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Santana
Supernatural
(Arista)
First Appeared at The Music Box, January 2000, Volume 7, #1
Written by John Metzger
Supernatural has been justifiably hailed as the comeback album for Carlos Santana, and
while it isn't as strong as his classics (Abraxus, Santana, and Caravanserai),
it is still a remarkable effort. Like Leftover Salmon's The Nashville
Sessions, Santana's Supernatural features a treasure trove of guest musicians, and
yet it manages to not sound forced. However, where the former drew from the Nashville music scene,
the latter features a more diverse array of artists. Unfortunately, it's exactly this genre-jumping
that takes away from some of the cohesiveness of this disc. Yet, one thing is for certain —
Santana's guitar sings beautifully on each and every track on the album.
How often is it that the strongest song on an album is not utilized as the single? In most cases,
it is far too often, but this is not the case with Supernatural. For once, the best song
not only was chosen for airplay, but it also actually achieved a tremendous amount of success. This, of
course, is Smooth — Santana's collaboration with Matchbox 20's Rob Thomas. This is certainly
not a pairing that one would expect to work, and yet it does — quite well, too. Thomas penned
an irresistible melody, and Santana filled it with all the heart and soul he could muster.
Not all of the collaborations are quite as successfull. The Calling with Eric Clapton is solid
enough, but it falls short of the high expectations that are raised by such a pairing of guitar greats.
Likewise, songs with Wyclef Jean (Maria Maria), Eagle Eye Cherry (Wishing It Was),
Everlast (Put Your Lights On), and Lauryn Hill (Do You Like the Way) at first make for
interesting listening, but they eventually lose some of their luster.
Between these, however, are some exquisite fusions of Latin jazz and rock, which are centered
around frothy Afro-Cuban rhythms as well as an outstanding pairing with Dave Matthews on Love of
My Life. On each of these, Santana's guitar soars with the kind of passionate splendor and spiritual
grace that longtime fans have come to expect. It's these songs that lift this album above the norm,
allowing both the musicians and the listener to achieve that transcendent altered state of being one
with the universe.  ½
Supernatural is available from Amazon.
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42nd Annual Grammy Award Winner:
Album of the Year
42nd Annual Grammy Award Winner:
Record of the Year - Smooth
42nd Annual Grammy Award Winner:
Song of the Year - Smooth
42nd Annual Grammy Award Winner:
Rock Album
42nd Annual Grammy Award Winner:
Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
Maria Maria
42nd Annual Grammy Award Winner:
Pop Collaboration with Vocals
Smooth
42nd Annual Grammy Award Winner:
Pop Instrumental Performance
El Farol
42nd Annual Grammy Award Winner:
Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
Put Your Lights On
42nd Annual Grammy Award Winner:
Rock Instrumental Performance
The Calling
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 1999
The Music Box
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