Santana: All That I Am

By Matt Lee

Carlos Santana, arguably one of the best guitarists ever, continues to collaborate with some of the music industry’s biggest names on his newest album, “All That I Am.”

This time around, Santana has a whole new lineup of familiar faces, including a second collaboration with Michelle Branch. The duo successfully creates a catchy follow-up single with “I’m Feeling You,” a song which will no doubt be played to death by pop and easy-listening radio stations.

Many of the songs found on the album will appeal mostly to the genres in which the special guest singers come from. “My Man,” featuring Mary J. Blige and Big Boi of Outkast, contains a typical R&B, Outkast-like beat, as does “Cry Baby Cry,” which features Sean Paul and Joss Stone and is dominated by the powerful voice of Paul.

“Just Feel Better,” featuring Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, stands out as one of the most surprising songs on the album. What may seem like an odd pairing unexpectedly turns out to be one of the most unique-sounding productions on the album.

Overall, after mixing in a few guitar tracks with the long list of celebrities, Santana has managed to throw together yet another poppishly-successful soundtrack-like album. If a soul-filled groovy guitar, mixed with many of music’s most popular voices sounds appealing, then Santana’s “All That I Am” should be considered another successful album.