Sean Trane
After the tremendously un-aptly titled Beyond Appearances, could Santana repeat its blunders? A wisearse might just actually say that they really tried hard but ultimately failed. And if it was not for three tracks, you could almost say that they came close to matching the poor predecessor.
Musically, most of the album sounds a lot like BA and its Jackson or Hall & Oates‘s funk with those awful drum samplings, shitty KB, and semi-danceable almost disco-aimed tracks. The major difference with Santana and the other groups (similar to those I mentioned above) is that Santana’s ethics made him and the boys still create a lot of place for great instrumental breaks (but nothing outside the usual completely worn-out path they got us so used to). Yes Santana was definitely aiming for radio airplay and dishing out a rather non-convincing cross of AOER and 80’s Motown funk. Not much positive can be said for the first side of the vinyl
And the second side is only saved by the delightful Mandela (reminiscent of Johnny Clegg) and the good closer Victim Of Circumstances, taking you (almost) back to the good days of mid- 70’s. I can draw a parallel with the 80’s Genesis saying that BA would be Invisible Touch and this one (Freedom) would be the “Shapes” album where you can still see periods of greatness. But certainly nothing warranting a spin or the acquisition.