Rock mixed with Spanish/flamenco guitar

He is a good guitarist with great tunes.

It seems like Santana has teamed up with everyone!

Although his jazzy style and samba licks are pretty snazzy, and his music is nothing short of fantastic, the guitar pieces that he plays aren't particularly groundbreaking or technically difficult, so as much as I like Santana, I can't really give him more than three stars.

The best guitarist ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

His tone is the same for the past 30yrs. Never have a real band. He's one without addition,change or dicontinuance. More of the same.

love his roots and originality

Carlos and his bands brought latin-funk-jazz rock to the mainstream... I would say he is one of the most innovative guitarists of our time...I've followed him since the days of Evil Ways and BMW/Oye Como Va. I do agree that some of his recent grammy winning stuff is tame compared to the old stuff from the '70s...there is some excellent guitar work on Caravanserai (Song of the Wind) and Samba Pa Ti (check out new version) and Europa are classics. Also Toussaint L'Overture from Santana III has passionate, beautiful guitar lines (google the history; it's interested) There may be those technically better, but no one puts feeling and emotion and plays the shit out of the thing like him. His guitar lines searing over whirling keyboards (Rolie, Coster or Thompson) and perculating latin rhythms need to be included in a time capsule representing the sounds of our generations...

As much as I enjoy music, I am certainly no expert. That being said Carlos Santana is pretty damned good. His unique style is instantly recognizable. He has had a stellar career.

Great guitarist, wonderful sound.

Brought the soul of Mexico to the U.S. hould have stayed with the Woodstock group.

another guy who's time has passed

Carlos the most boring Santana. Played the same tone for the past 1000yrs.

Was great in the 70s but lives on reputation now.

Not too big on him.

DAMN MEXICAN
/JK

a very lame, the same tone player. He does the same things for the past 40yrs.

Carlos 'the lame duck' Santana

Santana has been great for a long time.  "Black Magic Woman" is just one highlight among many.

good but amusing...

simply the best damn guitarist of all time!

One of the best!!!!!

yeah

another lame duck!

FUCKIN cool

3 chord wonder

FREAKING LOVE HIM!!

Influential

awesome

SANTANA ROCKS!!!!! \,,/

one word Damn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

good

Hard to believe people have Peter Frampton and a bunch of others ahead of him!

Lacks versatility but capable.

Its hilarious when kids come in here thinkin' they know something... where did the 'new' guys get their inspiration?? And when did SPEED become criteria for expert guitar playing? What planet are YOU from?? Sad!

He does good work and he's not afraid to work with a lot of different artists.

A highly expressive guitarist and a pioneer in introducing world music into the realm of rock and pop.  While his playing may be in a comfortably and somewhat limited groove, I still think he can make people move when he lets his guitar cry and sing.

very very good,has his own style thats for sure.fave:she's not there

Now a tragic figure in his dotage.

First off Carlos live is always ass kicking and all this nonsense about changing his style is just plain frigging stupid and shows that many rateit all reviewers know squat about guitar players.

Haa Haa! Does not change his sound?   Why should he.   He has one of the most DISTINCTIVE  sounds in rock guitar.  Has Clapton changed his sound?  Eddie van halen? etc, etc. Eddie van halen is a gooood example-sounds the same.  What bothers people is that Carlos just became very popular in the last few years.  (well 2nd or 3rd time around)  In the years of mindless guitar playing 90's-2000's I'll take him  over the others.

Has sunk like a rock to the bottom of the ocean.

No longer credible. He didnot mature.

personaly i think he has changed his sound, i liked the old stuff but songs like smooth and just feel better have these weak little 15 second guitar solos, nothing like the old him.

People talk about Angus Young playing the same thing over and over for years, but nobody has done the same thing longer than good old Carlos Santana. His sound has the same tonality now as it did back in the sixties, when he started his career. He has never changed his playing style and that shows me that his range is limited. He even had a better guitar player in his band at one point, Neal Schon(Journey/Neal Schon & Jan Hammer).

Nothing special about this dude,except the same tone over the past 25 yrs, no taste at all, this guy is a lame duck. Santana can never have his own band, {ego} problems. Old punk go ahead and hire more singers.

You are a total joke now Carlos.

put together blues, jazz, latin, afro-cuban beats, rock rhythms

Dude ... when exactly did Spanish minor pntatonic scales become straight ahead? Dude, where exactly is that Miles/Coltrane vibe in your chops anyway? Please, stick to the crystal star gazing virgin mother of Guadalupe stuff ... at least we can predict where you are taking us ...

He used to be a very good musician but he sold out lately and hasn't done anything interesting or noteworthy ever since other than a long list of boring but grammy award winning collaborations. I have seen him in concert, he doesn't play his old great songs anymore but rather base his program on new and boring stuff, talk too much about his personal phylosophy that i'm not particularly fond of. Takes too many brakes.