The Bottom Line
When Carlos Santana originally hooked up with Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger for 2002’s “Why Don’t You & I,” Kroeger’s voice was relatively new to radio, and Santana playing back up for superstar singers still seemed like a somewhat fresh concept. A dozen Nickelback hits and two similar Santana sets later, the new single “Into The Night” unfortunately uses worn out ideas as a blatant attempt at radio airplay.
Pros
- Kroeger’s typically pleasing melody
- Features a classic Santana solo
Cons
- Does radio really need more Chad Kroeger?
- Quickly goes by making little impact
Description
- Fast-paced light percussion accompanies Santana’s Latin-style guitar flourishes
- Story of love-at-first-sight sung with Kroeger’s signature growl
- Hand-clap breakdown alongside Santana solo
Guide Review - Santana featuring Chad Kroeger - Into the Night
Carlos Santana is certainly one of the all-time greatest guitarists. However, since his 1999 comeback album Supernatural, Santana has simply repeated the formula of taking a backseat to the day’s biggest pop stars. The new single “Into The Night” will only sound fresh to those who have spent the past 6 years in a cave. To even the most casual music fan, however, “Into the Night” plays just like any Nickelback song with some extra electric guitar.
Although certainly catchy, “Into The Night” does not linger in the listener’s head as it’s steady beat and cookie cutter production help it come and go making little impact. This tale of instant love serves best as background music for a late-night party or an Adult Contemporary playlist.
Fortunately for Santana and his fan base, “Into The Night” serves as a lead single for the hits package Ultimate Santana. The album combines hits from the musician’s recent albums, as well as classics from his band at its prime. So, while “Into the Night” alone provides little motivation for the purchase, the promise of the guitar master’s best work should be irresistible for any pop fan without Santana's previous work in their collection.
