Guitar Heaven

Some of the defining songs by Mexican-American guitarist Carlos Santana have been covers,which took them farther than their creators could have hoped for.

Guitar Heaven,Santana,Sony,Rs 399,rating: ****

Some of the defining songs by Mexican-American guitarist Carlos Santana have been covers,which took them farther than their creators could have hoped for. Were talking about songs such as Black Magic Woman,Evil Ways and Oye Como Va which otherwise would have been restricted to a niche audience.

Santanas latest album takes some of rock musics celebrated moments and reinterprets them through the bands Latino-flavored progressions,complete with congas and timbales.

The 12-track album has smashing renditions of songs like Riders on the Storm and Back in Black. A cracking cover of Led Zeppelins Whole Lotta Love sets the notes rolling. Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots) deftly handles the Rolling Stones track Cant You Hear Me Knocking. Creams Sunshine of Your Love gets a hard rock treatment with Rob Thomas on vocals. Beatles My Guitar Gently Weeps has the husky voiced India Arie crooning to Yo-Yo Mas reverberating cello and Santanas nylon string chops one of the strongest points of the album. Getting rapper Nas to rap through AC/DCs cult anthem Back in Black might sound like a risky proposition,but fun nonetheless. One of the most popular riffs in rock history opens to Papa Roachs Jacoby Shaddixs grunge on Smoke on the Water . The album moves on to the celebrations in Van Halens Dance the Night Away. There is T-Rexs groovy Bang a Gong,and gritty Joe Cocker on the Jimi Hendrix track Little Wing. Mohan Kumar mohan.kumar@expressindia.com