Caravanserai (album)

Infobox Album |
Name = Caravanserai
Type = Album
Artist = Santana


Released = October 11 1972
Recorded = February 21–May 5 1972
Genre = Jazz fusion
Length = 51:21
Label = Columbia
Producer = Carlos Santana, Mike Shrieve
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:uxsxlfje5cqy link]
*Review-Christgau|B-|album=7715
*"Rolling Stone" (not rated) [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/santana/albums/album/193184/review/5940935/caravanserai link]
Last album = "Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles! Live!"
(1972)
This album = "Caravanserai"
(1972)
Next album = "Love Devotion Surrender"
(1973)

"Caravanserai" is an album by Santana released in October 1972. It marked a major turning point in Carlos Santana's career as it was a sharp departure from his critically acclaimed first three albums. 1971 marked the departure of original bassist David Brown who was replaced by Doug Rauch and Tom Rutley. Keyboardist Gregg Rolie, who was having a falling-out with Santana, was replaced by Tom Coster on a few songs.

The sound contrasted greatly with Santana's trademark fusion of salsa, rock, and jazz, and concentrated mostly on jazz-like instrumental passages. All but three songs were instrumentals, and consequently the album yielded no hit singles. The album is the first among a series of Santana albums that were known for their increasing musical complexity, marking a move away from the popular rock format of the early Santana albums towards a more contemplative and experimental jazz sound. While Caravanserai is regarded as an artistic success, the musical changes that began on its release in 1972 marked the start of a slide in Santana's commercial popularity.

It was the last Santana album to feature Gregg Rolie and Neal Schon, who went on to form Journey the following year.

In 1998 SME records in Japan, part of Sony Music, also released the remastered version as an SACD. This disc is stereo only, and furthermore, it is a single layer SACD, which means that ordinary CD players will not play it.

Track listing

ide one

#"Eternal Caravan of Reincarnation" (Rutley/Schon/Shrieve) – 4:28
#"Waves Within" (Rauch/Rolie/Santana) – 3:54
#"Look Up (to See What's Coming Down)" (Rauch/Rolie/Santana) – 3:00
#"Just in Time to See the Sun" (Rolie/Santana/Shrive) – 2:18
#"Song of the Wind" (Rolie/Santana/Schon) – 6:04
#"All the Love of the Universe" (Santana/Schon) – 7:40

ide two

#"Future Primitive" (Areas/Lewis) – 4:12
#"Stone Flower" (Jobim/Santana/Shrieve) – 6:15
#"La Fuente del Ritmo" (Lewis) – 4:34
#"Every Step of the Way" (Shrieve) – 9:05

Personnel

*Michael Shrieve – drums, Percussion, Producer
*José Chepitó Areas – Percussion, Conga, Timbales, bongos
*Gregg Rolie – Organ, Piano, vocals
*Doug Rauch – Bass, Guitar
*James Mingo Lewis – Percussion, Conga, bongos, vocals
*Armando Peraza - Percussion
*Carlos Santana – Guitar, vocals, Percussion, Producer
*Neal Schon – Guitar
*Wendy Haas – Piano
*Glen Kolotkin – Engineer
*Mike Larner – Engineer