Santana 1969 Album

Santana

Santana's debut came along really late compared to other bands in the San Francisco scene, but better late than never, since a lot of those bands appeared to be running out of steam by this time. Meanwhile, Santana brought back the jam and - most importantly – the rhythm, into heavy rock. For all the hype over Carlos' guitar playing, the more dominant features are the ever-present Latin percussion and Gregg Rolie's driving Hammond organ. Also, this is a top and bottom-heavy record from a sheer song standpoint. What's in between was either under composed or in the throwaway category. But overall, the album works as intended – professional street hippie band jams for your entertainment, with that mystical Carlos Santana twist.