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There are no reinterpretations--not even the Nas-fronted "Back in Black" changes the song much--just restatements of riffs and replicated effects, each familiar element offering a reminder that Santana, Davis, and company chose to take the easy road by settling for gauche pop instead of guitar rock, winding up with a truly terrible album.
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UncutDec 20, 2010As he mostly prefers to copy the sound of the original guitarists rather than stamp his own unique style on these over-familiar songs, you have to ask what's the point? [Dec 2010, p.105]
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Feb 28, 2011The result comes off as a celebrity version of American Idol, in which the prize is not a record contract, but to have your track released as a single.
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Sadly, expert guitar playing cannot carry an album. Moreover, it is too sterile and obsessively arranged, and the majority of the vocals lack that rock fierceness. Everyone is playing it too safe, with the production geared towards something mainstream and pop-oriented rather than experimentation and reinterpretation.
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It's easy to imagine Santana completely revamping some guitar-centered hits. But for most of the album, that was apparently too daring for Mr. Santana and his pop mentor and co-producer, Clive Davis. These oldies tend to stay close to the original arrangements and vocal phrasing, perhaps hoping that familiarity can sneak them onto the radio.
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Santana's talent is compromised by a complacency to play these tracks as truly as possible.
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This will be a good record for backyard barbecues and beers, but not for much serious listening.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 3 out of 10
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Mixed: 2 out of 10
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Negative: 5 out of 10
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Nov 5, 2010
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Mar 3, 2022
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Aug 16, 2020