#479 Santana, 'Oye Como Va' (1970)

 

Ok, this one I know. I've even played it in a cover band.  The other guitarist in the band was huge Santana guy, he played the leads.  This is a cover, by the way, Tito Puente maybe?*

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Yeah, great guitar sound, beautifully recorded overall.  Listening to this so soon after Lady Gaga and Biz Markie, it sounds so human.  In a lot of contemporary music, they go overboard fixing "flaws" and take away something in the process.  In this song you can hear variations in the notes where he striking them a little differently or whatever.  The personality of the performers really comes out.  The organ is fantastic, too.  I think some of these guys went on to form Journey.*  If I was rating, five stars


* Naturally I see the picture from the Rolling Stone list and scan their little write up. But otherwise, in an attempt to minimize preconceptions,  I try not to read about these songs before listening. 

After I finished listening, to be sure I was accurate, I looked it up to confirm.  Yes, this was originally by Tito Puente and the organ was by Greg Rolie, who later founded Journey with Neil Schon.  Schon also played with Santana, but he's not on 'Oye Como Va'. 

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