Santana - Borboletta (Platinum Swirl vinyl, Friday Music)
Carlos Santana - guitar, percussions [click here to see more vinyl featuring Carlos Santana]
Tom Coster (keyb); Leon Patillo (org, el-p, voc); Stanley Clarke (b); Michael Shrieve, Leon „Ndugu“ Chancler (dr); Airto Moreira, Flora Purim (perc); Jose "Chepito" Areas, Armando Peraza (perc, cga)
Written by Airto Moreira (A1), Flora Purim (A1), Tom Coster (A2, A4, A6), Carlos Santana (A2, A3, A4, A6, B1, B3, B4), Michael Shrieve (A3, A4), Julio Martini (A5), Leon Patillo (B2), Armando Peraza (B3), Doug Rauch (B4), Dorival Caymmi (B5), Airto Moreira (B6)
1 LP, standard sleeve
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33 RPM
Size : 12'’
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Pallas
Record Press : RTI
Label : Friday Music
Recording: 1974 by Glen Kolotkin
Production: Carlos Santana, Michael Shrieve & Tom Coster
Remastered by Joe Reagoso
Originally released in 1974
Reissued in 2020
Tracks :
Side A :
Side B :
Reviews :
« Borboletta was the first new Santana band studio album in 11 months and the group's sixth overall. Once again, individual credits were listed for each song. The main problem was that the band seemed to be coasting; Carlos turned in the usual complement of high-pitched lead guitar work, and the percussionists pounded away, but the Santana sound had long since taken over from any individual composition, and the records were starting to sound alike. That, in turn, started to make them inessential; Borboletta spent less time on the charts than any previous Santana album. » AllMusic Review by William Ruhlmann
"Saxophonist Jules Broussard and keyboardman Tom Coster share most of the solo space on Borboletta with Carlos, and their instrumental features are the LP's high points. 'Aspirations', composed by Santana and Coster, is a shimmering, guitarless piece with Coster, Broussard, Clarke and Mdugu. Most of the second side achieves a high-flying groove that combines some of the old Santana band's strongest qualities — rhythmic drive, thematic variation — with Carlos's imaginative soloing and the sophisticated contributions of Broussard, Coster and percussionist Mdugu, Airto and Peraza. As on previous albums 'Here and Now,' 'Flor de Canela' and 'Promise of a Fisherman' flow together into a suite, building from a lyrical guitar solo into the relentless Afro-Brazilian rhythms of Dorival Caymmi's 'Fisherman.'" — Rolling Stone, December 1978
After some hot live performances and subversive jaunts made in the aftershock of Woodstock, Santana and his band entered the calm atmosphere of the recording studio to make their sixth album. Taking a look at the blue butterfly on the LP cover, it wasn’t surprising that purist Santana fans scented that the music in this particular garden would be more gentle and cultivated than the previous hard-rock sound. But one thing after another: in attune with semi natural sounds, the 'Canto De Los Flores' swings along to dabbed figures on the Rhodes piano and waves of multi-cultural drumming.
The drama continues with "Life Is Anew" – a powerfully arranged ballad, followed by a highly emotional rock number ("Give And Take"). This takes us to where Santana feels most at home – "Promise Of A Fisherman" with its velvety, wonderfully expansive guitar sound. By now, at the latest, the listener joins the sensitive outdoorsman on his chase after the butterfly named "Boborletta" with a wealth of gorgeous sounds. Don’t hesitate to capture this rare specimen for your collection!
Ratings :
Allmusic : 3.5 / 5 , Discogs : Rate Your Music :