Santana - 2016 Santana IV - "Live At The House Of Blues Las Vegas"

On March 21st, 2016, a few weeks prior to the release of the Santana IV album, the classic line-up of Santana (Carlos Santana (guitar, vocals); Neal Schon (guitar, vocals); Gregg Rolie (keyboards, vocals); Michael Shrieve (drums); Michael Carabello (congas, backing vocals); with Karl Perazzo (percussion, vocals), Benny Rietveld (bass) with special guest vocalist Ronald Isley) took to the stage at the House Of Blues in Las Vegas.

The show they delivered combined tracks from the new album with the classic hits from the band's first three albums, to which Santana IV is the natural successor. This was a hugely anticipated reunion of a line-up that had not performed and recorded together since the early seventies. It brought back the scintillating combination of rock, Latin, blues, jazz and African rhythms which was the band's trademark and made them truly unique. The concert was a celebration of the chemistry, dynamism and pure musical joy that had made the original band so special and earned them a place in so many fans hearts. It is a show to be enjoyed over and over again.

This visual and audio celebration of the original members of Santana is fantastic. In early 2016, at the urging of guitarist Neal Schon, the five original members of Santana came together after more than 40 yrs. to play together again and ultimately released an album, Santana IV. In addition, they also started playing live dates together. It is from these shows that this Blu-Ray and 2CD set is taken.

It is truly amazing how new songs like, "Anywhere You want to Go" and "Suenos" fit seamlessly next to older hits like, "Oyo Como Va", "Evil Ways/Black Magic Woman", and "Soul Sacrifice". The band itself plays together so well, it's like the 40 yr. separation never occurred.
As for the technical aspects of the discs is concerned, it doesn't get any better than this. The Hi-Definition taping of the show gives you a "crystal clear", "sharp as a tack" picture. The audio recording of the show is every bit as exceptional as the visual recording.
This purchase is a "no-brained". In a genre where spotty editing and sub-par audio and visual recording are, a lot of the time, "standard", this is a true gem!

I rarely attend concerts these days because very few bands today rock like they did back when I was growing up in the seventies. That was a time when bands were made up of virtuoso musicians who coaxed the very best out of each other on stage. This Santana concert takes me back to that time and, although the original band only reunited for a few shows, it's as if they've been playing together all of this time, their performance is every bit as good as when I saw them 45 years ago.

To watch Carlos, Greg, Michael and Neal playing their hearts out together brought a huge smile to my face, and it was clear that they were loving it too. From the beautiful Samba Pa Ti to the rocking Batuka and the final jam of Toussaint Overture, this band is on fire. Because in a sense Neal plays in Santana's shadow, some may not appreciate what a fantastic guitarist he is, in fact, I think he is one of the very best players today and I love how Carlos introduces him as his "little brother". I do wish he didn't use so much processing and whammy bar on his guitar, it brings a little of that 80s Van Halen distortion which only detracts from the soulful and bluesy Santana sound.

I tend to favor the older material over the new, but the cuts from Santana IV sound great too. While one can say that watching a DVD of a concert will never be the same as being there, the filming and audio quality are so good that, played on a big screen and a high-end sound system, you almost feel that you're in the front row at the show.

Emotional brawn, complexity, abandon, and elegance. Timelessness, too, has always been a fitting attribute for describing the culture of sound that is Santana. That distinction applies more now than ever. While writing about the “Santana IV” reunion album earlier this year, I have to say I wondered if these men could pull off on stage the kind of timeless magic they ignited in the studio. More than 40 years had passed since this particular group played together, but IV really does sound like the natural follow-up to “III,” from the early 1970s.

Reports emerged that they’d tour, but only for a limited number of dates, with the current lineup of Santana filling out the remainder of the calendar. Well, forget any doubts about commitment or ability. As it played out, for a little while anyway, time stood still. Quite simply, Santana burned down the House this night, and “Santana IV Live at the House of Blues Las Vegas” captures the event in the best possible light on DVD or Blu-ray, coupled with two CDs.

Carlos Santana and Neal Schon together again on guitars are a force to be reckoned with. Their fiery duel during the new, thunderous “Shake It” — just one of many examples — sends electric shivers through a body. The songs from “IV” blend seamlessly with the classics. Gregg Rolie back in the seat as lead singer and B3 player not only shows how strong he still is, but that his tenure in the Santana band best represents the Santana band.

Rolie leads the charge on “Anywhere You Want to Go” with the same gusto he gives the absolutely iconic and note-perfect Santana take on Fleetwood Mac’s “Black Magic Woman.” Rousing performances of “Soul Sacrifice” and “Jingo” kick-start the night, right away illuminating the awesome, interwoven percussion of Michael Shrieve, Karl Perazzo, and Michael Carabello. Their performances of the lovely “Samba Pa Ti” (focused on Carlos Santana’s mesmerizing, melodious guitar), the tribal-like “Batuka,” and an at once nonchalant and raging “No One to Depend On,” keep the night flying on high.

Reprising his role on “IV,” the Isley Brothers’ Ronald Isley as special guest dazzles as he sings “Love Makes the World Go Round.” But this is all about Santana — the man and the band. Carlos is one of the few who can paint colors with a guitar, and if ever there was an example of unyielding chemistry between musicians, this band is it. They define Mexican rock music. For every right reason, this package is recommended even more so than “IV.” Viva Santana!

Track listing:

CD 1
01 Soul Sacrifice
02 Jingo
03 Evil Ways
04 Everybody's Everything
05 Shake It
06 Anywhere You Want To Go
07 Choo Choo
08 All Aboard
09 Samba Pa Ti
10 Batuka
11 No One To Depend On
12 Leave Me Alone
13 Sueños

CD 2
01 Caminando
02 Blues Magic
03 Echizo
04 Come As You Are
05 Yambu
06 Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen
07 Oye Como Va
08 Ronald Isley Intro
09 Love Makes The World Go Round [featuring: Ronald Isley]
10 Freedom In Your Mind [featuring: Ronald Isley]
11 Toussaint L'Overture

Personnel:

Guitar, Vocals – Carlos Santana, Neal Schon
Keyboards, Lead Vocals – Gregg Rolie
Congas, Percussion, Backing Vocals – Michael Carabello
Drums – Michael Shrieve
Timbales, Percussion, Vocals – Karl Perazzo
Bass – Benny Rietveld
Keyboards – David K. Mathews