Review of Santana Guitar Tribute Album

[kenog]

Guitar Heaven

Carlos Santana's 'Guitar Heaven' review: Album doesn't quite master rejigging masterpieces

Jim Farber

Tuesday, September 21st 2010, 4:00 AM

Santana's 'Guitar Heaven' reworks air guitar masterpieces, but doesn't quite create its

own. Santana's 'Guitar Heaven' was suggested by corporate mentor Clive Davis. Carlos Santana accepted a strange assignment for his latest CD. At the suggestion of his corporate mentor Clive Davis, he chose 12 of the most air-guitar-worthy songs of all time, then superimposed his own style on top of them.For "Guitar Heaven," Santana surveyed the work of his few peers - from Jimmy Page to Jimi Hendrix to Eric Clapton - and selected for interpretation their most obvious masterpieces, from "Whole Lotta Love" to "Little Wing" to "Sunshine of Your Love."

Consider it peer-to-peer social networking of the highest order.

As commercial as it may seem on one level, significant risks lurked under the surface. If Santana didn't radically rejigger the original songs, he could end up throwing his own towering talents into the shadow of others. On the other hand, if he switched things up too much, it would be like drawing mustaches on masterpieces.

As it turns out, a little of each came into play.

While "Guitar Heaven" can't help but satisfy an ax-nerd's fantasy, there's also something restrictive about it. The new arrangements may feature all kinds of small switch-ups, but the essential songs remain the same. "Whole Lotta Love" honors Page's original breakdowns to the note, while "Sunshine of Your Love" treats the central chugging riff with a religious reverence.

Likewise, the hired-hand star singers who populate the disk stand in awe of the original yowlers - to the point where you couldn't identify some without a cheat sheet. Train's Pat Monahan does a dead-on karaoke of David Lee Roth in "Dance the Night Away," as does Chris Daughtry of Def Leppard's Joe Elliott in "Photograph." (How a Def Leppard song got in this exclusive club is an even bigger problem.)

Of the front men, only Nas' rap, in "Back in Black," brings something radically new to the table, though it's a blast to hear Chris Cornell mimic Robert Plant's most virile phase in "Whole Lotta Love."

The biggest switchups occur in Santana's many meaty solos, which can be thrilling. Yet he has shaded his style, making it lean more toward frantic metal. At times, he can sound more like a low-down shredder, on the order of Steve Vai, than the high-minded Carlos we know. Typical is his take on the Stones' "Can't You Hear Me Knocking," which could use a less exaggerated wah-wah. It's also a shame Santana didn't tap more of his Latin roots, which comes through more in the percussion.

For his solos alone, the album has worth. But in the end, it can't help feeling a bit like an intellectual exercise. Either that or just a scheme by Clive to get his man more play on the next Rock Band video game.

[BUK]

I likin' it!

[danelectro]

Carlos needs to stop listening to Clive Davis and make a proper album. No matter how it's sliced this is just more of the same, and it's becoming a tired formula of pairing CS with guest vocalists a-la Supernatural. So they decided on classic rock covers this time, one a rap version of a well known rock song. Not exactly daring or different.

[Levee]

Carlos needs to stop listening to Clive Davis and make a proper album. No matter how it's sliced this is just more of the same, and it's becoming a tired formula of pairing CS with guest vocalists a-la Supernatural. So they decided on classic rock covers this time, one a rap version of a well known rock song. Not exactly daring or different.

I agree totaly and I can't believe there isn't more debate here.My local "Classis Rock" station played a lot of this over the weekend and were all happy about it. I'm sorry but I don't get it musically or artistically, It sounds like one of those K-tel albums from the 70's

Look, I like Carlos as much as the next person, but I don't get this at all, I hate to be so harsh but I don't think I'd ever listen to it if it was given to me or came out of a cereal box.

[DMachine]

WLL came out very nice IMO and more thanks to Chris Cornell who nailed the vocal essence more than Santana who rigged his guitar to sound the same.

[Xtazy]

I enjoy it very much. Awesome licks by Carlos during verses.

[dazedcat]

Carlos needs to stop listening to Clive Davis and make a proper album. No matter how it's sliced this is just more of the same, and it's becoming a tired formula of pairing CS with guest vocalists a-la Supernatural. So they decided on classic rock covers this time, one a rap version of a well known rock song. Not exactly daring or different.

Good post, I agree with you too. Clive Davis needs to go the hell away, enough already. I saw the cover of "Photograph" and it was painful viewing, it's not Santana music and he looked terribly out of place just trying to play licks.....horrid.

[silvermedalist]

Carlos was on Dancing with the Stars last week and did himself proud. I love his playing and always have. He has always been underated in my opinion. His leads are not terribly difficult to play but he has great feeeling to his style. I love his instrumental only songs, and of course Abraxas is the classic. On the top twenty list of all time albums for sure. Carlos!!!!

[Chowder]

I don't really care for the arrangement, or the way Carlos plays over the top of it all, but we can surely thank him for throwing out a message to Jimmy: 'Hey Gringo, quit waiting for the sun to stop refusing to shine. Hire this guy and take him on a World Tour, he'll do ya proud'.

I'd pay top dollar to see Cornell belting out a full set of Zep tunes, and Jimmy would get a rhythm guitarist into the bargain. Any takers?

[The Pagemeister]