If It Ain't Broke ...
Carlos Santana's huge comeback in 1999 was built around his CD Supernatural, which featured collaborations with other marquee talent like Eric Clapton, Dave Matthews, Lauryn Hill, and Rob Thomas. That album picked up nine Grammy awards and sold more copies than any of the other 44 albums he had released up to that time.
When a formula works that well, you stick with it. So, 2002's Shaman featured the likes of Michelle Branch, Macy Gray, and Nickelback's Chad Kroeger. Although it didn't match the level of success achieved by Shaman, it dominated Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart for several weeks, and "The Game of Love," featuring Michelle Branch, won a Grammy.
Fast forward to 2005, where the tried and true formula is applied once again in Santana's latest release, All That I Am. Once again, rock meets pop, reaching multiple audiences in multiple genres, to the benefit (for the most part) of all involved.
Who's Who
Something about performing with one of the all time greatest rock guitarists just brings out the best in some people. Mary J. Blige (with Outkast's Big Boi) shows more range on "My Man" than we knew she had. Aerosmith's Steven Tyler has never sounded any better than he does on "Just Feel Better."
A couple of the tracks seem glaringly out of place. Joss Stone and Sean Paul sound forced on "Cry Baby Cry," and it seems plausible that the only reason Santana's Arista label-mate, the not-quite-American Idol, Bo Bice appears ("Brown Skin Girl") is to promote his own album that comes out in December.
Those who long for the days of "Black Magic Woman" and "Oye Como Va," or who don't particularly care for today's brand of pop music, will not be particularly happy with this album. Those who appreciate how a masterful musician has successfully reinvented himself and continues to thrive after 35+ years will enjoy adding it to their collections.
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