All That I Am (CD)

• Category:  Music  »  Rock & Pop  »  General Rock & Pop
• Format: CD   Learn more about the CD format using Tower WIKI.
• Release Date: May 10, 2005
• Label: RCA Records (USA)
• UPC: 4988017630471
• WAPI (Tower ID): 105953184
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• Tower.com Sales Rank: #250849 in Music (See Top 100 Music Bestsellers)
• #66310 in Rock & Pop (See Top 100 Rock & Pop Bestsellers)
• #46901 in General Rock & Pop (See Top 100 General Rock & Pop Bestsellers)

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Personnel: Carlos Santana (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, background vocals); Henry Garza (vocals, guitar); Karl Perazzo (vocals, congas, timbales, percussion, background vocals); Raul Rekow (vocals, congas); will.i.am (vocals, programming); Sean Paul, Joss Stone, Mary J. Blige, Michelle Branch, Anthony Hamilton, Sleepy Brown, Steven Tyler, Bo Bice (vocals); Dan Marshall, Kirk Hammett (guitar); John Shanks (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar); Ramon Stagnaro (acoustic guitar, cuatro, tiple, tres); Charlie Bisharat (violin, viola); Harry Kim, Bill Ortiz (trumpet); Jeff Cressman, David Stout (trombone); Jamie Muhoberac (piano, keyboards); Moussa Diouf (piano); Chester Thompson (organ, keyboards); Preston Fullwood (organ); Gabriel Abularach (keyboards, bass guitar); Lester Mendez, Dante Ross (keyboards, programming); Maule¢n Santana, Rebeca, Terrence Brown (keyboards); Dennis Chambers, Abe Laboriel, Jr., Kenny Aronoff, Jeff Rothschild, Ringo Garza (drums); Justin Aldridge, Rajinder Kala (percussion); Jessica Harp, Kara DioGuardi (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Manny Marroquin; Jim Gaines; John Shanks; Serban Ghenea; Tim Roberts; Jeff Rothschild; Boris Milan.

Continuing with the formula of its Grammy-winning predecessors, SUPERNATURAL and SHAMAN, 2005's ALL THAT I AM once again finds Carlos Santana pairing off with a diverse group of superstar musicians. While some of the combinations seem perfectly natural--the jam with Austin's Los Lonely Boys, "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love," is a match made in virtuoso heaven--others are more unexpected and showcase Santana's ability to master numerous strains of pop and rock. "Trinity" is an shredder's dream as Carlos squares off with Metallica's Kirk Hammett and neo-bluesman Robert Randolph, while tracks featuring Mary J. Blige and Outkast's Big Boi ("My Man") and Anthony Hamilton ("Twisted") offer the kind of R&B groove that made "Sway" such a smash.

As expected, the production on ALL THAT I AM is pristine, and Santana's guitar work is as impeccably fluid as ever, particularly on the albums two opening tracks. On both "Hermes" and "El Fuego," the singer/guitarist goes in alone and really cuts loose to indulge in the Latin rock fusion that brought him to prominence in the late 1960s. It's as if Santana wants to remind listeners where his heart's really at before bringing in the likes of Michelle Branch, Bo Bice, and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler to generate some hits. Still, the truly uplifting salsa/hip-hop anthem "I Am Somebody," featuring Will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas, is so infectious it's hard to imagine anyone dismissing it. ALL THAT I AM proves there's still some life left in this novel concept, and it's sure to be a hit with both Santana fans and those of his latest musical pals.

Carlos Santana delivers his third straight star-studded pop album in a row with 2005's All That I Am. Like 2002's Shaman, this follows the blueprint that producer/record mogul Clive Davis laid down on 1999's Supernatural, which means that apart from a cut or two, Santana functions as a supporting musician to a parade of guest stars singing pop songs. Here, Santana and Davis try to make lightning strike again, having Michelle Branch, who sang "The Game of Love" on Shaman, sing the sound-alike "I'm Feeling You," which she also had a hand in writing, and the result isn't bad. The biggest names here are Mary J. Blige, Big Boi, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, and the ubiquitous will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas -- and the production is clean and safe, while the songs are professional but predictable. Since none of the songs are bad and since the guest spots are neither embarrassing nor flashy, All That I Am never offends, and Santana has some nice playing scattered throughout the album -- his signature, rich, super-saturated tone is certainly the most commanding, memorable thing here. [This edition includes a bonus track.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

The third time around is not a charm for Carlos Santana, who delivers his third straight star-studded, middle-of-the-road pop album in a row with 2005's All That I Am. Like 2002's Shaman, this follows the blueprint that producer/record mogul Clive Davis laid down on 1999's Supernatural, which means that apart from a cut or two, Santana functions as a supporting musician to a parade of guest stars singing pop songs on his own album. On Supernatural this worked not just because it was a relatively fresh concept that revitalized Santana, but because the guest stars were well chosen and the material was sharp, commercial, and memorable. Shaman was more uneven but it did have one great single in "The Game of Love," a song penned by professional songwriters and sung by Michelle Branch -- it didn't sound much like Santana, but it did make for excellent listening on adult contemporary radio. Here, Santana and Davis try to make lightning strike again, having Branch sing the "Game of Love" sound-alike "I'm Feeling You," which she also had a hand in writing. It's not bad, but it sounds like a third-generation photocopy, which is the problem with All That I Am in general: all the ideas and sounds are familiar, but not executed nearly as well as they were the first two times around. The stars don't shine as bright -- the biggest names here are Mary J. Blige, Big Boi, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, and the ubiquitous and obsequious will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas, all artists who never seem to turn down a chance to provide a cameo -- and the production is clean and safe, while the songs are professional, predictable, and pedestrian. Since none of the songs are bad and since the guest spots are neither embarrassing nor flashy, All That I Am never offends, but it never entertains, either: it simply exists. Sure, Santana has some nice playing scattered throughout the album -- his signature, rich, super-saturated tone is certainly the most commanding, memorable thing here -- but he never sounds engaged with the songs, he sounds simply like he's running wild over bright, sunny changes. Even with these nice moments, All That I Am, like Supernatural and Shaman before it, is a deliberate pop album, which means Santana is in the background on his own record -- but the crucial difference with this album is that, unlike its two predecessors, it's not a good pop album, it's a bland, friendly affair that disappears into the ether the moment it's finishing playing. [This edition includes a bonus track.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

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