Santana had previously established latin rock as a flavorful and thriving genre back in 1969, the year their debut album released to an unsuspecting public. By combining elements of psychedelic rock with afro-latin rhythms, they created a brand new rock sound that's still very much unlike a great majority of rock released today. They're about as dominant over the genre as Creedence Clearwater Revival is with swamp rock, and if their debut didn't cement this prowess, their 1970 sophomore release Abraxas almost certainly did. To continue their impressive winning streak, Santana III feels like a fusion between the two previous albums, and the result is Santana distilled into an impressive essence. The epitome of the group's sound can be heard on what is probably their most consistently good effort yet, complete with all the dizzying highs of their previous albums. It's Santana at their smooth-rocking best.
One thing I will say when it comes to this album is that it does ride along the lines of their first two albums, arguably to a point of repetition. Songs like "No One to Depend On" have elements of "Evil Ways" from their debut, and "Guajira" has nodes of "Oye como va" from Abraxas. I find that these moments don't fall along repetition however, but rather refinement. It takes what made each of those songs as good as they are and concentrates it, until what you're left with is a rich groove, backed with the confident rhythms of Jose Areas and the equally bold guitar work of Carlos Santana. Speaking of Carlos, his work on this album may very well be his best out of their first three records. He was certainly no slouch on those first two, but on Santana III he gets far more moments to explode into his patented furies of notes and blistering bends, resulting in some of the most erupting instrumental moments out of their catalog that I've heard yet. This same raw power can be heard on moments like opening instrumental "Batuka," containing one of his most dizzying solos yet.
Santana III is not just more consistently good, but it stays true to the latin rock stylings through and through. Abraxas had the occasional touch of hard rock on moments like "Hope You're Feeling Better," and while I enjoyed those rockers, they felt all but out of place on a record as vibrant as Abraxas. From start to finish, Santana III knows what it is, and it does what it does damn well. The opulence of their previous albums is all but expanded on this album, with moments like "Everybody's Everything" or the soaring closing track "Para los rumberos" embodying the group's ethos, but with an even more explosive energy - these songs also carry a distinguishing afro-cuban vibe with their pumping, lively horns, a natural sphere of influence for the band to incorporate into their repertoire. These added influences and consummate nature makes Santana III feel far more polished than any of their previous works, feeling just as fresh and exciting throughout - many of the songs cross the five minute mark, but with how galvanizing they are you would never notice.
Santana III is, in my evaluation, their finest album yet. The group has taken the best of their two previous albums and purified it into a mean, soaring album. Driving rock instrumentation is yet again married with sapid South American musical influence to create one of the most creative sounds in rock at the time, and they do it all to it's logical maximalization, and the end result is their most powerful and flying crop of songs yet. If Abraxas is the best starting point to experience the group, than this is your next stop on the road - the perfect encapsulation of Santana.
RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯
Listen to Santana III.
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