Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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94 of 103 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Carlos Goes Commercial - Say It Ain't So..., October 24, 2002
I've been a devoted Santana fan for most of his career. Heck, I remember buying his first album on vinyl shortly after it was originally released. I've probably bought more of his releases over the years than any other single artist I follow. I've seen him live many times, going all the way back to the 70's, and always treasured the experiences.With all that said, I was thrilled to see him come back into public aclaim with "Supernatural". While concerned somewhat about the commercialism of that release, it was a fresh enough approach that I could enjoy it, and be happy for Carlos because of the renewed attention it brought him. And for the long-time Santana fan, there was still enough traditional Santana sound there to enjoy. However, with "Shaman", I feel he goes overboard with the multi-artist/colaborator approach, and at the same time, doesn't infuse enough traditional Santana music in the mix. "Shaman" unfortunately displays the all-too-American approach to marketing: if they liked it the first time, let's do it bigger, louder, and longer next time. Musically, there's little new here since "Supernatural". Some of the guest artists are really questionable, talent-wise. It seems they just wanted to stuff this CD as full as possible with diverse individuals. Listening to the CD, I was struck by how common most of Carols' guitar licks sounded - it seems I've heard them all before, many times. In itself that isn't a bad thing, but given he's in the support on most of these tracks, it becomes all the more noticable. Sonically, the release suffers on many tracks from the type of compression typically found on commercial pop releases. It's mixed to sound ok on the car radio or an average stereo. Audiophiles with revealing, high-quality systems will lament the lack of sonic potential. Most disturbing was noticing in the liner notes a page dedicated to plugging "Carlos by Carlos Santana Licensed Products". Everything from women's shoes to sunglasses to inspirational cards. I know that given the complete derth of talent being released by the record companies these days, even a release this commercial from Carlos Santana stands heads above the average. But do they have to hang every commercial opportunity possible on his shoulders? Or is it his choice to allow all this? In any event, it screams "sell out!". While this CD may garner some Grammy's (unlikey to be as successful as it's predecessor, but given the state of music releases these days, anything's possible), it finds a slightly unwelcome home in this fan's Santana collection. But artists have to grow in their unique ways, and I hope this eventually inspires new, and more fittingly "Santana" creations in the future.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superior to Supernatural, October 23, 2002
...I have been a fan of Carlos Santana since my teens over 30 years ago. I have nearly every recording he has released in that time and if I were forced to pick one as the best today it would be "Shaman." I realize this is an initial impression since I have so far heard the CD only one time through, but during that listen I experienced every emotional response that I yearn for when I put on a Santana CD. Carlos and his incredible guitar talents have always been able to make my toes curl, my knees feel weak, and bring tears to my eyes. More than one track on this CD has done all three of those for me.
Like "Supernatural" before it, "Shaman" is much more than a Santana CD. There are actually only 4 tracks that are pure Santana songs, the other 12 tracks are collaborations with an impressive array of talented musicians. It is too early to pick a favorite of those but the hard rock track "America," with a band I've never heard of before, P.O.D., had me banging my head like I was 20 years younger, and the final track with opera star (opera?!?) Placido Domingo left me with tears in my eyes.
...As with Supernatural, this CD should "connect the molecules to the light" to quote Carlos, meaning; share with as many people as possible the positive message of peace, compassion and love that is inherit in all Santana music. I am only speaking for myself here, but I think the world today needs to hear that message, and if you choose to get it from this or any other Santana CD, you get the added bonus of being able to dance your buns off to some great music!
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Effective but less than supernatural, October 24, 2002
How do you produce a follow-up to the biggest album of your career - make that the biggest album of the decade - and not appear to be doing the same thing all over again? The answer- Don't even bother. After all, if it ain't broke, why fix it? Using that time tested formula, Santana comes up with yet again another eclectic mix of Latin funk that wouldn't have sounded out of place if it was in 'Supernatural'. At first listen, 'Shaman' comes across as a fresh and varied bag of mostly latin-infused pop tunes, and owing to the success of Supernatural', Carlos Santana managed to get some of the hottest and most talented names in the music industry to lend their vocals to a dozen or so tracks. Most notable are Amoré with Macy Gray, 'You Are My Kind' with Seal and of course the first single 'The Game Of Love' which features a fresh-faced Michelle Branch. 'Game' is a delightfully lithe pop tune that manages put a bounce into your step and a smile to your face. It's that infectious. Less effective are the forays into anthemic rock ('America' with P.O.D.) and opera ('Novus' with Placido Domingo). Somehow, in what is supposed to be a curious blend of guitar and powerful vocals, the tracks just come off sounding rather mismatched and even weakens the effects of Santana's solo interludes. The token spanish track as always saves the day. With balladeer Alejandro Lerner on vocals, Santana manages to create a romantically tragic sonnet ('Hoy Es Adios') reminiscent of his earlier works like 'Maria Maria' and 'Black Magic Woman'. Carlos's trademark guitar improvisational riff is evident throughout the recording but is most effective when there are no vocals to share the stage. Take a listen to instant classics like 'Foo Foo','Let Me Love You Tonight' and especially 'Victory is Won' and you'll see why sometimes, when the music is that good, no lyrics are necessary. With comparisons to 'Supernatural' inevitable, Santana set out to produce a work that is reminiscent of its gigantic predescessor. As a result, while 'Supernatural' was a love child whose beauty everybody just happened to appreciate, 'Shaman' becomes a genetically enhanced commercial effort that is designed to please the masses.
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