By the mid-1990s, Carlos Santana was a legacy act—respected, inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but commercially adrift. His 1970s fusion of Afro-Latin rhythms with fierce rock-blues guitar had been diluted by jazzy experimentation and, later, inconsistent production. Clive Davis, the legendary producer, gave him a simple brief: forget trying to sound young; make your guitar the star , and bring in young hitmakers to build songs around you. The result was a brilliant, calculated risk.
: Despite the many guests, Santana's "unmistakable, ice-pick axe-work" remains the soul of the record. Instrumentals like "El Farol" show his ability to make a guitar "cry expressively". Critical Consensus Santana's Supernatural Album Review
In the pantheon of rock history, few stories are as astonishing as the resurrection of Carlos Santana in 1999. Before the turn of the millennium, the legendary guitarist was viewed by many as a legacy act—a brilliant but fading star of the 1960s and 70s. Record labels hesitated. Critics yawned. Fans seemed content to listen to Abraxas on classic rock radio.
and Santana to revitalize the artist's career with radio-friendly material. Legacy Edition : A 10th-anniversary Legacy Edition
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