Santana: Swing of Delight

[mageestout]

My circle of friends and acquaintances know if they want to get rid of albums to give them to me. Some I listen to right away (ie-was suprised to hear the differences in mixes between Zappa's Hot Rats: LP & CD) and some sit for a while.

I just got into one I've had on the shelf: Carlos Santana/The Swing of Delight. I've always enjoyed Santana's work and have a few CD's & LP's (give a listen to Live at the Fillmore 1968!!!).

If you're not familiar with this release its basically jazz fusion (similar to Weather Report, etc) with Carols and some of Miles's 2nd great quintet (Herbie, Ron Carter...).

At first listen its really enjoyable.
Just wanted to know if anyone else has this or has heard it.

[Doctor Flang]

I like it, i think it might be Carlos' best solo venture. (My ex-girlfriend thought it was Iron Maiden when she first heard Swapan Tari.) There's lots of good songs there, "Love Theme From Spartacus" is my all time favourite. It sounds very strong especially when compared to the crappy Santana albums he made to satisfy Columbia Records at the time.

Soundwise Swing of Delight is pretty odd. Being one of the first digitally recorded albums, it sounds very thin and dry.

[tommyhawk]

Is this a record or a cd?

[Doctor Flang]

Is this a record or a cd?

I was talking about a CD.

[mageestout]

I was talking about a CD.

Yeah, I have the LP and the sound is good. Very full, not thin.

[9012-jive]

Love Santana, I have most of his significant Studio albums. I will have to check this out. Illuminations is awesome. This was from his 'jazzy' period. John Coltrane's wife Alice Turiya played harp. I will have to check out Swing of Delight.

[Doctor Flang]

Love Santana, I have most of his significant Studio albums. I will have to check this out. Illuminations is awesome. This was from his 'jazzy' period. John Coltrane's wife Alice Turiya played harp. I will have to check out Swing of Delight.

Bill Laswell did a splendid and trippy remix collection called Divine Light. It includes material from Love Devotion & Surrender and Illuminations. Check it out too.

[Doctor Flang]

Yeah, I have the LP and the sound is good. Very full, not thin.

Nice to hear. To my ears, the SOD sounds like no compression was used at all (and only minimum EQ) during the recording and mixing in order to try out the new digital medium. It was pressed on heavy double vinyl at the time, so the vinyl probably sounds very good.

[gentletull]

Fine album with Tony Williams on drums :drummer:

[todd de sunhillow]

liked this album, second to his LOTUS(live in Japan)

[Doctor Flang]

liked this album, second to his LOTUS(live in Japan)

:thumbs: I think every Santana album from the self titled debut album till 1974's Borboletta are excellent. Some of the finest music ever made.
After that, the record company pushed for more commercial approach and the quality gradually dropped album by album, until he finally hit the bottom with the horrible Beyond Appearances. Even the worst Santana albums had at least one classic track but Beyond Appearances did not.

Anyway, at the same time when Santana the band was going downhill, Carlos still made a few very good solo albums like Swing of Delight, Oneness and the great-in-parts Blues for Salvador, none of which were commercially succesful.

IMO Swing of Delight is one of the few albums that are as great as the first six albums.

[todd de sunhillow]

Very much agreed, Doctor Flang
I've got also his "WELCOME" album, its cool too

[Doctor Flang]

Very much agreed, Doctor Flang
I've got also his "WELCOME" album, its cool too

:beerchugr: Absolutely! Make sure you also get Caravanserai and Borboletta - they are parts of the trilogy!

[todd de sunhillow]

:beerchugr: Absolutely! Make sure you also get Caravanserai and Borboletta - they are parts of the trilogy!

Got the Caravanserai, an LP, my friend borrowed it from me, and all I got is the cassette format, never played for more than a decade, but never heard of Borboletta, but I think its the one with the a butterfly, a blue album.

When I read this thread i began to dust off my Welcome and Swing of delight CD's, well, the Welcome is fantastic , love the track Flames-Sky!!

My copy of Caravanserai(cd format) and Borbeletta (cd) are on the way, it will arrive at any minute from now!!
Thanks Doc for reminding us:appl[1]: