SANTANA — Zebop! (review)

SANTANA — Zebop! album cover Album · 1981 · Latin Rock/Soul Buy this album from MMA partners
2/5 ·
Sean Trane
After the surprising (and cornerstone) album of Marathon, this albumhad me completely worried with its highly unusual (for Santana) artwork which was a little too trendy for me, not to ring a few alarm bells. And from the few I heard on the radio, it was actually confirming my fears. Santana had indeed moved to the 80’s also and were trying to survive.

I was definitely not a fan of the Cat Stevens cover Changes and even now I still have an uneasy twitch when I hear it, although I must admit it it is less the case nowadays. Maybe it aged better than I thought it would. It is a feeling that can be applied to the whole album actually. E Papa Re is a typical 80’s Santana Latin rocker, while Primavera Invasion is an indication that the 70’s group was still there with all its power. But unfortunately this album holds its share of much lesser tracks (dare I say stinkers?) such as Searching (a hit for them) and its execrable twin Winning (the other hit of it) with an awful 80’s feel. Kilimandjaro might just be the highlight of the album, and Sensitive Kind is your typical 80’s Santana separating another excellent rocker American Gypsy. The closing Brightest Star and Hannibals end the album in a better fashion than it started.

Having re-listened to the album these last few weeks, I must say that it is not as bad as I remembered it (bar the real stiiiiiiiiiiiinkers), but it will remain an 80’s thing with short tracks (meaning the duds are so also) with it’s fair share of repeatings (Much Too Much reminding yopu the cheesiness of Amigos what’s been said before. Hardly essential and maybe the low point in the group’s career (until recently), but many groups would love having their worst albums as good as this one.

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