Santana – Santana III (Translucent Yellow Vinyl)

"Santana III" is an album of the "last years". It was the last album recorded with the original Woodstock line-up and the last to reach number 1 in the Billboard charts until 1999's "Supernatural". But there are also a number of important "firsts" on this album: Coke Escovedo is on drums for the first time, as is Neal Schon (Journey) on guitar - who was just 17 years old when they recorded the album.

"Santana III" is considered by many to be the band's commercial and creative peak. The band sounds darker, rawer and more zealous, as Schon's rock 'n' roll sensibility and Santana's ecstatic high notes and soulful fills on guitar come together. Escovedo and Chepito's drumming is as fast as it is furious, and the minimal production adds greatly to the timeless appeal of this album.

"Santana III" is available in a limited edition of 1500 individually numbered copies on translucent yellow vinyl in a luxurious heavyweight gatefold sleeve.

Reviews

"The timeless funky Latin rock shreds dynamically, making the needle whoop. In terms of sound, the transfer is at about the same level as the 'Legacy Edition' on CD, i.e. at the top of the comparison." (AUDIO+stereoplay, January 2025)