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Caravanserai

Call me freak, but today I've been listening to Caravanserai for the tenth or eleventh time in a week, I can't stop listening to that album, if I had to choose a Santana album, Caravanserai is the one for me, the more I listen, the more I find little details like parts of Concierto de Aranjuez in Waves within or Breezin in Song of the wind...

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Stephen Morris on May 11, 2009 at 6:04am

I just happened to listen to Caravanserai today...again...like I do an average of once a week these days.

For me this got started about two years ago when I listened to Lotus from beginning to end for the first time in many years, and with a good stereo, loudly. I got blown away even though I saw and heard almost the same thing in Atlanta during the Lotus tour and have had the Lotus album for years. Somehow Lotus really spoke to me over and above the incredibly skillful and heart-felt performances.

That led me back to Caravanserai and Welcome.

I had bought the Caravanserai album immediately upon its release but didn't really give it a good listen (I was looking for a continuation of Santana III in formatting) and gave it to a friend. When the Lotus tour came to Atlanta I sought out the band after the concert and had the good fortune to meet Michael Shrieve who invited me to the band's suite where I met Armando Peraza, Richard Kermode, Tom Koster and others. I had the privilege of spending nearly the whole next day talking with Michael Shrieve about his new spirituality, world-views, Christianity and music. I drove Michael to a bookstore where he bought me a new copy of Caravanserai. He then took me to Carlos' room to see his portrait of Jesus and then he gave me the copy of Sri Chinmoy's Trancendental Mediations from which the album name was taken.

Obviously Caravanserai and Lotus have great sentimental and nostalgic value to me. It's also a great bonus that they are both masterpieces of skillful playing and passionate expression and that I continue to hear new delights every time I really listen to them.

Fun that others share the love of Caravanserai!

Permalink Reply by Hector Gilberto on May 12, 2009 at 9:09am

Hi Stephen, nice recollection of ur Caravanserai and Lotus memories!!!! I think Santana as a band reached their peak right there and then!!!

Permalink Reply by Stephen Morris on May 13, 2009 at 8:08am

Hector Gilberto said:

Hi Stephen, nice recollection of ur Caravanserai and Lotus memories!!!! I think Santana as a band reached their peak right there and then!!!

Tnx. In some ways, maybe, I agree. I see that period as one of the many caramels of styles, infuences and constellations. Don't want to sound too hippy but I think every incarnation has been great, especially regarding the rhythm section. Took me a while to warm up to newer members when they came but the current "veterans" are as good as it gets. Raul and Karl were already great but it's been a rush seeing them hone their chops so they've become veritable wizards. Chester is also amazing. I miss the days of longer percussion solos and jams (I guess attention spans are non-existent these days) but I've noticed how wonderfully the percussion is woven into the newer tunes. I think---for example--of "Aye aye aye" and the way the timbales flow into the congas and then into the drums and on. Brilliant playing!
Peace and Bless

Permalink Reply by JEFF MAKOR on May 28, 2009 at 2:25am

Caravanseri remains my favourite Santana album.
It ushered in a seriously creative side to modern popular music and cut through the predictable pap proliferating the charts at the time.
It did in no lesser way what Stevie Wonder achieved with 'Songs in the key of life' in 1976.
Unfortunately, the way of enlightenment is a narrow bridge through life and Carlos has long since desired to 'get back on radio again'.
With Clive Davis at the helm, we were treated to the ultimate colaborative album in 'Supernatural'.
What has been lost is the driving desire for innovative musicianship regardless of popularity, so whilst I applaud the recent success of Carlitos band, I ask fellow AOAND members to push for a 'Caravanseri2 before Las Vegas drains all the passion out of playing for that wonderful band.
shalom
Jeff Makor
x

Permalink Reply by Stephen Morris on June 2, 2009 at 11:06am

JEFF MAKOR said:

Caravanseri remains my favourite Santana album.
It ushered in a seriously creative side to modern popular music and cut through the predictable pap proliferating the charts at the time.
It did in no lesser way what Stevie Wonder achieved with 'Songs in the key of life' in 1976.
Unfortunately, the way of enlightenment is a narrow bridge through life and Carlos has long since desired to 'get back on radio again'.
With Clive Davis at the helm, we were treated to the ultimate colaborative album in 'Supernatural'.
What has been lost is the driving desire for innovative musicianship regardless of popularity, so whilst I applaud the recent success of Carlitos band, I ask fellow AOAND members to push for a 'Caravanseri2 before Las Vegas drains all the passion out of playing for that wonderful band.
shalom
Jeff Makor
x

There's no risk of Carlos or the Santana musicians getting the Las Vegas syndrome. I know I risk sounding like a dye-hard fan of Carlos (I am a fan), but I don't see Supernatural and the two that followed as commercial-pop sell-outs. Carlos is--from all that I can gather knowledge and vibe-wise--a man of integrity.

He's also free.

If he wants to collaborate with Buddy Miles, John Lee Hooker, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Cee-Lo, David Matthews, or you-name-'em, then why not? He's always collaborated and always will. And what's bad about packaging wonderful music in a way that gets wide exposure? That's how I got exposed to him--and ultimately this. Woodstock and then Evil Ways, Jingo, Black Magic Woman, Oye Como Va, etc. All on the radio and thank the Great Artist for that! It opened up a whole world to me. (Which is a primary cause for my hands being calloused right now from weekend conga and bongo playing.)

It is true that the Caravanserai-Lotus-Welcome period is magic and almost mystical to me. It was one beautiful period in the musical and spiritual searching of certain musical artists. There are other periods that are also very dear to me in their development and history.

Caravanserai and Lotus are two cases that prove for all time where Carlos' (and some of the other band members') hearts were. The Columbia people were scared sushi-less about the direction Caravanserai was taking and feared commercial disaster. They also wanted the brilliant Lotus recordings to be reduced in length for more commercial success in North America but Carlos refused for the sake of artistic integrity and it was only available as an import for many years.

Fortunately for those of us who like longer jams including masterful long percussion solos, there are the live concerts both really live and at various places like Youtube and Wolfgang's Vault. There you can hear more from that period and even more recent music that brings a similar vibe as Caravanserai IMO.

I know I've waxed long-winded again but the main point is: Even if I really don't know the man, I trust Carlos. That's why I'm here.

Shalom

Wadidiz Stephen Morris

Permalink Reply by JEFF MAKOR on June 7, 2009 at 10:30am

Thanks for your candid wisdom, brother.
Shalom
Jeff

Stephen Morris said:

JEFF MAKOR said:
Caravanseri remains my favourite Santana album.
It ushered in a seriously creative side to modern popular music and cut through the predictable pap proliferating the charts at the time.
It did in no lesser way what Stevie Wonder achieved with 'Songs in the key of life' in 1976.
Unfortunately, the way of enlightenment is a narrow bridge through life and Carlos has long since desired to 'get back on radio again'.
With Clive Davis at the helm, we were treated to the ultimate colaborative album in 'Supernatural'.
What has been lost is the driving desire for innovative musicianship regardless of popularity, so whilst I applaud the recent success of Carlitos band, I ask fellow AOAND members to push for a 'Caravanseri2 before Las Vegas drains all the passion out of playing for that wonderful band.
shalom
Jeff Makor
x

There's no risk of Carlos or the Santana musicians getting the Las Vegas syndrome. I know I risk sounding like a dye-hard fan of Carlos (I am a fan), but I don't see Supernatural and the two that followed as commercial-pop sell-outs. Carlos is--from all that I can gather knowledge and vibe-wise--a man of integrity.

He's also free.

If he wants to collaborate with Buddy Miles, John Lee Hooker, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Cee-Lo, David Matthews, or you-name-'em, then why not? He's always collaborated and always will. And what's bad about packaging wonderful music in a way that gets wide exposure? That's how I got exposed to him--and ultimately this. Woodstock and then Evil Ways, Jingo, Black Magic Woman, Oye Como Va, etc. All on the radio and thank the Great Artist for that! It opened up a whole world to me. (Which is a primary cause for my hands being calloused right now from weekend conga and bongo playing.)

It is true that the Caravanserai-Lotus-Welcome period is magic and almost mystical to me. It was one beautiful period in the musical and spiritual searching of certain musical artists. There are other periods that are also very dear to me in their development and history.

Caravanserai and Lotus are two cases that prove for all time where Carlos' (and some of the other band members') hearts were. The Columbia people were scared sushi-less about the direction Caravanserai was taking and feared commercial disaster. They also wanted the brilliant Lotus recordings to be reduced in length for more commercial success in North America but Carlos refused for the sake of artistic integrity and it was only available as an import for many years.

Fortunately for those of us who like longer jams including masterful long percussion solos, there are the live concerts both really live and at various places like Youtube and Wolfgang's Vault. There you can hear more from that period and even more recent music that brings a similar vibe as Caravanserai IMO.

I know I've waxed long-winded again but the main point is: Even if I really don't know the man, I trust Carlos. That's why I'm here.

Shalom

Wadidiz Stephen Morris

Permalink Reply by Stephen Morris on June 8, 2009 at 11:13am

Bless, Jeff,

I thought I recognized your name and then I found myself listening to some heavenly guitar tones on Victory on Latin Rock's Myspace site. I look forward to getting to know your work better. Any recommendations on where I can get started?

Peace

Permalink Reply by Stephen Morris on June 13, 2009 at 8:41am

When I re-visited Michael Shrieve's Spellbinder MySpace website I was reminded that there is current music that has a very similar vibe to Caravanserai and Lotus IMO. Give a listen (if U haven't already) to Every step of the way and Jungle strut on their website. Masterful work is done with drums, bass, guitar, trumpet (mostly muted) and Hammond B3!