Santana Rainbow Serpent

This 34-track collection captures all sides of the man, from his dazzling early recordings ( Black Magic Woman; Oye Como Va; Soul Sacrifice from Woodstock) through collaborations with John Lee Hooker and Vernon Reid (unreleased!), to his interpretations of such hallowed jazz fare as In a Silent Way and Naima . He's a guitar legend; here's why.

Released in 1988, Viva Santana! is a generous 30-track overview of Santana's first 20 years of recording. Appropriately, it concentrates on the band's glory years of the late '60s and early '70s, when both Carlos Santana and his supporting musicians were on fire. There are several unreleased cuts, including live tracks included for hardcore fans, but Viva Santana! is most useful as a thorough overview for curious listeners. ”