The Ups and Downs of Carlos Santana
Part One: Caravanserai
First Appeared at The Music Box, January 2004, Volume 11, #1
Written by John Metzger
Everyone seemed shocked and surprised when Carlos Santana unleashed the blockbuster Supernatural on the world. Without a doubt, it was overtly more pop-oriented than anything he had previously put together, yet it also wasn’t completely out-of-step with his career-long struggle for commercial viability. It’s been 34 years since Santana released his first album. In that time, he’s dabbled in everything from Latin rock to jazz-fusion, from soul to blues, from psychedelia to R&B. Plenty of pop polish has pulsated through his songs as well. Like an alchemist, he’s always experimenting, always mixing sounds and styles to suit his particular need. Sometimes it’s worked, other times it hasn’t, but such is the nature of his unique vision. In the early 1970s, Santana was focused primarily on interpreting the burgeoning jazz-fusion scene, and three of his albums from this period (Caravanserai, Love Devotion Surrender, and Welcome) as well as a concert recording from 1977 (Moonflower) have recently been remastered and reissued. Here is a look at each:
Santana
Caravanserai
(Columbia/Legacy)
Abraxus, and to a lesser extent, Santana, and Santana III receive nearly all of the attention, but Carlos Santana’s oft-forgotten fourth studio recording Caravanserai is an equally strong outing that finds the guitarist stepping out in a new direction. Steeped in jazz- fusion, the album rolls along at a comfortable pace, so much so that this, perhaps, explains why it’s been so difficult for many to fully grasp.
It’s not that Caravanserai is really that different from Santana’s
previous efforts. All he really does is expand upon the instrumental segments of
his first three albums, but this time, he parlays them into a cohesive suite of
songs that is, at times, as breathtakingly beautiful as Miles Davis’ In a Silent Way and, at other times, as frenetic as Davis’ Bitches Brew.
Right from the start, he charts out Caravanserai’s sonic space, beginning
with the serene sound of crickets to which is added the guttural groan of
saxophone and a percussive groove straight from John Coltrane’s Africa/Brass.
Indeed, that is the foundation upon which Santana builds this monumental effort,
which bursts at the seams with thoughts and ideas while careening effortlessly
through a blend of Latin rock, blues, and soul. He masterfully reinvents Antonio
Carlos Jobim’s Stone Flower, dives into the heady funk-rock swirl of
Look Up (To See What’s Coming Down), and delivers Song of the Wind
with supreme tenderness. Through it all, the magisterial tone of Santana’s
guitar freely darts and glides above the clattering rhythms sculpted by a sextet
of percussionists. Indisputably original when it was released in 1972,
Caravanserai has held up remarkably well over the years and continues to
rank among the most vital outings of Santana’s career. There are no bonus tracks
on the updated release, but then again, there’s no reason to mess with
perfection. 
Of Further Interest...
Santana - Love Devotion Surrender
Caravanserai is available from Barnes & Noble.
To order, Click Here!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2003 The Music Box