As is (or was) the case with the version streaming on Tidal in 360RA, and the Q8 before it, the SACD is still too bassy for me to consider it perfect, but turning the bass down on my AVR (-4dB) made it eminently listenable. Otherwise it's a really nice mastering with good midrange (phantom center imaging is very good) and none of the overcooked top end that plagued Caravanserai and to some degree, the self-titled debut album.
It's nice to see these "post-classic lineup" (or whatever you want to call them) Santana albums getting a second look (and some renewed appreciation) thanks to this series of releases, and also D-V's reissues of Santana's collaborative efforts. I feel kind of the same way about them that I do of The Guess Who's releases (#10, Road Food, etc.) from the same period - the early pop hits are great (and I'd never want to make an either/or choice, I want it all) but it's the move to making these more expansive, less easily accessible albums that elevated these bands from good to great in the long term.
I think it goes without saying too, that along with Welcome, this album is as good as it gets for Santana quad mixes, and quad in general. Complex, mature, and well-thought out (unlike me) these mixes easily make the stereo versions obsolete, and elevate the material considerably. The quality of these mixes makes the fake quad mixes of the following two Santana albums (Amigos and Festival) even more disappointing to contemplate - what I'd give to hear those albums rendered in quad in the same way that Borboletta was.
I was also kind of struck by the fact that with both this album and Welcome you really feel like you're getting your money's worth thanks to the runtime, which is pushing 50 minutes - I know it's kind of an apples-and-oranges comparison, but a lot of RCA quad albums clock in under 35 minutes (and often closer to 30) which means these albums have 50% more music on them. The result, at least for me, is when the album is over you feel like you've had a really filling, satisfying meal, but at the same time not too much, which can sometimes (often) be the case with actual double albums.
It was also interesting to note the distinct influence of Larry Coryell, an early fusion pioneer who introduced Santana to both the genre and the teachings of Sri Chinmoy, the guru who would have a strong influence on him in the years following. The song 'Here and Now' in particular sounds like something directly off Coryell's Introducing the Eleventh House album from the same year, and I'm sure I've heard that guitar figure before in another song, but I'm struggling to place it at the moment...
