Carlos and the Santana band made their name on the strength of their first three albums. Such was the power and quality of the music, but Caravanserai surmounted that and is arguably the best Santana has ever produced, representing also Santana's first deviation into the dreamy, mystical, jazzy sounds.

The "spirit of creativity" must have descended on Earth to infuse the Santana band with supernatural musicianship when this album was made...then departed back to heaven, for such work is rarely seen, rarely repeated. To this day the music remains fresh, original, spiritual.

Such is the quality of this album, that it was once described as music for musicians. Every single track a masterpiece, even the cover art is mystical. The album retains a linear and uniform feel throughout as the tracks merge smoothly into each other.

Intensity gradually builds up, then letting go in cycles of sheer musical ecstasy. "Stone flower" (track 8), is authored by none other than Antonio Carlos Jobim, need we say more?

An absolute must to anyone's collection; this album is an all-time classic of epic proportions. Dare say Carlos will never again achieve this level transcendental spirituality in his music, judging by what followed and his latter works.

Caravanserai was released in 1972 and consists of ten tracks. Some people are of the opinion that this album has major personnel changes, hence the new musical direction into the jazzy sounds. Not so! The original cast is still there, Chepito, Rolie, Shrieve, etc. There are however some personnel changes from track to track, and surprisingly the feel of the music is pleasantly well balanced. Each song complements the other.

Follow these instructions: Place CD in player, unplug the telephone, lights down low, incense sticks smoking, sit back in armchair with favorite beverage, volume up high.....and hit the play button for a soul-lifting ride into heaven. Then do it again!

"Caravanserai" represents Carlos Santana's finest moment, in my book, even considering his superb first two albums. His jazz/rock fusion becomes largely dominated by jazz here, with less of the raw latin beat/latin sound, altho these are present in more refined form. The jazz is modern, fairly often fast-paced and hard driving, and very rhythmic and melodic. It is the music that is the thing, for only three of the entries have lyrics. Santana delivers a tour de force, a work of compelling beauty, and one of my all-time favorite recordings.

A highlight (in fact, probably the best track) is the group's rendition of Jobim's "Stone Flower." The Santana band not only expands upon, but outdoes, the Brazilian master's composition, delivering terrific, smooth guitar and keyboards, par excellence as a rhythmic display. Piano sometimes take over the lead, and the percussion is also great, including a cuica, a new Brazilian instrument. Everything else is also very enjoyable. Among the other songs, "Fuente del Ritmo," which comes after "Stone Flower," has a latin percussion beat, sort of bouncy in feel, combined with jazzy guitar work. "Every Step of the Way," the brilliant concluding number, while repetitive, has a great fast-paced guitar motif that carries one down the visual horizon.

As to the earliner tunes, the opener, "Eternal Caravan of Reincarnation," is very pretty with moderate substance, reminiscent of "Singing Winds, Crying Beasts." It leads right into the excellent "Waves Within," with soft, beautiful, smooth-flowing riffs, yes, like waves. After more good but brief instrumentation in "Look up (To See What's Coming Down)," we hit our first vocals in "Just in Time to See the Sun." Then, "Song of the Wind," a Santana classic, showcases Carlos's and Neal Schon's ability for pretty, high-pitched guitar twangs (reference "Samba Pati Ti," "Europa," "Moonflower"). It is followed by "All the Love of the Universe." Can it match the title? Yes, its great! Schon and organist Gregg Rolie deliver blistering, jazzy solos.

In fact, each of the titles to the songs seems to be a visual representation of the particular song's lovely music, always accompanied by great percussion. Hardly anything I've ever heard matches the fabulous music, the fluid, driving pleasure that the Santana group dishes out here.

There are few musicians who elevate the art form to the levels achieved by Carlos Santana, Mike Shrieve, Gregg Rolie, and Neal Schon on this album. CARAVANSERAI was created at a transitional phase in the band's evolution which was marked by Carlos' spiritual inner journey and a high degree of openness and experimentation in the band's approach to the music. Added to these factors are the sheer virtuosity and musicianship of the band members, who were now at the peak of their craft. There have been only a few albums that achieve the level of beauty and mastery that this album does. Do I dare name them? The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour, Jefferson Airplane's - Volunteers, Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland.

CARAVANSERAI is one of life's mysteries that I don't want to figure out. I don't know why it moves my heart and soul, but it does, from beginning to end. It is easily Santana's best work.

I bought this album when it came out in 1972 at the ripe age of 15. I was a big fan of the first 3 albums and bought it without hearing a note. Imagine my adolescent surprise when this album required much more effort to adore. I've since learned that music I like immediately loses it's flavor on the bedpost overnight. The toe tapping fades with the umpteenth playback...
This work represents a unique moment in time and a significant artistic accomplishment. You don't have to love every track to appreciate the expression and departure from easy commercial returns. It stands alone as a bold canvas created to satisfy Santana's inner exploration instead of a records company's profit motives. Like a lot of great music, this one captured a lot more ears because the artist had a name, and I for one, am richer for the effort. This stands as my favorite Santana album.
Push yourself to learn every cut and you'll find it takes you someplace you've never been. The greatest musical gift of all.

The initial Santana albums created a latin-inflected pop-rock sound that was infectious but ultimately risked becoming a stereotypical sound, respectable but not on the cutting edge. With Caravanserai, Santana demonstrated that its sound transcended the "Black Magic Woman" and "Everybody's Everything" latino jazz-pop labels. Caravanserai is a languid, luxuriant atmospheric burst of jazz-inflected rock, equal parts fusion, sixties jam, and smooth melodic meditation music. The solos on this record set a standard for melodic guitar, and the combination of dynamic energy and easy pacing makes the songs on this album stand out. This is not an album of singles--it's a great Friday-night-at-ten-with-friends-over CD. Santana could easily have avoided taking the risks that Caravanserai took--another album of catchy maracas-drenched pop songs would have sold much more handsomely. But Caravanserai marks Santana's break with easy commercialism, and signalled a willingness to explore different paths. In its time, it was not accorded sufficient respect either by the more rockist of the Santana fans, nor among fans of "real jazz". Years later, the distinctions seem altogether artificial, and Santana's attempt to straddle genres holds true. While it's true that some great bands elected never to "branch out", and remained genre bands to the end--Madness comes to mind--in hindsight the listener must be grateful that in 1972 Carlos Santana understood that his longevity depended on transcending the sytle of his earliest records. This album is not at all dated--it's a grand listen nearly thirty years later. If you love ringing guitar solos and easy, jazzy rhythms, pick this up today.