Santana Spirits Dancing In The Flesh CD

Following a 20th anniversary reunion tour in 1989 to promote Viva Santana!, Carlos Santana reorganized the band as a sextet and recorded Spirits Dancing in the Flesh, Santana's 15th and final studio album for Columbia Records. It was an unusually eclectic collection, featuring songs by Curtis Mayfield ("Gypsy Woman"), the Isley Brothers ("Who's That Lady"), and Babatunde Olatunji ("Jin-Go-Lo-Ba"). For all those influences, it was more of a straightforward, guitar-heavy rock album than usual. Coming more than three years after Santana's last new album, Freedom, it sold to the band's core audience only, reaching number 85. ~ William Ruhlmann

Following a 1989 20th anniversary reunion tour to promote Viva Santana!, Carlos Santana reorganized the band as a sextet consisting of himself, singer/guitarist Alex Ligertwood, singer/keyboardist Chester Thompson, bass player Benny Rietveld, drummer Walfredo Reyes and percussionist Armando Peraza. This unit, with such guest stars as Vernon Reid (of Living Colour), Wayne Shorter, and Bobby Womack, recorded Spirits Dancing In The Flesh, Santana's 15th and final studio album for Columbia Records. It was an unusually eclectic collection, featuring songs by Curtis Mayfield ("Gypsy Woman"), The Isley Brothers ("Who's That Lady"), and Olatunji ("Jin-Go-Lo-Ba"), as well as interpolations of John Coltrane's "Peace On Earth" and Jimi Hendrix's "Third Stone From The Sun" into Santana's "Mother Earth." (The Olatunji song is the original version of the tune adapted as "Jingo" that became Santana's first hit in 1969.) For all those influences, it was more of a straightforward, guitar-heavy rock album than usual. Coming more than three years after Santana's last new album, Freedom, it sold to the band's core audience only, reaching #85. ~ William Ruhlmann

Producers: Peter Wolf, Carlos Santana, Chester Thompson, Jim Gaines, Vernon Reid.

Santana: Carlos Santana (vocals, guitar, percussion); Alex Ligertwood (vocals, guitar); Chester Thompson (vocals, keyboards); Benny Rietveld (bass); Walfredo Reyes (drums, timbales, percussion); Armando Peraza (congas, bongos, percussion).

Additional personnel: Orestes Vilato (vocals, timbales); Stephen King, Bobby Womack, Tramaine Hawkins (vocals); Vernon Reid (guitar); Wayne Shorter (saxophone); Paolo Rustichelli (piano, keyboards); Alphonso Johnson, Keith Jones (bass); Francisco Aguabella (congas); Kevin Dorsey, Jim Gilstrap, Rashan Hylton, Phillip Ingram, Oren Waters (background vocals).

Rolling Stone (9/20/90) - 3.5 Stars - Very Good - "...yin and yang at its finest..."