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Soundboard 9.5 - Good, airy, and dynamic tape! I also like the way this is mixed, and the playing is top shelf by anyone’s standards. The only small thing I can complain about is a little too much sizzle on the cymbals. -
Soundboard 9.6 - This tour was well documented with a plethora of expertly recorded board tapes. This is no exception, the quality, both in terms of sound and mix, is worthy of official release. Then there is the other measure of greatness – performance. Well, it’s Santana at their creative peak, where everything came together and they were riding the crest of a wave…which lasted a good long time. Santana Gimnasio do Palmeiras Sao Paolo, Brazil October 19th, 1973 Carlos Santana (g/perc/vo) Douglas Rauch (b/g) Richard Kermode (kbd) Tom Coster (kbd/vo) Leon Thomas (vo) Michael Shrieve (ds) Jose "Chepito" Areas (perc) Armando Peraza (perc/vo) Disc 1 (76:16) T1 -Going Home - A-1 Funk - Every Step Of The Way- 20:28 T2 -Black Magic Woman - Gypsy Queen - 9:22 T3 -Oye Como Va-5:47 T4 -Bambele 2:28 T5 -Um-um-um 7:11 T6 -Batucada 3:42 T7 -Xibaba (She-Ba-Ba)- 3:42 T8 -Stone Flower- 1:19 Disc 2 T1 Waiting- 4:24 T2 Castillos De Arena (Sand Castle)- 3:36 T3 Free Angela - Aranjuez- 13:07 T4 Samba De Sausalito- 3:30 T5 Se A Cabo-- 7:38 T6 Samba Pa Ti- 10:26 T7 Savor - 3:29 T8 Toussaint L'Overture- 08:07 -
Soundboard 9.5 - A great, loud, but very well balanced board, and it has some dynamics to it, and even manages to allow some atmosphere to creep in. After all, it was New Year’s Eve so you gotta get some of the atmosphere in there. Explosive! Santana New Year's Eve 1976 Cow Palace, SF. Dec. 31, 1976 1 Carnaval - Let The Children Play - Jugando 2 Black Magic Woman - Gypsy Queen 3 Dance Sister Dance 4 Revelations 5 Oye Como Va 6 Maria Caracoles 7 Savor - Toussaint L'Ouverture 8 Let Me 9 Europa 10 Band Introduction - Soul Sacrifice 11 Let The Music Set You Free -
Soundboard 9.4 - What a great year for Santana, really it all came together 71-72 and they were smart to record a number of shows in preparation for the live album release that became known as "Lotus" (the Japan 1972 show which is great). Any one of these other ’72 shows could have been the album as they are all stellar. -
Soundboard 8.6 - A good tape if a touch flat at times. -
Soundboard 9.0 - A strong board that could have been maybe a little crisper, but since it is not super common I appreciate it very much. It does sound like either a lower gen tape or a remastering because when compared to the old CD title from which it has been designed after, it does sound less hissy and a little more dynamic. SANTANA THE SPECTRUM, PHILADELPHIA, PA FEBRUARY 26, 1973 Disc 1: 1. -Going Home - A-1 Funk - Every Step Of The Way 2. -Samba Pa Ti 3. -Look Up (To See What’s Coming Down) 4. -Just In Time To See The Sun 5. -Incident At Neshabur 6. -Bambele 7. -Stone Flower 8. -Batucada 9. -Xibaba (She-Ba-Ba) 10. -Stone Flower Total Time: 58:31 Disc 2: 11. -Waiting 12. -Castillos De Arena, Part 1 (Sand Castle) 13. -Free Angela - Aranjuez 14. -Mantra - Kyoto 15. -Mantra - Kyoto - Castillos De Arena, Part 2 (Sand Castle) - Earth 16. -Se A Cabo 17. -Savor 18. -Toussaint L’Overture Total Time: 47:17 Carlos Santana Jose “Chepito” Areas Tom Coster Richard Kermode James “Mingo” Lewis Armando Peraza Douglas Rauch Michael Shrieve -
Soundboard 8.8 - A less than perfect board tape as far as the overall timbre, and the mix itself. I found this tape to resemble maybe a really good AM broadcast, but perhaps that is too harsh! It’s not bad, I just personally found it to be lacking some “punch”, although it is clear, it’s a board tape so there will be a built in appreciation for the “closeness” of the sounds. SANTANA - L'Olympia, Paris, France; December 4, 1972 Disc 1 1. Intro 2. Going Home / A-1 Funk / Every Step Of The Way 3. Samba Pa Ti 4. Look Up (To See What's Coming Down) 5. Just In Time To See The Sun 6. Incident At Neshabur 7. Bambele 8. Stone Flower/Batucada / Xibaba (She-Ba-Ba) Disc 2 1. Waiting 2. Castillos de Arena part 1 (Sand Castles) 3. Free Angela / Castillos de Arena - part 2 4. Wings 5. Se a cabo 6. Savor 7. Toussaint L'Overture Carlos Santana - guitar; Richard Kermode - keyboards; Tom Coster - keyboards Douglas Rauch - bass; Michael Shrieve - drums Jose “Chepito” Areas – congas James “Mingo” Lewis - percussion Armando Peraza - percussion -
Audience 8.7 - Here we have another Lotus tour gig which is probably recorded during the same stretch of gigs we got the album from. That is interesting in and of itself, and while this recording is not pro, it does reveal the power of this band. The music is pretty forceful, not a wide or airy tape but pretty solid effort by the Japanese taper. A tape that has not seen much circulation at all. SANTANA Shi Kokaido NAGOYA JAPAN July 1st 1973 1. -Going Home - Introduction 2. -A-1 Funk 3. -Every Step Of The Way 4. -Black Magic Woman 5. -Gypsy Queen 6. -Oye Como Va 7. -Stone Flower 8. -Waiting 9. -Castillos De Arena Pt.1 10. -Free Angela 11. -Flor De Canela 12. -Samba De Sauselito 13. -Mantra - Kyoto 14. -Castillos De Arena Pt. 2 15. -Light Of Life 16. -Se A Cabo Carlos Santana Mike Shrieve Armando Peraza Doug Rauch Tom Coster Richard Kermode Jose Chepito Areas Leon Thomas -
Soundboard 8.8 -
Soundboard 9.4 - A nice, low gen board from what I consider the apex of this band. In fact I would say my favorite live Santana originates from the Lotus era. I will say this mix does highlight percussion in a way that you hear cymbals and other instruments in a different aural space, almost in stereo as they seem to phase across the speakers and sometimes may even give you the feeling you are hearing tape hiss but alas it is actually residual crash cymbal sounds and maracas. Interesting. Santana Metropolitan Sports Arena Minneapolis, MN March 19, 1973 Disc 1 01 Going Home - A-1 Funk - Every Step Of The Way 02 Samba Pa Ti 03 Look Up (To See What’s Coming Down) 04 Just In Time To See The Sun 05 Incident At Neshabur 06 Bambele 07 Stone Flower 08 Batucada Disc 2 09 Xibaba (She-Ba-Ba) 10 Stone Flower (Reprise) 11 Waiting 12 Castillos De Arena, Part 1 (Sand Castle) 13 Free Angela > Concierto de Aranjuez 14 Mantra - Kyoto 15 Castillos De Arena, Part 2 (Sand Castle) 16 Earth 17 Se A Cabo 18 Savor 19 Toussaint L’Overture -
Audience 8.7 - This slightly above average tape sounds like it has been re-mastered and life restored to it, but the mix favors percussion and keys. The rest of the band is a little behind them but thankfully Carlos’ solos rise up above much more in the mix. I did find it an interesting tape with an atmosphere that lets you kind of soak up the Italian vibe – between the chatter and the feel of the venue itself it is kind of strangely…renaissance. Let’s just say the recording captures a little more than just the rock band that evening and it adds a lot to the experience. That is why I can still recommend this to fans, and the fact that it is 1971 which is that interesting period with Neil Schon. Santana Palaido Milano, Italy April 27, 1971 1. -Waiting 2. -Incident At Neshabur 3. -Toussaint L'Overture 4. -Taboo 5. -Batuka 6. -Evil Ways 7. -Soul Sacrifice 8. -Samba Pa Ti 9. -Black Magic Woman - Gypsy Queen 10. -Oye Como Va 11. -Savor 12. -Jingo -
Audience 9.6 - Stunning! It’s bright and clear and super dynamic with a palpable sense of positional awareness as you can hear the sound envelope you and the waves of excitement washing over the audience in seemingly 360 degrees. I take this over any soundboard tape any day of the week. Santana Greek Theatre Los Angeles, CA July 15, 1990 Disc 1 01 Angels All Around Us > Spirits Dancing In The Flesh 02 Somewhere In Heaven 03 It's A Jungle Out There 04 Soweto (Africa Libre) 05 Peace On Earth...Mother Earth...Third Stone From The Sun (Jimi Hendrix cover) 06 The Healer (John Lee Hooker cover) 07 Batuka 08 No One To Depend On 09 We Don't Have To Wait Disc 2 10 Bass Solo 11 Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen 12 Oye Como Va 13 Mandela 14 For Those Who Chant 15 Savor 16 Blues For Salvador Disc 3 17 Choose 18 She's Not There (Zombies cover) > Marbles 19 Toussaint L'Ouverture 20 Soul Sacrifice > A Love Supreme 21 Europa (Earth's Cry, Heaven's Smile) 22 Jin-Go-Lo-Ba -
Soundboard 8.8 - A good and clear tape. -
Soundboard 9.7 -
Soundboard 9.5 - The evening before this show in Kansas City, the band had just played a stadium with a stacked line-up, so they were probably pretty amped up for this show. They got to showcase some of the Marathon LP material in front of an appreciative, but much smaller crowd than the night before. A great one!
