Santana - Santana III

The last hurrah of the original Santana band, which had stunned the world with its fiery performance at Woodstock two years before, Santana (frequently called "Santana III" so as not to confuse it with the group's eponymous 1969 debut) is an impressive combination of tightly constructed Latin-fueled pop songs ("No One to Depend On," "Everybody's Everything," "Everything's Coming Our Way") and sprawling jams ("Guajira," "Toussaint L'Overture," "Jungle Strut"). For his part, Carlos Santana hurls lightning bolts from his guitar throughout but offers opportunities for other band members, such as keyboardist Gregg Rolie and recently added guitarist Neal Schon (both of whom would rise to fame with Journey), a chance to shine as well. The 1998 reissue of this album adds three bonus tracks from a 1971 Fillmore West performance: "Batuka," "Jungle Strut," and "Gumbo." --Daniel Durchholz Amazon.com essential recording

hold on, it's an energetic ride!

Santana's third album is pretty fantastic. Let me take that back- *consistently* fantastic. I really had no problem with any of the songs. I didn't think any of them were a few minutes overlong, and I certainly didn't think any of the tracks were filler-ish. After the album had ended, I felt like I had just gone through the biggest roller coaster ride of my life (and I'm afraid of roller coasters!)

Compared to Abraxas and Caravanserai, the latin percussion beats that made Santana so legendary and famous are *extremely* loud, heavy and nonstop on their third album. I wasn't expecting to hear an album with so much energy and a nonstop partying atmosphere but that's exactly what the album is. This is totally a hard rock/jam rock album with the volume turned up a few notches higher than usual. I wasn't bored at all. There's also a fairly frequent amount of vocal work, too. Always played with melody, and a feeling of total outdoor freedom. I can just picture myself dancing the night away to this wonderful music.

The guitar playing, the heavy amounts of percussion and latin rhythms, the sparkling production... this is one album all rock and roll fans must have in their collection! July 21, 2007

Great album, but it ain't Abraxas - still, Carlos is unbeatable

Okay, this album rocks, and is my second-favorite of Santana's albums, behind the mighty Abraxas. But some of it kinda sucks, which is why I only give four stars, rather than five.
First the good news: No One to Depend On is a masterpiece. You know, take a bit of metal, a bit of blues, a bit of Latin, even a bit of the whacky psychedelia from the first album. Add the organ groove and Santana's signature guitar soloing away. What could be better, you ask? That bit in the bridge where they switch between English and Spanish. ("I ain't GOT no one - tengo anadie... that I can de-PEND on - tengo anadie..." is that not supremely cool?) This ain't a one-song album, though. I mean, how can a Santana fan NOT love the dramatic near-instrumental Touissant L'Overture? Santana's Santana on that song (it goes without saying he can outplay pretty much everyone), and there's those nonstop riffs he trades with Neil Schon and the polyrhythmic attack... yeah. Of course, Santana hasn't abandoned salsa, so if you liked Oye Como Va, you'll probably love Guajira. That sax solo's a nice touch, too. Jungle Strut is fusion mania, but in a good way. There's also Everybody's Everything, easily the funkiest thing Santana ever did, with a huge horn section - it's fun and catchy indeed, and Schon's wah-wah is killer, but the lyrics arie the usual pseudo-spiritual mumbo-jumbo that made up most of Santana's lyrics at that point. But come on, do you listen to Santana because you want to hear him babble about how the King and Queen of Soul are gonna come around or whatever the hell it is he's going on about this time? No. You listen to him because he's an unbeatable guitarist, plain and simple. Everything's Coming Our Way was a hit too, but I could've done without it - more of those dumb lyrics, and it sounds like Santana's doing The Byrds... nothing wrong with The Byrds, but it sounds out-of-place from Santana. The instrumentals Batuka, Taboo and Para Los Rumberos only confirm this one's status as #2. But the best of this is as good as (if not better than) the Abraxas classics, so you can't go wrong with this. March 7, 2007

Transcendent

I never get tired of this album. The band is as tight as can be and they sound like they are loving every second of it. Santana plays from the bottom of his toes -- every note is earned. After listening to this, if you aren't grinning like an idiot, you must not like music. January 1, 2007

It NEVER Gets Old

I bought this in 1970, the day I turned 13. I'd heard some Santana because my Spanish teacher would play some earlier (and slightly mellower) Santana in class (in a small town in Indiana). Having never heard anything like it, it took time to grow into, but man, it is a wicked piece of work and one of my absolute favorite albums of all time. Just listen to the rhythm guitar bits and other rhythm section work as you also take in the extraordinary guitar solos ("Taboo," for example). Not to mention the polyrhythms (as in the hand-clapping juxtaposed with the call-and-response guitars in "No One to Depend On"). I consider much of the album a masterpiece -- especially the first three cuts! You HAVE TO listen to this! July 11, 2006

The Hottest Santana Album!

Originally, I first heard this on a vinyl album, back in the 70's. I was blown away immediately. This is by far not only the finest Santana album ever released, it is also a listening experience that makes you want to hear it again and again. I just got the disc, after not hearing this album for about 30 years. What can I say? It is the ultimate musical experience with a unique combination of Latino, African, rock and jazz sounds, percussion played with amazing energy, combined with Carlos's wailing guitar...My daughter and I chose this album for our number one album for driving music, and believe me, that means it rates way up there on our list! We listen to it almost everyday, the disc will probably wear thin soon!
This album should be a must-buy in any serious rock-jazz-world music lover's collection. April 26, 2006

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