Chango ~ USA ~ New York City, New York

Honey Is Sweeter Than Blood (1976)

I don't think I've heard this album since first acquiring it some 25 years ago. After scoring a copy off of ebay, I was fully expecting to be blown away. And disappointment ensued. Primarily because it wasn't the fiery platter that the debut was, and that's what I expected. Since that time, I've really fallen for the Latin Rock style of songwriting. And honestly, that's the secret sauce of the 1975 Chango album. The intense jams are just icing on the cake. At this point, the band is largely a solo project of lead singer "Peppy" Gomez with some returning members. What's missing is a full time organist, and of course, the shredding guitar of George Tacktitos. Though second guitarist Charles Rook does a splendid job here as well. There's more of a Malo influence this go round, a band I was mostly unfamiliar with in 2001. Much better than my memory had it, though have to set the proper expectation that they've moved on from the early Santana sound (which was wonderfully out-of-date anyway) and onto more Latin soul styled numbers. There's still plenty of hard rock here too, for fans of the genre.

Ownership: 1976 Mercury (LP). Lyric insert. Acquired in 2001.

2001; 9/22/26 (review)
 

Chango (1975)

Imagine yourself walking the barrios in Queens, New York circa 1975. Bums, pushers, hookers, street musicians, and the smell of tortas vendors. You see a small club, it has a name like Enrique's Hell Hole. You venture in cautiously. Torches are lit high, as you tiptoe over the junkies, and tactfully avoid the needles scattered about the floor. You watch as on stage there are six seriously fried dudes. Each cranking out some of the most intense music to have ever been performed on these Atlantic Yankee shores. Two percussionists and a drummer drive the speedy pulse, whilst organ, bass, and guitar all roar, slash, and sing. This is all Chango's first album and for anyone who likes the early Santana vibe, then you are in for a treat, because Chango tread a new path right at the point where Santana went fusion. This is the ultimate culmination of all the best Carlos could muster. A high water mark for heavy Latin groove rock. The album has it all: The screaming Santana guitar sustain fuzz chops; The swirling Hammond organ; The speed-freak-machismo lead singer that all the messed up chicks were somehow swooning for. And, of course, those dance-able rhythms that even this uptight white guy might make note of. The lyrics are exactly what you want from this kind of album: Sex, life-in-the-ghetto, grade-school mysticism - and well....... sex.

Right off the bat, you are pulverized with 'Fire Over Water' followed by the eight minute 'Walk on Hell'. Really, do I need to describe these tracks? Put the environment, instrumentation, song titles, and influences together and you've got an aural vision. Many of the songs are catchy too - you'll be humming them for days. 'Caminando', 'Solid Karma', and especially 'Mira Pa Ca' just have killer melodies. But where Chango excels most is with the instrumentals like the pounding 'Bollo' and 'Bembe', plus the beautiful 'Sacapa'. But the best is possibly saved for last. The nine minute title track combines relentless energy, tuneful melodies, and fiery instrumental playing. It's all very awe-inspiring. Careful though, as you may find yourself in a big heap afterward.

How this album missed the big time is somewhat of a mystery to me. Being that it was released in 1975, perhaps it was too late for the early Santana sound. I'm also guessing that ABC records, not known for their music marketing muscle, had no idea how to promote it. There are very few albums that contain this kind of energy and instrumental virtuosity. And then combines that with a strong melodic sense. A true masterpiece and one of underground America's most proud moments.

Ownership: 

1975 ABC promo (LP). Gatefold. Acquired in 1993.

2000 Akarma (CD). Papersleeve edition. This version has been declared unofficial by band leader Pepe Gomez. Acquired in 2000.

No legit reissues for either as I update this post (9/22/26).

1993; 2000; 8/21/01 (review); 12//04; 5/15/06; 8/4/07; 10/18/16

6/20/09 (new entry)

Santana ~ USA ~ San Francisco, California

One of the most influential guitarists in history, Carlos Santana assembled a high quality group of multicultural musicians. Coming from the Mission District of San Francisco, Santana was groundbreaking in many ways. But what really makes Carlos special is that he took his fame and fortune and made a go at high art. His "spiritual jazz rock" phase is nothing short of incredible, before settling back into corporate America. And mostly losing his way ever since. There's a religious metaphor in there I think. How ironic. More updates to come eventually.

Borboletta (1974)

---2007

Do you ever look at your shelf of music and see an album and say “you know, the next time I hear it I bet I’ll like it more than I did before?” Well, I bought this LP sometime in the 1980s and doubt I’ve heard it twice since then. Foreshadowing aside, yea I dug it big time. This was released at the tail end of his fusion phase, but there’s still plenty of that sound prevalent throughout. Sure, he’s introducing a slicker, more radio friendly sound here. But it’s not too bad on the whole – in fact some of the melodies are addictive. I think to properly enjoy this album, it’s best to hear Welcome first, rather than Lotus, or even further apart, the first three albums.

---8/7/26

Santana's 6th studio album is the end of the line for his jazz rock phase. Unfortunately. As noted above, sure, Carlos was moving his group into more commercial waters. But he found a peak spot as he's turning the valve, and captures the best of all eras. The atmospheric pieces recall Abraxas, the vocal numbers hint at what's to come with Amigos / Festival (and follows similar with the Welcome album), and finally, the fiery fusion numbers where Carlos lets 'er rip on guitar. I find music like this very easy to listen to.

This phase of his career likely had to come to an end as it wasn't commercially viable for the tightening of the radio medium of the mid 70s through the 80s. Tragedy that.

Ownership: 1974 Columbia (LP). Lyric inner bag. Acquired in 1986.

1986; 2007 (review); 12/29/14; 7/16/16; 8/7/26 (update)

Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles - Live! (1972)

One of the more forgotten of Santana's releases is his collaboration with Buddy Miles for a January concert in Hawaii. It's here that you can really tell that Carlos Santana was hankering to dig deeper into his spiritual consciousness. And explore jazz at a deep level as well. There's still plenty of the Santana III rock band styled music here, but Caravanserai is on the horizon. For fans of that phase of his career, this album is pivotal and represents a key transition.

Ownership: 1972 Columbia (LP). With insert. Acquired in 2025.

4/30/25 (review)

Welcome (1973)

Welcome is Santana's 5th album and was released smack dab in the middle of his spiritual jazz rock phase. Along with Caravanserai, Love Devotion & Surrender, and Lotus, it almost defies belief that a major "pop" artist such as Santana would achieve such great heights with decidedly non-commercial music. Which is the primary gripe of the naysayers even today. Intense guitar heavy jamming is not for everyone, and it's understandable that he lost a good portion of his primary audience. My view is the polar opposite. The older I get the more I appreciate Santana and other artists who followed his way. Welcome is not only a jam heavy guitar and organ extravaganza, but it also features some beautiful songwriting. I love the Leon Thomas sung songs, completely at odds with the rest of the album, yet fits the elevated spirituality that was Carlos Santana in 1973. There's the obvious great with tracks like 'Flame-Sky' and the title track. And then there's the beautiful great with 'Love, Devotion, & Surrender', 'When I Look Into Your Eyes', and 'Light of Life'. They are not mutually exclusive. Yet another Santana album that gets a +1. For whatever reason I didn't buy this album back in college with the rest of them. My mistake as it's one of their best. 

The CD features one more great song ('Mantra') that is not to be missed.

Ownership: 2003 Columbia Legacy (CD). Booklet with liner notes and photos. One bonus track as noted above. Acquired in 2005.

2//05; 2/16/25 (review)

Beyond Appearances (1985)

I find it interesting that Carlos Santana never let go of his iconic psychedelic sound. He really could have been the tip of the spear at any kind renaissance of high quality psych and fusion in the 1980s. But he decided to play ball and follow the trends of the day. So most of the songs are boring, with cringeworthy 80s digitalitis sounds. ...and Carlos' beautiful tone when it's his turn. Oh well, he continued to stick with this formula, and it finally paid off for him commercially about 15 years later. 

Source: 1985 Columbia (LP)

7/31/24 (review)

Santana (1969)

The birth of the movement. Latin Rock remains one of my favorite subgenres of music, and I owe a ton of gratitude to a one Carlos Santana. A fantastic guitar player who had the vision to meld Hispanic culture with the ongoing psychedelic and hard rock movements. His group and extended family spawned many imitators, some maybe even better than anything Santana released. While Carlos deserves heaps of praise, the X-factor in the group has to be Gregg Rolie. His soulful voice, songwriting ability, and Hammond organ work is at the highest levels. The juxtaposition of bluesy hard rock soul numbers like 'Shades of Time', 'Evil Ways', 'Persuasion', 'Treat', and 'You Just Don't Care' against the percussive Latin rockers 'Waiting', 'Savor', 'Jingo', and 'Soul Sacrifice' is what makes the debut so special. Rolie was to Carlos what Roman Bunka was to Christian Burchard (Embryo). Taking a great band to a timeless one. Even though I've known this album for well for 40 years, I still managed a +1 listen out of it. It now resides in the very top tier.

Ownership: 

1969 Columbia (LP). 2 eye original. Acquired in 2026. First copy acquired in 1983 (the current pressing at the time).

1998 Columbia Legacy (CD). Liner notes and photos. Contains three bonus tracks taken from the Woodstock concert. Acquired in 2025.

1983; 6/13/16; 11/26/23 (review)

Festival (1977)

About a year ago I had a chance to revisit Moonflower to great results. Would I have a similar experience here? And the answer is a resounding yes. While it doesn't have a jaw dropper like 'Europa' (what does?), Festival is more consistent. The first three tracks are Santana at his absolute best, mixing in his purposely naïve view of the world with molten licks. And so it goes, with his usual mix of ethnic and harder rocking tracks. He pretty much let go of the funk that permeated Amigos. There are two tracks that are too Vegas-y for me 'Give Me Love' and 'The River', which still leaves 36 minutes of great music.

Ownership: 1977 Columbia (LP). Reacquired in 2021. First purchased in 1987.

1987; 8/9/21 (review)

Amigos (1976)

Funny about these albums sitting in the collection forever, that go back to childhood, and yet I couldn't tell you squat about it. I only kept the LP all these years because of 'Europa'. More on that one in a minute. What of the other six tracks, are they really that bad? No, not all actually. Well, save one.

'Dance Sister Dance' is a hybrid classic Santana Latin number with some creeping funk influence. The latter half of this song jams quite well. Which then segues nicely into the album's hidden gem 'Take Me With You', which sounds like early Santana ripping and roaring, until it puts the brakes on for a nice journey on The Love Boat. C'mon now, the girls are pretty and this is the perfect soundtrack. 'Let Me' isn't so bad really. Yes, it's got that Herbie Hancock Clavinet thing going and I could probably go without the "soul sista" chorus that were annoying even back then... and especially now. But Santana is there to lay down a killer lick or two, so it's OK.

'Gitano' is Amigos' contribution to Latin music. There are times when it seems it's about to take off into another killer jam, but it stays within the rails too much. 'Tell Me Are You Tired'. (OK, if you insist). This one is a bit too much funk pop for me, with more soul sista chorus, but not egregious on the whole.

This leads to 'Europa', which is just simply one of the most beautiful - and powerful - instrumentals ever committed to tape. Been hearing it for over 40 years, and I still get goosebumps throughout the entire song. Had it only been 20 minutes.... In any case this leads to...

'Let it Shine', the track that does everything in its power to desecrate the previous - that what was once holy and sacred. I mean I can deal with a little boogie woogie now and then, but seriously this is just plain awful. OK, let's just forget it ever happened. Nothing to see here.

And so with that - an album that is far better than I ever recalled. Glad I kept it.

Ownership: 1980s Columbia (LP). Acquired in 1989.

1989; 11/30/07; 9/21/18 (review)

Other albums I own: Abraxas; Santana III; Caravanserai; Love Devotion Surrender; Lotus; Moonflower; Live at the Fillmore 1968; Blues For Salvador; Santana Live

Previous owned: Inner Secrets; Marathon

9/21/18 (new entry)

War ~ USA ~ Los Angeles, California

War Live (1974)

One of the biggest challenges with collecting War is that their albums are almost always wrecked. Partied out as we used to say. This one wasn't too bad, and at 69 cents, I'm grabbing it. Nice to see that RYM has this as their highest rated album. And most of the tracks have long durations, almost assuring us of a jam session. The only representative of their commercial side is 'The Cisco Kid', so this should prove to be quite the experience. And? Well not really. War is really a soul group playing funk and Latin rock. This isn't Mandrill or Malo by any stretch. When they do jam, it's not really of the intense variety, which is what I was hoping for. Everyone gets their turn, and it sort meanders about. Nothing wrong with that of course, as I'm sure it was a fun concert. Good album on the whole, but not something I need to keep.

Source: 1974 United Artists (2xLP)

6/16/15; 9/6/25 (review) 

War (1971)

I had high hopes for this early effort, but it fell flat to my ears. Mostly this is soul... funk music, with an obvious emphasis on the former. Which can be OK, if the melodies stick. But I'm afraid they didn't with me. The exception here is the album closer 'Fidel's Fantasy', which can only be categorized as weird. And there's a segment in the middle where Charles Miller's flute sounds almost Krautrock like. Lyrically they're going after Castro, which is refreshing during an era where there was too much sympathy for thugs like him. Sort of like today. Hmmm. Comes in a very fine gatefold, and my copy has the "war bond". This was inserted into early copies, and was good for "$1 off for 2 tickets" through Dec. 1973. That sounds trivial today, but concerts didn't used to cost so much, so $1 was a reasonable coupon.

Source: 1971 United Artists (LP)

8/18/21 (review)

Deliver the Word (1973)

After hearing the instrumental opener 'H2 Overture' I thought I was in for a monster of a session. 'In Your Eyes' is a strong follow-up, and this is exactly what I look for in a Latin-tinged funk soul album. Things begin to slip on 'Gypsy Man' which is a fine composition, but there's not enough here to justify its 11+ minute length. 'Me and Baby Brother' is what I would consider the signature sound of War, which isn't necessarily what I like about them most. 'Southern Part of Texas' recalls 'Gypsy Man' to an extent. The title track is the highlight of Side 2 and is a sweet song. 'Blister' is an atmospheric closer. Deliver the Word doesn't live up to the promise of its beginning, but it's definitely a keeper. 

Former ownership: 1973 United Artists (LP). Die-cut textured cover. Acquired in 2021. Downsized in 2026.

3/29/21 (review)

9/6/25 (new entry)

Mandrill ~ USA ~ Brooklyn, New York

Composite Truth (1973)

I'm much more familiar with Mandrill's fourth effort Just Outside of Town, but this predecessor has a familiar pattern to that title. A unique mix of funk, soul, prog, and Latin rock. 'Fencewalk' is one of their most known compositions and is also one of the highlights of the album. Great heavy guitar too. Parts of 'Golden Stone' could have been lifted right off The Yes Album. 'Moroccan Nights' is their standard soft instrumental to close the album and is stunningly beautiful. I'm not too fond of the calypso based 'Polk Street Carnival' but the rest is aces. 

Ownership: 1973 Polydor promo (LP). Gatefold.

2008; 5/16/15; 7/2/19; 8/30/24 (review) 

8/30/24 (new entry) 

Ross. 1974 England

Can a Latin Rock album be made by non-Hispanics? Ross answers that question with a definitive YES! This band has a serious identity problem. The cover on first glance is completely proggy. However close inspection shows our fantasy castle as nothing more an image of a female in a bathing suit and white go-go boots. OK then. From the very first notes, the heavy wah wah guitar has one thinking this is a going to be a funk rock extravaganza similar to Funkadelic maybe? Well... no, not quite that either. A closer listen reveals Ross to be more in line with Malo, Sapo, and the rest of them. But these guys aren't from the Western Hemisphere! So what? A style is a style, and it's not like Santana only sold copy over here. OK, none of the songs are in Spanish but the genre is quite evident. Group leader Alan Ross clearly learned many of his solos from Carlos, while he lays hard on the wah wah pedals for rhythm. Oh, and look at that, they have a full-time percussionist. Keyboards are Hammond and Fender Rhodes. So it's not prog and it's not pure funk, but it's Latin rock influenced. Listen to it with a different perspective and you get a different experience. I think it's great.

Ownership: LP: 1974 RSO. Single sleeve. Acquired from Dr. Boom here in town (2023).

6/21/23 (new entry)

Sapo ~ USA ~ San Francisco, California

Sapo (1974)

---8/19/21

This is another one of those fantastic Latin rock albums from the early 70s. Sapo has Malo written all over them, and if you like Malo, you're highly likely to enjoy this. The primary difference is that Sapo is not as guitar centered as the Santana influenced bands can be. Oscar Estrella (ironically not the star) is a very competent guitarist, but he gets scant chance to show off. In his place is some dynamite horn charts, some thumpin' rhythms, and Kincaid Miller's excellent electric piano and Clavinet work. All the tracks have great melodies and they usually segue into each other for one super listening session.

---6/11/23

And my opinion remains the same after last night's listen. Chango, Dakila, Macondo, El Chicano, and the rest of them could be tossed into this stack. It's a winning formula where the percussion and bass drive each track forward, followed by the main course of organ, guitar, horns, etc... And just as the music shuts down to close off the track, the engine starts again for another drive. I, for one, would like to see a Latin Rock renaissance.

Ownership: 1974 Bell (LP)

No reissues as of 4/2/25.

10/18/10 (first listen); 8/19/21 (review); 6/11/23 (update / new entry)

Malo - Ascencion. 1974 USA-California

A couple of years ago I went on (and on and on) about Malo's debut, and some reminiscence of my time near East Los Angeles in the late 90s. At this point, I'm inclined to rate that album second only to the almighty Chango release for best Latin Rock. Curiously, I never picked up their other 3 albums until now. Ascencion is the last from Jorge Santana and crew. Arguably it's a more consistent album, though it doesn't have the insane high of 'Just Say Goodbye' or the gorgeous beauty of 'Sauvecito'. But it also avoids the more traditional Latin pop style as well. Ascencion combines the best of Latin rock and horn rock for a fantastic album. Every track is very good, but the opening 'Offerings' and closer 'No Matter' are highlights where we hear Jorge plug in and wail. There's some strong Hammond work here as well. And the 3 piece horn group is also on fire. Excellent album for fans of Latin rock.

Ownership: LP: 1974 Warner Bros. Single sleeve with eye catching artwork. Pulled out of a local record store's $1 bin.

Pirana ~ Australia

Pirana (1971)

Pirana were a band from Australia who released two fine albums, that are now rare collectors items, especially given the lack of a legal reissue (not even the great and now-defunct Aztec label showed any interest here).

Essentially Pirana are Australia's answer to 1969-71 era Santana. It's especially obvious from keyboard member Stan White, who plays the organ and sings quite similarly to a one Gregg Rolie. Tony Hamilton's guitar resembles Carlos Santana in style, but the tone is decidedly different, much rawer and more in line with a typical 1971 hard rock sound. There's quite a bit of tribal percussion here - perhaps too much honestly - but it does cement the relationship with Santana.

The songwriting is a mix of heavy Latin rock with pop sensibilities (sound familiar?). 'Elation' is a get-up-on-your-seat opener only to deflate a few minutes in to allow for a lengthy drum/percussion solo, and can only be considered a slight disappointment given the premise. Probably best to "program" most of it out. 'Sermonette' is great, and more representative of the album at large, with its strong songwriting and excellent guitar/organ combo. 'The Time is Now' actually predicts Malo, and is quite a revelation from an historical perspective. 'Find Yourself a New Girl' is the most commercially oriented track here, but features fine flute and a nice melody line. The album's only true misstep (not counting the overabundance of drums on track 1) is 'The River', a sort of country/rural rocker that is out of place, and not particularly well done. Both 'Easy Ride' and 'Stand Back' reminds us of the organ/guitar heavy sounds of 'Sermonette', and the latter track features some fine extended soloing. Overall a very good to excellent album. Giving a bump to the rating as music like this tends to grow positively with age.

Ownership: 1971 Harvest (LP). Gatefold. Acquired in 2019

No legit reissues exist as of 3/8/25.

2/1/19 (review)

Also own and need to review Pirana II.

2/1/19 (new entry)

Malo. 1972 USA-California

In late 1997, while still a "road warrior" consultant, I had a 2 month gig at California State University Los Angeles (CSULA). Go to Google Maps and check out where that fine institution resides. Exactly. The only "motel" nearby (at the time) that was remotely safe, was an ancient Quality Inn in Alhambra that still sported their trademarked 1960's sunburst logo. A nice motel - if this were the Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice era. I had been transported back 25 years in time. It was a most surreal experience.

As I was cruising the streets of East Los Angeles in my 1972 El Camino Super Sport (no silly, it was a 1997 Chevy Shitty from Hertz, but I have good story cooking here...), there was a radio station, which I now forget the call letters, that basically played "Lowrider Classics", and yes that was their tagline. Its signal didn't seem to last past the immediate area. 'Suavecito' received regular airplay. For us traditional males who love women, and like to woo them, this song is ground zero for that emotion (note album cover). For the modern emasculated man who cannot get his nose out of his smart phone, and doesn't even notice Miss America standing next to you, you will not understand (most of my nieces are beauty queens, and I've witnessed this over and over - it's ridiculous!). For this track alone, Malo is worth the money. But there's so much more.

You can skip over the opening 'Pana' which is banal Mexican Rock (no, not the generic Latin, I mean Mexico proper). This is the worst track and an inauspicious start IMO (worth noting that I see this and 'Cafe' more highly rated among those who enjoy this album - so there you have it). 'Cafe' is similar, but does possess some nice guitar work from Jorge Santana. 'Peace' is the closer, a bizarre mix of hard and soft rock, and is excellent on the whole.

That leaves the album's two big winners other than 'Suavecito'. We'll start with 'Nena', which has the most killer horn charts combined with machismo singing, pounding percussion, jamming Hammond, and molten guitar solos. A must hear.

And then we get to 'Just Say Goodbye', one of God's gifts to music. Now you're in the car with me cruising down Whittier Blvd. It starts off mellow, setting the mood for... no not that.... out comes the Santana guitar heritage, mixed with a Chango like intensity. Screaming guitars which then leads into a... WAR CALL. The hair goes right up on the back of the neck at this moment. What an amazing sequence. Then the music just inexplicably shuts down. We're now transported to a bar with a name like The Silver Dollar, and out comes the Beach Boys mixed with the 5th Dimension. This harmonic lounge 60's soft psych thing. It's placement within the song is stunning. And then... back to raucous heavy Santana styled rock to close the song. What a masterpiece.

Ownership: 1972 Warner Bros. (LP); 1995 Warner Bros. (CD)

Pantha ~ Australia

Doway Do Doway Do (1975)

Pantha's sole album is a real gem in the rough. The music is like a mixture of that unique Australasian take on symphonic rock, similar to Sebastian Hardie (Oz) and Dragon (NZ) - combined with some of those wonderful early Santana grooves with sustain guitar. Which also reminds me of another regional band: Living Force (NZ). The album can be somewhat poppy in places, reminding me a bit of late era Fruupp actually, but the melodies are highly infectious. This is an album I reach for more often than usual from my collection (well, I used to anyway...). Like I said, it's a real gem.

Ownership: 1975 Wizard (LP). Gatefold.

No legit reissues as of 2/22/25

2001 (first listen); 1//06 (review); 8/13/17 (new entry)

Totem - III: Corrupcion. 1973 Uruguay

The 3rd album from Totem is quite a sophisticated album for the time and place. Uruguay in 1973, like other Southern Cone countries, were in the midst of creative-crushing dictatorships. Interesting then, that the sound of Totem mirrors that of Flamengo in Czechoslovakia. These are bands that seemingly inherited traits of obscure UK bands such as Tonton Macoute and Raw Material, and infused those with indigenous elements, to make for an historically superb album. Of course, it's highly unlikely that Totem would even be aware of obscure albums on the Neon and Transatlantic labels, but rather they drew a similar musical conclusion, based on psychedelic, jazz, hard rock, and bossa nova to create their own recipe of progressive rock. Totem mixes long form jazz with funky rhythms, song based romantic ballads, complex sax and flute driven prog, and Latin Rock with biting psychedelic fuzz guitar, for a truly compelling mix. The best track is saved for last - the moody and lengthy 'Caspita'. I'd place Totem comfortably in the collection near fellow countrymen Psiglo, Som Imaginario (Brazil), and Los Baroccos (Argentina). Don't miss this one.

Ownership: CD: 1998 Posdata. Jewel case. Simple booklet with recording details. Features two bonus tracks, one 'Mi Pueblo' taken from a 1972 single, and the other 'Orejas', performed by Mario "Chicito" Cabral, originally released on the album La Tocata. Part of the 30 years of Uruguayan Music series.

The original LP, the reissue LP, and the one cassette are quite rare. Even this CD is getting expensive.

2006 (first listen); 11/5/16 (review / new entry); 7/12/24 

Dakila. 1972 USA-California / Philippines

Despite looking like the bad guys from a vintage Hawaii Five-O episode, Dakila were a band from the Filipino immigrant community residing in the Mission District of San Francisco (a generation later, another Filipino group would emerge from the SF Bay Area, and that would be the excellent thrash metal band Death Angel). But this was 1972, and given the Latino influenced culture of the area, Dakila put no less a luminary than Santana on a pedestal and made a similar go for their fortune. The music contains copious amounts of passionate sustain guitar, chunky Hammond organ, fuzz bass, active Latin percussion, and soulful vocals. The latter sung in Tagalog, Spanish, and English. Dakila definitely have that Lowrider Soul culture in their veins as well, and Carlos' brother's band Malo is also very much in play here. Personally, I cannot possibly hear enough bands in this style, and many are favorites, especially Chango. Other reference points would be Macondo, Pantha, The Antiques, Naked Lunch, Azteca, and Broth. Absolutely killer stuff.

Ownership: LP: 1972 Epic. Single sleeve. Purchased this at Half Price Books in Dallas long ago (1992). It was a spec buy, but it certainly had the right look! Discogs only has this one photo. I should upload my copy.

CD: 2022 Guerssen (Spain). Fresh off the press. Comes with full liner notes (an interview from It's Psychedelic Baby). Apparently the tapes were sped up for the LP. I didn't do a side by side but I did notice a slight difference in sound. These days it's nigh impossible for me to buy a CD if I already have the LP, but I had to make an exception here. Music like this was made for driving!

1992; 9/4/14 (new entry); 1/16/23

Kvartetten Som Sprangde ~ Sweden

Kattvals (1973)

Sustain fuzz guitar, thick/wedgy Hammond B3, and Latin percussion. You are correct, Kvartetten Som Sprangde caught the Santana bug, and we're all the better for it. Of course I mean the Caravanserai era, so it's not like KSS had to change their evil ways... baby. Though I've seen some people vehemently disagree with me regarding Santana. Yea? Go have a listen to 'Andesamba' and tell me that's not an outtake from a Lotus era concert. C'mon... Of course they weren't content to just play the style of music of Carlos and company, but also ported that same instrumentation while adding in more traditional Scandinavian folk scales similar to how Kebnekaise employed the exact same technique. There's definitely an undercurrent of the early 70s Nordic jazz culture as well, clearly informed by the Swedish headliners of the day like Bjorn J:Son Lindh and Sabu Martinez. Fans of instrumental progressive jazz rock will not want to miss this one.

Ownership: 1973 Gump (LP); 2013 Subliminal Sounds (LP). With thorough liner notes from Reine Fiske.

Still no CD as of this update (2/21/25).

1996 (first listen); 12/21/13 (review / new entry); 1/31/16

Macondo ~ USA ~ Los Angeles, California

Macondo (1972)

Other than 'Cayuco' and, to a lesser extent 'Almendra', Macondo do not really attempt a Santana like sound. Macondo are more a gritty street-level fighting group. Probably 'Do It to Me' and 'Get It on Girl' are the most bare-knuckle tracks on the album, and are here to let you know Macondo mean business. 'Why' is the most out of place song here, sounding like a Latin rock version of Crosby Stills and Nash. I found it a highly appealing combination myself. 'Sneaking in the Back Door' is a straight up hard rocker whereas 'Wishes' has more of an AM radio focus, but is still appealing. 'Can't Make Love Alone' and 'Battery' are what define Macondo best. A heavy rocking sound, nothing too complicated, with some great grooves and organ / guitar solos. In fact both could be considered a proto-Chango, and for moi, there is no better Latin rock album than Chango's debut. 'Never Thought I'd See You Gone' is the other odd track out along with 'Why'. There's a distinct late 60s Haight-Ashbury hippy vibe, but with some very interesting heavy Hammond organ leads.

Overall an excellent album, though probably not fair to compare to Santana. Different outcome from a similar scene.

---5/12/20

Because the CD is a bare-bones issue on Wounded Bird, I don't know much about Macondo (nor does the original LP afford much). Reading online, it appears they were from East L.A. and discovered by Sergio Mendes (and it's produced by his company). Macondo were one of many Latin rock groups actively playing in the early 1970s, hoping to cash in on the success of Santana, or even other local California favorites like Malo and El Chicano. A typical one-and-done band that time forgot.

Ownership: 

1972 Atlantic (LP). Acquired in 2001.

2010 Wounded Bird (CD). Acquired in 2010.

2001; 11/1/10 (review / new entry); 5/12/20 (update)

Naked Lunch - s/t. 1969-1970; 1972 USA (archival)

* 1. Love is Everywhere 3:10 (1969)
* 2. Changes 5:41 (1969)
3. Endless Night 4:09 (1969)
* 4. Virgin Woman 5:17 (1969)
* 5. Ozone 5:21 (1969)
6. Your Song / Time Trip 6:29 (1970 - live)
* 7. Encore 4:21 (1970 - live)
8. All I Want To Do 3:11 (1972 - Banda de Jesus)
9. Better Days 3:47 (1972 - Banda de Jesus)
* 10. Lovely Day 5:57 (1972 - Banda de Jesus)
* 11. Livin' is Funky 4:50 (1972 - Banda de Jesus)
12. Ozone 4:48 (1970 - live)

San Francisco based Latin rock / horn rock hybrid that is absolutely sublime. No question the Santana influences here, though the band were in reality peers of Carlos rather than followers. The brass rock component gives us a view into another window that wasn't explored much on vinyl during the era, at least when talking Santana inspired acid rock. This may be the closest we ever get to hear the "Chicago meets Santana" sound, such as found on 2), 5) & 7). This band should have been huge, but as happens so often, the breaks just weren't there. 1) features a superb horn break and the melody reminds me of the group The Ides of March. It's exactly the kind of song that was a hit in its era, but for whatever reason, Naked Lunch didn't get their break. 4) displays a frenetic guitar solo. 8) - 11) are from the successor band Banda de Jesus, named after the band leader's surname, is a bit more upbeat, poppy and lyrically more predictable. Perhaps not an ideal addition, though musically not as far removed as it may first appear. The music actually reminds me more of a band like Malo, and features some lively horn breaks such as on 10). The sound quality is noticeably better, especially when the CD backtracks to the live 12), which sounds worse here than had it naturally followed 7).

CD: 2009 World in Sound (Germany)

Sincerely Antique ~ USA ~ Miami, Florida

Sincerely Antique (1973)

From Miami, Sincerely Antique is a mix of killer instrumentals, bluesy hard rock workouts with Gregg Rolie like vocals, and soulful Latin pop numbers similar to Malo's more commercial efforts. I like all of it, but the first two categories are more to my taste. Not quite as powerful as Chango or Dakila, but better than many in the genre like Broth or Azteca. Malo is a good barometer overall. Lots of great organ and loud guitar leads. A1 is an excellent instrumental opener and shows that Sincerely Antique mean business, with some killer organ and guitar. A2 is a good example of one of their more commercial efforts. It's a bit sappy, but I like it in a Malo sort of way. Like driving in a convertible lowrider through East LA. A3, A4, and B3 represent the third and final style of the album, where Sincerely Antique play a harder Santana rock style similar to their first three albums. A5 sounds like a track lifted from Abraxas and is a killer. B1 is the same tune that opens Santana III. B2 and B4 are traditional Latin pop songs, that folks from the Old Country are going to be fond of (my wife recognized them as favorites from her mom's generation). B5 closes the album in an absolute smoking way, similar to Chango. Makes you wish the whole album would have been like it. Though this closer is sadly too short.

Ownership: 1973 Funny (LP). Acquired in 2024.

2009 (CD acquired); 10/30/10 (review / new entry); 1/29/26 (update)