Inner Secrets

by Santana

Product Description:

Santana: Devadip Carlos Santana (guitar); Greg Walker (vocals); Chris Solberg (guitar, organ); Chris Rhyne (keyboards, synthesizers); David Margen (bass); Graham Lear (drums); Armando Peraza (bongos, percussion); Raul Rekow (congas, percussion); Pete Escovedo (timbales, percussion).

Recorded at Western Recorders, Los Angeles, California in July & August 1978.

On the heels of FESTIVAL came the disco-soul-pop-spiced INNER SECRETS, with a whole new Santana lineup. Greg Walker is the main man at the microphone this time around on these upbeat, radio-friendly cuts. While the band's personnel and sound are consistently in a state of flux and evolution, two constants in Santana are the presence of positive messages and, of course, founding guitar hero Carlos Santana--albeit the focus of this particular recording is much less on his playing and more on the overall production.

"Move On" stomps along with a thumping rock pulse, funky clavinet, and harmonized verses that quote the illustrious Sly Stone with the always-encouraging line, "You Can Make It if You Try." "One Chain (Don't Make No Prison)" bounces along in similar fashion, with an uplifting, soulful delivery by Walker and a cowbell-lined guitar riff that inspires rump shaking or perhaps...aerobics. There are some tasty cover tunes, too, ranging from the vivid '70s pop gem "Stormy" to a smooth-grooving version of Traffic's piquant anthem of the neighborhood narco-badman, "Dealer."