SANTANA — Moonflower (review)

SANTANA — Moonflower album cover Live album · 1977 · Latin Rock/Soul Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
seyo
"Moonflower" was a big commercial success for SANTANA upon its release 1977, but it was also probably the last great "classic" SANTANA album that deserves attention. It is a mixed work, containing both live and studio recordings. Apart from several really unbearable sweet pop moments ("I'll Be Waiting", "Transcendance"), where Greg Walker sounds ridiculously like later Billy Ocean, the rest is very good standard SANTANA delivery. Jazz rock moments are most present in "Zulu", "Bahia" and "El Morocco", while the live block of popular hits "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen/Dance Sister Dance/Europa" is the highlight of the album. New studio tracks "She's Not There" (an excellent cover of The Zombies) and "Flor D'Luna" became instant hits and remained standard in the band's repertoire. Cover image is beautiful and goes along with the music. Keyboardist Tom Coster provided several excellent compositions, including the title track. After this album SANTANA started sinking into the odious 1980s pop sound. Good and worthy double album deserving your attention.

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Arcanum Jazz Related Improv/Composition
ARVE HENRIKSEN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Plexus Plexus Acid Jazz
WEB WEB
Buy this album from MMA partners
Return to the Joyous Lake World Fusion
FAREED HAQUE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Mother Harp Eclectic Fusion
MATT ULERY
Buy this album from MMA partners
Superblue : Guilty Pleasures, Vol. 2 RnB
KURT ELLING
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Jed Levy Trio
JED LEVY
js· 16 hours ago
Web Web - Apotheosis
WEB WEB
js· 22 hours ago
Skywhale - Eternal Optimist The Rat (from the forthcoming reissue of The World At Mind's End)
SKYWHALE
PQR· 1 day ago
Lessons In Flying
MATT ULERY
js· 1 day ago
Turn To Stone
KURT ELLING
js· 1 day ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed