Santana "Moonflower" (album)

[simo2k]

Moonflower is a 1977 live double album by Santana. The recording features both studio and live tracks, which are interspersed with one another throughout the album. It is considered to be a fan favorite, and is perhaps the group's most popular live album, because Lotus did not receive a U.S. domestic release until the early 1990s. It displays a mix between his fusion of Latin and blues-rock styles of the late sixties and early seventies, and his much more experimental and spiritual jazz fusion sound that he eventually moved over to. It was recorded during the supporting tour of his Festival album, which displayed this similar mix of style, and many of the album's songs are featured here - namely, the three song medley which opens Festival...

[simo2k]

Side one
1 "Dawn/Go Within"
2. "Carnaval"
3. "Let the Children Play"
4. "Jugando"
5. "I'll Be Waiting"
6. "Zulu"

Side two
1. "Bahia"
2. "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen"
3. "Dance Sister Dance (Baila Mi Hermana)"
4. "Europa"

Side three
1. "She's Not There"
2. "Flor d'Luna (Moonflower)"
3. "Soul Sacrifice/Head, Hands & Feet"

Side four
1. "El Morocco"
2. "Transcendance"
3. "Savor/Toussaint L'Overture"

"Europa for me is beautiful!!!!!!!!!"

[trackstoni]

Genre: Jazz Rock/Fusion
Origin: Multi-National
Official website
Best known the world over for the group that bears his name, Carlos Santana has been reinventing and reshaping the landscape of the known universe's musical culture for close to four decades. A visionary artist with no regards for genre boundaries, Carlos' fluid sound long ago laid claim to the concept of “world music” before the term ever surfaced on pop culture radar. Having evolved and expanded for over four decades, the “Carlos” sound could well be on its way to becoming interplanetary music.

Born in Autlan de Navarro, Mexico—where there's now a street and public square in his name--to the son of a virtuoso Mariachi violinist, Carlos followed in his father's musical footsteps, taking up the violin at the age of five. It was when his family moved to Tijuana several years later, however, that Santana began his lifelong relationship with the instrument that would make him a musical icon–-the guitar.
In 1961, Carlos made the border crossing moving from his native Mexico to San Francisco. A few years later, he formed the Santana Blues Band there, and the cool, soulful riffs and rhythms of his Latin-blues based sound found an audience eager for his innovative musical ideas. Carlos and company emerged as giants of the era-defining Bay Area music scene of the late '60s, and their fame grew far beyond its parameters while their artistry remained true to its free-flying spirit.



Massive success quickly followed. By the end of the decade, Carlos had played to packed houses on a cross-country tour, performed on the venerable Ed Sullivan Show, and made an indelible global mark with Santana's legendary, crowd-detonating performance at the original Woodstock festival in 1969.

He has not slowed down since: On a roll from his Woodstock performance his debut album shot up the chart bringing in a high-power fusion of rock and Latin beats. The next two albums duplicate the formula every time increasing his profile and winning over fans. With Caravanserai, the group changed directions developing a stunning jazz-rock and the album remains one of the textbook case of fusion music. This prompted Carlos Santana to start a solo career with collaborations with Buddy Miles, John Mc Laughlin (the superb Love, Devotion, Surrender) and Alice Coltrane (the no-less superb Illuminations), while his group was still releasing strong albums like Welcome, Borboletta. By the Mid-70’s Santana was cruising effortlessly with a string of albums that were easily identified by the public: Moonflower, Amigos each provided huge hits while developing sophisticated fusion music. By the end of the decade however, and the numerous personnel changes, the group started losing a bit of focus.
Commercial success came back with singer Alex Ligterwood (ex-Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express) being hired for the Marathon album. The 80’s provided Santana many successful moments, but by the end of the decades his fortunes were again decreasing. Through certain collaborations, he remained in the spotlight and became a hero when appearing on John Lee Hooker’s The Healer album. Carlos and his group cruised the 90’s without much worries and his latest albums have been selling millions worldwide. But by this time, his music is much less interesting to progheads.

Less publicized, but equally as profound as his artistic legacy, is Santana's long history of social activism and contributions time and funds to humanitarian causes. As a culmination of his decades of support for countless charities and non-profit agencies the world over, he and his wife of 30+ years, Deborah Santana, founded their Milagro Foundation in 1998. With over $1.8million in grants to date, Milagro supports organizations promoting the welfare of underserved children in the areas of health, education, and the arts. More recently Santana has become deeply involved in the fight against the AIDS pandemic in South Africa through a partnership with ANSA – Artists for New South Africa. Other organizations he has championed include Hispanic Education and Media Group, Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children, Childreach, Rainforest Action Network, Greenpeace, American Indian College Fund, Amnesty International, and the Los Angeles-based Museum of Tolerance



Biography taken partially from Santana’s personal official site, the rest being from Hugues Chantraine


// below the discography & ratings //



Ratings based on many sources , progarchives , music magazine (since 1970)
all top 50 albums between 1971 & 1999 , my humble opinion as a Santana's fan & collector , and russian progressors .

The best 10 albums == Caravanserai , Millagro , Blues for Salvador , Third album , Abraxas , Welcome , Flor di luna , Supernatural , festival , and Sacred Fire .



Discography:
Santana - 69 excellent
Abraxas - 70 excellent

Santana III - 71 excellent

Caravanserai - 72 Masterpiece of progressive

Welcome - 73 excellent

Borboletta - 74 good
Lotus - 75 good
Festival - 76 excellent

Amigos - 76 good
Moonflower - 77 excellent

Inner Secrets - 78 good
Marathon - 79 fair
Zebop - 81 fair
Shango - 82 fair
Beyond Appearances - 85 good
Freedom - 87 fair
Spirits Dancing in the Flesh - 90 fair
Milagro - 92 masterpiece of latin /blues rock
Sacred Fire - 93 excellent
Dance of the Rainbow Serpent - 95 fair
Live at The Fillmore 1968 - 97 fair
Santana Live - 00 fair
Supernatural - 03 excellent addition to Santana's fans
Shaman - 04 for collectors only
All That I Am - 06 good

SANTANA — Milagro A Masterpiece of latin / blues rock
Review by trackstoni (antoine kordahi)
IF ,,,,, Milagro is not progressive ,,,, and IF Milagro is holding a few stars over the cover ..... and IF Milagro deserves only two ratings from millions of progheads around this planet ..... and IF Milagro's price is equal to a pack of cigarrettes ...... and IF NO ONE HAS IT ON THIS POOR PLANET , to realize what this live piece of art , performed by 29 excellent musicians , and containing excellent tracks , somewhere in heaven , Saja , red prophet , life is for living ... etc ,,,, and put the best line - up ever , into active performance , to create one of the best fusions ever , in the world of progressive rock ....... Remember dear proggers , if this concert wasn't made for you ,, it's surely has been made for the future generations ! ............................ 5 Stars for all tracks , 5 Stars for musicianship , 5 Stars for the sound ,5 Stars for the concept of this project ,,,,, I simply love it since 1992 , and deserves your attention....... A soul , jazz , rock , blues fusion , mixing latin american thoughts & creativity with african hopes & concerns ........ in amazing globe /////////////////////////// Tracks Toni , review quoted from Progarchives .

[TheMilla]

very interesting to read, toni great work!

[simo2k]

wow toni!!!!!!you write what very interesting and that I did not know!!!!!You are been really capable to describe all.....compliments