Abraxas
| Santana
Abraxas
Abraxas is the second studio album by Latin rock band Santana. It was released on September 23, 1970 by Columbia Records.Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
Show All-
AllMusic
In the mid-'90s, an album as eclectic as Abraxas would be considered a marketing exec's worst nightmare. But at the dawn of the 1970s, this unorthodox mix of rock, jazz, salsa, and blues proved quite successful.
-
Soundblab
December 19, 2018. In retrospect, Abraxas stands as one of best of Santana’s works, as an album that represents one of the pinnacles of San Francisco’s late Sixties/early Seventies concept of cross-pollinating music.
-
Ultimate Classic Rock
September 23, 2015. It was yet another high water mark for Santana both the band and the guitarist and brought a truly unique Latin, blues and rock fusion to the market the likes of which hasn’t been seen either before or since.
-
Sputnik Music
May 8, 2012. There is an essence of allure that exudes from the content of Abraxas. The music is jubilant, with a mesmerizing melody that entices the listener into a sensation of musical ecstasy.
-
Jazz Music Archives
December 9, 2011. This one's a record that makes you want to hear more, and one that was vital to the band's future, both in terms of creative direction and success.
-
Classic Rock Review
By many considered to be the absolute peak of Santana (the band), Abraxas still stands as the band’s most accessible, and perhaps most innovative record, one that can easily compete with most “classics” from its era.
-
The Absolute Sound
January 31, 2017. Abraxas fans, do not miss Mobile Fidelity’s astonishing new reissue of Santana’s 1970 Latin-spiced, blues-rock masterpiece. It will blow your mind. Never before have I heard such inner detail, texture, and wide dynamics, the music emerging from such a deeply quiet background, with such intense immediacy—or derived such sheer musical pleasure from this title.
-
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab
Abraxas remains the consummate Latin rock album. The confident sound of Santana stretching out and carving out a distinctive new genre, the 1970 set is daubed with psychedelic accents and Afro-Latin grooves.
-
Wilson & Alroy's Record Reviews
This record shows the band's strengths and weaknesses: . . . .
-
Enjoy the Music
. . . the music is glorious. Strap on your seat belts this is definitely an A ride. A rollicking roller coaster of musical energy that will burst forth in an overwhelming tidal wave from your loudspeakers. There is always something going on with this album.
-
AudioStream
November 20, 2013. Santana's Abraxas, originally released in September 1970, was the band's second album and it rocks hard. It also percolates with Latin rhythms and boogies with jazz-tinged influences but overall I'd say it rocks. Hard.
-
George Starostin's Reviews
. . . the album is really a good listen, even if a large chunk of it is hopelessly dated now. Like the first album, it made a great job of introducing the urban American audiences, as well as the 'elitist European public' to the pleasures of Latin music in a highly accessible and tasteful way; . . . .
-
Ultimate Santana
Abraxas, released almost exactly one year after the debut album, not only lived up to the promise of that first record, but exceeded it. Abraxas is generally considered to be Santana's finest album, and with good reason.
-
Birdland Records
Abraxas remains the consummate Latin rock album. The confident sound of Santana stretching out and carving out a distinctive new genre, the 1970 set is daubed with psychedelic accents and Afro-Latin grooves.
-
Robert Christgau
On the debut most of the originals were credited to "Santana Band"; this time individual members claim individual compositions. . . . In any case, they've improved.
-
Dirty Little Review
November 6, 2014. In this album I feel a very extreme spiritualism, never gloomy. Abraxas is a colorful and sweet description of life.
-
laut.de
On the one hand, the songs are extremely filigree, multi-faceted and in love with detail. On the other hand . . . they manage the entire process 'jamming - composition - arrangement - mix - production' in a record-breaking two weeks. Already at the beginning of May "Abraxas" is completely in the box. The result is masterful.
-
HiFi.nl
December 23, 2012. And where many artists get stuck with their next album, Santana managed to surprise with a considerable diversity. Abraxas is full of energy and the mix of Latin music and guitar rock was very innovative. The general public and the radio stations also appreciated the album and the up-tempo conound with the overdone guitar sound turned out to be contagious.
-
Kinston
Fusing rock, jazz, Latin and soul music into something no one had heard before, Santana didn’t need two or three albums of development; they arrived fully formed. The band’s follow-up album “Abraxas” stands with their first album as their finest work.
Rate This Album and Leave Your Comments