Santana IV

The ground-breaking Afro-Latin rock fusion of Carlos Santana and his band set alight the 1969 Woodstock festival and opened the ears of a generation to the existence of a world of rhythm beyond the narrow confines of Anglo-American rock. The classic Santana line-up broke up in 1971 and went off in other directions. Santana IV finally brings the original line-up back together for the first time in 45 years – and sounds gloriously like you might have expected if it had been recorded in 1972. If that seems conservative, then bear in mind how radical Santana's exotic fusion of Latin grooves, Afro-percussion and electrifying psychedelic-blues guitar solos was at the time. The band are now all in their late 60s, but play with an energy that effortlessly rolls back the years. The opener ‘Yambu’, with its African chant, sounds like a first cousin to ‘Jingo’ from the group's 1969 debut. ‘Anywhere You Want to Go’ has a Latin-soul rhythm reminiscent of ‘Oye Como Va’ from 1970's career-defining Abraxas, the moody ‘Sueños’ evokes the slow-burn of their classic ‘Samba Pa Ti’ and ‘All Aboard’ is a contemporary update on their Woodstock showstopper ‘Soul Sacrifice’.