SANTANA – Santana IV (2016)
April 15, 2016 marks the release date of “Santana IV“, the wildly anticipated studio album that reunites the revered original SANTANA lineup of guitar icon Carlos Santana (guitar, vocals), Gregg Rolie (keyboards, lead vocals), Neal Schon (guitar, vocals), Michael Carabello (percussion) and Michael Shrieve (drums). The album signifies the first time in 45 years – since 1971’s multi-platinum classic Santana III – that the quintet has recorded together.
“Santana IV” features 16 all-new tracks written and produced by the band that burst with the same unparalleled energy and superlative musicianship that made Santana a pioneering force in world music and a household name across the globe.
Joining the core Santana IV band in the studio are current Santana members Karl Perazzo (percussion) and Benny Rietveld (bass), with the legendary vocalist Ronald Isley guesting on two cuts.
The origins for the reunion go back several years, when Journey mastermind Neal Schon suggested that he and Carlos Santana record together. Santana liked the idea but went one better, proposing that they recruit Rolie (ex- Journey), Shrieve and Carabello for what would be called “Santana IV”.
The band’s signature sound arrives forcefully on the album opener “Yambu”, a righteously gritty and soulful stomper teeming with swirling B3 organ hooks and walloping guitar crunch.
The first single, “Anywhere You Want to Go,” is destined to storm the pantheon of Santana classics. Written by Gregg Rolie, it’s a sexy, body-shaking winner and an unmistakable tip of the hat to the inescapable charms of the band’s classic “Oye Como Va.”
Ronald Isley (The Isley Brothers) is a special guest on two tracks. His vocals highlight the feverishly impassioned Latin-rock workout “Love Makes the World Go Round” and the hard-edged and funky “Freedom in Your Mind.”
We have pure magic indeed in “Blues Magic”, channeling the greats Gary Moore & Phil Lynott.
Guitar fans expecting fireworks from Santana & Schon will cherish “Santana IV” from front to back.
After the dynamic “Choo Choo”, there’s chained “All Aboard”, a no-holds-barred guitar jam of the highest order, as is the slinky, soulful cruncher “Caminando,” which explodes with tectonic axe force.
And on the unabashedly British blues-tinged “Shake It,” the two go toe to toe on not one but two extended solo runs that will have lovers of unhinged fretboard work rejoicing. It rocks with an almost hard rock groove all over.
At the same time, I have to remark Gregg Rolie’s awesome work, not only with his lovely Hammond B3 organ, but also his impeccable lead vocals.
Being in a band feels a lot like being in a relationship: making music with another person borders on spiritual, and is one of the most intimate experiences you can share with another individual.
That’s precisely why the long-awaited reunion of classic Santana lineup works so well on record: these musicians’ chemistry is palpable, and it flows through “Santana IV”.
This band made history: no one had ever so successfully integrated complex Afro-Cuban rhythms with Rock. Each of the band’s first three albums were million-sellers, reflecting the popularity of the musicians’ collective vision.
Forward 2016, they’ve reassembled for new music written in the spirit of their first blasts of killer guitar jams between Santana & Schon, driving percussion and fuzz tone. “Santana IV” captures that magic, while still updating it slightly.
If it sounds more familiar today than it did 40 years ago, that’s to be expected — especially from the performers who invented this sound.
To this day, no one does it better.
01 – Yambu
02 – Shake It
03 – Anywhere You Want To Go
04 – Fillmore East
05 – Love Makes The World Go Round (feat. Ronald Isley)
06 – Freedom In Your Mind (feat. Ronald Isley)
07 – Choo Choo
08 – All Aboard
09 – Suenos
10 – Caminando
11 – Blues Magic
12 – Echizo
13 – Leave Me Alone
14 – You And I
15 – Come As You Are
16 – Forgiveness
Carlos Santana (guitar, vocals)
Neal Schon (guitar, vocals)
Gregg Rolie (lead vocals, keyboards)
Michael Carabello (percussion)
Michael Shrieve (drums)
with:
Karl Perazzo (percussion)
Benny Rietveld (bass)
Ronald Isley (lead vocals)
PRE ORDER:
www.amazon.com/Santana-IV/dp/B01AVMS8KA
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