Ceremony: Remixes & Rarities

1	Why Don't You & I 3:47
2	Smooth Chris Staropoli Remix 3:53
3	Maria Maria / The Product G&B Wyclef Remix 4:20
4	Foo Foo Sam "Sever" Citrin Remix 5:37
5	Mañana 6:14
6	Truth Don Die 4:34
7	Let Me Love You Tonight 5:34
8	Curación (Sunlight on Water) 4:47
9	Victory Is Won 5:20
10	Come to My World 4:11
11	Primavera / Jerry Rivera 4:45

Barnes & Noble

Life doesn't necessarily begin at 50, but for Carlos Santana, it certainly took a marked upswing -- with the beginnings of a de facto second career at the top of just about every chart extant. Ceremony culls songs from the sessions of the two albums that made him such a ubiquitous presence, splitting the difference (as the title indicates) between remixes of well-known songs and dusted-off obscurities. The former category is highlighted by Wyclef Jean's sunny, island breeze–kissed tweaking of "Maria Maria" and Chris Staropoli's groovily ambient reimagining of "Smooth" (emphasizing the song's undeniably infectious rhythm). The version of "Why Don't You and I" presented here replaces the vocals of co-writer Chad Kroeger with those of Alex Band of the Calling, resulting in a smoother, more ethereal vibe, while "Primavera" gets a major dose of energy from the vocals of salsa star Jerry Rivera. Five of the disc's tunes never actually made it to the finished versions of Supernatural or Shaman, but there's nothing wanting in any of them: "Truth Don Die," contributed by second-generation Afro-Beat standard bearer Femi Kuti, resonates with unshakeable spirit and highlife exuberance, while "Mañana" (by Fugees compadre Salaam Remi) reconciles urban grit and bucolic loam with aplomb. It's an enlightening peek behind the scenes of Santana's platinum-plated recording process -- and a soul-warming listen in its own right. David Sprague

All Music Guide

If you remember the early days of Santana -- the guitarist and the band -- then you may have mixed feelings about some of Carlos' renaissance work, especially a disc like this. Santana at Woodstock, Abraxas, "Black Magic Woman" -- maybe not a world away, but certainly a full career away. With his latter-day work, the Mexican-born axeman has gone more for the pop shots and employed a revolving-door policy of guest-star lead singers. And yes, the charts have smiled on him. This album is a decent clue as to why, but whether the gifted guitarist really needed to put out a set of remixes and "rarities" is open to debate. The material here derives from the sessions that yielded Santana's deuce of comeback discs, 1999's mega-platinum Supernatural and 2000's multi-platinum Shaman. From the former, "Smooth" and "Maria Maria" have been remixed and "Primavera" re-recorded, with vocals by new-generation salsa star Jerry Rivera. From the latter, "Foo Foo" scored a remix, while a new version of "Why Don't You and I" finds Alex Band of the Calling taking over the singing role originally filled by Nickelback's Chad Kroeger. The Shaman album cut "Victory Is Won" has also been tacked on. The new material includes the breezy -- but overly long -- acoustic number "Mañana"; the vivacious, brass-garnished "Truth Don Die"; the album-worthy romance dance of "Let Me Love You Tonight"; the ethereal "Curación (Sunlight on Water)"; and the vocal/guitar weave of the spicy "Come to My World." There's nothing wrong with the quality here, per se, but whether it really adds anything to the Santana legacy is highly questionable. For example, the multi-chart hit "Smooth," served up here as a dance remix, is totally a take-it-or-leave-it affair. Whether or not one is of the mind that this album is a little superfluous -- even exploitative -- there's always that mystical guitar work: filling here, leading there, masterful and captivating. It's the signature instrument of Latin rock. That alone is always worth the price of admission. Adrian Zupp