New Santana album ""Blessings and Miracles" w/Winwood, Kirk Hammett, Rob Thomas, etc (??2021)

I liked the concert video. Shrieve was especially good.

 

Ya, Shrieve is the "youngster" of the band, at least from the original band.
A buddy of mine from California, his cousin plays timbales (Karl Parrazo).
Good people Santana is...

 

I agree. I absolutely adore Santana the band and think Carlos is a legend. Africa Speaks was excellent, I loved IV and Supernatural was a great comeback album, although he flogged the concept to death over the two subsequent albums.

But I’m sorry… for me, sticking bongos and guitar licks all over A White Shade of Pale is like drawing glasses and a moustache on the Mona Lisa; I really didn’t like it. Think this is one Santana album I will be passing on.

 

The Santana concert I saw in July, 2019, was one of the best concerts I have attended in 50 years of concert going. I will approach any new Santana album with hope and positive thoughts.

 

Was interested to see Chris Stapleton sings on one of the new Santana songs.

 

Yawn. Really, Whiter Shade of Pale Carlos? Rob Thomas redux? Just sad. For a guy who has written and performed such amazing muscic to be reduced to this hurts. I was really excited for Santana IV and mostly liked it...can't say I'm much of a Neal Schon fan (post the first two Journey albums). Since that I usually try to give a listen but nothing has caught my ear since. I'd rather see him hook up with David Hidalgo and Louie Perez and push some boundries. That would be real.

 

Not to hijack the thread, but what do Santana fans think of this track from Supernatural? I'm biased being a DMB fan but damn I think this is a killer track. Smooth as hell (sorry for the semi-pun).

 

foobar2000 1.6.5 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analyzed: Diane Warren / Blessings and Miracles (1)
Santana / Blessings and Miracles (2-15)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR Peak RMS Duration Track
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR3 -0.40 dB -6.33 dB 3:33 08-She's Fire
DR8 -0.51 dB -14.50 dB 1:25 01-Ghost of Future Pull / New Light
DR5 -0.40 dB -7.33 dB 3:18 02-Santana Celebration
DR6 -0.40 dB -8.10 dB 3:56 03-Rumbalero
DR6 -0.46 dB -8.04 dB 3:47 04-Joy
DR4 -0.40 dB -6.12 dB 2:45 05-Move
DR6 -0.40 dB -9.37 dB 4:54 06-Whiter Shade Of Pale (feat. Steve Winwood)
DR5 -0.46 dB -8.02 dB 5:16 07-Break (feat. Ally Brooke)
DR5 -0.46 dB -5.80 dB 4:40 09-Peace Power (feat. Corey Glover)
DR4 -0.40 dB -5.66 dB 6:14 10-America For Sale (feat. Kirk Hammett & Marc Osegueda)
DR5 -0.40 dB -7.83 dB 3:34 11-Breathing Underwater
DR4 -0.40 dB -5.74 dB 4:35 12-Mother Yes
DR7 -0.40 dB -8.57 dB 3:49 13-Song For Cindy
DR6 -0.40 dB -9.16 dB 3:17 14-Angel Choir/All Together (feat. Chick Corea & Gayle Moran Corea)
DR9 -0.40 dB -13.40 dB 1:47 15-Ghost Of Future Pull II
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of tracks: 15
Official DR value: DR6
Samplerate: 96000 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 24
Bitrate: 2573 kbps
Codec: FLAC

 

DR6! Just like his last release. Very sad.

 

24bit - 96ooo Hz, but no content above 22000 Hz.

 

Blessings and Miracles is a mixture of traditional Santana (Tracks 1-3 and 13-15) and modern pop and hard rock Santana. As such it is unlikely to appeal to Santana traditionalists, but some of its tracks will introduce Santana to new audiences..

After a quiet 1.25 Caravanserai style opener, Ghost of Future Pull, track 2 Santana Celebration launches into classic Abraxas era Santana, with screaming guitars and percussion. It is based on Soul Fiesta by Manu Dibango, but sounds like Soil Sacrifice. The fiery guitars and Latin rhythms continue on Track 3 Rumbalero, written with his son Salvador and featuring some modern synth and drum sounds.

For tracks 3 to 8, we then move into the Supernatural/Shaman/Corazon pattern of collaborations with modern artists. This starts on Track 4 with Joy, with Chris Stapleton, a country artist, although the song is Latin reggae. Track 5, Move with Rob Thomas, is a variation on the 1999 hit Smooth. For Track 6 Steve Winwood is on vocals and organ for a White Shade of Pale: a solid offering but it doesn't surpass the original (the Latin percusssion is out of place). Tracks 7 and 8 are Dianne Warren songs: Break, a pop ballad sung by Brooke Hernandez, and She's Fine, sung by the rapper She's Fine. Pleasant songs with Carlos adding some tasteful guitar fills.

Then from track 9 nearly all of the remaining songs are Santana fully or part penned. Track 9 Peace Power is a hard rocker, with Corey Glover, a funk artist on vocals, and further searing Santana guitar. Track 10, America for Sale, is an even heavier rocker, with Kirk Hammett of Metallica joining Santana on lead guitar. The underlying track is produced by Rick Rubin - as is track 12, Mother Yes: another hard rocker with Cindy Blackman Santana (the wife of Carlos) to the fore on drums.

Things calm down on Track 11, Breathing Underwater, written with and sung by Carlos Santana's daughter Stella. This is a dreamy Lana Del Reyesque ballad with some fine emotional guitar from Carlos. Track 13, Song for Cindy, is a 4 minute Santana instrumental in the vein of Song of the Wind/Europa though not in the same league .

On Track 14, we are back in a Mahavishnu Orchestra territory for a Latin jazz track with the late Chick Corea. The track includes a choral introduction by Corea's wife Gayle Moran Corea. And we close with Ghost of Future Pull II.

So quite a mix. Personally I find it an enjoyable listen with lots of variety and none of the pop pieces are grating. Santana and his guitar remain largely in control throughout: something that was not always the case with Supernatural and Shaman.

 

It depends on the track. ProStudioMasters (which is always better about disclosure than HD Tracks, who rarely says anything) lists the below:

Santana, Blessings and Miracles in High-Resolution Audio

So a few of the tracks should at least have info up to 24000khz, but a lot will cutoff at 22,000 khz. And track 1 is "lossy". Not impressive, from a hi-rez standpoint.

 

Very enjoyable album, something for every taste of Santana fans.
Just come to think of it, Carlos' style of playing little licks in tandem with the vocalists is not soloing and not rhythm guitar, it's something in between.
And I think it's pretty unique, but we're so used to it, because that's what he has always been doing. Right now I can't name any other guitarist who does that.

About the technical lamenting above, I have no idea what that is all about. The album sounds great. But maybe I don't have the gear or ears to notice the problem?

 

i also saw santana 2 years ago and it was magnificent. i cannot believe that he put this drivel out after hearing how good he was then.

other than wimwood, it is a total piece of crap.

the "big" hit has diane warren and g-eazy - do you need any more than that?

save your money. download the winwood and then forget this record ever exists.

and if you dare, do to your favorite streaming service and listen to it if you don't believe me.

 

Disagree. Seems to me he put a lot of his heart and soul into it and his playing is great. You might not like the production or changes in style. To each their own. I liked it better then I expected.

 

I can’t say I was impressed by what I heard. The Rob Thomas song was awful and both the Steve Winwood and Chris Stapleton tunes were okay. The project didn’t fail on talent, it simply failed to produce something memorable. Even as a Rob Thomas fan, I can tell that I gained nothing from “Move” other than to move on from that song for good.

 

Yeah, Rob Thomas suggests a sellout, but don't judge a book by its cover or "never judge lovers by good looking covers", so I'll give it a listen tonite.

Santana has always been a hit and miss for me, but over the years I leraned to appreciate him more. I am getting old, maybe that's why I lean towards mellower stuff. I really like the albums where his guitar playing is in the spotlight. Think the debut album from '69 (favorite tracks Jingo and Fried Neckbones), Santana III (Batuka and Taboo), Milagro (Somewhere in Heaven (full unedited version), We Don't Have to Wait (my favorite Santana wah wah composition ever), and few others), and Santana IV (Yambu, Forgiveness and few more)...

As for the new album, I only listened to some snippets, but instrumentals (so basically the opening and ending of the album, including the Song for Cindy) seem interesting. That said, my biggest problem with this album is the cardboard packaging. I do believe that these cardboards scratch CDs, you can scratch your CD when taking it out for the first time . These should be either banned or come with CDs in plastic inserts. Santana IV was released as a digipak, and that was the way to go, even though I am really more into jewel cases.

 

Ok, just finished listening. A little bit of everything, thus kinda unfocused. My opinion on individual tracks:

1. Ghost of Future Pull / New Light" 1:24
A bit hendrixesque intro.

2. "Santana Celebration" 3:18
In the vein of classic Santana, think the debut album or... Santana IV, I think that the beginning is really similar to one song off the Santana IV album.

3. "Rumbalero" (featuring Salvador Santana and Asdru Sierra) 3:56
The beginning with heavy (Jean Michael Jarre-like?) synths is so horrible that I can't find the words. Then it is getting a little better.

4. "Joy" (featuring Chris Stapleton) 3:46
Typical "feelgood" Santana's reagge.

5. "Move" (featuring Rob Thomas and American Authors) 2:45
Wow. That really sounds like Smooth 2. I really don't like Rob Thomas' voice.

6. "Whiter Shade of Pale" (featuring Steve Winwood) 4:53
Doesn't have the lasting power of the original.

7. "Break" (featuring Ally Brooke) 5:16
All the ballads from "all star" Santana albums (Supernatural, All that I am, Corazon) come to mind.

8. "She's Fire" (featuring Diane Warren and G-Eazy) 3:32
Hip hop guy with a really good guitarist in his backing band.

9. "Peace Power" (featuring Corey Glover) 4:40
A solid rocker.

10. "America For Sale" (featuring Kirk Hammett and Marc Osegueda) 6:13
Might be the heaviest Santana song to date. Kirk Hammett and Carlos trading wah wah licks. Kirk Hammett wah wah jokes, anyone?

11. "Breathing Underwater" (featuring Stella Santana, Avi Snow and MVCA) 3:34
Sorry, this is not the Santana I would like to listen to. Sounds like modern pop with Santana as a hired gun (think Timberland - Apologize).

12. "Mother Yes" 4:35
Nothing special but listenable.

13. "Song for Cindy" 3:49
A solid instrumental.

14. "Angel Choir/All Together" (featuring Chick Corea and Gayle Moran Corea) 3:17
A little jazzy track. Noce one but too little, too late one might say.

15. "Ghost of Future Pull II"
A hendrixesque outro.

 

Interesting, I saw him maybe 2 and a half years ago and I was a bit disappointed. I even left during the encore just to beat the traffic, not that I had anywhere to be. The band just didn’t do much for me.

 

I appreciate the reviews but I’ll pass on this one.

 

Thought I'd share my recent interview with Carlos about the newest album; some interesting insight in here if you're interested.

 

Soil Sacrifice? Is that age related or something?

 

i dunno I've heard worse modern songs than that. Kinda modern/generic, but it's always great to hear his guitar playing. I think this will be a sizable hit

 

I Think I clicked on this for the same reason as many - to see if Winwood can still sing. He sounds great here, but otherwise a fairly generic cover. Not bad, just kind of blah

 

I just borrowed this from the library today and listened to it. Meh.