FREEDOM
Santana
•Jazz Rock/Fusion
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Studio Album, released in 1987 Songs / Tracks Listing 1. Vera Cruz (4:23) - Buddy Miles / lead vocals
Artwork: Marty Gessler and to Quinino for the last updates Edit this entry |
Buy SANTANA Freedom Music
![]() | Freedom Music on CD 2013 | $8.36 |
![]() | Freedom Remastered Sony Japan 2010 | $19.39 $23.49 (used) |
![]() | Freedom by Santana (2010-11-09) Sony Japan | $56.93 |
![]() | Freedom by Santana (2010-11-09) Sony Japan | $56.93 |

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SANTANA Freedom ratings distribution
(42 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(2%)
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(2%)
Good, but non-essential (29%)
Collectors/fans only (38%)
Poor. Only for completionists (29%)
SANTANA Freedom reviews
Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings
Collaborators/Experts Reviews
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Prog Folk

Musically, most of the album sounds a lot like BA and its Jackson or Hall & Oates's funk with those awful drum samplings, [&*!#]ty KB, and semi-danceable almost disco-aimed tracks. The major difference with Santana and the other groups (similar to those I mentioned above) is that Santana's ethics made him and the boys still create a lot of place for great instrumental breaks (but nothing outside the usual completely worn-out path they got us so used to). Yes Santana was definitely aiming for radio airplay and dishing out a rather non-convincing cross of AOER and 80's Motown funk. Not much positive can be said for the first side of the vinyl
And the second side is only saved by the delightful Mandela (reminiscent of Johnny Clegg) and the good closer Victim Of Circumstances, taking you (almost) back to the good days of mid- 70's. I can draw a parallel with the 80's Genesis saying that BA would be Invisible Touch and this one (Freedom) would be the "Shapes" album where you can still see periods of greatness. But certainly nothing warranting a spin or the acquisition.
PROG REVIEWER

It is such a pity to hear one of my beloved band producing so many poor albums that I can only have a sad feeling about them. But, at the end of the day, I just want to give my opinion (as objective as I can be).
There has been change of styles of course during such a long time : from the most frenetic latin-rock of the early days to a more latin-jazz-oriented music we have ended ... nowhere.
A part of the answer resides in the fact that some important members have left the band throughout the Santana life. I mentioned in my "Welcome" review that Rollie's departure would have a major impact on Santana's future. Not the near future since the band has released several good to very good albums (including "Welcome") but rather the long run.
On the first four albums, Carlos did co-sign eighteen numbers out of thirty-seven, while Gregg was good for sixteen collaborations, Mike for nine and "Chepito for eleven (most of the songs were co-written). So, even if Carlos was the mainstream, it was pretty much a combined band effort which leaded to those fantastic albums. Then little by little the inspiration will be weaker and will lead to another poor album.
The only good track (but do not expect a "chef- d'oeuvre") is "Love Is You" so my rating for this album is unfortunately one star, again (disculpa Carlos, sorry Carlos).
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator

Overall, It's really difficult to maintain band's performance over time. This "Freedom" album tells us that the music of Santana is no longer like what it was great during late 60s or early seventies. I leave it up to you whether or not to buy this album, especially if you are die-hard fan of Santana. If you love the way Santana plays his guitar, some tracks featured here would satisfy you. But most of the songs featured here do not represent what Santana has done
PROG REVIEWER

Yes, you´ll find excellent trademark guitar lines and lots of latin percussion, but several songs are way too commercial, sanitized and bland to make this a really worthy effort. Love Is You for example shows the unmistakable style of a Carlos Santana solo, a real joy to hear, although the song itself is nothing special. The situation gets better on the second half of the CD, with Mandela and Deeper, Dig Deeper being the best tracks. But then we also have Before We Go, a tracks that is a pastiche of a ballad from Eric Clapton´s album August. If you know Clapton´s ballads of the period you get it.
So in the end I found Freedom not a bad album, it has its moments (if you don´t mind those typical synth sounds of the time), but far from anything he has done in the 70´s or even at the beginning of the 80´s. It would be a long way back to the top. Two stars.
Latest members reviews
This reunion of Carlos Santana and crew with Buddy Miles is a very enjoyable treat. They
obviously enjoy working together, having done so, so many times. This is the same band
configuration that jammed on stage in Tokyo with Jeff Beck and toured behind the "Iron
Curtain". That was at a time
... (read more)
Report this review (#95653) | Posted by vingaton | Wednesday, October 25, 2006 | Review Permanlink
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