Amigos
| Santana
Amigos
Amigos is the seventh studio album by Santana released in 1976. It generated a minor U.S. hit single in "Let It Shine" and was the band's first album to hit the top ten on the Billboard charts since Caravanserai in 1972 (it ultimately reached gold record status). In Europe, the song "Europa" was released as a single and became a top ten hit in several countries.-Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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All About Jazz
March 11, 2016. Amigos is many things. Danceable. Highly listenable. Amigos was a successful "welcome home" to the wandering guitar prodigal son.
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Rolling Stone
June 18, 1980. Amigos is the first Santana album that doesn’t attempt to break new ground. . . . The early days of happy Latin rhythms, congas and catchy vocal hooks and choruses are represented not only by the not-quite-hidden picture of the band’s first album on the cover, but also by the very first strains of “Dance Sister Dance (Baila Mi Hermana),” which opens the album.
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AllMusic
The result was an album more dynamic than any since Santana III in 1971. "Let It Shine" (number 77), an R&B-tinged tune, became the group's first chart single in four years, and the album returned Santana to Top Ten status.
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Jazz Music Archives
March 14, 2012. I can’t go over two stars for this one, but nor can I say it’s a terrible album. There are some great moments but ultimately not enough to lift ‘Amigos’ any higher.
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Wilson & Alroy's Record Reviews
Not much to hang your hat on, but if you like Santana's late 70s sound, you won't regret owning the record. (JA) Top Ten and gold again. (DBW
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George Starostin's Reviews
If anything, Amigos just shows Santana enter the 'rock statesman' category - a well-rounded, well-balanced, but not terribly impressive or innovative album like that is just meant to say: 'I've said everything I wanted to say, and from now on I will stick to formula which you either take or leave'. I take it, but with reservations.
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Audiophile Audition
May 11, 2018. Amigos recaptured some of the commercial accessibility but with an emphasis on modern global contexts. “Let it Shine” was a minor success as a single and the album cracked the Top 10 on Billboard.
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Robert Christgau
As Armando Peraza proves (on "Gitano"), better salsa conservatism than samba impressionism. And as Carlos proves, better salsa than Wes Montgomery at his schlockiest or a tune called "Europa" that lives up to its name.
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The Great Albums
Likely sensing his band’s increasing commercial irrelevancy, Carlos largely eschews the jazz-fusion and predominantly-instrumental format of his last three albums here (only two instrumentals are present this time around) and steers the band back into pop territory on Amigos. The move paid off, giving the band its first Top Ten album in four years.
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