Amazon.co.uk Review
The Arista debut of Carlos Santana and band gives fans of the soulful guitar vet two albums in one, but it's a decidedly good-news, bad-news proposition. First, there's a fine collection of late-1990s-model Santana--tastefully tooled songs driven by Latin jazz and Afro-Cuban rhythms ("[Da Le] Taleo", "Africa Bamba", "Migra", "Primavera" and the emotionally charged instrumental "El Farol") that allow Carlos plenty of elbowroom for his passionate soloing. Then there's the collection of tracks featuring a lineup of
de rigueur alternative and hip-hop stars, including
Dave Matthews,
Everlast,
Lauryn Hill,
Wyclef Jean and
Eagle Eye Cherry. To their credit, Matthews ("Love of My Life") and Eagle Eye Cherry ("Wishing It Was") muster enough chemistry to make the fusion work. But the rest of the collaborations feel like an unnecessary stretch to reach out to a younger demographic that El Jefe has little trouble attracting on his own terms.
--Jerry McCulley
CD Description
Fans old and new have much to celebrate about SUPERNATURAL,Carlos Santana's Arista Records debut. After several years of quiet in the studio, Santana is joined by his seasoned contemporary Eric Clapton and by such young luminaries as Lauryn Hill, Dave Matthews, Rob Thomas, and Fher (of famed Mexi-rockers Mana). As an album that caps a rock career spanning more than three decades, SUPERNATURAL is a testament to the stylistic breadth of Carlos' musical world, to his dynamic communicative abilities, and to the fact that rolling stones truly gather no moss. The man continues to make a guitar wail like no other.
To the sound of punchy horns, Rodney Holmes' double-bass drum kick, and of course, Santana's searingstring-bending, "Yaleo" tears it up with abandon. "Migra" is another signature Santana 'Latin rock' piece with a pulsing Bo Diddley beat and a strong message about the U.S. immigration officers' harassment of Latinos. "Love Of My Life" is a sultry number with Matthews pouring sweetness all over themicrophone, while "Do You Like The Way" features Hill dropping the light of her wisdom to slow, rough beats.