Santana – Lotus

While this SACD recording is not a true surround sound mix like the other four quadraphonic releases from Santana, it does give you the impression of being in the audience.

The music comes from your left and right fronts with just reverb and audience in the rears but very little hiss or distortion (thanks to a great mastering) and there is also a clear separation between instruments..
You get an impressive presence of bass for a .0 release (no isolated bass track for your sub but you do get the bass from your sub as long as you don't have your speakers set to 'full range' and your crossover frequencies are also set up correctly).

If you have an SACD set up and you are a Santana fan, all I can say is: Get this.

Honestly, I initially got this because it was a 3-disc set and it looked really interesting. I wanted to make sure I got it before the prices went up for it (like so many SACDs do), and once I got my hands on it, I decided to listen to it all the way through on a surround sound system I've got that just so happens to play SACDs. It proved to be an interesting experience, with the surrounds making it as though I'm actually there in the audience. They weren't heavy on the music, but they did have some reverberation of the music, but especially audience cheering. It's also quite nice to have the bonus tracks not available on any other release, since they help the songs flow seamlessly from one to another.

The tracks vary quite widely, and the music can be... interesting at times. It's not bad, but if you go in and your only experience is tracks like "Black Magic Woman", "Oye como va" or their stuff post mid seventies without listening to some of their other early deep cuts and non-singles, you will be surprised. Is that a good surprise or a bad one? Well, it's really up to your tastes. I've come around to enjoy the whole triple album as one long listening experience rather than just tracks on their own or skipping a few, as it feels like that tends to take away from the entire experience.

On another note, it definitely sounds like it was mastered well. Nothing peaks, nothing is compressed, and everything has a very balanced sound to it. The reproduction of all of the art is also beautiful, the tickets, the booklet, the pictures and all the art; my only nitpick is getting the discs out. It feels like more of a hassle than it should be, but for the accuracy and care put into creating this whole package, it's excusable.

This definitely feels like a "Complete Edition". I'd argue that it is the definitive edition, above any other release. I do feel bad for those of you reading this in the future and the prices for this everywhere are quite high like early Sony SACDs or other "valuable" releases. This is a worthwhile purchase, but don't let yourself get ripped off. The OBI and the sticker on the back of the sleeve DOES say 8,000 yen.

I bought my copy recently (early 2022) directly from CD Japan’s website (best price). Great version of a classic album with previously unavailable tracks having been restored to the show’s presentation. Great sound and performances, too. At times, the instrumental tracks evoke electric Miles Davis. A good bit of excellent improvisation on the instrumental tracks.

The packaging is really phenomenal. It is the original, complete (plus) Japanese packaging with fold-open and fold-out covers, reduced from LP-size to seven inches. The CDs are mounted on black, circular inserts that slide into side panels. Even if you don’t read Japanese, the tour program is fascinating to look at, as is the thick booklet that accompanies the 3CD package.

If you like Santana, get it while you can.

This is by far the best version of this historic release. Superb top quality package, superb sound, get it folks !

I was unaware about Lotus before, until when it caught my eyes when in CD-Japan shopping. I did not play this for a month, because i was not sure what to expect. But finally played this last week and was shocked at the level of engagement I had in completing all 3 SA-CD in one go. This is so nice, thanks to the wonderful mastering done. I read a few reviews complaining about the lack of sound from rears, but its presence is felt as if you are standing close to the stage and surrounded by the ambiance which will be there in any live performance. I am not commenting about the music, which is outstanding, Santana pushes listener into Trance.