Santana: Greatest Hits—Live at Montreux 2011

Did the last 40 years even happen? You wouldn't think so watching Carlos Santana finger the first guitar riff from 1970's “Black Magic Woman” (which was actually written by Fleetwood Mac): the man looks and sounds exactly the same. Playing for nearly three full hours, Santana and his smooth backing band perform some two dozen songs (more in medleys) during this fine 2011 concert from Montreux. You can fast forward through the WTF-opening—a freeform jazz cacophony followed by an equally head-scratching rap cover of AC/DC's “Back in Black”—to find the familiar Latin-African tinged rhythms of early Santana classics such as “Oye Como Va,” “Jingo,” “No One to Depend On,” and “Evil Ways,” among others. Although the audience comes alive for the axe-master's contemporary hits off the 1999 bestseller Supernatural, lead singers Tony Lindsay and Andy Vargas are no match for the distinctive stylings of the originals—Rob Thomas on “Smooth” and The Product G&B on “Maria, Maria.” Guest stars Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi bring their blues-based guitars to the mix on “Make Somebody Happy/Right On Be Free,” while Santana's new bride, Cindy Blackman Santana, displays her drumming chops on “Corazon Espinado/Guajira.” Aside from a few wacky choices (“Sunshine of Your Love”?), this “greatest hits” show generally lives up to its name as the dressed-in-white Santana—one of the original guitar heroes—takes viewers on a sultry trip down memory lane while having fun (check the multiple references in “Soul Sacrifice”—including the James Bond theme, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and “Light My Fire”). Presented in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, and LPCM stereo on Blu-ray, extras include separate interviews with Santana and his wife, as well as a brief behind-the-scenes montage. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)