Santana: Moonflower - 1x LP 180g 45rpm Vinyl, Numbered, Limited

As strange as it may seem today, “Moonflower” was Santana's first and only live album released in the U.S. for almost 15 years. And that's despite the fact that about half of the double album consists of new studio recordings, including a spicy cover version of the Zombies classic “She's Not There,” which made it into the top 30 singles charts. As unconventional as the “split” strategy was, it was extremely well received. “Moonflower” reached the top 10 of the Billboard Top 200 and went double platinum – a success that the group was unable to repeat for 22 years. The program's high musical quality is one of the reasons why the 1977 album is considered a “must-have Santana” by critics and fans alike. “Moonflower” is a triumph, as the album is a greatest hits collection up to 1977.

“Moonflower” is clearly rooted in the styles and approaches that characterized the band's first three albums and captures the last performances by legendary percussionist Jose ‘Chepito’ Areas and regular keyboardist Tom Coster on a Santana album. As in previous years, Coster plays a major role here, sharing songwriting credits for most of the new tracks and helping to steer the arrangements in a direction that encompasses Latin, rock and blues elements. The titles are taken from the group's debut album of the same name, “Abraxas”, “Santana III” as well as “Amigos” and “Festival” – a representative and exemplary selection that showcases the group's extraordinary range. You quickly succumb to the magic of “Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen” and the epic dynamics of “Soul Sacrifice/Head, Hands & Feet”, as well as the rousingly brilliant interpretation of “Europa (Earth's Cry Heaven's Smile)”. The warmth of the sun can be felt on the R&B-tinged “I'll Be Waiting,” carried by Carlos Santana's gliding fingerwork and Greg Walker's creamy vocals, as can the cosmic universe of “Zulu,” where Coster's nimble phrasing opens the door to polyrhythmic beats, gnarly grooves and hypnotic funk. 

Lovingly mastered at MoFi's California studio and pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing on 180-gram vinyl (33 RPM), the double LP is strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies and is part of Mobile Fidelity's Santana reissue series. The new, audiophile sound of “Moonflower” extends not only to Santana's string wizardry, but also to the rhythmic, melodic and vocal elements heard in both studio and live recordings. The grip and depth of the bass lines, the sound of the organ, the range and carrying power of the vocals, the rich textures of the percussion and keyboards: all this appears in the middle of a broad and realistically dimensioned sound stage that will bring a smile to the face of more than just Santana fans. The MoFi reissue comes in a lavish gatefold cover by Stoughton Printing and proves why Santana was one of the most impressive bands of that era!

 

We recommend the use of "L'Art du Son" LP cleaner to wet wash your vinyl. Even new records of high quality production will benefit from this.