Santana-Amigos (1976)

In the mid-seventies, Carlos Santana was determined to move away from the jazz-rock and fusion elements of his early albums and delve into more mainstream sounds. This trend was already evident on his seventh studio album, "Amigos", released in 1976, where the guitarist offered a blend of Latin rock, funk, soul, and R&B. Here, percussion once again takes center stage, the instrumentals are simpler with a solid rock foundation, and his guitar is more prominent than on his two previous albums ("Welcome" and "Borboletta"). Most of the vocal tracks showcase this new musical direction toward more commercial appeal. Retaining some of the pillars of his band, such as Armando Peraza, Greg Walker, Leon Chancler, David Brown, and Tom Coster, this release features several of his best-known compositions, including the instrumental "Europa (Earth's Cry Heaven's Smile)", with one of his most memorable solos, and the Latin-infused "Dance, Sister Dance". Among the rest, the funky tracks "Let Me" and "Tell Me, Are You Tired" stand out, as well as the jazz rock "Take Me With You", the latter clearly in tune with the 1970 album "Abraxas", the flamenco-Latin feel of "Gitano", and the elaborate jazz-based funk "Let It Shine".