There is no mistaking a Santana song when you hear it. Carlos has his way of leaving his fingerprints all over everything he records and All That I Am is no exception to the rule. That doesn't mean it's an over-hashed repeat of previous CDs, quite the contrary, it just has that familiar well known (and loved) sound. Sliding into the comfortable home of soft rock or pop, the songs are intricate arrangements that feature the horns and rhythm lines that are distinctly Santana.
All That I Am features quite an array of guest performers, nine to be exact, ranging from Steven Tyler, to Los Lonely Boys and all genres of music in between. Feature or guest musicians have a way of adding to an album, and individually all of them are quite good, but when looking at the album as a whole, I would say one of the missing elements is Carlos Santana being the feature.
"I'm Feeling You" is the most mainstream song on the CD. It features Michelle Branch and The Wreckers, and easily melds into the soft pop, adult contemporary category. The tempo is up, and the extensive horns give the whole package a warm feel. The lyrics are light and beautifully executed by Barnes, however, noticeably missing is the typical dance rhythms that one comes to expect from the band.
Santana most recently preformed the single "I Don't Want to Lose Your Love" on the American Music Awards with their guest feature artist, The Los Lonely Boys. I consider this one an instant classic. The Latin influenced tempo and rhythm as well as the catchy "hook" style lyrics bore the song into you unconscious mind, where it stays long after the CD is over and you've moved on to something else.
Article comments
1 - -E
Great review Connie, thanks for sharing it with us!
2 - Connie Phillips
Thank you, E.