CARLOS SANTANA & ALICE COLTRANE: ILLUMINATIONS

Carlos Santana

Jazz Rock/Fusion

3.98 | 101 ratings

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ZowieZiggy
Prog Reviewer

In all honesty, I listened to this album after the re-discovery of the very good ''Love Devotion Surrender'' album.

For the reasons I have evoked in the review of this album, I fell in love again with Carlos's solo work for a (short) while. You should still pay some attention here, since the man was under ''spiritual influence''. I have witnessed a live experience (the first ''Santana'' tour in continental Europe in '74 or '75) and it was not the best time of the man (band); for sure.

Because to be truly honest, this album can't compete with its predecessor. To put things into perspective, I have no clue at all about Coltrane's work and if some of you have read one of my reviews, you might know by now that jazz is absolutely not my cup of tea. Still, I have listened to almost every single album from dear old friend Carlos and I have accordingly rate each of them within the bracket of one to five stars. I am a huge fan but I am not blind (no more heroes anymore since . 1978).

This album holds ONE very good ''Santana'' piece of music; but after all I was expecting this, wasn't I? Still, there are too many sax parts to my Latin rock ears.

I guess that it was difficult for Carlos to match the quality of his first studio solo effort (how the hell can you replace Mc Laughlin?), and I have to say that I have to endure too many orchestrations in here.

Were all these harpsichords necessary? My answer is NO. They might add a sweet aspect to these jams, but I ain't a freak of those ones, really. Is there any need to listen to the great Carlito with a bunch a backing strings (''Illuminations'')? My answer is NO.

I will rate this work with three stars, but it is really an average record with absolutely no relation with prog. But so were any ''Santana'' album IMHHO.

ZowieZiggy | 3/5 | 2008-12-7

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