Buy Santana - Ultimate Santana
There have been 'Best of' Santana discs before, mostly collected from the early instrumental discs. Here, however, 'ultimate' may just literally mean 'the latest' disc, as there are mandatory new songs (only one of which really works). It features a great deal more of what Santana has been known for recently - collaborations with guest vocalists.
The 'essential' old stuff is there - Oye Como Va, Samba Pa Ti and Black Magic Woman - but they're alongside Number 1s like Smooth and Maria, Maria. Nickelback's Chad Kroeger adds vocals to Into The Night, and it's a bit of a frog chorus. Neither Tina Turner nor Michelle Branch can save The Game of Love (in two separate versions) from mediocrity. However, Carlos Santana's guitar is a thing of real beauty - fluid lines and remarkable funk allow screaming emotion and gorgeous Latin melody. That ability to wrest something unique from a song is shown on his 1977 cover of She's Not There, which becomes wild panther-like in his hands. There isn't another guitarist who sounds like Santana, and the number of guest stars (including J Lo in a new song here) is testament to his enduring appeal.
Buy Santana - Ultimate Santana
01 Into The Night (featuring Chad Kroeger) - previously unreleased
02 This Boy's Fire(feat. Jennifer Lopez and Baby Bash) - previously unreleased
03 Smooth(w/Rob Thomas) - from Supernatural (released June 1999)
04 Maria Maria(w/Product G&B) - from Supernatural (released June 1999)
05 Oye Como Va- from Abraxas (released Sept. 1970)
06 Black Magic Woman- from Abraxas (released Sept. 1970)
07 Evil Ways- from Santana (released Aug. 1969)
08 Corazon Espinado(w/Man- from Supernatural (released June 1999)
09 Europa - from album Amigos (released March 1976)
10 The Game of Love (w/Tina Turner) - previously unreleased
11 Put Your Lights On(w/Everlast) - from Supernatural (released June 1999)
12 Why Don't You & I(w/Alex Band of The Calling) - (single released internationally July 2003)
13 Everybody's Everything- from Santana III (released Sept. 1971)
14 Just Feel Better(w/Steven Tyler) - from All That I Am (released Nov. 2005)
15 Samba Pa Ti- from Abraxas (released Sept. 1970)
16 No One To Depend On - from Santana III (released Sept. 1971)
17 The Game of Love(w/Michelle Branch) -from Shaman (released Oct. 2002)
18 Interplanetary Party- previously unreleased
Santana - Ultimate Santana
