Given the sheer size of his catalog and the preponderance of Santana best-of compilations out there, trying to pick a single-disc collection can be a quest. This one, issued by Sony, assembles 17 cuts from the band's long run with Columbia, and does a very decent, if not perfect, job of capturing the essence of the band by collecting little more than just the hit singles. In accomplishing that, it does leave out some seminal cuts -- there isn't even an edited version of "Soul Sacrifice here, nor are "Samba Pa Ti" from Abraxas and "Song of the Wind" from Caravanserai present. That said, virtually everything here is very solid. For those looking for only the hits, this will do just fine; for those looking to go a bit deeper, the double-disc Essential Santana is a better bet. ~ Thom Jurek
