Yesterday’s important Polarizing Platters discussion preempted our 18th day of JAMuary. My apologies. As a way of rewarding your patience, I bring you two Latin-tinged jams. The first is from the Latino rocker you’d most expect to celebrate JAMuary, Carlos Santana, from his Welcome album, which my good friend Townsman Hrrundivbakshi turned me onto. The second jam is from Mars Volta guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez‘s solo album, Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fungus. Word is the instrumentals that make up this album were originally intended for use on a Mars Volta record, but I guess they came up with other mind-blowing jams instead. If I knew how to say “Enjoy!” in Spanish I would, so pretend that’s how I leave you as you jam on in a Latin vein.
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, “Tied Prom Digs On the Docks”
I really like Carlos Santana’s playing and the whole band sound on the original three albums, and the fourth album has what I’d characterize as a Pharoah Sanders psychedelic jazz vibe, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But I don’t get this stuff at all. His processed guitar sound really creeps me out, and the rest of the band, particularly the keyboards, are right there in the crappy-sound sweepstakes. Even putting aside the sound of the band, the playing seems so fragmented and cliche compared to the guy whose guitar soared so beautifully over side 1 of Abraxas. Am I missing something that you and HVB thought made this particularly wothwhile? Do I need to listen again to catch on? Help me out here.