Santana – Lotus (Mobile Fidelity, 180g Vinyl, 3 LPs)

The bizarre legacy of Lotus extends far beyond its status as the definitive stage document of Santana’s career and as one of the most spectacular live albums of all time. Originally released in 1974, the triple LP contains exhilarating recordings from two concerts held in early July 1973 at the 2,400-capacity Osaka Kosei Nenkin Kaikan concert hall. It testifies to the chemistry, ingenuity, cohesion, and feeling that no other Santana lineup would ever achieve when the eight-piece band played. Lotus also remains the only Santana album recorded entirely live, almost two decades agoand it took almost as long to be released in this country. Strictly limited to 5,000 numbered copies, Lotus receives the audiophile reference treatment on Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 3LP set. With rich tones, smooth dynamics, excellent separation, a deep soundstage, and a thrilling presence, this reissue pays tribute to both the virtuoso ensemble and the indispensable fusion of Latin American and Afro-Cuban jazz, rock, psychedelia, R&B, and blues. The complexity of the spiritual passages, the soaring crescendos, the delicacy of the quiet transitions, the electricity of the solos: everything is rendered with superb balance, free from harshness, compression, and tiring peaks that would otherwise distract from the performances. One also gets a generous impression of the atmosphere of the venue and a clear sense of the interplay and improvisation, born both from emotion and architectural necessity. The weight of the bass, the extension of the treble, the punch of the midrange, the texture and reverberation of the drums: Mobile Fidelity’s organic version of Lotus immediately claims the status of a demonstration record of what a live recording should sound like. And lo and behold! In homage to the original, this reissue includes four double-sided, flat photo inserts and two double-sided, 24 x 36-inch fold-out posters. (Note: There is no obi strip or red Japanese insert.) Lotus was released exclusively in Japan before slowly making its way to the United States as an expensive import and becoming a hot topic among connoisseurs. Hip-hop record stores struggled to keep the record on their shelves. Italy, New Zealand, and Europe got their own versions of the coveted album before the end of 1975. American listeners weren’t so lucky. They had to resort to imports to feed their cravings. The same year that fans in the US began paying extra for the two-hour Lotus magic, CBS released Santana’s Greatest Hitsa compilation that sold more than seven million copies. It took another 17 years for Lotus to hit American shelves on two CDs and two cassettes. It wasn’t released on vinyl until 2013, in a long-out-of-print version.