Lotus (Live)

This "Live" Album is a Santana "Hidden Gem"! I remember, it took me months to get it, after I heard about it in an international Music magazine! Try getting a "Money Order" from your parents in 1975? It was worth the wait! This is very well priced for "It's" music, the quality of "Live" & A Sizzling Carlos Devadip Santana!

Bobbin review is in correct. Just finished reading Carlos’s “Universal Tone”. He states in the book that Columbia records would not let him release this in the US. Despite Carlos’ claiming this was a superb recording of this group of musicians he put together for this tour. He praises the way the band gelled and performed on this recording.

I grew up listening to Carlos in the backseat of my dads car. He and Hendrix are the goats but I have to admit I lean more towards Carlos. For anyone who loves the rock, this is where it's at!

there are so many great things about this album. The one thing i have not seen in any of the reviews is that it contains songs from Welcome and Caravansari. I do not think he covers any of that material in any of his live library other than Lotus. Also fans of those 2 albums might not know that one of the songs from Welcome is called Love Devotion and Surrender which is the name of the album Carlos did with Jon Mclaughlin

What a lot of people don't realize is that the fans in Japan are the most respectful audience in the world! You don't hear a lot of screaming in the background. Superbly recorded. Carlos is a good friend so I'm biased. Must have!

the perfect music for being chased across Morocco by a beautiful and psychotic woman driving a VW bus.

The only live extended jam that the Santana band recorded that has the power to go against the Soul Sacrifice Woodstock performance, and that's saying something! The version on this live album is, without even the smalllest doubt, one of the greatest live musical pieces of all time. And the album itself can only be summed up in one word: EPIC!

"Lotus" has long been one of my desert island albums. I've had the LP version for over 30 years, and it's a work of art, visually as well as musically. Santana's playing reveals a diversity of influences, blues, Latin, jazz, rock, and even the Indian flavoring that resulted from his brief association with John McLaughlin (and, for better or worse, Sri Chinmoy). The band is on it's A game, and the vocal work of Leon Thomas is a bonus. Over the years, I have read of people's bemoaning the incorporation of jazz into Santana's playing during this era. Frankly, I think that this was his most fertile period, before Bill Graham turned him into a pop star (hey, Carlos paid his dues, and I don't begrudge his making some serious dough-he's earned it!). Although the stunning fold-out artwork of the import LP is missing with the digital edition, it's great to have a portable version of the music. And of course, if I'm at home, I can always play the LPs, as they are still in good shape after over three decades. If you like Santana's music, get this ASAP. You will have a big smile on your face after a few moments of listening.

I'll never forget the first time I heard this album and the subsequent million times on the black Memorex titled with masting tape "Santana - Lotus". The intensity of the show is fore-shadowed in the first piece and then it is really let loose. Those familiar with the fusion Miles Davis was putting out in the early 1970's will see influences. In fact, Lotus has much of the same intensity and texture as Dark Magus, which was recorded about nine months later. It may be that fusion fans will find this album better than many Santana fans, as this is by far my favorte recording he put out, and is much better than the tame Moonflower that Carlos chose to be to his first live album.

This is quite frankly Carlos at his very best. He's about 26 and playing absolutely incredible. Furthermore the musicianship of the band he is playing with is astounding. And lol they keep Carlos in check. If one has seen him life in the late 70's, they would notice that he would get out of control, play his hits really fast and use distortion and pedals WAY TOO MUCH! On "Lotus" he uses various sound effects just as an accent. He let's his intense guitar playing do the talking. Overall this album is terrific, Carlos is not just the showcase and is still part of the band, luckily many key members of the original band are still here to back him up. Mike Shrieve and Chepito Areas (Original Santana members) anchored Carlos' sound and kept him in rhythm. And the legendary Armando Peraza was way better on the congas then Mike Carabello. The keyboardists Tom Coster and Ricard Kermode also compliment the guitarist and percussion sections. For those of us who weren't alive (I'm 19 by the by) to see this amazing tour de force in 1973, this album is a gem and should be considered as such by the entire Rock community. It's Jazz fusion, it's latin, it's rock, it's blues, it's funk, it's Santana.