Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Going Home
2. A1 Funk
3. Every Step Of The Way
4. Black Magic Woman
5. Gypsy Queen
6. Oye Como Va
7. Yours Is The Light
8. Batuka
9. Xibaba (She-Ba-Ba)
10. Stone Flower
11. Waiting
12. Castillos De Arena
13. Free Angela
14. Samba De Sausalito

Disc 2:

1. Mantra
2. Kyoto
3. Castillos De Arena
4. Incident At Neshabur
5. Se A Cabo
6. Samba Pa Ti
7. Mr Udo
8. Toussaint L'Overture

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8930 in Music
• Released on: 2008-06-02
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Live

Amazon.co.uk Review
Long held as a talisman by Santana fans, who had to buy it as a triple-LP Japanese import before Columbia finally issued it on CD, Lotus is a live album that finds Carlos Santana and his octet (aka the New Santana Band) at a nexus between rock, Latin music, jazz fusion and spiritually driven communiqués to the gods. Some of the early hits are performed, such as "Black Magic Woman" and "Oye Como Va" but long, intense instrumentals are the order of the day, as on the breathtaking "Incident at Neshabur", "Every Step of the Way" and "Toussaint L'Overture". --Daniel Durchholz

Customer Reviews

34 YEARS!
I HAVE WANTED THIS ALBUM FOR 34 YEARS!
I COULD NOT AFFORD LOTUS WHEN IT WAS FIRST RELEASED BECAUSE THE COST WAS MORE THAN AN APPRENTICE'S WEEKLY WAGE.
I HAD SEEN SANTANA LIVE TWICE BY THIS TIME SO I KNEW WHAT TO EXPECT.
SOMEONE I KNEW HAD THE ORIGINAL JAPANESE TRIPLE ALBUM WITH FOLD OUT SLEEVE.
ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT LOOKED AFTER AND SOON TORN INTO SMALL PIECES WHICH I THOUGHT WAS A TRAGEDY.
I HOPE THIS NEW RELEASE HAS A MINI DELUXE SLEEVE.

Excellent - Santana at their creative peak
Exhilarating live album from a band at their creative peak. The highlights of two concerts recorded in Osaka Japan, on 3rd and 4th July 1973. 'Lotus' was originally a triple album released in 1974, but only available as an import in the USA and UK. A sublime fusion of Blues Rock, Soul, Latin beats, and Jazz . Carlos Santana's guitar playing is a sheer joy but all the diverse influences that the rest of the group ( usually known as the New Santana Band from 1972 -1975 ) brought to the fore are well highlighted. Starting with 'Going Home' an instrumental that Carlos Santana co-wrote with Alice Coltrane, the album then switches gear drastically to 'A1 Funk' exploring some of the soul related influences that the group were working with on 'Barboletta' (1974). Then the excellent 'Every Step of the Way' written by drummer Michael Shrieve, who introduced Carlos Santana to the work of John Coltrane and Miles Davis, originally from the 'Caravanserai' (1972) album. The Santana live hits, the blues tinged 'Black Magic Woman' (originally by Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac) and the Latin rock classic 'Oye Como Va' are also featured as well as some lesser know numbers such as an instrumental version of 'Yours is the Light' from the 1973 album 'Welcome'. Just in case anyone forgets that this was recorded in the Nixon era, there is the funk instrumental 'Angela' named after Black Power activist 'Angela Davis'. Disc 2 keeps the momentum going , opening with The Miles Davis type 'Mantra' , followed Michael Shrieve's massive early 1970's drum solo on 'Kyoto'. Other prime tracks include 'Se Se A Cabo '- classic Latin rock, along with live Santana favourite 'Samba Pa Ti' , whilst 'Toussaint L' Overture' named after the leader of a slave revolt in 1793, brings the release to a magnificent conclusion.

A flower in full bloom
Fans of the band were a little disappointed at the time I recall, still coming down off the high that was 'Caravanserai', resulting in numerous copies of 'Welcome' finding their way ( unfairly ) into bargain bins. Live however, the 1973 version of the band captured in Japan on this double CD set could surely not disappoint. As an example of what could be achieved at the time by a rock band on stage, in terms of sheer togetherness of musicians and improvisational prowess there was perhaps no-one on earth to touch them. Music that still thrills to the core from a band completely at the top of their game.