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Abraxas is the second studio album by Latin rock band Santana. It was released on September 23, 1970, by Columbia Records and became the band's first album to reach number one in the United States.
The title of the album originates from a line in Hermann Hesse's 1919 book Demian, quoted on the album's back cover: "We stood before it and began to freeze inside from the exertion.
We questioned the painting, berated it, made love to it, prayed to it: We called it mother, called it whore and slut, called it our beloved, called it Abraxas..."
Carlos Santana had been interested in Fleetwood Mac's leader and songwriter Peter Green, having seen him perform at the Fillmore West in San Francisco, and decided to cover the band's song "Black Magic Woman". (Both had also been influenced as guitarists by B.B. King.)
The band added a cover of Gábor Szabó's instrumental "Gypsy Queen" to the end."Oye Como Va" was a hit by Tito Puente in the early 1960s and the group played it live regularly, as they realized it was good for audiences to dance to.
"Incident at Neshabur" was co-written by Santana and his friend Alberto Gianquinto, who played piano on the track. Gregg Rolie played the other keyboards, contrasting with Gianquinto's jazz-influenced style. It ran through various time and key signatures.
The instrumental, "Samba Pa Ti" ("Samba for You"), was written by Santana when he saw a jazz saxophonist performing in the street outside his apartment.
It was later covered by José Feliciano, who added lyrics, and also by Angélique Kidjo, who put lyrics in Yoruba, on her album Oyo. It is also one of the tracks featured in Nick Hornby's book 31 Songs.
The album cover features the 1961 painting Annunciation by German-French painter Mati Klarwein.
According to the artist, it was one of the first paintings he did after relocating to New York City. Carlos Santana reportedly noticed it in a magazine and asked that it be on the cover of the band's upcoming album.
On the back of the record sleeve the cover art is just credited to 'MATI'. It is now considered a classic of rock album covers.
Klarwein went on to design album artwork for many notable artists, including Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Gregg Allman
Side one
1. Singing Winds, Crying Beasts (Instrumental) - 4:48
2. Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen - 5:24
3. Oye Como Va - 4:19
4. Incident At Neshabur (Instrumental) - 5:02
Side two
1. Se A Cabo - 2:51
2. Mother’s Daughter - 4:28
3. Samba Pa Ti (Instrumental) - 4:47
4. Hope You’re Feeling Better - 4:07
5. El Nicoya - 1:32
Santana
- Carlos Santana – lead guitar, backing vocals, producer
- Gregg Rolie – keyboards, lead vocals
- David Brown – bass
- Michael Shrieve – drums
- José "Chepito" Areas – percussion, conga, timbales
- Michael Carabello – percussion, conga, possibly keyboards on "Singing Winds, Crying Beasts" (the latter disputed by Santana)
Additional personnel
- Rico Reyes – backing vocal on "Oye Como Va", backing vocal and percussion on "El Nicoya"
- Alberto Gianquinto – piano on "Incident at Neshabur"
- Fred Catero – producer
- John Fiore, David Brown – engineer
- Bob Venosa – graphics
- MATI – illustrations
- Marian Schmidt, Joan Chase – photography
Notes
Release: 1970
Format: LP, Vinyl
Genre: Latin Rock
Label: CBS Records
Catalog# S 64087
Vinyl: Lichte Gebruikerssporen (G)
Hoes: Goed (G)
Prijs: €5,00
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