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MILAGRO

Santana

Jazz Rock/Fusion


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Santana Milagro album cover
2.95 | 57 ratings | 4 reviews | 12% 5 stars

Good, but non-essential

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Studio Album, released in 1992

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Milagro (7:36)
2. Somewhere In Heaven (9:59)
3. Saja / Right On (8:51)
4. Your Touch (6:35)
5. Life Is For Living (4:41)
6. Red Prophet (5:37)
7. Agua Que Va Caer (4:24)
8. Make Somebody Happy (4:14)
9. Free All The People (South Africa) (6:06)
10. Gypsy / Grajonca (7:10)
11. We Don't Have To Wait (4:35)
12. A Dios (1:21)

Total Time 71:09

Line-up / Musicians

- Carlos Santana / guitar, percussion, lead & backing vocals, arrangements, co-producer
- Chester Thompson / keyboards, string & horn arrangements, backing vocals, co-producer
- Benny Rietveld / bass, arranger (6)
- Walfredo Reyes / percussion, drums
- Raul Rekow / percussion, congas (solo on 7), lead & backing vocals
- Karl Perazzo / timbales, guido, quinto, bongo, lead & backing vocals

With:
- Bill Graham / voice (1)
- Alex Ligertwood / lead (2) & backing vocals
- Larry Graham / vocals (3)
- Tony Lindsay / lead (5,8) & backing vocals
- Linda Tillery / vocals (6)
- Lygeia Ferragallo / vocals (6)
- Bad River Singers / vocal chant recording (7)
- Jorge Santana / acoustic guitar (3)
- Rebeca Mauleón / piano (7)
- Wayne Wallace / trombone (1,7,9), Horn Arrangements
- William Oritz / trumpet (1,7,9)
- Robbie Kwock / trumpet (1,7,9)
- Melecio Magdaluyo / saxophone (1,7,9)
- Miles Davis / trumpet solo recording (12)
- John Coltrane / tenor sax solo recording (12)
- Billy Johnson / drums (3,4)
- Phil Shenale / string programming

Releases information

Artwork: Adapted from an original silkscreen by Michael Roman

CD Polydor ‎- 314 513 197-2 (1992, US)
CD Polygram Records ‎- 513 197-2 (1992, Canada)
CD Polydor ‎- 513 197-2 (1992, Europe)

Thanks to eMTee for the addition
and to Quinino for the last updates
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SANTANA Milagro ratings distribution


2.95
(57 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(12%)
12%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(19%)
19%
Good, but non-essential (40%)
40%
Collectors/fans only (21%)
21%
Poor. Only for completionists (7%)
7%

SANTANA Milagro reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by ZowieZiggy
PROG REVIEWER
2 stars When I listened to the opening track, I thought there won't be any "Milagro" (miracle) with this album. Mostly a boring jazz jamming number like Carlos has produced very little so far.

The intro for "Somewhere In Heaven" is great. The "vocals" should just have been deleted from the original tapes. The track turns out to be a very good one at half time. Great guitar solo from ...who is this ? It has been so long that he has not played so well that I just wonder how it was possible to be brought back in the earliest times of my life and listen again to the great Carlos for a while.

Unfortunately, he will be surrounded by very weak vocalists (but this is no new story). I really wonder how these guys can make a Santana album as a singer. Is Carlos such a bad recruiter ? Even a twelve years old child could determine that they are just useless and pure boredom.

Que paso ?

If this album should be pure instrumental, I would so far applaude rather positively. Superb guitar, great rhythms, good percussions. OK : compositions are not really strong (nothing to do with their early work) but do not forget that this album just follows lots of extremely boring ones (six in a row if you except the good "Zebop"). From "Inner Secrets" through "Spirits Dancing In The Flesh".

So, to listen to a piece as "Saja Right On" can only be a reward to the (extremely) old Santana fan that I am. Unfortunately, "Your Touch" features again very weak vocal parts, of course, Carlos will display some killer guitar breaks in this song (and some other ones) giving the impression that only half of the songs are worthwhile.

Of course, at this time of his great career, he will attract lots of people to record his albums. But when you listen to most of these songs, the only great moments are the ones played by Carlos. But what a treatment to endure these useless vocals all the way through...

The worse being reached with "Agua Que Va Caer". We all knew that lyrics were not a strong part of Santana, but this one really flirts with the bottoms. I am unfortunately able to understand these stupid phrases...Que caiga lo que tu quieras Carlos.

The syrupus "Make Somebody Happy" and its soul approach is not at all my cup of tea. Press next. A bit of reggae with "Free All The People". It has always surprised me that Carlos did not release more reggae-oriented songs. Doing this in 1992 is probably not very original. One of the weakest numbers of this album even if some very nice guitar can be heard here and there.

"Gypsy/ Grajonca" is a vague attempt to "Samba 'Pa ti", but unlike lots of songs like this one it does not have the same emotion. Final middle part features heavy keys and a great guitar solo before returning to its slow mood of the start. But great guitar is the least that each one expects from a Santana album, right ?

This album is of course better than its predecessors (which is pretty easy). But the vocals and some poor compositions will ruin what could have been a very good Santana album. Just listen to "We Don't Have To Wait". But the closing number is on par with their poorest ones ("El Nicoya" from "Abraxas" and "Para Los Rumberos" form their third album).

My feelings are quite mixed with this album. Five out of ten would have been more acurate. Two stars for the time being.

Review by Evolver
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Crossover & JR/F/Canterbury Teams
2 stars I must admit, I'm not much of a Santana aficionado. I know the hits, and have enjoyed his guitar playing at times. So I'm honestly not sure why he is included on a progressive rock web site. He has played some fusion, but that's not what he's known for.

Whatever.

This album has a few good solos, one song, Red Prophet that might be prog fusion, and a lot of fairly lame lyrics (much of which has become dated, since apartheid ended two years after this album was released). The most embarassingly bad lyrics are in Somewhere In Heaven, where the singer croons: He made a promise Gave every drop a blood Hee... hee... hee... . It sounds like Michael Jackson's weird laugh. At least this song was saved by a blistering solo in the middle of the nonsense.

An interesting section comes in Your Touch, when bassist Benny Rietveld sounds like he's playing Another Brick In The Wall for a time. But it doesn't really save the song.

An interesting idea ends the album, when bits of John Coltrane and Miles Davis playing are edited into A Dios. Well, it should have been interesting, but the moment lasts about ten seconds. Disappointing.

Latest members reviews

5 stars IF ,,,,, Milagro is not progressive ,,,, and IF Milagro is holding a few stars over the cover ..... and IF Milagro deserves only two ratings from millions of progheads around this planet ..... and IF Milagro's price is equal to a pack of cigarrettes ...... and IF NO ONE HAS IT ON THIS ... (read more)

Report this review (#175878) | Posted by trackstoni | Wednesday, July 2, 2008 | Review Permanlink

4 stars This is an often overlooked but very remarkable release of the band dedicated to the memory of Miles Davis and Bill Graham. Despite the release date (1992) the best part of this album similar to the mid and late 70's works of Santana. Especially tracks 'Red Prophet' and 'Agua Que Va Caer' they'd ... (read more)

Report this review (#126087) | Posted by eMTee | Saturday, June 16, 2007 | Review Permanlink

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