Santana - Sacred Fire - Live In Mexico [DVD] [1993]

Anyway to the DVD. I've been a Santana fan for more years than I care to remember and like almost everybody else, Supernatural blew me away. The DVD of Supernatural is perhaps one of the best examples of Music DVD's around, the DTS sound is fantastic. It was disappointing (But understandable) to see that Sacred Fire is stereo only. However, it still stands as a great example of the exuberance of a Santana live performance.

All of the standards are there for old and new fans alike and it lacks the commercialism of the later DVD. This was also probably one of the better Santana line-ups, especially with Alexander Ligertwood's stormy vocals. Santana's brother Jorge also plays some nice guitar on Black Magic Woman. The star, though, is still Carlos. An instantly recognisable sound that at times makes the hair on your neck stand up. Thoroughly recommended - buy it.


SANTANA -SACRED FIRE   September 21, 2003
40 out of 41 found this review helpful

As a fan of Santana since I saw them at a festival at Shepton Mallet, Somerset in 1970, I have followed Carlos through all his different styles some I've liked and others I haven't; his Supernatural phase I hate. I have had the video of Sacred Fire for a few years and it is the best concert yet released of Santana. This is DVD for the purist Santana fans. With some of his best known work from the raw style of the 1969-1970s era to pre-Supernatural, really great. Somehow I have become particularly entranced with Make Somebody Happy, its has great vocals and guitar work, Esparando is also a rapesque type number which stands out. Also listen carefully to the background guitar work behind the introduction speech of Angels All Around Us its so haunting. This concert was recorded live in Mexico in front of a partisan Hispanic audience and the atmosphere is electric. If you want a true sample of Santana at his best forget Supernatural and buy Sacred Fire instead you will not be disappointed.


Shame about the sound balance   April 18, 2008
P. J. Beasley (Sheffield)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

This comes very close to being a great concert DVD; the audio-visual quality is excellent, it is atmospheric and the musicianship and singing is impeccable. The only thing which lets it down is the sound balance - the drums and percussion are a bit too loud and dominent, whilst Carlos's guitar isn't loud and dominant enough, and fails to be the potent force that it is on his studio recordings. I'm only talking a small amount and I really enjoy the DVD, but everytime I watch it, a little voice inside my head says 'The guitar should be louder.' Tracks include Black Magic Woman, Samba Pati, Soul Sacrifice and many more.