Divine Light: Reconstructions & Mix Translation - Bill Laswell

The music Carlos Santana released in 1973 and 1974, while heavily informed by his devotion to guru Sri Chimnoy, was hardly the lightweight worship fodder of some other religious rockers. In fact, only Santana's gorgeous, fluid guitar work marked it as rock at all; with the likes of John McLaughlin, Alice Coltrane, and a wide array of percussion and string players on board, the Santana/McLaughlin Love Devotion Surrender and Santana/Coltrane Illuminations had more in common with the rich, eclectic sound paintings that Miles Davis was then presiding over. Producer-musician Bill Laswell, having remixed and "reconstructed" Miles and Bob Marley tapes, now sequences much of the two LPs into this ear-opening suite. One of those records that seems designed to sound great at any time of day or night, Divine Light's thread moves through a gorgeously orchestral opener with hints of Indian music ("Angel of Air") to two John Coltrane compositions (a hypnotic translation of "A Love Supreme," a hushed "Naima"), a lengthy "Angel of Sunlight" with fervid solos by Santana, saxophonist Jules Broussard, and electric pianist Tom Coster, and the prayerful "Bliss: The Eternal Now" and "Meditation." With Santana's fame greater than ever thanks to Supernatural, the thought that Divine Light will reach some of those new ears is a happy one. --Rickey Wright