Album number 3 mirrors the best moments of the previous Abraxas set, with "Toussaint L'Overture" being the centerpiece of the recording. Neal Schon was added as second guitarist along with percussionist Coke Escovedo joining the now expanded septet, the group were at the peak of their powers here and although some fans may contend that this follows Abraxas a little too closely in its context of material, in my opinion, it shows magnificent consistency and there are some moments that stick out; particularly on the track "Everybody's Everything" which features a horn arrangement performed by the "Tower of Power" horn section,(whom would be recognized on their own terms famously with the passing of time), this track has a great feel of soul, mixed in with the group's already trademark latino-flavored funk-rock/jazz style. "Everything's Coming Our Way" has a sense of melodic pop infused with the trademark sound and Gregg Rolie's smooth vocals help define this cut for its likable, appealing quality. "Guajira", similar in style to the previous "Oye Como Va", features vocals by Rico Reyes, whom added backing vocals to various other tracks throughout the record.

​

"No One to Depend On" highlights the new addition of Neal Schon trading guitar harmonies with Carlos and the two of them resemble something of a pairing of jazz saxophonists, in the spirit of John Coltrane and Julian "Cannonball" Adderly, within the aspect of their musical spark and dynamic containing absolutely wonderful results. "Taboo" settles into a breezy groove with the silky smooth vocals of Rolie and the virtuoso guitar dynamics of Carlos and Neal coming to the fore, yielding in awash of melodic color and brimming with innovative musicianship. As mentioned earlier, "Toussaint L'Overture" is the centerpiece of the record and this track remains an instant classic and would remain a live staple within the coming years of Santana's career throughout. "Jungle Strut" is another important cut beginning with an organ flourish and some warm up beats before rushing out of the gate with a forceful rhythm, driven by the powerful drumming of Michael Shrieve, the pulsating bass, courtesy of David Brown, whom remains the backbone of the Santana rhythm section within this release, and the twin guitar attack of Schon/Santana that has become standard at this point in the record's duration.

​

The '98 remaster offers 3 songs from a 4th of July, Fillmore West performance during the year of 1971, in the forms of "Batuka", "Jungle Strut" and closes with a high energy, virtuoso performance of the track "Gumbo", an outtake from the "III" sessions. Culminating within this 3rd installment of the band's already classic output, this album remains a consistent and forward moving endeavor for the band, and yet after this release, the group would slowly change and ultimately disband after the 4th record, Caravanserai, unfortunately. But with the brimming power and style that this lineup displayed, its almost impossible to keep up with that type of momentum and Carlos would branch out into other areas of interest, particularly with guitarist, John McLaughlin(Mahavisnu Orchestra/Miles Davis) and Rolie and Schon would leave to form Journey, with later success. If you liked what you heard on Abraxas and the stunning debut, Santana III will not disappoint.

​

Rating Grade- A-