Borboletta follows closely in the footsteps of Caravanserai and Welcome, using Santana's tried-and-true formula. It's more like Caravanserai than Welcome, but all three albums are part of the band's peak period. None of them should be missed, especially by listeners only familiar with Santana in the 1980s and beyond. The 70's run is fully conceived and executed, blending subtle opening and closing passages that sound like insects on a warm night, tight vocals, and (best of all) extended jam-like suites featuring Carlos at his soaring best.
I'm envious of anyone who has not heard the Santana albums reviewed in this blog. They get to hear them for the first time!!
On Borboletta, the sequence beginning with "Here and Now" through to the end lasts about 16 minutes and is worth every second. "Here and Now" serves as a halting-tempo prelude building expectations that soon become realized by the faster-paced "Flor de Canela," driven by percussion and sustained by long chords from the electric piano, organ and guitars. After a little over two minutes, "Promise of a Fisherman," the centerpiece of the album, comes on gloriously. The temperature rises over the steady pulse to climax ecstatically during its 8-minute length. It's one of the most exciting aural adventures I've ever experienced in rock and roll.
Also recommended are Lotus, a 3-LP set of live recordings from Japan (1974), and Moonflower, a part-studio, part-live recording (1977). These serve as valuable cappers to a fertile period that was bound to end.
Steve:
When we decided upon the list of albums to review in this blog, I noticed that for some reason, I had never acquired a copy of Borboletta. Although I remember it being in Dan's collection, I wasn't sure what any of the tracks sounded like. Being old-school, I held off on listening until a few days later, when a used vinyl copy magically appeared on my doorstep. Thanks Discogs!
It turned out I did remember most of this album. Although Caravanserai, Welcome, and Borboletta represent the sweet spot of Santana's most exploratory period, each has its unique flavor. If Caravanserai was a cosmic search through a spiritual desert, and Welcome was the resulting spiritual awakening, then Borboletta feels like a celebration of the natural world. The brief opening and closing pieces feature percussion and nature sounds by guests Airto Moreira and Flora Purim. The R&B/Soul influences are more pronounced, with "Give and Take", "Life is Anew", "One with the Sun", "Practice What You Preach", and "Mirage" all featuring smooth jazz/soul vocal arrangements. Even the titles of the aforementioned tracks reflect a desire for harmony with nature. I have been in the mood for 70s R&B lately, so this goes down especially well.
The instrumentals, comprising about half of the album, continue the advances made on Welcome. I agree 100% with Dan as to the intoxicating power of "Promise of a Fisherman" - the rhythm track bubbles over like a boiling cauldron, maintaining intensity for its duration. Tom Coster (keyboards) and Carlos Santana (guitar) both contribute dazzling extended solos. Welcome to jam band heaven.
I still have some catching up to do on this album, but I'm glad this blog finally prompted me to grab my own copy. No Santana collection is complete without it!
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