Santana – Caravanserai

Caravanserai is the fourth studio album by Santana, released on October 11, 1972, and marked a significant turning point in the career of Carlos Santana, as it was a departure from his first three albums. In contrast to the fusion sound of salsa, rock and jazz that had become the band’s trademark, the album focused primarily on jazz orchestral pieces. All except three of the songs are instrumental. The album is the first in a series of Santana albums that were known for their increasing musical complexity, marking a departure from the popular rock format of the band’s early albums towards a more reflective and experimental jazz sound.

There was a major change in the band’s lineup. The band’s original bassist David Brown left in 1971 and was replaced by Doug Rauch. Additionally, Tom Rutley played acoustic bass on some tracks, sometimes alongside the electric. José “Chepito” Areas continued on percussion, following the departure of the band’s original percussionist Michael Carabello, and Armando Peraza and James Mingo Lewis also joined the album, as did several other musicians.

During this period, Santana’s relationship with longtime keyboardist and vocalist Gregg Rolie quickly deteriorated, and Tom Coster played on one song before replacing Rolie shortly after the album’s release. It was also Santana’s last album with guitarist Neal Schon, who co-founded Journey the following year.

The album was supported by a tour that covered America, Europe, Asia and Oceania, lasting from September 1972 to December 1973. The performances on July 3 and 4, 1973 at the Osaka Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan in Osaka, Japan were released on triple vinyl under the name Lotus.

The LP’s inner sleeve contains an excerpt from Paramahansa Yogananda’s Metaphysical Meditations which reads:

The body melts into the universe
The universe melts into the soundless voice
Sound melts into the brilliant light
And the light enters the embrace of boundless joy

Columbia Records President Clive Davis, upon hearing the final album, told Carlos that he had committed “career suicide”.

The album peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and No. 8 on the R&B albums chart in 1972.

It is considered an artistic success, but the musical changes that began in 1972 with this album marked the beginning of Santana’s decline in commercial popularity.

However, a 1976 Rolling Stone review confirmed that the album “speaks directly to the universality of man, both in the sound of the music and in the vocals”.

From this landmark album in Santana’s history, I select the unique “Every Step of the Way”.

Tracklist

1. Eternal Caravan Of Reincarnation 4:25
2. Waves Within 3:54
3. Look Up (To See What’s Coming Down) 2:55
4. Just In Time To See The Sun 2:13
5. Song Of The Wind 6:03
6. All The Love Of The Universe 7:39
7. Future Primitive 4:20
8. Stone Flower 6:05
9. La Fuente Del Ritmo 4:30
10. Every Step Of The Way 9:06