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Written by Jennifer Manjarez Sunday, 28 September 2008 12:39

If you're looking for classic, old-school Santana, that's not exactly what you're going to get here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let's not beat around the bush: You can never go wrong with any Santana album. It's a given. Whether hip-hop, soft rock, hard rock or in English or Spanish, Carlos Santana has covered a fair share of genres and made them his own. He often utilizes a featured artist, but still repeatedly makes it to the top ten. His newest release, Multi-Dimensional Warrior, is a two-disc compilation of hand-pickedsongs that he believes define who he is as an artist and highlights the most important moments of his career. Multi-Dimensional Warrior is set to release September 30, half way through Hispanic Heritage Month that begins September 15 and runs through October 15.

If you're looking for classic, old-school Santana, that's not exactly what you're going to get here. Instead of another typical "Santana's greatest hits" album including classics like "Black Magic Woman" and "Oye Como Va," this compilation gives you "El Farol" and "Europa" -- still equipped with that same vintage Santana sound, but mixed in the contemporary. Among the set list you'll find a hint of vintage but only a hint. The majority of the two CDs focus on the work he's done in more recent years on his past few albums. Unless you are a true Santana fan who owns these albums you may have never heard the tracks included in this release.

The first CD offers up 14 soulful Santana favorites and contemporary collaborative efforts like "Saja/Right On" and "Brotherhood." Weaved in between the aforementioned tracks are less favorable songs like "I Believe It's Time" and "Let There Be Light." There's a heavy focus on soul and an overbearing gospel feel to them. One might describe these selections as the gospel according to Santana. This half seems to encompass the contemporary idea of peace and love that Santana has always preached throughout his music and his career.

The second disc is composed of typical Santana sound morphed into a mostly contemporary style. The majority of selections on this CD, like the first CD, have been chosen from his late-'80s and early-'90s work on Freedom and Brothers (Polygram). Most, if not all, of the tracks are instrumentals with that classical Santana sound. With that said, "Samba Pa Ti" and "Europa" that are also included on this side. It's here that anyone unfamiliar with Santana will get schooled on what makes Santana, well, Santana. As we all know his music is timeless. All the songs on this CD flow so evenly together you wouldn't believe they were coming from totally different decades spanning numerous events throughout our society.

Conveniently, this album comes with a list of tracks, lyrics, original release date and original album for each song included in the compilation. Part of me is relieved to see the same old classical chart-toppers we all know missing from this installment; while another part of me is dying for those nostalgic Santana songs we grew up on. While the first half has some nice attributes about it, disc two is where it's at. For those of us who are fans of his classic sound, this disc should satisfy that need perfectly. | Jennifer Manjarez

Disc 1

Let There Be Light
Brotherhood
Spirit
Right Now
Life Is for Living
Saja/Right On
Somewhere in Heaven
I Believe It's Time
Serpents and Doves
Your Touch
I'll Be Waiting
The River
Bailando/Aquatic Park
Praise

Disc 2

Curación (Sunlight on Water)
Aqua Marine
Bella
Love Is You
Full Moon
Blues Latino
Samba Pa Ti
Europea
El Farol
En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor
Luz, Amor u Vida
I Love You Much Too Much
Blues for Salvador
Victory Is Won