Carlos Santana: Back on Top

By Marc Shapiro

Book Overview

Carlos Santana took the music world by storm back in 1969 with his thrilling performance at the Woodstock festival. He was the first guitarist to skillfully blend fiery rock riffs with Latin, blues and sensuous Afro-Cuban rhythms to create a unique and unforgettable sound. His vision to create innovative melodies has earned him a magnitude of critical praise and acclaim over his illustrious career. But, the road to success has been a rocky, uphill climb. The middle child of seven children, Carlos Santana was born on July 20, 1947 in a tiny Mexican village where the homes were comprised of brick and mud, and there was no running water or lights. But, what his parents couldn't give in material wealth, they heaped upon their children in love. It was after the family moved to Tijuana that twelve year old Carlos developed his talent for the guitar and his reputation as a formidable musician spread. In 1968 Columbia Records signed on the Santana Blues Band and they began in earnest to work on an album that would include such popular Latin and soul favorites as "Black Magic Woman," "Evil Ways," and "Oye Como Va". On August 15, 1969, the Santana band was given the opportunity to play Woodstock before the release of their first album and this performance would forever be etched in fans' minds as a key moment in rock history. The Santana Blues Bands went from obscurity to instant recognition. Shortly thereafter, rumblings of discontent were echoed within the group with the volatile mixture of drug abuse, personality clashes, and the frustrations over the musical direction the band, ultimately leading to the demise of the group. Following the breakup, Carlos Santana delved deeper into the meditative arts and spirituality. The succession of albums that followed were greeted with critical acclaim, but moderate success. In the late 90's, Santana begin working on a new album under the creative direction of Clive Davis, head of Arista Records. In a brilliant union of collaborating with younger artists as Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Rob Thomas, the album, Supernatural was a commercial smash. It sold over thirteen million copies, and appealed to both the baby boomers and the teenage crowd. Carlos Santana became the star of the 2000 Grammys, and Supernatural won several awards including, Best Rock Album of the Year, Song of the Year for "Smooth", and Album of the Year. With a career that spans three decades, Carlos Santana p0has proven that talent, determination, and passion are the keys to longevity in a business that is obsessed with youth and beauty. Against the odds, he has defied the rule of convention and made an incredible comeback. His story is timeless, inspirational, and he has undoubtedly proven himself to be the king of the guitar.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312269048
• ISBN13: 9780312269043
• Release Date: November 2000
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 270 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Carlos: The perfect subject for this kind of book

True Santana fans will question whether or not Carlos ever fell to begin with. However, BACK ON TOP is an appropriate title for those who measure success by commercial standards. Who can question that SUPERNATURAL, and the multiple Grammy awards it brought, was indeed a return to the top for this incredible artist.Mr. Shapiro's election to follow a chronological sequence in the writing of this book is helpful to the reader. After all, the professional and personal roller-coaster that is Carlos' life can best be felt if the story that unfolds follows the very way in which it all happened. Shapiro did this well.Things to like about the book include a fairly well chronicled capture of the early years. How the original Santana Blues Band came to be is quite a story. Even those who know the story will find the references to such legends as Bill Graham, Paul Butterfield, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Tito Puente, Willie Bobo, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and the Grateful Dead effective in connecting Carlos to legends of Rock, Blues and Jazz. Who else do you know that has this kind of depth to his music pedigree? Such is the attraction to Carlos Santana. Shapiro also did a decent job in explaining the on again, off again relationship Carlos had with his original band. Reasons for its breakup - and occasional reunions - were conveyed in an easy to follow manner. Don't look for Shapiro's writing style to represent literary excellence. It's simple and contains a fair number of grammatical mistakes. Further, it's pretty clear the author is/was never a true Santana fan. The book could possibly have been written entirely from research and archives. One can't be certain if Shapiro ever interviewed Carlos. My guess is that Shapiro tossed the book together following a cookie-cutter pattern used in his other similar books on rock stars. For example, he incorrectly assigns the song "She's Not There" to the Festival LP. It was of course part of the Moonflower double album set. The discography at the end is a handy guide, but even it is incomplete. (Shapiro referenced albums and collaborations in the text that never made it to his Discography!)Lastly, Shapiro weighs in on Carlos' mid-70's trek toward jazz, fusion, melodic/religious tones while playing under the name Devadip. The author states: "Sorry Carlos, I didn't dig the short hair and the white duds." True Santana fans will take exception to this narrow-minded view toward an era of Santana music that classic Santana fans will long revere as his best music. I lived the Santana years one album at a time. Having seen Carlos play at some 28 concerts I was not sure the story as told by Marc Shapiro would do this incredible artist justice. To be fair, the book passed the test and is to be recommended.