207 - Santana - Abraxas
There is something both worldly and other-worldly about Abraxas. The chimes, rolling cymbals, and wailing guitar that opens the album and "Singing Winds, Crying Beasts" is alien and transportive. But really, what's going on is a delicious dish from a musical smorgasbord. Jazz, rock, blues, salsa, and other styles are chopped up, blended, and sprinkled through these songs.
I found Abraxas to be a really beautiful album. The music was mesmerizing, comforting, and grooving. What the listener gets is experimental, but I never felt like the experimentation abandoned the listener or left me bored. Highly recommend this album to anyone that would like to sample Santana.
Songs I Knew I Liked: "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" and "Oye Como Va"
Songs I Now Like: "Incident at Neshabur" and "Mother's Daughter"
Songs I Can Go the Rest of My Life Never Hearing Again: None