Santana – Abraxas Label: Columbia – KC 30130 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo, Pitman Pressing, Gatefold Country: US Released: 1970 Genre: Rock, Latin Style: Afro-Cuban, Fusion, Samba, Blues Rock, Psychedelic Rock A1 Singing Winds, Crying Beasts Written-By – Michael Carabello 4:48 A2 Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen Written-By – Gabor Szabo, Peter Green (2) 5:17 A3 Oye Como Va Written-By – Tito Puente 4:17 A4 Incident At Neshabur Written-By – Alberto Gianquinto, Carlos Santana 4:58 B1 Se A Cabo Arranged By – C. Areas* Written-By – Chepito Areas* 2:49 B2 Mother's Daughter Written-By – Gregg Rolie 4:25 B3 Samba Pa Ti Arranged By – Carlos Santana, Gregg Rolie Written-By – Carlos Santana 4:46 B4 Hope You're Feeling Better Written-By – Gregg Rolie 4:10 B5 El Nicoya Arranged By – C. Areas*, M. Carabello*, Rico Reyes Written-By – Chepito Areas* 1:29 Manufactured By – Columbia Records Manufactured By – CBS Inc. Pressed By – Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Pitman Published By – Petra Music Published By – Murbo Music Pub., Inc. Published By – Pab Music Corp. Published By – Planetary Music Publ. Corp. Recorded At – Wally Heider Studios Recorded At – Pacific Recording Studios Mastered At – Customatrix Arranged By – Santana (tracks: A1 to A4, B2, B4) Artwork [Cover] – MATI* Bass Guitar – Dave Brown* Congas – Mike Carabello* Drums – Mike Shrieve* Engineer – David Brown (14), John Fiore Graphics – Bob Venosa Keyboards, Vocals – Gregg Rolie Lead Guitar, Vocals – Carlos Santana Management [Personal] – Stan Moon Marcum* Percussion – Rico Reyes (tracks: B5) Photography By [Cover] – Marian Schmidt (2) Photography By [Inside] – Joan Chase Piano – Alberto Gianquinto (tracks: A4) Producer – Fred Catero, Santana Sleeve Notes [Excerpt From "DEMIAN"] – Hermann Hesse Supervised By [Continuity] – Annie Rudder Timbales, Congas – Jose Areas* Vocals – Rico Reyes (tracks: A3, B5) Gatefold cover. Includes a 22" x 33" black-and-white fold-out poster.

USA FIRST PRESSING VINYL ALBUM IN GATEFOLD SLEEVE WITH POSTER AND ORIGINAL COMPANY INNER SLEEVE.

MATRIX:  SIDE A: P o PAL 30130 1-H 3D; SIDE B: o P PBL 30130 1-H 3S.

SLEEVE: VERY GOOD+, JUST LIGHT SHELF, CORNER, EDGE AND RING WEAR.   POSTER HAS CREASE AND TWO INCH TEAR ALONG LEFT SEAM. INNER SLEEVE VERY GOOD+.

DISC: VERY GOOD+. NO SCRATCHES, JUST A FEW LIGHT HAIRLINES. CLEAN LABELS.

Why buy a first or early pressing and not a re-issue or a ‘re-mastered’ vinyl album?

First and early pressings are pressed from the first generation lacquers and stampers. They usually sound vastly superior to later issues/re-issues (which, in recent times, are often pressed from whatever 'best' tapes or digital sources are currently available) - many so-called 'audiophile' new 180g pressings are cut from hi-res digital sources…essentially an expensive CD pressed on vinyl.  Why  experience the worse elements of both formats?  These are just High Maintenance CDs, with mid-ranges so cloaked with a veil as to sound smeared.  They are nearly always compressed with murky transients and a general lifelessness in the overall sound.  There are exceptions where re-masters/re-presses outshine the original issues, but they are exceptions and not the norm.

First or early pressings nearly always have more immediacy, presence and dynamics. The sound staging is wider.  Subtle instrument nuances are better placed with more spacious textures. Balances are firmer in the bottom end with a far-tighter bass. Upper-mid ranges shine without harshness, and the overall depth is more immersive.  Inner details are clearer, the music tends to sound more ‘alive’ and vibrant and you 'hear' what the mixing and mastering engineers wanted you to hear when they first recorded the music.