Santana - Ultimate Santana
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Free Music Notes for Ultimate Santana
Free Music Review: Good Intro to Sanatana CD.
Hit: 4 Stars
I bought this CD to get into Santana and I think is good for someone curious about this band's music. It has some of their best early hits as well as some from recent years.Free Music Review: Good disc for the casual fan
Hit: 3 Stars
Of course, there will always be two types of Santana fans: Those who cherish the band's "classic"-era output like "Black Magic", "Evil Ways," etc.; and those who didn't discover them until the latter-day collaboration discs with the likes of Rob Thomas, Michelle Branch, etc. I'm not sure which type of fan I am, because I like most of the songs on this disc. But's it's not a perfect compilation.
While the emphasis on more recent songs is understandable--there are at least FOUR other best of/greatest hits/essential collections out there--the exlusion of the Michelle Branch collaboration "I'm Feeling You" is hard to forgive.
Of the new songs, only the collaboration with Jennifer Lopez really works. The first single, "Into the Night," with Nickelback's Chad Kroeger, is just awful. Now, I realize Nickelback has sold millions of albums and all that, but Kroeger's droning monotone voice is completely wrong for a Latin-flavored song of passion. Maybe the band felt obliged to work with him again after his song on SHAMAN ("Why Don't You and I") was re-recorded and made into a hit with Alex Band. "Game of Love," redone with Tina Turner doesn't fair much better, if only because it reminds one of how Michelle Branch's version was just that much better.
For casual fans, this single-disc collection could be all the Santana they need. But "Ultimate" Santana it ain't.
Free Music Review: For his recent fans - Very heavy on the later (i.e. - the "Featuring...") years
Hit: 3 Stars
It is true that this Best Of... disc covers Santana's entire career, and it DOES cover Santana's music on Columbia and Arista, but don't be fooled by those ideas. It is VERY loaded with more recent Santana hits, with a few of his more classic songs thrown in for good measure.
Most of the songs are from the Supernatural era and beyond (1999-), so you are missing a great, great chunk of Santana's 60's - 80's music. For most of Santana's relatively new fans, this is a fine compliation of pop hits. More serious/long-term fans are probably better suited to hold onto their previously bought (one of many) compilation CDs.
The ULTIMATE collection? This is not. Santana needs a substantial double-CD covering everything: the 60's and 70's latin soul jams, the 80's pop stuff (yes, including "Winning"), while still including the Arista years. Wait for it.
All things considered, this is a fine compilation. The mastering is very clean and dynamic--it does sound great. Unfortunately, the track selection just misses the mark...
Free Music Review: OK, but it's time for a real "Santana" album
Hit: 3 Stars
Ultimate Santana is a decent enough mix of new and old works. Into the Night is an enjoyable, but not striking, piece of music. I have been a fan for many years and, regrettably, this compilation contains my Santana pet peeve - the chopped Black Magic Woman with no Gypsy Queen to follow! That's equivalent to pumpkin pie without whipped topping!
But I digress - for 2008, I'm not sure if other fans would concur, but I for one would like to see a "Santana" album and tour - that is to say, some music in the vein of Abraxas, Amigos, Inner Secrets, Shango, Milagro, etc. (anything before Supernatural). The last "Santana" song was Victory is Won from Shaman. Carlos turned 60 last year and still has plenty of fuel in the tank. Let's hope he and the current (excellent) incarnation of musicians in the 40th year of Santana can put together a modern masterpiece of Latin/Jazz/Cuban/Rock brilliance.
Free Music Review: Should be "Ultimate Late 90's to the Present Santana"
Hit: 3 Stars
Having been around Carlos since 1972 I know what he's up to here. It kind of hurts my feelings to see Carlos as a mere backup player for much less talented artists. (and please don't write me back about how great J-Lo and Rob Thomas are. I get that, okay?) Not to say there aren't a few good tunes as a backup guy thrown on this disc. The fire he had years ago is not there anymore, although the licks are still wailin'. Hey Carlos! Put together your band from 1975 and kick some musical [...]. Ultimate Santana? Hardly. That would require at least a 10 disc set to compile, sans Rob Thomas, J-Lo and the rest of the musical free-loaders enjoying his licks on their songs, not a requisite album for the label bosses. I don't blame them, but I notice Clapton doesn't do that very often.