Santana's Latest: 'All That,' And More
New York Daily News, NY
October 31, 2005
Musical formulas aren't always a bad thing. Sometimes they contain recipes worth repeating. Ask Carlos Santana. For the third time in a row, the guitarist has released a CD - "All That I Am," in stores tomorrow — that recycles label chief Clive Davis' scheme to match the star's glistening playing to a lazy Susan of super-sized guest stars. The results, this time, are breezily pleasing...
Now, "All That I Am" enlivens the original mold by featuring compositions worthy of its contributors. For all the bold-face cameos — from OutKast's Big Boi to Aerosmith's Steven Tyler — it's often the songs themselves that star. "I'm Feeling You," fronted by Michelle Branch, leaves the material on her own albums in the dust. "My Man" has far more melodic heft than the bilge Mary J. Blige normally warbles. And "Just Feel Better" gives Tyler his most fluid pop song since "Don't Wanna Miss a Thing..." The best passages on "All That I Am" have the range and pleasure of a "Now That's What I Call Music" CD — that is, a new release that sounds like a collection of hits.
October 31, 2005
Musical formulas aren't always a bad thing. Sometimes they contain recipes worth repeating. Ask Carlos Santana. For the third time in a row, the guitarist has released a CD - "All That I Am," in stores tomorrow — that recycles label chief Clive Davis' scheme to match the star's glistening playing to a lazy Susan of super-sized guest stars. The results, this time, are breezily pleasing...
Now, "All That I Am" enlivens the original mold by featuring compositions worthy of its contributors. For all the bold-face cameos — from OutKast's Big Boi to Aerosmith's Steven Tyler — it's often the songs themselves that star. "I'm Feeling You," fronted by Michelle Branch, leaves the material on her own albums in the dust. "My Man" has far more melodic heft than the bilge Mary J. Blige normally warbles. And "Just Feel Better" gives Tyler his most fluid pop song since "Don't Wanna Miss a Thing..." The best passages on "All That I Am" have the range and pleasure of a "Now That's What I Call Music" CD — that is, a new release that sounds like a collection of hits.
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