He may have been immortalised by his legendary performance at the original Woodstock, but for the better part of two decades Mexican guitarist Carlos Santana was widely regarded as a has-been. Then came the massively successful Supernatural, a series of collaborations with artists young enough to be his children that swept the Grammies and put the veteran hippie's career firmly back on track. A sequel was inevitable and so here it is, complete with another cast of celebrity guests who've queued up to lend their vocal talents to Santana's soulful fretwork. With Macy Gray, Dido, Placido Domingo and Seal (to mention just a few) on board, Shaman is certainly not lacking in star quality - and yet the whole concept has a frustratingly artificial feel to it. With so many voices clamouring for attention, the album ends up sounding like a compilation of Latino-flavoured arena-rock singles, many of which are padded out with interminable guitar solos. Santana's passion and commitment are not in question, but his cod-mystical lyrics suggest that he's living in a time warp - and no amount of getting down with the kids can change that. For devotees only.
