Based upon the liner notes from the Best of Santana, Carlos was dissappointed with the recording of this record. Totally mind-boggling. This CD is just loaded with memorable moments. Even the song-writing was improving. Both Everything Is Comming Our Way and Taboo feature some subtle hooks and soulful vocals from Greg Rollie. Not too mention some smokin' guitar solos from Carlos and Neal Schon. And what about the wah wah infected solo on Everybody's Everything? Definitely one of my all time favorite guitar solos. Tower of Power contributes nicely here as well. Guajrina offers a nice divergence from the usual heavy handed stylings. Gotta love the trumpet solo. Heck almost everything on here is spectacular. Some may get a little tired of the excessive percussion beats. Those who don't care for excessive isntrumentals may pass as well. However, this is Santana at its best and I would certainly rate this at least on the level of Abraxas if not slightly better.

If you really want to hear a master guitar player who defined a style in top form this is the album to buy. His gripping and powerful ("weepingly melodic") style is both exciting and beautiful at the same time. Neal Schon is not half bad either. Taboo is positively thrilling as is the incredible interplay between the two guitar players on Toussaint L'Overture. The band are superb too and the wonderful latin rhythyms are a joy to listen too. This is my favorite Santana album (beating out Abraxus). Any fan of great guitar needs this album. For those who yearn a quieter more middle of the road Santana, then this may be all too much.

For those of you who listened to "Shaman" and threw it away either have this album or have heard all the songs on it. This is the Santana that we all know and love. The best of all of Santana's releases (there are some good ones too)and probably the most energetic. I could listen to this album a thousand times and not tire of it. It is Santana in top form.
DIG IT!!!

I'm a huge Santana fan, and this one is perhaps my favourite. It has all the rythm and magic guitar-playing that early Santana is all about, but has catchy tunes as well. In my opinion, this is better than the debut and Ibraxas. THIS is the real Santana, not the overly commercial Supernatural.

I bought this in 1970, the day I turned 13. I'd heard some Santana because my Spanish teacher would play some earlier (and slightly mellower) Santana in class (in a small town in Indiana). Having never heard anything like it, it took time to grow into, but man, it is a wicked piece of work and one of my absolute favorite albums of all time. Just listen to the rhythm guitar bits and other rhythm section work as you also take in the extraordinary guitar solos ("Taboo," for example). Not to mention the polyrhythms (as in the hand-clapping juxtaposed with the call-and-response guitars in "No One to Depend On"). I consider much of the album a masterpiece -- especially the first three cuts! You HAVE TO listen to this!