Shaman Review

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Shaman ReviewI've been a devoted Santana fan for most of his career. Heck, I remember buying his first album on vinyl shortly after it was originally released. I've probably bought more of his releases over the years than any other single artist I follow. I've seen him live many times, going all the way back to the 70's, and always treasured the experiences.
With all that said, I was thrilled to see him come back into public aclaim with "Supernatural". While concerned somewhat about the commercialism of that release, it was a fresh enough approach that I could enjoy it, and be happy for Carlos because of the renewed attention it brought him. And for the long-time Santana fan, there was still enough traditional Santana sound there to enjoy.
However, with "Shaman", I feel he goes overboard with the multi-artist/colaborator approach, and at the same time, doesn't infuse enough traditional Santana music in the mix. "Shaman" unfortunately displays the all-too-American approach to marketing: if they liked it the first time, let's do it bigger, louder, and longer next time.
Musically, there's little new here since "Supernatural". Some of the guest artists are really questionable, talent-wise. It seems they just wanted to stuff this CD as full as possible with diverse individuals. Listening to the CD, I was struck by how common most of Carols' guitar licks sounded - it seems I've heard them all before, many times. In itself that isn't a bad thing, but given he's in the support on most of these tracks, it becomes all the more noticable. Sonically, the release suffers on many tracks from the type of compression typically found on commercial pop releases. It's mixed to sound ok on the car radio or an average stereo. Audiophiles with revealing, high-quality systems will lament the lack of sonic potential.
Most disturbing was noticing in the liner notes a page dedicated to plugging "Carlos by Carlos Santana Licensed Products". Everything from women's shoes to sunglasses to inspirational cards. I know that given the complete derth of talent being released by the record companies these days, even a release this commercial from Carlos Santana stands heads above the average. But do they have to hang every commercial opportunity possible on his shoulders? Or is it his choice to allow all this? In any event, it screams "sell out!".
While this CD may garner some Grammy's (unlikey to be as successful as it's predecessor, but given the state of music releases these days, anything's possible), it finds a slightly unwelcome home in this fan's Santana collection. But artists have to grow in their unique ways, and I hope this eventually inspires new, and more fittingly "Santana" creations in the future.Shaman OverviewHas some surface marks but plays well. Buy with confidence--see my feedback. Thanks and enjoy this great CD!

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