Review of Supernatural
By Mark Lonergan
I remember it like it was yesterday. In front of my cash register was a long
line of customers. Beside me was an angry manager. And piping out of the
store’s stereo system was a sound like I had not heard in ages: the guitar of
Carlos Santana. Oh yeah, Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty was singing with him,
too.
That statement basically sums up my reaction to Supernatural, Carlos
Santana’s first album in four years. Over a span of 13 songs it ranges from
the sublime to the clichéd. It features overrated cameos from Thomas and Wyclef
Jean, and (I swear) some of the same solos that Carlos played on 1970’s Abraxas.
I suppose before I go any further I should explain something. I love Carlos
Santana. The man is my idol. His playing rocks. His bands groove better than
just about anybody out there. His albums have been a part of my music collection
for 13 years. When I was eleven my dad was always coming into my room to reclaim
his Santana band tapes. The summer I turned 21 there was not a single time – I
mean not once – that his tapes were not playing in my car. From late
night packie runs to after-work drives with, ahem, Mary Jane, he was there.
But the man whose goal is to “reconnect the molecules with the light” and
make us all “eagles instead of turkeys” (huh?) has not succeeded. What he
ended up with is an above average, albeit schizo, album. The best of his
collaborations are with Dave Mathews and Lauryn Hill & Cee-Lo. “Love of My
Life” thrives off of Mathews’ and Santana’s gift for melody. “Do you
Like That Way” perfectly blends the ladies’ soulful vocals with Santana’s
passionate guitar playing.
Ironically enough, I feel that the albums two big hits, “Smooth” and
“Maria Maria” are among the weakest on the disc. Sure, “Smooth” has more
hooks than The Perfect Storm, but it could have been infinitely better if
sung by someone with a more soulful voice. Anyone who believes Rob Thomas sounds
a lot like original Santana band singer/keyboardist Gregg Rolie should be tied
up and forced to listen to Mad Season for 72 straight hours. As for
“Maria Maria,” it sounds as if Wyclef just sampled his favorite Santana
solos of the last thirty years and mixed them into the track as an afterthought.
The non-collaborative efforts on the album give newcomers a taste of what
classic Santana is all about. With at least three percussionists per track,
listeners can’t help but tap their feet to these grooves. But the songs also
show that the man’s genius is fading. The only fresh sounding track is “Migra.”
All others will feel a bit recycled to the devoted Santana follower.
So if you’re looking for a basic introduction to Santana’s music, get this
CD. But those wanting a glimpse of the man and the band in their prime should
check out the double CD Moonflower. It may have been release 24 years
ago, but it fully demonstrates what Carlos Santana means when he talks about
achieving “musical orgasm.”
Mood:
Make-out
Hear it?:
Buy the CD
