Welcome

I bought this album along with "Amigos" as an afterthought. Based off the strength of "Europa", I thought I would love "Amigos" and rarely listen to this album. Instead, the opposite is true. "Amigos", with the very notable exception of Europa, is a lazy, re-heated lump of banality for the masses who could never seem to get enough of "Oye Como Va." THIS album, however, is a gem.This is the third in Santana's foray into jazz, along with Caravanserai and Borboletta. This album features the widow of John Coltrane on piano, Anita, as well as a cover of Coltrane's "Welcome".The album opens with a trippy orchestral piece which is apparently based on Dvorak's "New World Symphony" (I love both pieces but I fail to hear the resemblance). The opener feels like an out of body experience where the listener is chasing the light at the end of the tunnel. It' the only way I can describe it. Throughout the album, the rhythms are complex and diverse. "Mother Africa" is a GORGEOUS song, and quite the percussion display: my favorite song on the album. "Flame-Sky" is an instrumental masterpiece rivalling "Promise of the Fisherman" off "Borboretta." There are some dated tracks like "When I Look Into Your Eyes" that scream orange shag carpeting, wood panels, afros and everything 70s, but if that detracts you from your appreciation of the album overall, feel free to listen to Duran Duran or Nickelback instead.

Cd in good condition. The case came cracked.

I bought "Welcome" in 1973 and in my view it's an underrated and timeless classic. It has, over the years, become one of my favorite albums, mainly because I still get a thrill when I listen to it. Like the band's previous album "Caravanserai", there is a heavy jazz influence. Santana and Shrieve were both listening to a lot of Miles Davis, John Coltrane and John McLaughlin at the time, and you can hear those influences on the record. As well as the instrumental tracks, there are also some great songs on the record. The vocalists include Leon Thomas, Wendy Haas and Flora Purim. The album features guest appearances by McLaughlin, Alice Coltrane, and Joe Farrell.My favorite track is the 11 minute "Flame-Sky" featuring some of the best guitar playing you will ever hear on record. Santana and John McLaughlin were probably the best electric guitar players around at that time. They both compete for attention and the resulting solos are breathtaking.Tom Coster (who plays keyboards) has said that the music probably went over the heads of most of their fans. The same could said of most rock critics, then and now. Because of this backlash, Santana decided to adopt a more commercial approach on subsequent albums. To be honest, I lost interest in Santana's music after "Welcome."This is a great record and a wonderful example of how fusion should sound. The music is complex yet accessible and the musicianship is superb.

The trio of albums encompassed by Caravanserai, Welcome, and Borboletta capture the Santana band at a remarkable point! This is some of the most sublime music ever made.

Wonderful. Way past time to remix release live document then and now.Music for God. Looking into God's Eyes like George Harrison does: Your smile O Lord.Yep: song is not for a girl: It's for Him.Carlos often toured with big pictures on the stage to offer the music to: Yeshu. Buddha. Big pix. Carlos was and is trying to do humanity a favor. With his good friend John McLaughlin. Try their contemporary Love Devotion and Surrender. Or more recent Invitation to Illumination. We are not crawling on this planet for any reason but to return to Him. This music will reopen our rusty God channels in our spiritual bodies. Amazing how this album belongs to all time.not amazing... God gives man ability.Have seen some internet pix of covers of outtakes. Anyone can tell the pieces continued and had to be trimmed for commercial and technical reasons.Oyeshuharekrishna: Please guys Get on this.The version I got is like all of them from vinyl to whatever: beautiful and worthy. Looking at the informative Wikipedia article there's a 2003 release with one exrra bonus piece: Mantra. Work harder guys: Remix redo this jewel.

Welcome finds Carlos Santana at the very top of his magnificent musical/spiritual vision - one that blended jazz, rock, latin into one inimitable, unique language. Sadly, it also marked the last time he would climb these heights.Released in November 1973, the Santana band had been through a few key line-up changes. Gone were Gregg Rolie, Neal Schon and percussionist Mingo Lewis and in came keyboardists Tom Coster, Richard Kermode, percussionist Armando Peraza and vocalists Leon Thomas, Wendy Haas and - for one song - Return to Forever's Flora Purim. The album also benefits from the participation of John McLaughlin on the majestic Flame-Sky.From the glorious beginning of Going Home to the last notes of John Coltrane's Welcome, the music here is diverse, full of richly textured elements coming from either the guitar/keyboards or the wall of sounds achieved by the percussionists and the extraordinary Michael Shrieve. The fact everything seems to be a-flowing only serves to leave one wondering about the incredible musicianship those guys could put forth.This reissue of Welcome is welcoming indeed and definitely worth picking up. Besides sounding unbelievably great, it comes with a decent booklet bearing full credits and insightful liner notes - a clear improvement upon its original cd release. And most of all, the addition of the excellent album outtake Mantra as a bonus track just makes it even more perfect - an infectious Miles-influenced drums and bass groove with eerie voices chanting which will leave you begging for more.

This lp really shows the diversity of Santana. It’s 180 degrees from Santana the rock band. Yet it retains the groove and feel you’ve come to expect.

Great listening for a hot summer's evening, but for me all too MOR, with the pretty-pretty sounding vocalists and even a cabaret-type soul ballad thrown in. Why 5 stars, then? Well, it's Santana and his own performance and those of his core band are sensational and inspirational. The album got some stick from rockers at the time for being too jazzy. For me, it's a bit too Radio 2 friendly, apart from the terrific Flame Sky.

I bought this album as an LP in the 1970s. I sold the album because it wasn't really my think.This year I remembered a few good tracks from it. So I bought the CD. The range of instruments are very good and it really is to my ear now- a work of legend.

Not a bad album but clearly Santana hadn't got into their stride yet. Gives the direction of travel though. If you're a Santana fan you'll like this.

Great Album and to my mind the most sophisticated in my mind containing all the energy of Santana with great texture and range with depth which stands the test of time and is as relevant to me today as when I first heard it 30 odd years ago.

Another good album with some good tracks very much of the time the influences of John Mc Locklin are present