This is the CD I've heard the least about. After checking out some of the reviews here at Amazon, I decided to give it a try. This really is a great collection of tunes. As a fan of Santana's earlier works ;

Abraxas

III

Caravanserai

Live With Buddy Miles

Lotus

Welcome

Moonflower

Zebop (an early 80's release).

I wondered if this particular collection would remind me of Santana's past endeavors.

I can write unequivocally,and offer the following recommendation...Indeed, Santana plays with fire again on Milagro. All of the most musically distinctive qualities one attributes to earlier Santana can be found on Milagro. I'll even go so far as to declare this as possibly his best work since the early to mid seventies. Yes, Milagro surpasses Zebop in my opinion. Buy it.You will not be disappointed.

Early 1970's rock music followed a United States/British axis. Then came Carlos Santana. His first album "Santana" brought Latin influence to rock music. Santana's second album "Santana Abraxas" brought Caribbean (Latin/African) influence to rock music. These albums were high impact rock milestones. Conservative "Time" magazine commented 'Santana has taken flight like a Poseidon missile exploding out of a sea of mediocrity ... a rare poetic delicacy.' Carlos Santana opened the doors -- others followed.

The 1992 recording "Milagro" is a showcase for Carlos Santana's guitar virtuosity. Two of the twelve selections on this recording are *showpieces*: 'Somewhere In Heaven' combines guitar, keyboard and vocal solos in a combination with both strength and heart; while 'Gypsy/Grajonca' begins with a quiet flamenco guitar passage before building to a powerful composition featuring strong guitar and rhythm solos. Another four selections are outstanding examples of Carlos Santana's guitar mastery: 'Milagro' (with great rhythm solos); 'Saja/Right On/Your Touch' (with strong rhythm and vocals); 'Make Somebody Happy' (with strong vocals); and 'Free All The People (South Africa)' (with strong rhythm and vocal solos). Finally, 'Life Is For Living' features outstanding rhythm virtuosity combined with guitar and vocal solos, while 'Agua Que Va Caer' features excellent guitar and rhythm solos.

Today's rock music fans often don't appreciate instrumental complexity -- they expect complex robotic assemblies. In "Milagro" Carlos Santana combines complexity and precision craftsmanship with Latin warmth -- his *soul* is behind his music. This recording reflects a master musician's twenty-plus years of polishing his craft -- a long road from "my house is dark and my pots are cold". I recommend 'Milagro' most highly.

Begining with the moving introduction by the late Bill Graham, this album is almost 72 minutes of emotional music and lyrics. Carlos' guitar is as good as it's ever been.

This is the album that brought Santana out of their 80's pop phase of cruddy albums. This album is a great listen alll the way through, I recommend it to fans of the earlier Santana albums if they would like to hear a mix of old and new.

I bought this album on cassette back in high school I think in '93. I really liked the Abraxas LP my Father owned and he bought a copy of Milagro for me after being surprised Santana had a new album out. I still play it on cassette because it still works and because it is worth listening to from start to finish unlike many of my Cd's. I cant stand any of the collaboration stuff since the late 90's that has sold millions. This album is different. This album which was a tribute to Miles Davis is just fantastic. If you are a lover of Smooth Jazz/Jazz Fusion this is a rare treat and a very unique album. The songs on this album are better live. The Santana Hymns for Peace: Live at Montreux DVD is just incredible! But still this is one of the best studio albums since the 70's and rivals any of the other Jazz Fusion albums Santana did. These songs should have dominated the airwaves of Smooth Jazz radio but didnt. Some of the best music out there is ignored. Especially when it comes to Jazz Fusion and Progressive Rock. There is so much to discover. This album is no exception. It should be the soundtrack to the changes that have happened in South Africa over the years. The lyrics send a great message about freeing the people. The dream has spread and things have gotten much better. Santana really knows how to create great Jazz and always picks great musicians to surround himself with. I think Miles Davis would be proud! Miles Davis even played live with him I think 1 time. Check it out on YouTube.