SANTANA — Moonflower (review)

SANTANA — Moonflower album cover Live album · 1977 · Latin Rock/Soul Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
seyo
"Moonflower" was a big commercial success for SANTANA upon its release 1977, but it was also probably the last great "classic" SANTANA album that deserves attention. It is a mixed work, containing both live and studio recordings. Apart from several really unbearable sweet pop moments ("I'll Be Waiting", "Transcendance"), where Greg Walker sounds ridiculously like later Billy Ocean, the rest is very good standard SANTANA delivery. Jazz rock moments are most present in "Zulu", "Bahia" and "El Morocco", while the live block of popular hits "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen/Dance Sister Dance/Europa" is the highlight of the album. New studio tracks "She's Not There" (an excellent cover of The Zombies) and "Flor D'Luna" became instant hits and remained standard in the band's repertoire. Cover image is beautiful and goes along with the music. Keyboardist Tom Coster provided several excellent compositions, including the title track. After this album SANTANA started sinking into the odious 1980s pop sound. Good and worthy double album deserving your attention.

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