Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles! - 1972 [1994] "Live!"

Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles! Live! is a live album by Carlos Santana and Buddy Miles.

From December 1971 to April 1972, Carlos Santana and several other members of Santana toured with drummer/vocalist Buddy Miles, a former member of the Electric Flag and Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys. The resulting live album contained both Santana hits ("Evil Ways") and Buddy Miles hits ("Changes"), plus a 25-minute, side-long jam titled "Free Form Funkafide Filth." It was not, perhaps, the live album Santana fans had been waiting for, but at this point in its career, the band could do no wrong. The album went into the Top Ten and sold a million copies.

Just an all-around hard-rocking, kick-butt collection of songs from a live concert in Diamond Head crater in Hawaii 1972; (this has been famously debated, only because the liner notes list the concert as January 0, 1972, but I believe this was a real show, as there are people that have stated they were there) In any case it is an amazing set of songs with Santana and his band, with Buddy Miles on drums, and the equally shredding Neal Schon on guitar..highlights are a fast version of Evil Ways, and an almost 25 min. jam called Free Form Funkafide Filth!

Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles Live!…was recorded on New Year’s Day, 1972 at the Sunshine ’72 Festival inside Diamond Head volcano crater, Honolulu Hawaii. Carlos was coming off the massive commercial success highs of three critically acclaimed Santana albums, but was moving away from the Latin rock format he had pioneered and was taking more and more aggressive steps towards focusing his attentions and talents on fusion jazz.

Carlos though was a huge fan of Jimi Hendrix, very evident in his pre-studio and early studio playing techniques and extremely evident in the unreleased 1967 single “Ballin'” a gigantic homage to Jimi! The chance to team up with Band Of Gypsy’s drummer Buddy Miles was as close as he would ever get to meshing with one of his guitar heroes. As a matter of force, Carlos and Buddy were accompanied on this record and in the concert with some main elements of Santana (the band) including 2nd guitarist and soon to be founder of Journey, Neal Schon.

The concert album kicks off with a two-part jam penned by Carlos’ new guitar hero John McLaughlin in the first part (Marbles) and by Buddy in the 2nd drum led part (Lava). An R&B funky version of Evil Ways, with lead vocals by Buddy offers a unique take on the hit single. I’ve been listening to this for nearly 40 years and the jury is still out. As a live performance it has its merits, but in comparison to the Santana original, it is a few bricks shy of a full load for me. The opening song Marbles is much better by a mile (no pun intended), but the closer to side one of the album, a newly refreshed version of Band Of Gypsy’s hit Them Changes is the stand out track here.

These molten grooves were recorded in Hawaii right on a volcanic crater. Carlos Santana together with drummer/vocalist Buddy Miles and several members of Santana channel Evil Ways; Marbles; Lava; Them Changes , and nearly a half hour of Free Form Funkafide Filth !

Track listing:

1. "Marbles" John McLaughlin 4:18
2. "Lava" Buddy Miles 2:10
3. "Evil Ways" Clarence "Sonny" Henry 6:36
4. "Faith Interlude" Miles, Carlos Santana 2:13
5. "Them Changes" Miles 5:50
6. "Free form Funkafide Filth" Greg Errico, Ron Johnson, Miles, Santana 24:54

Personnel:

Buddy Miles – vocals, drums, percussion, congas
Carlos Santana – guitar, vocals
Neal Schon – guitar
Bob Hogins – organ, electric piano
Ron Johnson – bass guitar
Greg Errico – drums
Richard Clark – drums, percussion, congas
Coke Escovedo – drums, percussion, timbales
Mike Carabello – percussion, congas
Mingo Lewis – percussion
Victor Pantoja – percussion, congas
Hadley Caliman – flute, saxophone
Luis Gasca – trumpet