Santana's Groundbreaking Debut: Ranked #149 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time List

Out of Print: Mobile Fidelity's Numbered-Edition Gold CD Corrects Historic Production Error, Presents Music in Correct Channels for First Time

Santana’s self-titled debut album announces the arrival of a new Guitar God. Made during the legendary bandleader’s most fruitful and creative period, the classic 1969 set functions as an accessible entry point into the tangy worlds of Latin music by way of an intoxicating blend of Afro-Cuban percussion, jazzy tempos, exotic leads, bluesy riffs, and psychedelic accents. Released weeks before the band blew minds at Woodstock, the groundbreaking record stands alongside Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew and Jeff Beck’s Beck-Ola as a pillar of rock fusion. Featuring the Top Ten radio smash “Evil Ways” and jam favorite “Soul Sacrifice,” it hasn’t aged a day.

Bound by natural chemistry and earthy spirituality, the record’s innovative synthesis of myriad styles goes beyond anything that came before—as well as nearly everything that’s followed. Playing with the finest band that the iconic guitarist ever had, Santana doesn’t water down any exotic roots or simply incorporate mainstream Western styles into a Latin framework. This is a true hybrid, responsible for opening up borders, transcending cultural divides, and, most importantly, exhilarating the senses.

Just like the equally essential follow-up Abraxas, also available on an exquisite-sounding pressing from Mobile Fidelity, Santana also lays claim to one of the biggest (and unfortunate) production gaffes in music history.  Since its original release, Santana has never been heard correctly. After securing the original analog master tapes, Mobile Fidelity engineers realized a colossal mistake had been made. For nearly four decades, copies were produced with the left and right channels reversed, meaning that everything was placed in a backwards manner. This even extended to compilations on which individual songs from Santana were included.

Now, you can listen to Santana the way it was meant to be experienced, with the instruments and musicians placed in the proper channels. As for the sound? Stellar. In addition to correcting the imaging, Mobile Fidelity’s numbered-editiom Gold CD boasts warm tones, excellent dynamics, and intricate details. Separation between Santana’s fluid fills, spicy solos, and broiling grooves and pianist Gregg Rolie’s soulful Hammond organ runs allows the music to come alive with a newfound freshness and radiance.