great track from Zebop. But there are so many good tracks in all of his albums. Anything with Jingo on it especially live OMG. Oh and btw Amigos, Gitano, I can listen to that forever thanks again for your comments really enjoyed it
Hi Andy. I've been looking forward to this one. Like yourself I'm a fan of all periods of Santana but for those who might be more interested in his more jazz fusion influenced stuff here's a couple of suggestions. His solo albums 'Oneness' and 'The Swing of Delight' are well worth a listen. 'Illuminations', a collaboration with Alice Coltrane is a favourite of mine also. For anyone who wants to take a deeper dive check out an album by trumpet player Luis Gasca called 'For Those Who Chant'. It features Carlos, Neal Schon, and several other members of the then Santana line up alongside the likes of Stanley Clarke, Joe Henderson, etc. If you are a Gaylord Birch fan check out a DVD 'Santana - At Budokan, Live In Tokyo'. It's a 1991 gig and sax player Sadao Watanabe sits in with the band. Gaylord is great on this too. I think it's on UA-cam but not great picture quality. Adios Amigo.
Appreciating the fusion knowledge! Have you heard the Bill Laswell remix of Love Devotion Surrender/Illuminations? It's pretty special. And if Oneness was a Santana album it would have been in my list...and come to think of it also Swing of Delight....
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer Yup, spotted them on the shelf when I was watching the video, kept expecting you to reach back and grab them...... didn't happen lol! Both a must for the fusion afficionado though. I've got the Laswell remix and it is great, but the originals are both essential listening. Incidentally have you heard Laswells remix of Tony Wiliams Lifetime 'Turn It Over'? Worth seeking out. Look forward to your ECM video - some difficult decisions must have been made there!
Everyone interested in the fusion sound of Santana should check out the Santana/Shorter Band at Montreux in 1988. Its available on CD and DVD. The band is Carlos, Wayne Shorter on saxophones Patrice Rushen and Chester Thompson on keyboards, Alphonso Johnson on bass, Ndugu Chancler on trap drums, Chepito Areas on timbales and Armando Peraza on congas.
Borboletta: The suite, “Here and Now”/ “Flor de Canela” / “Promise of a Fisherman”, is just out of this world. Stanley Clarke, Flora Purim and Airto Moreira made the latter sound almost like it could be from an RTF album. Caravanserai: “Eternal Caravan of Reincarnation” into “Waves Within”, sublime as you put it…
Funny, The amount of Santana I have listened to, I have very rarely listened to Amigos and Festival, 2 of your favorites. Granted I know some of the tunes from other LPs. Anyway... thanks for the musical suggestions. I get a LOT of those from you. Your knowledge is extensive.
enjoyed as per usual your video - I am only very familiar with a few - although I love him - and love that his shows scan all his different periods - I will have to go back to Caravanseri to hear- Dance Sister Dance and Europa - my fav is LOTUS - my first Import - we used to have a distributor in the 70's in New Jersey called JEM REcords - this was followed by my early Colosseum Imports and Fripp and Eno . Loved the 1st Santana and the longer version of the lp - I have to go with SuperNatural - as number 3 - I know commercial but - everything is 1st class - feel he was a ground breaker playing with many different quality guests from different genres - great concept - I was an Import Disco Dance buyer inthe 80's - so I definitely need to hear that Dance Sister Dance ASAP -- also saw him with McL during the release of Love Devotion Surrender - both acoustic - later mate
Later LP that doesn't get enough love is' Spirits Dancing In The Flesh' with monster versions of "Who's that Lady"' and "Gypsy Woman". My favourite Santana game is to try and pick up all the quoted melodies in the guitar solos on Lotus (and there might be more than you think).
Just discovered your channel yesterday, excited to see that you react to a lot of the music that I grew up with in my formative years. However, I'm astounded (yes, I know it's just your personal choice, which I have to respect) that Amigos tops your list. I was disappointed to say the least when I returned from Virgin Records on release date, as I always did when a new Santana album was released, and listened to this. For me, it was the start of the decline of the real Santana. Europa is the only track worth its place in the Santana "hall of fame". For what it's worth, my list would be 1) Borboletta 2) Caravanserai 3) Santana 3 4) Lotus 5) Abraxas 6) Welcome 7) Blues For Salvador 8) Santana 9) Swing of Delight 10) Oneness
If you can get hold of it, get a copy of the 2017 SACD Re-release of “Lotus”! Not only because of the fantastic Sound; not only because of several amazing Bonus Tracks, but also because the Cover is an astonishing work of art, recreating and improving on the Original 197ties Vinyl release which I had back in these days … A ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’!
Andy I love you take on Santana I am big fan, on the Welcome or Love Devotion and Surender there’s a organ player Lary young and on Moon Flower Zulu Tom Coster Jr plays keyboards. Keep up the good work and Amigos is one of my favorite as well
My top 10 are as listed from 10 thru 1 are. Blues for Salvador, moonflower, Havana moon, Abraxas, welcome, oneness, swing of delight, caravasarai, lotus, borboletta. Have all his music and all guest appearances with other artist, love the stuff he did with weather report, this man has been fearless in following his ❤️ instead of the black suits that dominate artists today. My guitar hero forever!
I completely agree... except in a different order. One Album I think may get overlooked is Zebop. It is a really commercial album, but the the solos on there are fantastic. Prolly not one of my top 10, but a Really Fun album.
Santana III has always been my fav. Great songs, a magical rhytm section and Carlos, Neal and Greg trading solos like no one before or since. Out of this world music ❤❤❤
Cool video ... amazing band ... saw them supporting Bob Dylan at St James' Park, Newcastle in '84 and then about 6 years ago at O2 where the band was still firing on all cylinders ... sure, the '70's era was pure gold (I also loved Freedom, Amigos, Moonflower) ... but I would encourage folk to give an extended listen to Shango, Beyond Appearances, Freedom ... I copied these onto cassettes to play as we drove around the Lake District on holiday ...(tapes - what a pain) ... the tunes / playing / vibe just "works" ... clearly not the same as '70's Santana but an era that is sometimes overlooked and is a definite "go to" for me .... p.s. some of the DVD only concerts are also worthy contenders. CMcG, Aberdeen, Scotland.
I really like Love Devotion and Surrender. My dad used to play Caravanserai and others from that era when I was a kid and I got the vinyl of LDS for Christmas when I about 15/16.
You picked all the albums I would've picked. :-) Caravanserai would be my number one and I'd add 'Love, devotion and surrender' and the absolutely incredible Bill Laswell re-imagining 'Divine Light'( if you haven't heard that one, you really have to check it out. It's amazing.)
Even Zappa, who was notoriously parsimonious with his compliments, paid homage on Variations of the Carlos Santana Secret Chord Progressions. A left handed compliment, so to speak.
2 days ago I hear after long time "Borboletta",and I ask my self,is the most jazz-fussion lp of Santana?Probaply the most!He made a live in Athens in 2009 and it was only"Maria-Maria"and very disapointment!Greetings from Greece
I slept on III for the same reasons that you did! Also, another that I slept on until recently (..although it still prob. Wouldn't make my top 10..) is "Beyond Appearances" The 80s production is a little dated, at times...but, worth a revisit
You missed the Love devotion surrender? That orange anorak. Freedom was a good lp later on in 1988 ? I picked up a dodgy cassette copy in Dubai in 1993 and still play it . Listening to Santana while walking around Dubai was cool . Seeing mountains in Dubai made me want to play this music. A track on my channel here called Grenada/vision of Carlos is something you might like . A total Lotus rip . Please have a listen. I was in a second hand guitar shop a year ago , a Japanese quadraphonic copy of Lotus was available with the same artwork as your copy. But I was wondering if you had to have some sort of mad 70s quad stereo to play it ? Thanks for this video
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer the Lotus lp was originally a Japanese release I think but the quadraphonic lp ? Errr will it play on a standard stereo? Maybe it was a mega expensive thing in the 70s that us plebs could only dream of . Yep . I’m still dreaming. I might still buy the lp if it’s still around in the shop l I know the owner. So mate , have a listen to my Grenada Vision of Carlos track it’s like the Santana track that he didn’t make
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer Listened to it last night on Spotify after watching the video. I have no idea or excuse as to why i haven’t owned this album for the last 40 years !
Santana’s first album came out of nowhere and rocked in a way that few music lovers (especially those who knew nothing about Tito Puente) had heard before. A Must Own album, clearly their masterpiece, and one of the truly groundbreaking debuts in rock history In one sense it had something in common with Led Zeppelin’s debut from early in 1969. Zep’s first album took the blues and added heavy metal guitars. Santana took African and Latin rhythms and added his own style of heavy guitar. All you need is a GOOD copy: the RIGHT Columbia 360 Label pressing : You Just Don’t Care: This is probably my favorite track on side two. This song doesn’t even make sense at normal listening levels. If you can’t play it loud, don’t even bother. There are big guitar power chords on this song that are meant to be heard at loud levels. Gregg Rolie is practically screaming his vocals because he needs to shout to be heard over those crashing guitar chords. I like to say that when I come across a song like this, I can’t play it loud enough. The music cries out for more volume. The louder it gets the better it gets, because it’s all about power. This song will sound somewhat muddy at normal listening levels. All the energy is in the lower frequencies. The voice is correct, however, so when the voice sounds tonally correct and there’s tons of energy in the bass and lower midrange, you probably have yourself a good copy ! 😜
My top three Santana albums would be... 1)- Moonflower, 2)- The swing of Delight, 3)- Santana- Live in South America. Your comments will make me start hearing all my 30+ Santana albums in my iPod!...
My dad told me I was concieved to Abraxas in 1975, and it definitely altered my DNA. As a kid, Shango was the one. As I get older and more accepting of jazz...I cant pick a favourite-they all overlap and intermingle. They are all my favourite.
“Lotus” is a great album, but my list wouldn’t have it above very many of the others on your list. I’ve always thought it was little too much “Lounge-like” musically and perhaps a little too much of a Sly and the Family Stone sounding at times. The vocal songs are also a bit repetitive with the lyrics. It has some great moments though.
Got to see Santana in 1969 be for Woodstock I had Santana 1. 2. 3 I skip the Jazz Fusion or get back into Santana with the Migos Zebop marathon inner secrets freedom were great albums
I have more Santana albums than any other rock artist except Zappa. Picking a top 10, no less ordering them, would be an impossible task for me. But here are some comments on this list: Amigos isn't in my top 10. One major issue is that Dance, Sister, Dance, is hotter on Moonflower, so as soon as it starts I'm a bit bored. The studio tracks from Festival stand up better against the Moonflower tracks than this one does. But still some terrific stuff Amigos. Festival is wonderful. Seems like Lotus and Moonflower are on most everyone's list, and I agree. She's Not There and the live Europa are amazing on Moonflower. Love Tom Coster. Great albums. As terrific as the first three albums are, I'll take Santana IV over them. Far hotter. Their live album is great, too. All of the early 70s 'fusion albums are terrific. The diversity of Welcome makes it my favorite of this group. Especially Flora's and Leon's guest stints. But still, Borboletta and Carvansarai, are awesome. So that's 10, but there is still Spirits Dancing in the Flesh (1990), Milagro (1992), Sacred Fire: Live in South America (1993), and Supernatural (1999), belong in there. I saw him three times; every show was perfection (something I can't say about Zappa). What a career!
Much as I like Amigos, especially ‘Dance Sister Dance’ and Tom Coster’s playing, my choice would be 1-Caravanserai, 2-Welcome, 3-Borboletta, 4-Santana 1, 5-Amigos, 6-Festival….Lotus lacks emotion to my ears, and the sound quality of Moonflower is atrocious although the music is excellent.
Moonflower was one of my first rock albums. I had ELO but that did not seem like rock. I think I bought Moonflower because I loved She's Not There on the FM rock crap radio station. I would listen to the side with She's Not There but the rest I think I thought was Mexican folk music. Like ranchero. Incidentally many years later I worked with a crew of Mexicans for a couple years and listened to a bit more Mexican ranchero radop music than I otherwise would have and it seemed to me that some of the Mexican ranchero bands were significantly better than other ranchero bands played on the same Mexican radio station. Like maybe the better ranchero bands played jazz fusion too. I assume youtube comments are largely unread so I will continue to blabber. I later bought the rest of the Santana discography. I especially liked what I think now are the slightly discoish hard rock 70' stuff. All I Ever Wanted, Open Invitation, Stand Up, Well All Right. I liked his hard rock screaming guitar solos. I doubt there was ever a dud on a single Santana album. I guess I used to think he was a great guitar player. Now I have not a clue what a great guitar player is. I just drum on the guitar. Pick is a stick. No plectrum no fun. I will never play the guitar. The strings are too close together and I am too old.
Wow Amigos #1….bought it when it came out. It is a definite grower. I love Inner Secrets as commercial as it is. BTW, Leon Ndugu Chandler plays on Amigos. What did you think of Santana IV from a few years ago?
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer It has some good moments, Neal in particular (at least who I think is Neal!) is very good on it, trying to recreate that III sound.
Best album ... 'Lotus'. All their greatest early songs played by the 'Welcome' band ... what's not to like. Carlos Santana playing at a peak. The way he swings into 'My Favourite Things' during 'Incident at Neshabur' ...... class!!
I agree totally
Lotus is fantastic
one of the best live albums ever like made in japan by dp.
As an intro, hard to beat 3rd album "Batuka/No one to depend on"!
In the 70s, Carlos was on fire. And such a distinctive guitar tone. Immediately recognizable.
Moonflower is my no 1 favourite Santana album, I think all the live versions outstrip their studio counterparts. The studio tracks though dont disappoint one bit and of course theres a better than the original version of the Zombies' She's Not There. Tom Coster puts in some great performances on these live tracks as well. Lotus is absolutely phenomenal as well - I do think that when playing live he's one of those guitarists who totally transcends the constrictions of the studio so even though the studio version are great, the live versions are even better - Europa is great on Amigos , Toussaint L'Overture is great on Santana 3 but on Moonflower they're just something else.
I also really like a lot of his post 70's work, however its the albums up to Marathon and his solo The Swing of Delight, that I think are unsurpassbale, though his '88 set with Wayne Shorter is great and some of his more recent recordings like Santana iv and Shape Shifter arent too shabby, though I havent been as enamoured with a lot of Corazon or Africa Speaks and I'm not overly convinced with Guitar Heaven. His autobiography from a few years back is also a damn good read though, and if I need a bit of a lift Santana nearly always does the job for me.
I'm with you on most of that. I do think his guitar playing on Amigos is on another level though.
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer Yeah, just been listening to that again just now and you are right about that - and that solo in Let Me is an absolute monster.
Well done.All those albums you mentioned changed my life in there own way.
This was a nice review of ‘your’ favorite Santana records. I enjoy how you present your opinions without any attempt to force anything upon your fans.
Living in Northern California, and even going to the Fillmore in SF, I was not aware of Santana until I saw the original lineup in Texas in 1969.
This was very enjoyable.
Thanks for highlighting one of my hometown heroes, San Francisco native Santana. An outstanding memory of my university years was typing a final draft of a paper I had to turn in in the morning and listening to Moonflower over and over again to stay awake. Zulu started playing just as the sun started coming through my dorm room. My consciousness was slightly altered by the long hours. The music was fantastic. I think of that moment when I listen to the album in general and Zulu in particular
I knew when I saw this video that I'd get sucked into a month long (at least) Santana focus. I've always been a fan, but not a super fan, but thanks to you I've been listening to all his albums. His post-70s albums get pretty spotty don't they? The best songs are almost always the instrumentals. So I've been making some great playlists of his 70s albums, but also his instrumentals post-70s.
You also got me to fully appreciate Lotus. That is now my favorite Santana album. I would have loved to be at that concert. That was clearly the height of his artistic integrity, where he mostly enjoyed playing those great instrumentals, and Lotus is mostly just that. What a classic. I also have a new appreciation for Moonflower, Caravanserai, Welcome and Borborletta!
HIs post-70s stuff is so spotty. Supernatural (1999) is actually pretty good but then he goes another 20+ years, but I think his last album "Blessings and Miracles" (2021) is actually pretty good too. Some duds on it of course, but also some good songs.
Awesome top 10. I'm a huge fan of this era of Santana. I met a 21 year old who said she listened to some Santana, and there I was thinking it would be Abraxas or Supernatural. She dropped Illuminations on me ! I nearly had to pull over in disbelief Lol. ✌🏽
Young people still like great music. They just don't ever get to hear any.
After listening to Santana for over 50 years, I've made up my mind that their music is timeless and probably will be listened to a hundred years from now. My favorite is still the first album, your 9th favorite.
Loved your genuine and generous enthusiasm!!!🌠🌠
Andy, I don't know as much Santana as I feel I should. I bought "Caravanserai" years ago and loved it on first hearing. More recently I bought "Abraxas" as a high-rez download and really like that too, so I must check out some of the others you mentioned, like Amigos.Thanks, as always, for a great video.
You Did it again Andy. You made me go back an listen to all those great Santana albums, and with a new appreciation. I was surprised with your #1 pick Amigos. I thought for sure you would pick "Lotus" or another early 70s album. I like Amigos. As a kid when I bought it in the late 70s it made more sense to me at the time than the other harder to get into more fusion albums. But NOW, for me its Lotus, Welcome, Caravanserai. Instrumental/fusionish Santana is the best. Actually I think their album after Amigos, which is Festival, in 1977, actually has a little more of the fusion sound. And the one nobody ever talks about is his 1979 solo album "Silver Dreams and Golden Reality". I bought that right after it came out and was blown away by it, and still am. I think he needed to make Silver Dreams, which is more of a throw back to his early 70s stuff, becuase the band had moved into a more pop/vocal direction and he needed an outlet for his more musical solos.
Very well done sir, I don't know how I could possibly choose a # 1 between Caravan Sierra & Amigos... I've been listening to both of those albums for over 30 year's & they just don't get old... Brilliant melodies
Superb ranking Andy. Think I might have gone for Amigos too. I remember when it came out it really bounced Santana back into commercial success after the fusion stuff. There was a great concert on BBC2 in '76 (?) to promote the album. Still on UA-cam I think. Love, Devotion and Surrender with McLaughlin was a beautiful album too. Carlos is a wonderful musician that the critics often overlook. Many thanks.
When Carlos hits "My favourite things ' on Lotus, I get the shivers.
Thanks for the reviews. I ended up ordering a couple that I used to have on vinyl in the 70s. Picking the top spot is almost impossible but for me my #1 pick would have been Caravanserai.
Great list! Blues for Salvador is one of my favorites.
Yes...great album there but I think it's a solo album (like the amazing albums propped up in the back of this video)
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer very true.
Dig deeper, turn the bass right up
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer luis gasca- for those who chant 🙏🏼
Love your Santana top 10 album list. Welcome is my fave - though other times it could be any of these . love them all.
Great list!
Hello Andy, as far as this video is concerned, I know I've arrived here very 'late to the party', but it's only through the vagaries of the 'internet algorithm' that I came across it at all.
Anyway, as a very long time and dedicated fan of Santana, (I'm in my late sixties, having been a fan for 30+ years, also I've got virtually all their albums and have watched the band live at least 20 times), I was fascinated to see what you considered to be the best Santana albums.
Firstly, I want to congratulate you on not taking the 'cowards' way out by putting 'Abraxas', (considered by many to be 'the definitive' Santana 'cult' album), or 'Supernatural', (their biggest commercial success), at the top of the list. What's more, I fully agree with you that Santana's earlier works are by far their best. Thank you also for including 'Borboletta' in your list, because whilst it happens to be my favourite Santana studio album, I've rarely come across other Santana fans who rate it. Incidentally, 'Lotus' is my favourite Santana live album.
What I found totally' jaw-dropping' about your list is that you choose 'Amigos' as your No. 1, because in all honesty, if you had given me 20 guesses to name your favourite Santana Album, then I still wouldn't have 'come up' with 'Amigos'! Yes, it has 'Europa' and 'Dance Sister Dance', but I've just never rated the album, and in any case, I much prefer the 'Moonflower' live versions of those 2 songs. Maybe I need to listen to 'Amigos again' to see if it'll grow on me, as happened to you with Santana 3.
My very favourite Santana track is the collaborative album version of 'Let Us Go To The House of The Lord', which Carlos recorded with John McLaughin, (who is in my opinion by far the very greatest guitarist ever).This is from the album 'Love, Devotion Surrender'. In my opinion, in the first part of that track, Carlos plays one of THE greatest guitar solo ever - which 'blows me away' every time I listen to it.
Thanks again for a great video! I've now subscribed to your channel so hopefully in future I will respond to your videos in less than the 3 years it took me to find and respond this one.
All the very best!
Thanks as always AE. Yours as well as "In The Prog Seat" by the SOT channel are the vids I look forward to the most each week !!
I might be doing the In The Prog Seat at some point too...I love SOT! Especially the fusion stuff which is why I started doing this stuff here. Before I was just dropping drum videos up but this is actually a lot more fun. And there seem to be some great people with a lot of knowledge here too. I hope it keeps expanding as this is great fun
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer Appreciated Andy. We love your fusion knowledge !!
Welcome might be the best album of all time.
Santana was in peak form in the 70s. Really tremendous catalog! I love Moonflower. In high school, a friend and I gave each other Xmas presents. I gave him an 8 track tape of Moonflower. I opened my present from him - Moonflower. LOL Those 1st 3 albums are awesome. He has such a distinct sound. You can pick him out any time you hear him play. Moonflower is a masterpiece to my mind.... Greg Walker is my favorite Santana vocalist. Completely agree on Europa!
I managed to come across an import copy of _"Lotus"_ when it was first released (1974). Excellent recording, excellent album. _"Moonflower"_ and _"Abraxas"_ are two other favorites in my album collection. I also really like many of the songs on _"Supernatural",_ although there are one or two songs on it which I really do not enjoy. Certainly it's very fitting that Santana would have a major hit song titled *_"Smooth"!_*
Great choices, I am particularly enamored with the jazz-fusion period and therefore amazed that Amigos tops this list. And look, while Europa is a great track, to not single out the guitar solo in Song of the Wind is blasphemous! IMHVO, it is hands down the most lyrical, flowing, and emotive guitar solo in his whole canon. The guitar is weeping, crying, screaming but yet the solo never falters, it could go on for another 15-20 minutes for me.
Thanks for highlighting Caravanserai, Welcome, and Borboletta, they are vastly under appreciated within the Santana community.
Well hello. I am new to doing album ranking videos. I've done three. I did the Santana band earlier today. I just saw your video on Santana and was surprised the you ranking was pretty close to mine. Amigos being one you ranked quite higher . I sure understand that, remarkable album. My videos are quite primitive compared to yours, but maybe with more practice--. I'm enjoying doing this. Thanks to rakers like yourself, I thought I'd give it a go. I enjoyed this video. Thanks
Marathon was my first Santana studio album. I think I bought the best of first but then I bought Marathon in real time and I absolutely loved it and you know what I still think. It might be my favorite Santana album. I just played it yesterday. It’s post the more experimental world music fusion of the mid-70s that was also great but it’s not yet as polished and hit focused as his 80s albums. I just love marathon.
Andy, is there another video for you to make around the fusion albums. Santana went through the fusion period with the band, then on Amigos and Festival changed to a more commercial direction, some say from pressure from his record company. But he then goes and makes Illuminations, Oneness and Swing of Delight. I have just bought Amigos because of your video. There is definitely a friction between the commercial and artistic demands. Santana seems to have tried at some point to run in parallel Santana a commercial band and Santana the fusion band aka the solo albums. The mid to late 70s are a very interesting period in Santana's music. There is definitely more to Santana than Oye coma va.
I respect you and admire you even more, Andy. A lot of music "connoisseurs" are really snotty about Santana, like he's beneath their taste and expertise, especially when it comes to fusion. It takes real musical sensibility to grasp Carlos' sound and what he conveys in every note that he plays on his guitar and the communion he has with the band...
Fantastic ranking, Amigos and Caravanserai are also my favorites! Ndugu and Greg Walker are excellent.
When I first got " Love, Devotion, Surrender", I thought it was way over my head. At only 21. Later, about 35 years, I played it full blast (Marantz 240 power amp, SAE pre amp, Rectalinear speakers, Empire turntable), it really blew me away. My mouth was hanging open. It took all those years to finally get under my skin. Bought "Lotus", at a college town record store, back in 74. Had to save up for this one. So great, but no Neal S. on second lead. Never bought Santana 1, thought too much percussion, not enough screaming guitar. Love "Toussaint L'Overture" !
like your pickings of SANTANA number 2. and 3 albums. and others you said on your list . always digged on SONG OF THE WIND × from caravanseri Carlos digs deep into his guitar. Welcome also instrumental × FLAME SKY. is one of my favs as instrumentals he has played. one more FREE FORM FUNKIFIDE FILTH. from buddy miles and Carlos santana *LIVE* album. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
loved your comments, as I Santana fan since the early 70s, i don't agree or disagree with your choices, they are all good. Behind you there is Swing of Delight, fantastic album, theme tune from Spartacus one of my favourites. but also for different I like Zebop of Shango, the music is good and great singing from Alex Ligertwood. Winning is a great track from Zebop. But there are so many good tracks in all of his albums. Anything with Jingo on it especially live OMG. Oh and btw Amigos, Gitano, I can listen to that forever thanks again for your comments really enjoyed it
Hi Andy. I've been looking forward to this one. Like yourself I'm a fan of all periods of Santana but for those who might be more interested in his more jazz fusion influenced stuff here's a couple of suggestions.
His solo albums 'Oneness' and 'The Swing of Delight' are well worth a listen. 'Illuminations', a collaboration with Alice Coltrane is a favourite of mine also.
For anyone who wants to take a deeper dive check out an album by trumpet player Luis Gasca called 'For Those Who Chant'.
It features Carlos, Neal Schon, and several other members of the then Santana line up alongside the likes of Stanley Clarke, Joe Henderson, etc.
If you are a Gaylord Birch fan check out a DVD 'Santana - At Budokan, Live In Tokyo'. It's a 1991 gig and sax player Sadao Watanabe sits in with the band. Gaylord is great on this too. I think it's on UA-cam but not great picture quality.
Adios Amigo.
Appreciating the fusion knowledge! Have you heard the Bill Laswell remix of Love Devotion Surrender/Illuminations? It's pretty special. And if Oneness was a Santana album it would have been in my list...and come to think of it also Swing of Delight....
Check out my background @Devereaux Clandestine!
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer Yup, spotted them on the shelf when I was watching the video, kept expecting you to reach back and grab them...... didn't happen lol! Both a must for the fusion afficionado though.
I've got the Laswell remix and it is great, but the originals are both essential listening. Incidentally have you heard Laswells remix of Tony Wiliams Lifetime 'Turn It Over'? Worth seeking out.
Look forward to your ECM video - some difficult decisions must have been made there!
@@devereauxclandestine1272 I have and it sounds stunning. If it had been released properly I think it would be the definitive Lifetime release.
Everyone interested in the fusion sound of Santana should check out the Santana/Shorter Band at Montreux in 1988. Its available on CD and DVD. The band is Carlos, Wayne Shorter on saxophones Patrice Rushen and Chester Thompson on keyboards, Alphonso Johnson on bass, Ndugu Chancler on trap drums, Chepito Areas on timbales and Armando Peraza on congas.
I had some that on video back in the day
Fantastic review!!!
Borboletta: The suite, “Here and Now”/ “Flor de Canela” / “Promise of a Fisherman”, is just out of this world. Stanley Clarke, Flora Purim and Airto Moreira made the latter sound almost like it could be from an RTF album.
Caravanserai: “Eternal Caravan of Reincarnation” into “Waves Within”, sublime as you put it…
Funny, The amount of Santana I have listened to, I have very rarely listened to Amigos and Festival, 2 of your favorites. Granted I know some of the tunes from other LPs. Anyway... thanks for the musical suggestions. I get a LOT of those from you. Your knowledge is extensive.
enjoyed as per usual your video - I am only very familiar with a few - although I love him - and love that his shows scan all his different periods - I will have to go back to Caravanseri to hear- Dance Sister Dance and Europa - my fav is LOTUS - my first Import - we used to have a distributor in the 70's in New Jersey called JEM REcords - this was followed by my early Colosseum Imports and Fripp and Eno . Loved the 1st Santana and the longer version of the lp - I have to go with SuperNatural - as number 3 - I know commercial but - everything is 1st class - feel he was a ground breaker playing with many different quality guests from different genres - great concept - I was an Import Disco Dance buyer inthe 80's - so I definitely need to hear that Dance Sister Dance ASAP -- also saw him with McL during the release of Love Devotion Surrender - both acoustic - later mate
Later LP that doesn't get enough love is' Spirits Dancing In The Flesh' with monster versions of "Who's that Lady"' and "Gypsy Woman". My favourite Santana game is to try and pick up all the quoted melodies in the guitar solos on Lotus (and there might be more than you think).
Just discovered your channel yesterday, excited to see that you react to a lot of the music that I grew up with in my formative years. However, I'm astounded (yes, I know it's just your personal choice, which I have to respect) that Amigos tops your list. I was disappointed to say the least when I returned from Virgin Records on release date, as I always did when a new Santana album was released, and listened to this. For me, it was the start of the decline of the real Santana. Europa is the only track worth its place in the Santana "hall of fame".
For what it's worth, my list would be 1) Borboletta 2) Caravanserai 3) Santana 3 4) Lotus 5) Abraxas 6) Welcome 7) Blues For Salvador 8) Santana 9) Swing of Delight 10) Oneness
The Live, with Buddy Miles is also a very nice album.
If you can get hold of it, get a copy of the 2017 SACD Re-release of “Lotus”! Not only because of the fantastic Sound; not only because of several amazing Bonus Tracks, but also because the Cover is an astonishing work of art, recreating and improving on the Original 197ties Vinyl release which I had back in these days … A ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’!
Andy I love you take on Santana I am big fan, on the Welcome or Love Devotion and Surender there’s a organ player Lary young and on Moon Flower Zulu Tom Coster Jr plays keyboards.
Keep up the good work and Amigos is one of my favorite as well
My top 10 are as listed from 10 thru 1 are. Blues for Salvador, moonflower, Havana moon, Abraxas, welcome, oneness, swing of delight, caravasarai, lotus, borboletta. Have all his music and all guest appearances with other artist, love the stuff he did with weather report, this man has been fearless in following his ❤️ instead of the black suits that dominate artists today. My guitar hero forever!
I completely agree... except in a different order. One Album I think may get overlooked is Zebop. It is a really commercial album, but the the solos on there are fantastic. Prolly not one of my top 10, but a Really Fun album.
I agree with you, Zebop is up there for me as well.
Santana III has always been my fav. Great songs, a magical rhytm section and Carlos, Neal and Greg trading solos like no one before or since. Out of this world music ❤❤❤
Cool video ... amazing band ... saw them supporting Bob Dylan at St James' Park, Newcastle in '84 and then about 6 years ago at O2 where the band was still firing on all cylinders ... sure, the '70's era was pure gold (I also loved Freedom, Amigos, Moonflower) ... but I would encourage folk to give an extended listen to Shango, Beyond Appearances, Freedom ... I copied these onto cassettes to play as we drove around the Lake District on holiday ...(tapes - what a pain) ... the tunes / playing / vibe just "works" ... clearly not the same as '70's Santana but an era that is sometimes overlooked and is a definite "go to" for me .... p.s. some of the DVD only concerts are also worthy contenders. CMcG, Aberdeen, Scotland.
Tuck Andress does a cover of europa
I really like Love Devotion and Surrender. My dad used to play Caravanserai and others from that era when I was a kid and I got the vinyl of LDS for Christmas when I about 15/16.
The Doors?
I was just playing Borboletta yesterday.
Its like stepping outside of time.
You picked all the albums I would've picked. :-) Caravanserai would be my number one and I'd add 'Love, devotion and surrender' and the absolutely incredible Bill Laswell re-imagining 'Divine Light'( if you haven't heard that one, you really have to check it out. It's amazing.)
I love the Laswell album...and the remix of Miles too
love all the 70,s Santana albums, flame Sky is sill my most favoured track
my first of many santana concerts was the amigos tour. appreciate your insight.
I would have loved to have seen that. That line-up was formidable
Even Zappa, who was notoriously parsimonious with his compliments, paid homage on Variations of the Carlos Santana Secret Chord Progressions. A left handed compliment, so to speak.
Santana live in austrlia supporting Fleetwood mac. latye 70s in a crowd of 60000- just went off carlos is one of my favs. brillant gig. amigos i agree
Rhodes solo on [Tell me are you tired] is one of my best jazz fusion solos ever.
I totally agree...that is almost like a disco tune, but when that solo kicks they take it out...
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer I think Tom Coster is somehow underrated than he deserves as a jazz fusion keyboardist.
Carlos Santana is a great artist with such a persuasive spirit from Woodstock and onward. We went to a Santana show about a decade ago: superb !!
There's the first one -- and there's the rest of them.
2 days ago I hear after long time "Borboletta",and I ask my self,is the most jazz-fussion lp of Santana?Probaply the most!He made a live in Athens in 2009 and it was only"Maria-Maria"and very disapointment!Greetings from Greece
I slept on III for the same reasons that you did!
Also, another that I slept on until recently (..although it still prob. Wouldn't make my top 10..) is "Beyond Appearances"
The 80s production is a little dated, at times...but, worth a revisit
Flame Sky on Welcome is absolutely mind-blowing.
You missed the Love devotion surrender? That orange anorak. Freedom was a good lp later on in 1988 ? I picked up a dodgy cassette copy in Dubai in 1993 and still play it . Listening to Santana while walking around Dubai was cool . Seeing mountains in Dubai made me want to play this music. A track on my channel here called Grenada/vision of Carlos is something you might like . A total Lotus rip . Please have a listen. I was in a second hand guitar shop a year ago , a Japanese quadraphonic copy of Lotus was available with the same artwork as your copy. But I was wondering if you had to have some sort of mad 70s quad stereo to play it ? Thanks for this video
I covered LDS on my Mahavishnu video and didn't want to include CS's solo albums. Imagine hearing Lotus in Quadraphonic!
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer the Lotus lp was originally a Japanese release I think but the quadraphonic lp ? Errr will it play on a standard stereo? Maybe it was a mega expensive thing in the 70s that us plebs could only dream of . Yep . I’m still dreaming. I might still buy the lp if it’s still around in the shop l I know the owner. So mate , have a listen to my Grenada Vision of Carlos track it’s like the Santana track that he didn’t make
I agree, Amigos is amazing. Let Me and Tell Me Are You Tired are some of the best songs ever!!!!!!!!!
ok have to buy Amigos and Festival. Have all the others. Steven Wilson has cited Amigos as his fav as well
Festival is good but Amigos is one of the greatest albums of all time
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer Listened to it last night on Spotify after watching the video. I have no idea or excuse as to why i haven’t owned this album for the last 40 years !
I like the Carlos Santana Secret Chord Progression! 😆
Not a word about "Illuminations", such a unique album, I love it so much..
Thanks if you like I can give you some more in information but thanks overall
Right now I've got Caravansai at number 1. Still going through his discography.
Do you like bailey's
I'm old greg
Wot u doin in my waters???
my favorite is the “Devadip “ period.
I don't listen to whole albums anymore, not on youtoob anyway. My go to Santana track is Flor De Canela/Promise Of A Fisherman from Borbaletta
Santana’s first album came out of nowhere and rocked in a way that few music lovers (especially those who knew nothing about Tito Puente) had heard before. A Must Own album, clearly their masterpiece, and one of the truly groundbreaking debuts in rock history
In one sense it had something in common with Led Zeppelin’s debut from early in 1969. Zep’s first album took the blues and added heavy metal guitars. Santana took African and Latin rhythms and added his own style of heavy guitar. All you need is a GOOD copy: the RIGHT Columbia 360 Label pressing : You Just Don’t Care:
This is probably my favorite track on side two. This song doesn’t even make sense at normal listening levels. If you can’t play it loud, don’t even bother. There are big guitar power chords on this song that are meant to be heard at loud levels. Gregg Rolie is practically screaming his vocals because he needs to shout to be heard over those crashing guitar chords. I like to say that when I come across a song like this, I can’t play it loud enough. The music cries out for more volume. The louder it gets the better it gets, because it’s all about power.
This song will sound somewhat muddy at normal listening levels. All the energy is in the lower frequencies. The voice is correct, however, so when the voice sounds tonally correct and there’s tons of energy in the bass and lower midrange, you probably have yourself a good copy ! 😜
My top three Santana albums would be... 1)- Moonflower, 2)- The swing of Delight, 3)- Santana- Live in South America. Your comments will make me start hearing all my 30+ Santana albums in my iPod!...
My dad told me I was concieved to Abraxas in 1975, and it definitely altered my DNA. As a kid, Shango was the one. As I get older and more accepting of jazz...I cant pick a favourite-they all overlap and intermingle. They are all my favourite.
Where as I was concieved to 'I was born under a wandering star' by Lee Marvin
Blues For Salvador was great- although I'm basing that on the live performance more than the album.
I always loved the marathon album
There's about 2 albums I can't believe you fail to mention!
Every Step of the Way is my favourite Santana song (if yo can call it that), so Caravanserai is quite high in my ranking.
I would have had Inner Secrets in that list
“Lotus” is a great album, but my list wouldn’t have it above very many of the others on your list. I’ve always thought it was little too much “Lounge-like” musically and perhaps a little too much of a Sly and the Family Stone sounding at times. The vocal songs are also a bit repetitive with the lyrics. It has some great moments though.
My fave is The swing of delight.
Got to see Santana in 1969 be for Woodstock I had Santana 1. 2. 3 I skip the Jazz Fusion or get back into Santana with the Migos Zebop marathon inner secrets freedom were great albums
Shocked debut is 9 . It’s iconic
Borbaletta might be my favourite
For me it’s Caravanserai and Moonflower in the 1 and 2 spots.
I was always disappointed by Caravanseri. It just seems to lack the oomph that the earlier albums and Borboletta have. Someone should remx it.
I slightly agree with this.....
The track vision of Carlos is on this my channel. Please bro
Illuminations with Alice Coltrane is also worth a mention. Love your vids
A heavy album...thanks Ray
Love that album.
But... where is Caravanserai???
On the list.............!?!?
Agree. Amigos is Santana's finest contribution to music.
I have more Santana albums than any other rock artist except Zappa. Picking a top 10, no less ordering them, would be an impossible task for me. But here are some comments on this list:
Amigos isn't in my top 10. One major issue is that Dance, Sister, Dance, is hotter on Moonflower, so as soon as it starts I'm a bit bored. The studio tracks from Festival stand up better against the Moonflower tracks than this one does. But still some terrific stuff Amigos. Festival is wonderful.
Seems like Lotus and Moonflower are on most everyone's list, and I agree. She's Not There and the live Europa are amazing on Moonflower. Love Tom Coster. Great albums.
As terrific as the first three albums are, I'll take Santana IV over them. Far hotter. Their live album is great, too.
All of the early 70s 'fusion albums are terrific. The diversity of Welcome makes it my favorite of this group. Especially Flora's and Leon's guest stints. But still, Borboletta and Carvansarai, are awesome.
So that's 10, but there is still Spirits Dancing in the Flesh (1990), Milagro (1992), Sacred Fire: Live in South America (1993), and Supernatural (1999), belong in there. I saw him three times; every show was perfection (something I can't say about Zappa).
What a career!
Much as I like Amigos, especially ‘Dance Sister Dance’ and Tom Coster’s playing, my choice would be 1-Caravanserai, 2-Welcome, 3-Borboletta, 4-Santana 1, 5-Amigos, 6-Festival….Lotus lacks emotion to my ears, and the sound quality of Moonflower is atrocious although the music is excellent.
Moonflower was one of my first rock albums. I had ELO but that did not seem like rock. I think I bought Moonflower because I loved She's Not There on the FM rock crap radio station. I would listen to the side with She's Not There but the rest I think I thought was Mexican folk music. Like ranchero. Incidentally many years later I worked with a crew of Mexicans for a couple years and listened to a bit more Mexican ranchero radop music than I otherwise would have and it seemed to me that some of the Mexican ranchero bands were significantly better than other ranchero bands played on the same Mexican radio station. Like maybe the better ranchero bands played jazz fusion too. I assume youtube comments are largely unread so I will continue to blabber. I later bought the rest of the Santana discography. I especially liked what I think now are the slightly discoish hard rock 70' stuff. All I Ever Wanted, Open Invitation, Stand Up, Well All Right. I liked his hard rock screaming guitar solos. I doubt there was ever a dud on a single Santana album. I guess I used to think he was a great guitar player. Now I have not a clue what a great guitar player is. I just drum on the guitar. Pick is a stick. No plectrum no fun. I will never play the guitar. The strings are too close together and I am too old.
Wow Amigos #1….bought it when it came out. It is a definite grower. I love Inner Secrets as commercial as it is. BTW, Leon Ndugu Chandler plays on Amigos. What did you think of Santana IV from a few years ago?
I still need to listen to that. What did you think of it?
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer It has some good moments, Neal in particular (at least who I think is Neal!) is very good on it, trying to recreate that III sound.
Man caravenserai just doesn’t get anybody better
I agree, perhaps one of the most out there albums by a mainstream band
Amigos is my personal fav
And... where is Welcome??
He says "Welcome" at 0:01 ;D
Always best to actually watch the video before commenting ua-cam.com/video/InI8UmFV3CU/v-deo.htmlsi=klt-OHKTD5kxc4EM&t=698