Santana Gives His 'All'
The guitar hero gets help from Los Lonely Boys,Joss Stone,Mary J.Blige




Rolling Stone magazine



"Nobody wants to be predictable," says Carlos Santana,who's preparing for a fall tour and the November 1st release of 'All That I Am',his band's latest studio album."You can hear Santana on the new album,but I'm not the same Santana I was in the sixties."

'All That I Am' is sleek and groove-heavy,and like Santana's last two discs,it's studded with big-time guest stars,ranging this time from Anthony Hamilton and Mary J.Blige to Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am and Metallica's Kirk Hammett.

A similar mix helped Santana achieve a critical and commercial comeback with 1999's 'Supernatural'.But Santana,who is again teaming with executive producer Clive Davis,says "I want people to understand that it's not a schtick,a gimmick,a formula or anything like that.Santana is basically a big buffet,and I'm the maitre d' guy".

Among the standout tracks on the new album is the sinuous "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love",a collaboration with Los Lonely Boys,who opened for him on a June leg of his tour and previewed the song during their frequent onstage jams with Santana's band."I love 'em--the force is strong with them",Santana says of the young Texans."The song they wrote for me has the Tex-Mex Santana thing,with a tinge of Afro-Cuban stuff".

Another key song is "Cry Baby Cry",a duet between Joss Stone and Sean Paul that Santana describes as "kind of a charanga with a little bit of the Clash in it".And the instrumental track "Trinity" boasts harmonized guitars from Santana,Hammett and pedal-steel virtuoso Robert Randolph.

Randolph and the Family Band will open for Santana's fall tour,which kicks off September 15 in San Jose,California (I will be there!).Supernatural collaborator Rob Thomas helped write the hooky R&B track "My Man" with Outkast's Big Boi and Mary J.Blige on vocals.And Michelle Branch,who sang the hit "The Game Of Love" on Santana's 2002 disc 'Shaman',reappears to sing what Santana calls "a summer pop song","I'm Feeling You",co-produced by hitmaker John Shanks.

Also in the works from Santana are a return-to-roots instrumental CD,along with a DVD if his July 2004 "Hymns For Peace" performance in Montreux,Switzerland,where he jammed with Steve Winwood,Herbie Hancock,Chick Corea and others.

"To me,if you want to stay young,stay open",Santana says of his wide-ranging collaborators."I never want to be a guy that's been there,done that.That's poison."

DavidEye said:

Kirk Hammett?!?!?! WORST guitarist EVER!

in other Santana news,he is getting ready to release a Live CD and DVD....


The A&E Live By Request,recorded in October 2002,will be available at Target Stores,simultaneously with the release of the new CD.The cost will be an affordable $5.99.The tracks on the CD and DVD will include:

"Black Magic Woman"
"The Game Of Love" (featuring Michelle Branch)
"Oye Como Va"
"Maria Maria" (featuring The Product G&B)
"Soul Sacrifice"
"Europa"
"Evil Ways"

Live By Request is an audience participation show where members requested a particular song.Carlos would then tell a brief story about the song or give a tidbit of history as to how the song came about.Carlos and the band then performed the song.

Wait, does that really say there is a track with Joss Stone and Sean Paul...and it sounds like the Clash..?!?!


WOW!






I think the live album will be interesting..I only really know Santana thru his well-known early stuff and the Supernatural album, which is a little too slick. I'd like to hear him get his groove on with a tight but rough around the edges kinda band

rocknrolldave said:

I like Joss Stone alot,so I'm looking forward to hearing this track.