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Santana — Incident At Neshabur
Album: Abraxas
Avg rating:
7.5

Your rating:
Total ratings: 2174









Released: 1970
Length: 4:53
Plays (last 30 days): 0
(instrumental)
Comments (237)add comment
Excellent rythme.
Throw your CD out, take the vinyl, the old fisher tubes based amp, and the ghost get's off the speakers!
Many of us have come to accept and understand how the expression "master" of their craft is offensive and painful for many to hear. So allow me to suggest another way of expressing my admiration for musicians such as those we hear on this cut; Virtuosos .
53 years ago yesterday -- August 16, 1969 -- the youngsters of the eponymous band got a big boost for their blast at Woodstock, a/k/a Bethel NY, which is not really near the town of Woodstock.  Being a true fan, but who hasn't attended a Santana concert in more than 10 years, I'll be making the trek with a new pal to Santana's 53rd anniversary at Bethel this Sunday, Aug. 21, 2022.   He's of that '60s - '70s generation, when that is exactly what they are, in their 70s now, and when Dylan Sir Paul Sir Ringo Neil Young Dave Gilmour Santana Springsteen John Fogerty, etc., depart the stage, the world will be a lesser place and we will not easily replace them. 
 Ralf wrote:

This made me think of the Cheech and Chong movie where the girls are fawning over Chong thinking he is Jerry Garcia. Cheech is jealous so he says “Hey man, I’m Santana!” Classic. That said, loved this song. Reminds me of SRV’s Riviera Paradise. Love the combination of organ and guitar in a slow jam.




Too funny!  GREAT TUNE!
yah man yah
I had a Santana T-Shirt that I got at a show with the red angel.  My mom ended up with it. She died peacefully in her sleep in that shirt.  Made a sad memory not as bad.  Carlos connection is always positive !!!
 islanduo wrote:

1971




WIKI says 1970!
I'll never again be stoned like that.
Mahavishnu Orchestra.
Miles. Bitches Brew.
Fusion
 
1971
This made me think of the Cheech and Chong movie where the girls are fawning over Chong thinking he is Jerry Garcia. Cheech is jealous so he says “Hey man, I’m Santana!” Classic. That said, loved this song. Reminds me of SRV’s Riviera Paradise. Love the combination of organ and guitar in a slow jam.
This stuff is immortal.
 kingart wrote:

I'm seeing supersonic F16s soaring and roaring down Broadway into Times Square doing aileron rolls and evasive maneuvers without breaking a single window as angels play timbales on the front row seats at the TKTS booth on 48th St. 



Can I have what they have please?
 MrsTom wrote:

Too frantic for me. I’m seeing images of middle-aged men in flares chasing a bank robber and knocking over lots of boxes


I'm seeing supersonic F16s soaring and roaring down Broadway into Times Square doing aileron rolls and evasive maneuvers without breaking a single window as angels play timbales on the front row seats at the TKTS booth on 48th St. 
This is such a wonderful Santa song--one of the best.  Great percussion with that cool Hammond b3 and of course Santana's guitar licks.  Then the whole cadence slows to a mellow pace halfway through.  This one of their best songs but we seldom ever hear it for some reason.
That album cover is wayyyy better than the Mona Lisa..."dont you know that women are the only works of art"...Don Henly.
 Jota wrote:


The US isn't much different today, still a very prudish society where Twitter and Facebook ban the nipple (female of course because mens are somehow different) but show decapitation videos.

It's always struck me as a Scot that you've got this the wrong way round!

I think this shows that it's still a patriarchical society where female nipples have been sexualised while mens have been normalised.
 

Indeed!  The nude on the front cover is stunningly beautiful, in the grandest tradition of Western art.   It's a testament to the sickness of US society that images of violence and murder are more tolerable than the beauty of the female form, erotic or not.
I really love this song and am so grateful that RP plays it!  It is a great example of the wonderful talent of this legendary band without resorting to the overplayed Santana classics we've been hearing for the past 40 years
Too frantic for me. I’m seeing images of middle-aged men in flares chasing a bank robber and knocking over lots of boxes
Maximum cowbell.
Fan tas tic!
This is Santana at his best. Sublime!
the beach view is from an acquaintance's house on the island of Mallorca around 1970.
The vibraslap probably seemed like a good idea at the time,  but . . . 




More cowbell please !         :o)    ......... Naugatuck,Connecticut 

great song  
Just reminds me of listening to this album so long ago when people still bought and listened to a whole album. Such nice music that one doesn't hear anywhere else.
 1wolfy wrote:
has me tied to a whipping post

 
Good call.  Except for the bit where it goes a tad jazzy.  

Man, did this album get a lot of air time when I was growing up.  
 Mugro wrote:
Santana's best Grateful Dead impression. 


Only to the extent that the two bands came from the same San Francisco music scene in the mid-late 1960s and both liked long improvisational jams. 

The Dead don't have the same latin influences nor do they have Carlos' inimitable guitar style.  Conversely, Santana doesn't have the same blue grass influences or Jerry's inimitable guitar style.
Growing up in Nuevo Mexico, I used to ride my stingray bike to the Albuquerque Dukes stadium to see the great Santana headline a funky list of bands every year in august!  Puro party, ese!  That piano break is mui bueno        {#Motor}
Santana's best Grateful Dead impression. 
 GawgaBoy wrote:

I'm old enough to remember when this was in the stores.  JCPenny used LOTS of stickers to cover up specific parts of this album cover

 

The US isn't much different today, still a very prudish society where Twitter and Facebook ban the nipple (female of course because mens are somehow different) but show decapitation videos.

It's always struck me as a Scot that you've got this the wrong way round!

I think this shows that it's still a patriarchical society where female nipples have been sexualised while mens have been normalised.
 Stephen_Phillips wrote:
I wonder was that white dove on the album cover conceived by the artist or was it added at a later date by the record company as a form of coy censorship? Pity, might have sold more albums - well at least one more {#Ask}

 
I'm old enough to remember when this was in the stores.  JCPenny used LOTS of stickers to cover up specific parts of this album cover
I wonder was that white dove on the album cover conceived by the artist or was it added at a later date by the record company as a form of coy censorship? Pity, might have sold more albums - well at least one more {#Ask}
 Skydog wrote:
so what exactly happened at Neshabur?

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Nishapur

Maybe this is this incident:

Nishapur was conquered by the Muslims, without struggle, during the caliphate of Umar. The Caliph appointed Ahnaf Ibn Qais as the chief command of the Muslim army out of Isfahan. From Isfahan, two routes led toKhorasan: the main route via Rayy and the other via Nishapur. The people of Nishapur chose not to fight and surrendered on the condition of paying a tribute.

Having conquered the region around Nishapur, the Muslim force advanced to Nishapur itself. The city was divided into four sectors, with each sector under a Persian chief. These chiefs shut themselves in the city and closed the gates. The Muslims laid siege to the city for some days. In the meantime, the Persian chiefs quarreled among themselves. One of the chiefs entered into negotiations with the Muslims. He offered to open one of the gates for the Muslim army to enter, provided he was granted immunity. The Muslims accepted the offer. The Persians were taken by surprise, and the Muslims became the masters of Nishapur.

Or this: (lovely time to live there)

After the husband of Genghis Khan's daughter, Taghachar, was killed at Nishapur in 1221 by a Nishapur Muslim border guard, Genghis Khan ordered the death of all in the city—1.7 million were killed, and the skulls of men, women, and children were piled in pyramids by the Mongols. 

 
so what exactly happened at Neshabur?
 Ghiaap wrote:
Too much cowbell for me > 3

 
Too much 3 for me > cowbell 
This is Santana at his most jazzy. Diggin it.
 xnavy wrote:

Robert Fripp

 
All greats of course (the dozen+ mentioned already), what about The Edge, Mark Knopfler, Larry Carlton, Michael Hedges, Nick Drake, Phil Keaggy... there's at least 20 or 30 or players who defined modern guitar at different levels, with greater or lesser popular acclaim, and often for contributions other than just screaming fast leads.
{#Bananajam}FIIIIYYYYEEERRR!! 
Third album I ever bought, back when I was very little.
{#Hearteyes}
Too much cowbell for me > 3
Abraxas = Mother's Daughter {#Roflol}
 1wolfy wrote:
has me tied to a whipping post

 
...and Kennedy was assassinated by a single bullet
has me tied to a whipping post
A Puerto Rican friend explained the significance of the Abraxas cover to me.  In certain Hispanic cultures the mulatta is considered the ultimate in female sexuality.  This is echoed in "Oye Como Va":

Listen to how it goes, my rhythm
It's good to enjoy, mulatta!
 Skydog wrote:

or Derek Leckenby

 
Robert Fripp
 justin4kick wrote:
idiot_wind wrote:
Do ya remember the arguments with your friends about "best  rock guitarists"?  Carlos, Hendrix, Page, Garcia, Allman, Clapton, Beck, etc?

 

  

LowPhreak wrote:

Let's not forget Pete Townshend, David Gilmour, Keith Richards, Warren Haynes...

 

And what about Peter Green?

 
or Derek Leckenby
 justin4kick wrote:
idiot_wind wrote:
Do ya remember the arguments with your friends about "best  rock guitarists"?  Carlos, Hendrix, Page, Garcia, Allman, Clapton, Beck, etc?

 

  

LowPhreak wrote:

Let's not forget Pete Townshend, David Gilmour, Keith Richards, Warren Haynes...

 

And what about Peter Green?

 
Surely Stevie Ray Vaughan rates a mention
Long Summer days come to mind - oooh the memories {#Cool}
From "Abraxas" to "Welcome" Santana was just 'bout as good as it got.
Ah.....the memories.....this is one of my favorite grooves.....
idiot_wind wrote:
Do ya remember the arguments with your friends about "best  rock guitarists"?  Carlos, Hendrix, Page, Garcia, Allman, Clapton, Beck, etc?

 

  

LowPhreak wrote:

Let's not forget Pete Townshend, David Gilmour, Keith Richards, Warren Haynes...

 

And what about Peter Green?
I know I'm a freak, but I just don't like Santana.
Carlos is a jammer who can play the guitar like Coltrane blew the sax (Gilmour also excels at this jazzy sorta skill) and I SURE LIKE IT!
 jgriffin56 wrote:
I don't know what happened at Neshabur but since it resulted in this song I am glad it did.

 

 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Nishapur

Maybe this is this incident:

Nishapur was conquered by the Muslims, without struggle, during the caliphate of Umar. The Caliph appointed Ahnaf Ibn Qais as the chief command of the Muslim army out of Isfahan. From Isfahan, two routes led toKhorasan: the main route via Rayy and the other via Nishapur. The people of Nishapur chose not to fight and surrendered on the condition of paying a tribute.

Having conquered the region around Nishapur, the Muslim force advanced to Nishapur itself. The city was divided into four sectors, with each sector under a Persian chief. These chiefs shut themselves in the city and closed the gates. The Muslims laid siege to the city for some days. In the meantime, the Persian chiefs quarreled among themselves. One of the chiefs entered into negotiations with the Muslims. He offered to open one of the gates for the Muslim army to enter, provided he was granted immunity. The Muslims accepted the offer. The Persians were taken by surprise, and the Muslims became the masters of Nishapur.

Or this: (lovely time to live there)

After the husband of Genghis Khan's daughter, Taghachar, was killed at Nishapur in 1221 by a Nishapur Muslim border guard, Genghis Khan ordered the death of all in the city—1.7 million were killed, and the skulls of men, women, and children were piled in pyramids by the Mongols. 

 
Play some Courdoroy
 kimschoice wrote:
Is it just me?  I hear a little Allman Bros. in this.  Perhaps Dickie Betts or Duane is accompanying Carlos? 
 

 
Live at the Fillmore East with a Santana flair!

"I've been rundown....I've been lied to...." 
I don't know what happened at Neshabur but since it resulted in this song I am glad it did.

 
 kimschoice wrote:
Is it just me?  I hear a little Allman Bros. in this.  Perhaps Dickie Betts or Duane is accompanying Carlos? 
 

 
Echoes, yes. Personnel, no.
 kimschoice wrote:
Is it just me?  I hear a little Allman Bros. in this.  Perhaps Dickie Betts or Duane is accompanying Carlos? 
 

 
I heard the intro and for a few seconds was trying to remember which Allman Bro's song it was ... before it hit me that it was Santana. So, no, it's not just you. FWIW
 kimschoice wrote:
Is it just me?  I hear a little Allman Bros. in this.  Perhaps Dickie Betts or Duane is accompanying Carlos? 
 

 
It's just you. Carlos, Rollie, Areas, Brown, Carabello and Shrieve were the line up. Allman Bros.? Carlos was on tour in 2008 with Derek Trucks, but of course that was 37 years after this album was a gigantic hit. 
My head hurts when I remember doing the wrong kind of dope listening to this.
Is it just me?  I hear a little Allman Bros. in this.  Perhaps Dickie Betts or Duane is accompanying Carlos? 
 
 idiot_wind wrote:
Do ya remember the arguments with your friends about "best  rock guitarists"?  Carlos, Hendrix, Page, Garcia, Allman, Clapton, Beck, etc?

 

 
Let's not forget Pete Townshend, David Gilmour, Keith Richards, Warren Haynes...
Eww - all I can see in my head is people with big hair and flares running after bad guys and crashing through cardboard boxes. Bad TV soundtrack - guess it's my age
Do ya remember the arguments with your friends about "best  rock guitarists"?  Carlos, Hendrix, Page, Garcia, Allman, Clapton, Beck, etc?

 
I had some real fun times while this album was playing in the background,, back in the day..... 
Great song.  The live version from Lotus is fantastic.  On Lotus the song includes teases of My Favorite Things and Afro Blue as nods to Coltrane, as well as Fool On The Hill. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Svq9UFHVstU


Has a better team of percussionists ever been put together?  Abraxas never gets old!
Wow Abraxas ... great trippin' album (in whichever way you want to take it). 
 tkosh wrote:

The mountains have looked the same, too, since 1970.  They're still beyond awesome.

 
The mountains may look the same as they have for centuries; they are not expected to grow or progress.  Art and music should be expected to do so.
 tkosh wrote:

The mountains have looked the same, too, since 1970.  They're still beyond awesome.

 
Well said.
If you ever get a chance to see the film Dominoes, a documentary on the 60s with no words music only,  the newsreel footage combined with this song  makes a memorable impression.
https://www.dominoesmovie.com/
 Foot wrote:
Mostly, all sounds the same...not bad, just the same...since 1970.

 
The mountains have looked the same, too, since 1970.  They're still beyond awesome.
Great set going for fri eve in Chicago going home on da El if anyone is with me on that
Mostly, all sounds the same...not bad, just the same...since 1970.
 fredriley wrote:
This freneticism jars badly after the serious smoothness of William Orbit. Bill normally does great segues, but IMO this one's a real clunker, a bit like when you're cruising along in 5th and accidentally change down to 3rd.
 

That is known as the moneyshift in BMW circles. 
First PSD of the night!
 fredriley wrote:
This freneticism jars badly after the serious smoothness of William Orbit. Bill normally does great segues, but IMO this one's a real clunker, a bit like when you're cruising along in 5th and accidentally change down to 3rd.
 

LOL!

 

I like this album but man was it overplayed back in the day.


And I will just make that ninety 10's!  Brilliant!  {#Notworthy}
This freneticism jars badly after the serious smoothness of William Orbit. Bill normally does great segues, but IMO this one's a real clunker, a bit like when you're cruising along in 5th and accidentally change down to 3rd.
Outstanding.
Ha! Santana is playing tonight in Delhi, one of only two Indian concerts.  I'm currently in Madras for 8 weeks, and was going to be rash and fly up this morning, but then........it would have cost a week's rent...

Incidentally, Santana 65yo has been giving some good interviews on the media here - eg to quote him : “I have listened to Ravi Shankar. It transcends gravity of time, taking you to meditation and having a profound effect on people. I find Indian music very intense, humorous at times. When I listen to the raagas at 3am in the morning, it’s like taking an inner shower,” (Santana's words, not mine)

.........at the same time he has been promoting the 'sensitive' side of American culture
 ScottFromWyoming wrote:
At some point I gave this a 4, wtf.
 
 
What??  a 2?  To each his own, but I'd love to hear why.  This is such an incredible song!
At some point I gave this a 4, wtf.
 

 Kaisersosay wrote:
Love this song, this album. Summer days as a much younger person learning to appreciate Carlos.  
 



In a nnutshell
Thanks for this one Bill and Rebecca...
I know it is on your RP playlist, but it is definitely not one of the other worn out Santana songs we've been hearing on mainstream radio for years!  
I remember listening to Abraxas at Coffeeshop Abraxas in Amsterdam.  Good times.
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of seeing Santana play live, wonderful. If anyone's passing thru Last Vague Guess, catch him at the House of Blues thru August I think.

 martinc wrote:
Like this one even when Schoeder from Peanuts jams in on piano.
 
Ha
Love this song, this album. Summer days as a much younger person learning to appreciate Carlos.  
Had to see who this was. 

It may be Carlos, but its a ripoff of the Status Quo's Pictures of Matchstick Men riff.  I kept waiting to hear a real laid back version of Pictures.  Very disappointing.


Like this one even when Schoeder from Peanuts jams in on piano.
D A N K E   sehr schön
¡Mi favorita! gracias tío Billg

back in the day when this came out, my local JC Penny put big price stickers all over this album to cover up the female body parts.

Last four songs have been oldies; newest was recorded in 1996.  I'm not complaining (enjoyed them tremendously, in fact) but imagine some of the young whippersnappers will soon start whipping and snapping.

As for this one ... brings back warm summer evenings on the Robinson Hall dormitory rooftop, listening on eight speakers stolen from the local drive-in movie theater.
On_The_Beach wrote:
Artist Mati Klarwein also did the artwork for Miles Davis' Bitches Brew in 1969 (same year as Abraxas) . . .

. . . and Live Evil in 1970

 
Those are amazing images, On_The_Beach. And Let's not forget the satirical portrait of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover on the back cover of the Live Evil album:

Image source: https://www.kind-of-blue.de/bilder/disco/sigp_24_25_booklet.jpg


 pherthyl wrote:
This just puts me on edge..   It only has one speed and that's manic.  No thanks.
 
I generally change the channel or deploy the PSD button when this tune comes on, but it certainly has more than "one speed".  The tempo changes several times in this song.

 fredriley wrote:

Quite. Carlos Santana is the noodling king, right enough, and technically the dog's bollox, but most of his stuff failed to grab me 3 decades ago, and I still elude its grasping claws. The Nottingham jury's attitude to most Santana stuff would be that of Ford Prefect's: aggressive indifference.

 
Fred, one of these day's I'd love to buy you a Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster.


Sounds like that other Santana song...

Yes.
 
len17 wrote:

It is as close as you can get to going back to a time when we felt nothing existed but the moment.... it was a very good feeling..



 


This just puts me on edge..   It only has one speed and that's manic.  No thanks.
 oofus521 wrote:
one of the best album covers ever..stuff that wild dreams are made of
 
Artist Mati Klarwein also did the artwork for Miles Davis' Bitches Brew in 1969 (same year as Abraxas) . . .

Miles Davis Bitches Brew Album Cover Gatefold open-edition digital print

. . . and Live Evil in 1970



 Nerubo wrote:
Offensively inoffensive.  
 
Quite. Carlos Santana is the noodling king, right enough, and technically the dog's bollox, but most of his stuff failed to grab me 3 decades ago, and I still elude its grasping claws. The Nottingham jury's attitude to most Santana stuff would be that of Ford Prefect's: aggressive indifference.

Offensively inoffensive.  
 ick wrote:
The album cover looks like a bad acid trip and this is one of the few Santana pieces that I can actually enjoy.  Just not my cuppa I suppose, although I think I can understand the appeal to others.

 
Album cover is a classic.
You can find some thoughts on this here !


Capping a long instrumental set with this is one of my favorite stretches of RP goodness *ever*.
Whole album = Perfekt!!
Jeez I remember this when it was released everybody, Yes everybody had to have a copy of this and I remember taking this to parties to inform the unitiated .. about Carlos. One of the all time greatest tracks in the history of Pop if thats what you could call it more like a classic afro cuban. Thanks Bill for recalling Happy Happy memories. {#Daisy}

 ick wrote:
The album cover looks like a bad acid trip and this is one of the few Santana pieces that I can actually enjoy.  Just not my cuppa I suppose, although I think I can understand the appeal to others.
 
Bad acid trip? {#Devil_pimp} Au contraire!  (And the music is fine too.) {#Cheesygrin}
The album cover looks like a bad acid trip and this is one of the few Santana pieces that I can actually enjoy.  Just not my cuppa I suppose, although I think I can understand the appeal to others.

 unclehud wrote:
Release date of 1970?  Wow.  That's 40 years ago.
 
I'd say it's held up pretty well as a composition.  This has always been one of my favorite Santana pieces.

Excellent song.
this song resonates quite nicely- satisfies on so many levels!
 Toke wrote:
Now were cooking .. one of my old time favourites ...Full Marks RP.
 
Bumping it UP!

Carlos Santana by ~JSaurer
©2008-2010 ~JSaurer

Carlos Santana
airbrush, water colours & pencils, 2000

 krich58 wrote:

Album certainly was an art form. From Two Virgins to Their Satanic Majesties Request. What's the coolest CD art? The Talk is Cheap special edition? Any others?

 
Anything by Hipgnosis.  They did a lot of covers for Pink Floyd, Yes, Budgie, Roxy Music, and many, many others.  There's a coffee-table book of some of their best covers; not sure if it's still available.  It's fun to look at some of the covers that came out over the years.

This is what Santana should have really stuck to. The instrumental jam! It's great...but ever notice that when he did those blasted duet type tunes in the early nineties with vocalists like Michelle Branch, Rob Thomas etc...he doesn't know when to shut up. He's constantly playing...doesn't give the lyrics a chance to breathe. Maybe it was his way of sayin'..."Hey...I wanna play!" This tune is great...tho.