About.com Rating
Back in July 2, 2011, the famous Rock guitarist Carlos Santana took the stage of the world famous Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. The following is an overview of the 2-disc DVD featuring this performance where the legendary Latino superstar played some of the most memorable hits of his inspiring music career.
A Solid Compilation of Hits
Live At Montreux 2011 features a vibrant concert, which includes 23 songs from Carlos Santana's repertoire.
They represent a solid compilation of the best music produced by Santana since the 1960s.
From classic songs like "Black Magic Woman" and "Samba Pa Ti" to more contemporary hits such as "Maria Maria" and "Corazon Espinado," Live At Montreux 2011 provides a perfect compilation that will allow you to revisit the music of this iconic artist.
An Audio Visual Experience
Considering Live At Montreux 2011 was filmed in high-definition and recorded in DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital 5.1 and LPCM Stereo, this DVD provides an amazing audio visual experience, which is quite stimulating.
Besides that, the compilation of hits featured on this DVD is enhanced with nice arrangements, clever improvisations and the amazing guitar solos of Carlos Santana. I loved, for example, the nice Reggae touch in the middle of the song "Corazon Espinado" as much as the intimacy provided by Santana on the song "Novus Europa (Earth's Cry, Heaven's Smile)."
The Down Side
Although I enjoyed most of the 'creative' stuff Carlos Santana and his band brought into the stage, there were a couple of times when their improvisation became a bit annoying.
I have to say, I did not enjoy some of the long, repetitive solos as well as the 'disconnected' jamming you can hear throughout the DVD. In particular, I did not enjoy the beginning of the first CD. Whatever Santana and his band were playing in "Spark Of The Divine" and "Socc," it just sounded plain annoying to me.
'Live At Montreux 2011' - Bottom Line
Although I could not digest some of the improvisation on this album, there are many good things about Live At Montreaux 2011. First of all, if you are looking for a nice Santana compilation, this DVD will give you a very good one. This is something even more evident with the whole audio visual experience provided by the way this DVD was produced.
One of my favorite things about Live At Montreaux 2011 is the generosity that Carlos Santana and all the members of his band brought to the stage. Besides being talented musicians, you can really see they are bringing the best energy possible into this performance. They are both fun and professional.
Overall, Live At Montreaux 2011 is a nice DVD. If you are a Santana fan, you will enjoy it. Nice energy, nice sound, nice music.
'Live At Montreux 2011' - Best Tracks
- "Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen"
- "Oye Como Va"
- "Maria, Maria"
- "Corazon Espinado / Guajira"
- "Novus Europa (Earth's Cry / Heaven's Smile)"
- "Make Somebody Happy / Right On Be Free," featuring Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi
- "Smooth / Dame Tu Amor"
- "Samba Pa Ti"
Release Date: February 21, 2012