Guitar Info Bytes: Guitar Heaven by Santana

Look, Carlos Santana is a legend. And he really has created some of the most memorable guitar lines in history. Unfortunately, very few of them are in show on this album, Santana's Guitar Heaven.

Consisting of songs by The Doors, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Def Leppard, Deep Purple and other iconic bands, these tracks represent some of the most memorable guitar driven-songs in rock 'n roll history.

So why would Carlos Santana choose to re-do them? There truly is but one solution that makes sense:

Marketing.

If you really stretch, you could rationalize that Santana - by coupling young, current lead singers with classic rock songs - is introducing said songs to a younger generation. There's only one problem with that: those songs need no entry to any generation.

Years ago, when uber-chops players were king, when Steve Vai and Joe Satriani were all the rage (don't get me wrong, they both are phenomenal players), a list of focus groups asked "young" people (11 to 22) who their favorite guitar players were. You love who they chose?

In no specific order:

Jimi Hendrix
Eric Clapton
Jimmy Page

Hmmmmm . . . It seems that "classic" rock is both live and well - to listeners at any age. In that case, other than sales figures, there actually was no just cause to deliver versions that are, at best, adequate, and, at worst, anemic, of these anthemic songs. With one exception:

"While My Guitar Gently Weeps"

This is a large song that, in this writer's opinion, is not normally given its due by the many talented six-string slingers that have attempted it. However, on this one track, Carlos Santana actually captures the feeling of the call in a way that all fits the call itself.

Why?

Because, as he did in years of old, Carlos actually complements the smell of the song. He celebrates the very "minor"-ness of it - something that is often sidestepped. In gain to this, the brilliant decisions to play in both cellist extraordinaire Yo Yo Ma, and soulful pop vocalist Indie.Arie, were made. Both of which highlighted the haunting harmony and air of this piece - one of George Harrison's best.

So, for his brilliant rendition of the Beatles classic, bravo! It's decent to learn that the Latin-rock legend still has some magic up his sleeve, and proves, once again, why he has become the legend he is.